Levain Bakery Copycat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thick and gooey, Levain Bakery- style chocolate chip cookies stuffed with toasted pecans, hazelnuts, pumpkin, and cozy fall spices.

In my book, Levain Bakery cookies are the perfect cookie. I remember a handful of years ago when Levain Bakery cookies began to take-over the internet—cute images of their tiny, blue and white bakeshops started popping up on Instagram along with pictures of giant, ooey gooey chocolate chip cookies. I didn’t live anywhere close to NYC, but I was sold.

Around the same time, Martin went on a work trip to New York, walked 40 something blocks, and stood in a 2 hour line to bring me back a few of those prized cookies. I don’t know if it was the cookie itself, the way I had hyped it up in my head, but even 2 days later, they were the best cookies I’d ever eaten. In June of this year, we went to NYC for our anniversary and ran through the rain to get my Levain Bakery cookies—still as perfect as I remember them.

Some people like their cookies thin and chewy. Some like them thin and crispy, or with ridged edges. I like my cookies Levain Bakery Style—thick and fat, a little crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. I like them to weigh almost half a pound. For me, that’s the perfect cookie.

So for this recipe, I channeled my inner Levain Bakery and paired with everyone’s favorite fall flavors—pumpkin and warming spices to bring you the best cookie recipe I’ve made all year. Hands down. Lets jump in!

how to make copycat levain bakery pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

This is a pretty straightforward cookie recipe, with just a few caveats.

Here’s what you need:

• Butter. Most creaming method recipes call for your butter to be room temperature but every Levain Bakery copycat recipe I’ve made through the years calls for cold butter so that’s what we’re using. Unsalted butter. Cold and cubed.

• Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar. Brown sugar has molasses added to it for a deep, caramelized flavor while a bit of granulated sugar helps aid in cookie spread.

• Eggs and Yolks. For this recipe, I used one whole egg + an egg yolk for a little extra fat.

• Flour. I use a blend of all purpose flour and cake flour for this recipe. Since cake flour has a lower protein content, it forms a bit less gluten giving us a softer crumb while the all purpose flour provides enough protein to build structure. Also, Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookie recipe does this flour blending and the technique has stuck with me for years. (Also a very good chocolate chip cookie recipe.)

• Pumpkin. Of course, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies need pumpkin! Make sure you grab canned pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling, which has other ingredients added.

• Spices. Lots of warming spices make this cookie extra cozy for fall. There’s cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and all spice. If you don’t have these spices, you could omit all of them and replace with 2 3/4 tsp of pumpkin pie spice.

• Leavening Agents. This recipe uses both baking powder and baking soda. Powder helps with the rise, while baking soda works to balance the pumpkin’s slight acidity.

• Chocolate. I like using lots of roughly chopped dark chocolate for all of my cookie recipes. This gives me little flecks of chocolate throughout the cookie, along with a few big puddles.

• Nuts. The classic Levain Bakery cookie uses walnuts, which I could have sworn I had on hand when I started testing this recipe. Turns out, I didn’t so I used a blend of pecans and hazelnuts which felt much more like fall to me. Make sure to toast your nuts for added depth of flavor and then let them cool before adding to the dough.

a few tips for making these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

1. These cookies MUST chill for 24 hours. I know, it’s annoying, but this recipe especially needs the chilling time or I promise, you will end up with giant cookie puddles. You can read a little more about what happens when you chill cookie dough here. It will be worth it, I promise!

2. Levain Bakery cookies weigh a hefty 6 oz each, so that’s what we’re working with here. You’re going to end up with 8 enormous cookies that can be broken into pieces or snacked on throughout the day. If you want smaller cookies, adjust the baking time accordingly, and remember that they will still be delicious, but not very Levain Bakery-esque.

3. Scoop, weigh, chill. That’s my recommended process for making these cookies. Scoop and weigh the dough while it’s still soft and place your portions on a parchment lined sheet tray. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and chill overnight. Then, when you’re ready to bake, all you have to do is preheat the oven.

Yield 8 large cookies

Author Anna Ramiz

Prep time

20 Min

Cook time

20 Min

Inactive time

24 Hour

Total time

24 H & 40 M

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thick and gooey, Levain Bakery- style chocolate chip cookies stuffed with toasted pecans, hazelnuts, pumpkin, and cozy fall spices.

Ingredients

• 4 oz (113g) butter, cold and cubed
• 3/4 cup (150 g) brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (66 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 cup (140 g) pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 200 g all purpose flour
• 80 g (2/3 cup) cake flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground all spice
• 375 g chopped chocolate
• 1 1/2 cups toasted nuts (I used 1/2 pecans and 1/2 hazelnuts)

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter, brown sugar, and granulate sugar.
2. Cream on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until soft and sandy and all of the butter has been incorporated.
3. Lower the mixer speed and add the vanilla extract, egg, egg yolk, and pumpkin puree one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl often to ensure even mixing.
4. In another large bowl, whisk together salt, baking powder, baking soda, flour, cake flour, and spices.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the dough gradually mixing just until all of the flour streaks remain.
6. Add the chopped chocolate and toasted nuts and mix once more, just until distributed. Fold the dough with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to ensure that there are no pockets of unmixed ingredients.
7. Divide the dough into 8 six-ounce portions and place them on a parchment lined sheet tray. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 24 hours.
8. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Space the cookies out on the tray (I did 4 cookies per tray) and bake for 17-20 minutes, until the tops of the cookies are dry and the edges are just beginning to brown. Let the cookies cool completely on the pan before serving.

Notes

I know it's a bit of a pain, but don't skip the chilling time on this recipe. If the dough isn't properly chilled, the cookies will spread!

If you don't want to make these Levain Bakery Style (aka, giant), you can scoop the dough into smaller portions. For smaller cookies, begin checking for doneness after 8 minutes.

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A Chocolate Chip Cookie Collection

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Apple Cider Affogato

A spin on the classic Italian dessert, this simple, fall affogato is perfect for the holiday season. It comes together quickly, and features caramel gelato drowned in mulled apple cider and topped with whipped crème fraîche and a crunchy hazelnut streusel.

Happy Thanksgiving week to all!

I am very hot and cold when it comes to Thanksgiving celebrations. I love that Thanksgiving is essentially a holiday with celebrations that revolve completely around food. But, I tend to get fairly frustrated at the traditional fare (not surprising at all) and often feel like I’m straddling a line of trying to please everyone with all of Turkey Day classic dishes that, if I’m being completely honest, I don’t really like. On top of that, with a career in food media, I’ve already made at least three Thanksgiving feasts by the time the fourth Thursday in November actually arrives.

In case you haven’t figured it out through a glance of my recipe index, I like to buck tradition when it comes to food. This year, it’s our first Thanksgiving in Minneapolis and will just be me and the boys (Martin and Tahini) since all of our family is thousands of miles away in the regions of the country where there is still a touch of warmth. We’ll be staying in and watching movies with a big batch of bolognese simmering in the background. There will be caesar salad, garlic bread, tiramisu, and sparkling negronis and I cannot wait.

I wrote this recipe for those of you interested in spicing up your Thanksgiving table a bit. If you’re looking for a dessert closer to the classics, check out my pumpkin ricotta tart. This apple cider affogato recipe is for wow-ing your guest with a table-side dessert that takes almost no effort at all. Be a little bit fancy this year.

an italian affogato recipe

Affogato is an Italian dessert traditionally made by pouring hot espresso over gelato—the word affogato means “drowned” in Italian.

For this recipe, we’ll use whatever store-bought caramel gelato you like best. I really love Talenti and Dolcezza brands, but pick your favorite! Then we’ll mull some apple cider with a handful of spices just until its hot and spiced and your house smells like a holiday dream. A little whipped crème fraîche and hazelnut streusel round everything out with a little tang and a bit of crunch.

The only thing you’re baking here is the hazelnut streusel and you can make this in advance. It takes about 5 minutes to mix together the cookie dough and then you’re just going to clump it in a granola-like layer on a baking sheet and bake it until it’s golden. After the streusel has cooled, break it into chunks and transfer it a container. It will keep at room temperature for 4-5 days and you can just pop any leftovers in the freezer and keep it for sprinkling on ice cream or pies anytime.

Yield

4

Author

Anna Ramiz

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

15 Min

Inactive time

15 Min

Total time

45 Min

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Apple Cider Affogato

A spin on the classic Italian dessert, this simple, fall affogato is perfect for the holiday season. It comes together quickly, and features caramel gelato drowned in mulled apple cider and topped with whipped crème fraîche and a crunchy hazelnut streusel.

Ingredients US Metric

for the hazelnut streusel

• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup (50 g) brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (63 g) all purpose flour
• 1 cup (89 g) rolled oats
• 1/2 cup (70 g) chopped hazelnuts

for the mulled cider

• 4 cups apple cider
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 tsp whole cloves

for the whipped crème fraîche

• 8 oz crème fraîche
• 4 oz heavy cream
• 50 g powdered sugar

• 1 pint caramel gelato of choice (I like Dolcezza or Talenti)

Instructions

to make the hazelnut streusel

1. Preheat the oven to 350° and line a quarter sheet tray with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Beat for 1-2 minutes until light and sandy.
3. Add the flour and oats and mix again for about 30 seconds, until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and fold in the hazelnuts.
4. Scatter the streusel dough in clumps on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to brown.
5. Let the streusel cool completely and then break it up into pieces. Store in a sealed container for up to a week or for about 3 months in the freezer.

to make the mulled cider

1. Combine all cider ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Let the mixture boil for about 5 minutes, then remove it from the heat and cover it with a lid.
2. Let the cider steep for 15-20 minutes and then strain out the spices. Serve warm.

to make the whipped crème fraîche and assemble

1. Combine crème fraîche, heavy cream, and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk vigorously until the mixture has thickened and soft peaks form.
2. To assemble the affogatos: Place two scoops of gelato in a bowl or glass. Pour 5 oz of hot cider over top of the ice cream, dollop a spoonful of whipped crème fraîche on top followed by a handful of hazelnut streusel and serve immediately.

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Pumpkin Ricotta Tart

A step up from the traditional pumpkin pie, this pumpkin ricotta tart deserves a place at your Thanksgiving table. It has a crisp, sweet crust, layers of light and creamy pumpkin ricotta filling and is topped with an olive oil caramel, a handful of cookie crumbs, and whipped crème fraîche.

When it comes to developing recipes for the blog and creating a brand with a clear culinary point of view, I have a very niche perspective. I feel very strongly that home desserts (and honestly, lots of restaurant desserts but that’s a whole other sermon) should be better. As much as I love the classic chocolate chip cookie from the back of the Nestle Toll House bag or can eat my weight in a package of Double Stuf Oreos, it occasionally seems like, when it comes to baking, we lose the sense of adventure that we find in cooking and settle for the same old stuff time and time again. I think that there is space in this little baking world for both—we can enjoy the classics while also challenging ourselves with new and different ideas and flavors.

I’ve had some very fun opportunities to work in fancy schmancy restaurant kitchens alongside some truly genius chefs, who have taught me that there is something special about a great dessert. And I believe we can create that at home. I have two big goals on this blog:

1) to challenge you, home bakers of the inter-webs, to play around with unique and creative flavors that go beyond the familiar chocolate, peanut butter, sugar flavor palette

2) to teach you basic, foundational pastry and baking skills so that you are empowered to create desserts with your very own stamp.

With all of that in mind, when developing recipes, I ask myself a few different questions—

Is this recipe familiar enough to draw someone in, yet unique enough to pique their interest?

How can I take the multiple texture, multiple components of fancy plated desserts and incorporate them in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming and labor intensive to a home a kitchen?

What flavors can we create using ingredients that are fairly accessible to a home baker? (aka—no fermenting summer flowers to reduce and use all through winter)

about this pumpkin ricotta tart recipe

All of that to say that this recipe ticks all the boxes. This was a fairly quick recipe to develop—one day, the idea just popped into my head and from conception to completion, the recipe development process only took two days. It just works.

I wanted to create a dessert for your Thanksgiving table that felt grown-up and elegant, while also familiar and comfortable. I wanted to create a dessert that could be made ahead of time, used very few dishes and only a little hands-on time, but that would look like you poured days into it. Et voila-a perfect pumpkin ricotta tart was born.

For this tart there are really two basic components: (plus a few optional extras to really wow everyone)

• a tart crust: For this recipe, and most tart recipes, we are using a basic pate sucreé or sweet crust dough. The difference between a sweet crust (sometimes called shortcrust) and a pie crust is simply the addition of eggs and sugar. The final result falls somewhere between a pie crust and a cookie. The tart crust itself takes maybe 10 minutes to make, but does need a little chill time. You can make it a few days ahead, chill it overnight, roll it out and line your tart pan and then just store your lined tart pan in the freezer until you’re ready to bake.

• a ricotta filling: We love a creamy ricotta filling. It feels a little like cheesecake but without being a giant slice of dairy, it’s light and fluffy and really quite dreamy. This ricotta filling is made in the food processor for maximum fluffiness and minimal effort. There’s a bit of citrus zest, sugar, cream cheese, eggs and yolks, and good ricotta (more on that later). Then, a portion of the filling is separated out doctored up with pumpkin and lots of festive spices. Once baked, the ricotta filling needs an overnight chill so again, you can make this whole dessert the day before.

• extras: In my humble opinion, there are two things that take a dessert from good to great: 1) contrasting flavors and 2) contrasting textures. For this tart, a very simple whipped crème fraîche takes the place of whipped cream and the cultured, tart flavor helps cut through some of the sweetness. I also made an olive oil caramel for plating and drizzling (again, you can make this lots of days ahead and keep it in your fridge) and I sprinkled some cookie crumbs on top. I used a bit of hazelnut streusel that I had in the freezer from another recipe, but you can use any crunchy cookie you’d like, store-bought or homemade (gingersnaps would be my number one recommendation)

picking good ricotta cheese

At risk of sounding bougie or a little too much like Ina Garten, good ricotta cheese is worth it. Often in Italy, ricotta is a sheep’s milk cheese, but most of what you see in American grocery stores is made from cow’s milk. High quality ricotta cheese has a richer (more cheese-like) flavor and larger curds. If you think about the tubs of ricotta cheese that you find in the refrigerated aisle of the grocery store, you’ll notice that the curds are very small, almost grain-like because of the fact that they make it in large-scale production. Fresher, smaller batch ricotta has larger curds and is a bit fluffier.

At my grocery store, they have small batch ricotta by the deli in the fancier cheese section (you can probably find this at markets like Whole Foods or Fresh Market). It’s a bit more expensive, but not outrageous. I think I spent $5 on the amount I used in this recipe. If you can’t find the artisan ricotta, a tub will work in this recipe—just be sure to buy the one labeled “whole milk”, you want all the richness and creaminess you can get!

Yield

8

Author

Anna Ramiz

Prep time

45 Min

Cook time

50 Min

Inactive time

6 Hour

Total time

7 H & 34 M

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Pumpkin Ricotta Tart

A step up from the traditional pumpkin pie, this pumpkin ricotta tart deserves a place at your Thanksgiving table. It has a crisp, sweet crust, layers of light and creamy pumpkin ricotta filling and is topped with an olive oil caramel, a handful of cookie crumbs, and whipped crème fraîche.

Ingredients US Metric

for the tart dough (adapted from Nicola Lamb)

• 90 g (just shy of 1 cup) sifted powdered sugar
• 113 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 30 g (1/3 cup) almond flour
• 230 g all purpose flour
• Pinch (about 1/8 tsp) kosher salt
• 1-2 tbsp ice water

for the filling

• 10 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp orange zest
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup (113 g) pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground all spice

for the olive oil caramel

• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (56 g) heavy cream
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch of flaky salt

Instructions

to make the tart crust

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sifted powdered sugar and cubed cold butter. Mix on low speed until all of the sugar has been hydrated, mixture is creamy, and no dry spots remain.
2. Add the egg yolk and mix again for about 20 seconds to combine.
3. Add the dry ingredients and continue mixing on medium-low speed until all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated and the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
4. Add one tablespoon of ice water and continue mixing until the dough begins to form large clumps and can be pressed together in your hand. Add the remaining tablespoon of water if needed or dough seems very dry.
5. Turn the dough onto a lightly-floured work surface and press into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
6. When the dough has chilled, turn it back out onto the surface and roll it into a large circle, approximately 1/4” thick. Carefully transfer it to a tart pan with a removable bottom and gently press the dough into the pan. Trim the edges and transfer to the freezer for 15-20 minutes before baking.
7. Preheat the oven 325° F. Line the tart dough with a piece of parchment paper and fill it with rice or baking beans. Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown. Remove the rice/baking beans and return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes until very golden. Let cool completely.

to make the filling

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine ricotta, cream cheese, egg, egg yolk, sugar, orange zest, and salt. Pulse for about 30 seconds, until mixture is very well combined and smooth.
3. Spoon about one 1/3 of the ricotta mixture into a bowl and whisk in pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and all spice.
4. Pour the remaining 2/3 of the ricotta mixture into your prepared tart shell and then top it with the pumpkin filling. Smooth into an even layer.
5. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 50-55 minutes, until the center is set and only slightly wobbly in the middle. Let cool completely, and then wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to chill overnight (or at least 4 hours).

to make the olive oil caramel

1. Place the sugar in a medium saucepan and set it over medium heat. Cook, without stirring, until the sugar begins to liquify. At this point, you can gently swirl the pot to ensure even coking. Continue to cook, watching closely until all of the sugar has dissolved and the caramel is a deep amber color.
2. Gradually whisk in the heavy cream and cook for 1-2 minutes more, until caramel is smooth and golden. Remove from the heat and whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Transfer the caramel to a bowl and let cool completely. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
3. **Take care, after adding the heavy cream, not to cook the caramel for too long- just a minute or two until smooth. Cooking the caramel too long will take it to the “soft ball stage” of sugar cooking and your finished sauce will be thick and chewy, more like caramel candies than a silky smooth sauce.**

Notes:

To make whipped crème fraîche: You can totally go for classic whipped cream on top of this tart if that’s your preference, but I really love the contrasting tang that a whipped crème fraîche provides. Simply combine 2 parts crème fraîche (I love the Vermont Creamery brand), 1 part heavy cream, and a couple of spoonfuls of powdered sugar (how sweet you like your whipped cream is up to you) in a large bowl. Whisk vigorously until the cream is thick and soft peaks form when you lift the whisk out of the bowl. 

Similar Recipes

Pear Tarte Tatin

Roasted Apricot and Ricotta Tart

Cafe Con Leche Cheesecake

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