If you love thick, bakery-style cookies, you’ll LOVE these Gluten-Free Levain Chocolate Chip Cookies! Learn how to make Levain Bakery–style cookies at home with simple, no-fuss ingredients. You’ll adore their golden, crisp exterior and gooey center — all without gluten.
I’ve been gluten-free for over a decade, and every now and then I still get gluten-free FOMO. Levain Bakery’s famous chocolate chip cookies — enormous, bakery-style treats — were one of those cravings. Since I can’t always get the original, I researched and tested extensively to recreate that thick, gooey, bakery-style cookie in a gluten-free version. The result: giant, tall cookies with a crisp exterior and a soft, molten center.
Today we’re making gluten-free Levain two-chip chocolate chip cookies. Below you’ll find what makes them special and how to get the best results at home.
Here’s What Makes These Chocolate Chip Cookies So Unique
- Colossal Size. These cookies are large — roughly 6 ounces each, about 4 inches wide and 1.25 inches thick. That scale gives each cookie a satisfying, bakery-style presence.
- Texture Contrast. A delicately crisp exterior gives way to a soft, gooey center. The surface should look slightly rumpled and uneven, which creates that homemade, rustic look when baked.
- Clever Ingredient Mix. Instead of standard cake or malted barley flours, this gluten-free version uses a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend combined with cornstarch. That ratio produces a light exterior and tender interior without a floury aftertaste.
- High Heat Baking. Because the cookies are so thick, a higher oven temperature sets the edges quickly so they don’t spread, preserving height while producing the ideal textural contrast.
Simple Ingredients To Start
The main ingredients are straightforward and pantry-friendly — no unusual or fussy items. These choices are what help create that bakery-style Levain texture in a gluten-free cookie.
- Cool Butter. Use butter that’s slightly softened but still cool. This strikes a balance between incorporating air and preventing excessive spreading.
- Brown Sugar + Granulated Sugar. Brown sugar adds moisture and depth, while granulated sugar helps create a delicate crisp exterior.
- Eggs. Eggs add structure and chewiness while binding the dough.
- Vanilla. Adds flavor — Levain’s two-chip cookies include vanilla, so we include it here for balance.
- Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour. A reliable blend (one containing xanthan gum) gives structure. Weighing the flour produces the most consistent results.
- Cornstarch. Replaces cake or malted barley flour in this gluten-free adaptation to lower protein and increase tenderness.
- Baking Soda. Gives a good lift and helps create the right texture in this dough.
- Sea Salt. This recipe uses a noticeable amount of salt to balance sweetness and enhance the chocolate flavor.
- Dark + Semisweet Chocolate Chips. A large quantity of both types of chips creates those chocolate-packed bites Levain cookies are known for.
Tools We Recommend
- Reliable gluten-free measure-for-measure flour — consistent texture and structure.
- Kitchen scale — weighing ingredients, especially flour, improves consistency and even baking.
- Light-colored baking sheets — for even browning and predictable results.
- Parchment — pre-cut sheets make cleanup and batch work easier.
- Stand mixer + paddle attachment — helpful for creaming butter and mixing thick cookie dough.
How To Make Gluten-Free Levain Cookies, Step By Step
The full recipe with exact ingredient amounts and notes appears in the recipe card below. The method follows classic Levain-style assembly: cream butter and sugars, add eggs, fold in dry ingredients, then fold in a generous amount of chocolate.
First, Mix Up The Dough
- Preheat and prep. Preheat the oven to 415°F (212°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper so cookie dough isn’t placed onto a hot pan.
- Cream butter and sugars. In a stand mixer, cream cool cubes of butter with brown and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time. Scrape the bowl and add eggs one at a time, beating until emulsified. Because the butter is cool, you may need an extra 30–60 seconds of mixing for a smooth mixture.
- Stir in vanilla. Add vanilla and combine.
- Add dry ingredients. Scrape the bowl, then add the gluten-free flour blend, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until nearly combined — the dough may still look slightly powdery.
- Fold in chocolate. Add the semisweet and dark chocolate chips and mix just until incorporated. Finish mixing with a spatula so the dough is evenly distributed. The dough will be thick and tacky.
Shape & Bake The Cookies
- Scoop and shape. Use a 2/3-cup scoop (about 6 oz. of dough) for each cookie. Weighing the dough ensures uniform results. Gently shape the dough into rounds without packing them tightly — a light touch preserves airiness.
- Bake. Place four dough balls per sheet, slightly offset. Bake 11–14 minutes, until the tops are golden and set but the centers remain slightly wet. Let cookies rest on the hot sheet 2–3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Cool fully before serving. Allow cookies to cool for 20–25 minutes so the residual heat finishes the centers and they reach the ideal texture. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container up to 2–3 days or freeze for longer storage.
FAQ & Tips For The Best Gluten-Free Levain Chocolate Chip Cookies
Watch bake time and temperature. These thick cookies bake at higher heat and require enough time to develop a deep golden exterior while staying soft inside. They will look darker than typical cookies but should remain slightly underdone in the center when removed.
Cool before you eat. Cooling for 20–25 minutes is essential. Cutting or tasting too early will leave a doughy center.
Use good-quality chocolate. These cookies pack a lot of chips, so better chocolate improves flavor. Mix dark and semisweet chips for depth and balance.
About Levain’s store-bought gluten-free option. Levain offers a vegan, gluten-free walnut cookie made in shared equipment; it may pose cross-contamination risk for people with celiac disease. For a safe, home-baked gluten-free Levain-style option, use this recipe and dedicated gluten-free tools and ingredients.
More Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies To Try
Thin & Crispy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten-Free Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten-Free Sprinkle Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten-Free Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Cookies
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Gluten-Free Levain Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, cut into cubes, slightly softened but cool (2 sticks / 226 g)
- 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed (200 g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups gluten-free measure-for-measure flour, scooped & leveled or weighed (330 g)
- ¼ cup cornstarch (32 g)
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups dark chocolate chips
Instructions
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Preheat & prep. Preheat oven to 415°F and line baking sheets with parchment.
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Cream butter and sugars. In a stand mixer, cream cool butter cubes with brown and granulated sugar for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy.
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Add eggs one at a time. Scrape the bowl and add eggs one at a time, beating until emulsified. Mix an extra 30–60 seconds if needed to ensure the mixture comes together.
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Mix in vanilla. Add vanilla and combine.
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Add dry ingredients. Scrape the bowl and add flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until almost combined; the dough may look slightly powdery.
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Fold in chocolate. Add both chocolate chips and mix until dough is no longer dry. Finish folding by hand so chips are evenly distributed. Dough will be thick and sticky.
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Scoop & shape. Use a 2/3-cup scoop (about 6 oz dough) and gently shape rounds without packing them tightly.
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Bake. Place four dough balls per sheet and bake 11–14 minutes until tops are golden and set but centers remain slightly wet. Cool on the sheet 2–3 minutes, then transfer to a rack and bake remaining batches.
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Cool fully before serving. Allow cookies to cool 20–25 minutes so centers finish setting. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
- Gluten-Free Flour: Use a reliable measure-for-measure blend that contains xanthan gum. We recommend weighing the flour for best results. Do not substitute almond or coconut flour.
- Texture: Aim for a crisp, deep golden exterior and a soft, slightly gooey interior. Cooling time is essential to achieve this finish.
- Smaller cookies: If you prefer regular-sized cookies, scoop 1½” balls and bake at 375°F for 8–10 minutes.
Video
Find the recipe:
sweetsandthankyou.com/gluten-free-levain-chocolate-chip-cookies/