Vegan Levain Cookies

These New York-style vegan Levain cookies are thick, chunky, and loaded with chocolate chips.

This vegan Levain chocolate chip cookies recipe has been adapted from Serious Eats. The concept is that using less sugar than regular cookie recipes helps to reduce spreading. Reducing the spread is key since the goal is to make them thicker.

Walnuts are also included in this recipe, which not only adds flavor and appealing texture, but help with the structure of the cookies. They are a vegan delight!

Ingredient Notes

• Vegan butter stick or margarine – Country Crock Plant Butter stick is an excellent choice for this recipe.
• Light brown sugar – helps to add to chewiness and color to the cookie.
• Granulated sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Salt
• Baking powder

• Baking soda
• Aquafaba – aquafaba is the brine from chickpeas, used as an egg replacer. Unsalted aquafaba is preferred.
• Bleached all-purpose flour – bleached flour will keep the color consistent for these cookies, as it browns more evenly than unbleached flour. It also makes a denser cookie.
• Vegan chocolate chips – not chopped chocolate, as this can affect the outcome of the dough. Using a combination of different types of chocolate chips makes the flavor more unique.
• Raw walnut pieces – adds texture to these cookies.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Make the dough:

1. Add the vegan butter, sugars, vanilla, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl. 

2. Mix with a hand or stand mixer, gradually increasing the speed until the mixture is fluffy and lighter in color. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix thoroughly.

3. Gradually add the aquafaba, beating with the mixer between each addition.

4. Add all the flour and mix until combined, but don’t overmix the dough. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all the flour has mixed into the dough. The dough should stick together well.

5. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts by hand with a silicone spatula or on low speed with a stand mixer to not break or damage the chocolate chips and nuts.

6. Divide the dough into eight even portions. Using a scale is preferred, to ensure that each dough portion weighs exactly 6oz/170g.

7. Shape each dough portion into a smooth ball and place them on a baking tray or pan lined with parchment paper. Cover dough balls with plastic wrap, and put them in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. This helps the cookies hold their shape while baking.

Bake the cookies:

1. Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C for at least 15 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. When the oven is fully preheated, place 3 or 4 cold cookie dough portions onto the baking sheet. Ensure that the cookies have more than enough room to spread.

3. Store the remaining portions in the fridge for later use, or bake after the first batch. The dough balls will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

4. Bake the cookies for about 20 to 22 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned on top. If you have a candy thermometer, aim for a temperature between 175°F and 185°F (79°C and 85°C).

5. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet until warm before serving. They are best enjoyed the same day.

Notes and Substitutions

• Use stick-style vegan butter and not spreadable or tub vegan butter or margarine, as this will affect the texture of the cookies. Oil cannot be substituted for vegan butter in this recipe. 

• Using a combination of dark and semisweet chocolate chips will give these cookies great variation in flavor.

• The walnuts can be substituted with chopped pecans if desired.

• If nuts are not an option due to preference or dietary restrictions, add extra flour to the dough. Try adding 50g or about a ½ cup of flour to the dough to help the cookies retain their structure.
• If you only have unbleached flour, try replacing 4 tbsp/60g with the same amount of cornstarch or cornflour. This lightens up the flour a bit.

Key Tips for Success

• If you used salted aquafaba, subtract ⅛ teaspoon of salt from the recipe. 

• Use the vegan butter straight from the fridge and do not soften ahead of time. Cut the vegan butter into cubes before creaming into the sugar.

• The nuts in this recipe help the dough keep its structure, and the cookies from spreading too much. Leaving the nuts out will certainly change the structure of the cookies.

• Try not to overbake the cookies, ensuring that the bottoms don’t burn. These should have a soft and gooey center that will firm up after cooking on the baking sheet. 

Storage

The dough balls will keep for up to a week in the fridge or make and store a batch in the freezer for up to 6 months.

To store in the freezer, tightly wrap each dough ball in plastic wrap and place it in a zip-top freezer bag.

Store the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 days. However, these cookies taste best when freshly baked and warm.

More Chocolate Cookie Recipes

• Vegan Black and White Cookies (another New York Favorite!)
• Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Vegan S’mores Cookies
• Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
• Vegan Peanut Butter Cup Cookies