Do you love Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies? Us too. But sometimes a full batch is, well, a full batch! Small Batch Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies are just the right size when you want a treat for two.
This small batch recipe is perfect when you’re home alone and get a craving for a melty chocolate chip cookie, but don’t want to make a huge mess or spend too much time in the kitchen! Also ideal after the kids go to bed and you want to make a treat to celebrate winning the day!
I don’t even use the mixer for this recipe. You need one bowl, a few ingredients, and less than 5 minutes to make this recipe.
After that, it’s 6-8 minutes in the oven and the hardest part… cooling time! I have been known to place the cookies in the fridge or freezer to speed up this process.
Why a small batch? Good question. I usually feel like it is the same amount of work and mess to make a full batch of cookies. But, at times, I love this option for a recipe that makes two beautiful cookies without having to worry about the remaining dough!
Also, the struggle is real when baking a regular batch and you have 8 man- size (almost) half pound cookies sitting on your countertop!
This small batch recipe is the perfect amount for two people. Maybe one person, if you really, reeallly love cookies🙂
Enjoy!
How to Make Small Batch Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- Smash softened butter with a spoon in a medium size bowl.
- Add sugars, mash again until thoroughly mixed. Add egg, combine.
- Add all of the dry ingredients to the bowl.
- Fold together mixture until flour disappears and no white streaks are in dough.
- Cut the dough in half, or weigh two approximately 6 oz cookies and place on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the top is set and golden.
- Let cookies cool for 30-60 minutes.
Oh, and if you are wondering What is Levain Bakery? Here is the full article about how this copycat recipe came to be on A Bountiful Kitchen! You will also love ABK’s other copycat Levain recipes: Levain Bakery Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookie, Levain Bakery Dark Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookie, and Levain Bakery Oatmeal Raisin Cookie .
Small Batch Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons beaten egg (beat one egg and pour 2 tablespoons into measuring spoon)
- 1/4 cup cake flour (or 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch and 1/4 cup sifted AP flour)
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 generous pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, OR chopped pretzels
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon dark or light chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees* or 400 convection bake and set rack in center of the oven.
- Place the soft butter into a medium size bowl.
- Mash the butter with a large spoon. Add the sugars and mix well with spoon.
- Add 2 tablespoons beaten egg. Mix again.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients to the bowl.
- Fold wet and dry ingredients together until incorporated.
- Split the dough in half and place on a baking sheet, or line the baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper. Each piece should weigh approx 6 oz.
- Bake on center rack for 6-8 minutes or until top is set and no longer looks wet or shiny.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 30 or more minutes.
Notes
- The temperature in the oven will vary according to your oven. I bake this cookie at 400 convection bake, but this may be too high for some ovens. If your oven tends to bake hot, try to lower the temperature 25 degrees. If you have convection, use it! Your cookies will bake more evenly using convection bake if it is available.
- If, after folding together the wet and dry ingredients, the dough looks very wet and sticky, you may sprinkle an additional tablespoon of all purpose flour over the dough and fold into dough.
- If you don’t like nuts, they may be substituted with pretzels. if you are using pretzels, chop coarsely and then measure. The pretzels weigh less than nuts, so the cookies will weigh less than 6 oz each cookie.
Equipment
- medium size bowl, spoon, baking pan
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. I’d love to see a photo, tag @abountifulkitchen on Instagram!
Rae
Mine came out so cakey 😭 I chilled it before also.
Si Foster
Hi Rae!
Oh no! I recommend reading through the instructions carefully. Let me know how it goes next time!
Happy Thanksgiving!
XO,
Si
Jeanne White
Mine spread too much; I did refrigerate them thinking that would help, but I feel they need more flour.
Si Foster
Hello Jeanne!
Adding more flour can help a lot. Maybe try a little at a time and see how it thickens? Let me know how it turns out!
XO,
Si
Carolyn Byers
Love, love, love these cookies! I love them hot from the oven, rewarmed in the microwave, or frozen and then rewarmed again! I can’t eat enough, thanks for another favorite!
Lauren Yenchik
Every time I make or eat another chocolate chip cookie now I’m disappointed. They are that good. Thank you!
Bailey Davis
So glad you created the Levain copycat recipes! Yummy!
Sarah Ungheanu
My gosh, these cookies are decadent and gooey and by far the best Levain copycat out there! Nothing hits better when a sweets craving comes along 😋
Nanci Hart
Best cookie recipe ever! The no nuts option is a touchdown!! The pretzels give it an extra special and unexpected saltiness! I love the tips thank you!!
Leslie anderson
Perfect small batch recipe for my husband and me. Or just for me! Great baking tips and easy to follow instructions. Delicious taste and texture.
BC
A review never gets published if it is not a 5 star.
BC
Finally got published
BC
Nothing special about this recipe, only that it makes a small batch. I chose to make 6 smaller cookies that took 8 minutes to bake at this high temperature. The taste was good, the presentation not so much. I think chilling the dough would have made a thicker cookie.
Holly
Oh when I read the title, I was so hoping this was going to tell me how to make the cookies smaller (maybe 3oz each) while still coming out the same amazing cookie dough cookie. I live alone and while I can wolf down a 6oz cookie by myself, I probably shouldn’t. But being autistic with sensory and texture issues, this is one of the only desserts I can make that I can also eat.
Si Foster
Hi Holly,
Yes you can make this cookie in a smaller version. Just cut the original size in half and bake in 3oz portions. Watch the cookie while baking, when the top of the cookie is no longer shiny, remove from the oven and cool. Enjoy! Small or large, this Levain Cookie is a hit at our house! Thank you for reading ABK.
xo,
Si
Liv
Theses look great! Will using softened butter make the cookies spread? I’m going to make these after school! Thank you Mrs. Si for all of your time and effort you put into your(amazing) baked goods! I’m really thankful to have you.
-Liv!xoxo
Si Foster
Hi Liv,
I always suggest just barely softening the butter. You can either leave it on the counter top for about 30 minutes or place in microwave for a few seconds. Just enough to be able to see an indent if you press your finger into the butter, but not so much that the butter melts or collapses under pressure. Hope this helps!
Lauren
Wow these turned out perfect! I will definitely be making these again. Thanks for the great recipe!
Si Foster
Thanks for your review Lauren!
Have a great day,
xo
Si
Tai
I made the small bath levain cookies which was perfect! they were absolutely incredible, and tasted almost identical to NYC! Si works so hard and I appreciate all her hard work. She’s the nicest and always responds on insta. I cannot wait to make these more often. The only thing I will change is adding more chocolate chips.
Teresa hansen
I loved this small batch Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe!!! I had such a craving for cookies but didn’t feel like baking for over an hour and it’s just my husband and I. These were so easy and they turned out perfect! I followed the recipe exactly as it was written. I love nuts but didn’t have any available so I liked the ability to swap them for pretzels. I baked them using convection for 6 minutes and they turned out beautifully! Just like mentioned in the recipe, the hardest part was waiting for them to cool! Thank you for another amazing recipe!
Nan
Do you think that you could possibly bake these two cookies on a square of parchment in an air fryer? I assume 400 degrees would also work here. Just hoping the parchment paper doesn’t go up in flames . . . Exciting baking!
Beth foust
I made these last night and they were fantastic! I actually made 7 smaller cookies that were just the perfect size for a “dont feel guilty” treat!
Loni
Same! Last time I made 2 cookies and I wanted them smaller. They are still so good! Just followed Si’s advice about pulling them out when they are no longer shiny.
Si Foster
Hi Loni!
Wonderful, making 2 cookies is a great idea! These cookies are so big! I love hearing this!
XO,
Si
Karen T
I never have problems consuming or allocating a full batch, however, sometimes when my refrigerator gets depleted, that is when I can use a recipe like this. It is perfect. Thank you.
Jamie
how can i get the cookies to not spread so far. they end up with a huge hump in the middle. 😑 but they taste great!
Holly
I’ve been having this trouble too. Since I live in government housing, the stove is crap and the floors are uneven. So, my cookie not only spreads but “travels” a short way so it ends up with a tail that burns before the rest of the cookie is done.
I’ve mostly fixed this issue by buying an oven thermometer (cheap $6 one on Amazon with high ratings) and making sure that my oven is calibrated. Mine was too low so before calibrating, just by raising the temp to 440⁰ (the Joshua Weissman recipe calls for baking @425⁰), it almost completely stopped burning and spreading too far.
So maybe give that a try? Good luck.
cindy3539
try chilling the dough for an hour or so before using it.
Si Foster
Cindy,
Thank you so much for sharing! That is a great idea.
XO,
Si
Judy
Will be making these 2 cookies soon. Just want to thank you for reducing the normal size (huge) recipe down to 2-person portions. And, my already tight-fitting pants thank you, too. Want to try the cookies, and can always make a “huge” batch if my conscience allows. Thanks again.