Levain Bakery Review: Are Their Cookies Really Worth the Hype?
If you consider yourself a cookie connoisseur, you‘ve probably heard of Levain Bakery. This New York City institution has developed a cult following over the years for their massive, decadent cookies that are crispy on the outside with a gooey, almost raw-like center. Some say Levain makes the best cookies in NYC, if not the entire country. As a shameless cookie addict myself, I decided it was time to put Levain to the test and see if their famous treats live up to the hype.
In this ultimate Levain Bakery review, I‘m sharing everything you need to know before sinking your teeth into these epic cookies, from the flavors and ordering options to what real customers have to say. I‘ll also reveal my honest opinion on whether Levain‘s cookies are really worth the money (spoiler alert: my answer is a resounding YES). So preheat your oven and pour yourself a big glass of milk, because by the time you‘re done reading, you‘ll be ready to place an order ASAP.
The Story Behind Levain Bakery‘s Legendary Cookies
Levain Bakery was founded in 1995 by friends Connie McDonald and Pam Weekes. The pair originally started the small shop on the Upper West Side of NYC to fulfill their passion for baking artisanal breads. But one day, they created an outrageously yummy chocolate chip walnut cookie to give them fuel for long days in the kitchen and grueling triathlon training sessions.
Little did they know this "energy cookie" would completely change the trajectory of their business. After getting rave reviews from friends and family who tried it, they put the cookie on Levain‘s menu. Word quickly spread, and soon enough, people were lining up down the block for a taste of the giant, addictively delicious treat. Levain‘s cookies became a viral sensation before "going viral" was even a thing.
Fast forward nearly three decades later, and Levain Bakery has grown from a tiny bread shop into a bonafide empire built on cookies. In addition to their original UWS location, they‘ve since expanded with several more bakeries in NYC and the DC area, plus a huge online shop that ships their legendary cookies all across the country. Levain‘s cookies have been praised everywhere from Vogue to the New York Times and endorsed by celeb fans like Liam Hemsworth and Katie Holmes.
Yet despite their explosive growth and fame, Levain still stays true to their humble roots. To this day, every single cookie is baked fresh from scratch on-site at their bakeries using the same original recipes and simple, high-quality ingredients. Levain also gives back to the community by donating their unsold baked goods to local charities and nonprofits at the end of each day. It‘s this perfect blend of incredible cookies and a feel-good mission that has earned Levain Bakery its stellar reputation as the gold standard of gourmet cookies.
The Ultimate Guide to Levain Bakery‘s Epic Cookies
So what exactly is it that makes Levain‘s cookies so darn special? For starters, they are HUGE. Each cookie weighs in at a whopping 6 ounces (basically the size of a hockey puck) and is almost an inch thick. Whereas most cookies have a uniformly soft or crunchy texture throughout, Levain‘s feature the perfect contrast of a toasty, caramelized exterior and an ultra-thick middle that‘s gooey, chewy and bursting with flavorful mix-ins.
Levain offers their signature cookies in 5 drool-worthy flavors as well as seasonal varieties that rotate throughout the year. Let‘s break each one down:
Chocolate Chip Walnut
The OG cookie that started it all. It‘s packed with tons of semi-sweet chocolate chips, toasted walnuts, and has an amazingly rich, buttery flavor. If you only try one Levain cookie, make it this one.
Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip
Calling all chocoholics! This cookie has a decadent dark cocoa dough that‘s studded with melty semisweet chocolate chips for an intense double dose of chocolate bliss.
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip
Take the dark chocolate base but swap the chocolate chips for peanut butter ones and you‘ve got this heavenly creation. The velvety peanut butter chips complement the deep cocoa flavor beautifully.
Oatmeal Raisin
This one gives off major cozy vibes with its perfectly chewy oatmeal cookie dough, juicy raisins, and hint of cinnamon spice. Tastes like it came fresh out of grandma‘s oven.
Two Chip Chocolate Chip
A next-level take on the classic chocolate chip cookie featuring a trifecta of semisweet chips, dark chocolate chips, and milk chocolate chips for the ultimate chocolate experience.
While you really can‘t go wrong with any flavor, my personal favorite is the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter. I‘m powerless against the combination of rich dark chocolate and sweet, creamy peanut butter. It‘s pure, unbridled cookie nirvana.
One important thing to note is that all of Levain‘s cookies contain wheat, eggs, milk, and soy. The Chocolate Chip Walnut obviously has walnuts, and the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter has peanuts. Sadly, Levain doesn‘t offer any vegan, gluten-free, or nut-free options at this time. But they do say their Oatmeal Raisin and Two Chip Chocolate Chip are made without nuts.
How to Get Your Hands on Levain‘s Cookies
There are a few different ways you can experience Levain Bakery‘s mind-blowing cookies. If you happen to live in NYC or DC, you can stop by one of their retail bakeries and enjoy a freshly baked cookie on the spot. In addition to cookies, the bakeries also sell rustic breads, sticky buns, and other baked goods. Just be prepared for a line, especially at their UWS flagship which almost always has a queue down the block. But trust me, these cookies are more than worth the wait.
If you‘re not in the area, fear not! You can order Levain‘s cookies online and have them shipped anywhere in the US. They offer boxes of 4, 8, or 12 cookies in every flavor as well as variety packs with a tasty assortment. I‘m obsessed with their signature gift boxes which come beautifully wrapped with a big blue bow.
The prices are definitely steep, ranging from $27 for 4 cookies to $68 for a dozen, plus $10-49 for shipping depending on how fast you want them. But considering the massive size and superior quality of these cookies, I personally think they‘re worth every penny. The fact that you can send them to anyone nationwide and guarantee next-day delivery makes them an awesome gift idea too.
The Bottom Line: Are Levain‘s Cookies Worth the Hype?
I‘ve waxed poetic about Levain‘s cookies throughout this entire review, so it should come as no surprise that my answer is a big, fat YES. After sampling every single flavor, I can confidently say Levain Bakery makes hands down the best cookies I‘ve ever tasted. Period. The quality is truly unmatched, from the top-notch ingredients to the masterful balance of textures and flavors. One bite of the signature crackly exterior giving way to that melt-in-your-mouth center, and you‘ll be hooked for life.
Of course, you don‘t have to just take it from me. Levain Bakery has accumulated tens of thousands of glowing reviews across the web from very satisfied customers. On Yelp, they boast a 4.5 star rating from a staggering 8,000+ reviews. On Tripadvisor, they have an identical 4.5-star ranking culled from over 5,000 reviews. The positive feedback is absolutely pouring in:
"Lives up to the hype! Got a 4-pack with one of each flavor and loved them all, but the chocolate chip walnut was the clear winner. So rich and decadent without being overly sweet. Pricey but totally worth it!" – Rachel T.
"Levain is a must whenever I‘m in the city! The dark chocolate peanut butter chip is heavenly. Huge, super fresh, and delicious. Their gift boxes also make for a fantastic present. 5 stars!" – Mike S.
"Ordered a dozen assorted for my friend‘s birthday and she said they were some of the best cookies she‘s ever had! Perfectly crisp on the outside and so thick and gooey. Already planning to order more for myself" – Jenna R.
The only consistent complaint I saw was the steep cost, which is understandable. Levain‘s cookies are certainly more of an occasional splurge than an everyday treat. A few reviewers also mentioned that the cookies are so filling, they found it hard to finish a whole one in a single sitting (but that‘s not necessarily a bad thing). Overall though, the vast majority of customers report being blown away by the quality, taste, and texture of Levain‘s cookies and feeling they‘re absolutely worth the price.
The Final Crumbs
Well folks, there you have it – the crème de la crème of cookie reviews. As you can hopefully tell, my experience with Levain Bakery was nothing short of stellar. These cookies didn‘t just live up to my sky-high expectations, they soared above and beyond. From the first intoxicating whiff of butter and sugar to the last outrageously delicious, melt-in-your-mouth bite, Levain‘s cookies are the stuff dessert dreams are made of.
While I realize paying upwards of $30 or $40 for cookies (and even more for a full gift box) won‘t be in everyone‘s budget, I firmly believe you won‘t find this level of gourmet indulgence anywhere else. The quality of the scratch-made, no-shortcut recipes is undeniable in every single cookie. This isn‘t some mass-produced treat you can find in any old supermarket. Levain is the real deal.
So if you‘re a true cookie monster who appreciates the finer things in life, I wholeheartedly recommend treating yourself or a loved one to Levain‘s famous four-flavor assortment at least once. Taking down an entire 6-ounce cookie in a sitting is an Olympic-level feat, so I suggest slicing them into quarters to savor over a few days (or sharing with friends if you‘re feeling generous). Just remember to hide the evidence from your diet-sabotaging coworkers and family members!
I hope this super in-depth review of Levain Bakery was helpful, my fellow dessert devotees. I poured my heart, soul, and many enthusiastic adjectives into capturing the sheer magic of the Levain experience. My only warning is that once you‘ve had these cookies, no others will ever quite measure up again. But I promise you it‘s a sweet, buttery slope well worth sliding down.
