Recreate the Magic: The Ultimate Levain Copycat Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

There’s an undeniable magic in creating something truly special from simple ingredients, especially when it involves cookies that bring immediate, pure enjoyment. My recipe for Levain Copycat Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies stands as a testament to this belief. These aren’t just any cookies; they are a delightful homage to one of New York City’s most beloved treats: thick, rich chocolate chip cookies elevated with the luxurious additions of caramel chips and shredded coconut. Prepare to bake a batch that will bring smiles and pure bliss!

For those unfamiliar with the legend, Levain Bakery’s caramel coconut chocolate chip cookie is a true icon in New York City’s culinary landscape. From the moment you spot their signature blue box to the first bite of a perfectly melty, oversized cookie, it’s an experience that defines cookie perfection. As someone deeply immersed in my “copycat recipe era,” recreating this masterpiece was a challenge I eagerly embraced – and I can confidently say, I absolutely NAILED it. These cookies are precisely 6 ounces of pure joy, boasting that signature gooey center and an abundance of rich chocolate chips that Levain lovers adore. If your heart yearns for thin, crunchy cookies, this recipe might not be your perfect match. But if you crave a substantial, tender, and intensely flavored cookie experience, packed with generous chunks of chocolate and other delectable mix-ins, then you’ve found your baking destiny.

So, what are you waiting for? Embrace your inner baker, gather your ingredients, and scroll down to begin your journey to making my incredible Levain Copycat Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies. Your taste buds will thank you!

Explore More Irresistible Cookie Recipes

If you’re a devoted cookie enthusiast like me, you’ll be thrilled to discover more of my cherished recipes. My classic chocolate chip cookies, for instance, are widely considered among the best!

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Why You’ll Fall in Love with These Levain Copycat Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don’t need a lengthy presentation to convince you of the pure delight these cookies bring. Instead, allow me to share a concise list of reasons why this recipe will capture your heart and become a staple in your baking repertoire, just as it has in mine!

The Perfect Gift: Forget generic gift cards (though a Williams-Sonoma one is always welcome!). This year, express your affection with a batch of these homemade caramel coconut chocolate chip cookies. Their generous size means a family could easily share one, yet their utterly addicting flavor profile ensures a single person might devour an entire cookie in mere moments. Imagine brightening someone’s day during a tough time with a beautifully presented gift set of these Levain-style cookies and a heartfelt note – an instant mood transformer!
The Allure of Coconut Flakes: While some may hold an “unpopular opinion,” I wholeheartedly adore coconut flakes, especially when paired with the rich bitterness of dark chocolate chips. They introduce a wonderfully complex texture and a sweet, tropical essence that elevates the classic chocolate chip cookie to new heights of flavor.
A Truly Big Cookie Experience: Sure, an Oreo can be a nice little snack, perfect before a gym session. But when I anticipate a decadent dessert, a small, unassuming cookie just won’t cut it. Dessert cookies should be grand, substantial, and unequivocally filled with delightful inclusions like gooey caramel chips. Ignore fleeting social media trends; bake big cookies, and you’ll find genuine happiness in every bite.
A Savvy Money Saver: A single Levain cookie typically costs around $6.00. While I’m certainly not immune to splurging on one (I might have indulged just last week!), why not save that money and bake a whole batch of these Levain Bakery-style Caramel Coconut Cookies at home? The immense pride and satisfaction you’ll feel pulling these enormous, fragrant cookies from your oven is truly priceless – and so are the resulting cookies themselves!
The Unbeatable Flavor Symphony: Dark Chocolate + Coconut Flakes + Caramel Chips = A combination that is simply unparalleled. The rich, intense notes of dark chocolate perfectly balance the sweet, chewy coconut, while the creamy, buttery caramel chips weave through every bite, creating a symphony of flavors that is pure indulgence. Enough said.

Essential Ingredients for Your Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

While many ingredients for these magnificent Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies might already be in your pantry, I’ve highlighted a few key items and why they are crucial for achieving that authentic Levain-style perfection. For a comprehensive list and precise measurements, please refer to the recipe card below!

All-Purpose Flour: This foundational flour is essential for creating that wonderfully soft, tender, and incredibly gooey interior, a hallmark of all Levain Bakery cookies. It provides the right balance of structure without becoming overly dense.
Sweetened Coconut Flakes: Often overlooked, coconut flakes are a fantastic addition to these cookies! They infuse a delightful chewiness and a sweet, tropical flavor that perfectly complements the chocolate and caramel. It’s the ideal opportunity to finally use that bag of coconut you’ve been saving!
Large Eggs (and an extra Yolk!): While ideally, your eggs should be at room temperature for better emulsification with the fats and sugars, it’s not strictly mandatory for this recipe. However, getting into the habit of using room-temperature eggs is always a good practice for consistent baking results. The extra egg yolk contributes to a richer flavor and a chewier texture, making the cookies even more indulgent.
Caramel Chips: For the best results, I highly recommend using Kraft Caramel bits. They are readily available, incredibly affordable, and maintain a fantastic chewiness and buttery flavor even after baking, ensuring pockets of gooey caramel throughout your cookies. Avoid soft caramels that might melt completely and disappear into the dough.
Bread Flour: This is a secret weapon for achieving the iconic Levain texture. By combining both all-purpose flour and bread flour, we create a cookie with a delightful chew and a subtly crisp exterior, while maintaining that soft, gooey center. The higher protein content in bread flour develops more gluten, contributing to this unique structure.
Dark Brown Sugar: More than just a sweetener, dark brown sugar is vital for several reasons. Its molasses content imparts a rich, deep caramel-like flavor, contributes to a beautiful dark color, and most importantly, adds moisture, resulting in incredibly soft and chewy cookies that stay fresh longer. It also beautifully mellows the intensity of dark chocolate chips.

Mastering Your Levain Copycat Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies: Pro Tips for Success

Achieving bakery-level perfection with these cookies is entirely within your reach. Follow these expert tips to ensure your Levain Copycat Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies turn out absolutely flawless every time:

Preheat Your Oven While Chilling: The moment you place your cookie dough in the fridge to chill, switch on your oven to preheat. This crucial step ensures your oven reaches and maintains the exact temperature required, leading to perfectly baked cookies with an even golden-brown exterior and a beautifully gooey interior. A consistently hot oven prevents cookies from spreading too quickly.
Embrace the Kitchen Scale for Precision: For cookies that not only taste incredible but also look uniformly perfect, a kitchen scale is your best friend. For that iconic Levain look and size, weigh out exactly 5 ounces of cookie dough per cookie. Then, for an extra touch of bakery-style presentation, gently press an additional 1 ounce of caramel and chocolate chips onto the top of each dough ball. This ensures those delicious mix-ins are visible and beautifully caramelized.
Scrape Down the Bowl Religiously: After each addition of a new ingredient, pause and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of your mixing bowl. This simple action prevents unmixed pockets of ingredients and ensures that your batter is uniformly combined, leading to a consistently textured and perfectly baked cookie.
The Magic of Cold Butter: While many cookie recipes call for room-temperature butter, this recipe specifically benefits from cold, cubed butter. Cold butter melts more slowly in the oven, creating steam that helps to lift the cookies and results in less spread. If you must use room-temperature butter, be prepared to chill your dough for a longer period (potentially overnight) to achieve a similar effect and prevent overly flat cookies.
Don’t Skimp on Creaming the Butter and Sugar: This is a foundational step that should not be rushed. The creaming method vigorously incorporates air into your butter and sugar mixture, creating tiny pockets that expand during baking, giving your cookies their structure and contributing to their incredible chewiness. If your cookies spread too much or lack that desired lift, it’s often a sign that insufficient air was incorporated during this critical stage. Cream until light and fluffy!
Avoid Overmixing the Flour: Once you add the flour and other dry ingredients, mix just until everything is combined and the dough barely pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Overmixing develops too much gluten, which can lead to tough, dense cookies rather than the desired tender texture.
The Importance of Chilling the Dough: Don’t skip the chilling step! Chilling allows the butter to firm up, preventing excessive spreading, and gives the flour time to fully hydrate, resulting in a more flavorful and tender cookie. It also allows the flavors to meld beautifully.

Frequently Asked Questions About These Copycat Cookies

Can I use room temperature butter instead of cold butter? While possible, using cold butter is highly recommended for this particular recipe. Cold butter helps the cookies maintain their thick, structured shape and prevents them from spreading excessively during baking, mimicking the signature Levain style. If you use room temperature butter, ensure a longer chilling period for the dough.
Why is creaming the butter and sugar so important? Creaming is a vital step as it incorporates air into the mixture. This aeration provides structure to your cookies and contributes to their light, yet chewy, texture. If your cookies are spreading too much, insufficient creaming could be a primary reason.
Can I substitute bread flour with all-purpose flour? Yes, you can substitute bread flour with all-purpose flour if you don’t have it on hand. However, be aware that bread flour is key to achieving the slightly crisp exterior and chewy texture that defines these bakery-style cookies. Using only all-purpose flour might result in a slightly softer, less structured cookie.
What’s the purpose of adding extra caramel and chocolate chips on top of the dough? Adding additional mix-ins on top before baking is primarily for visual appeal. It ensures that the delicious caramel and chocolate are visible right on the surface, creating an appetizing, caramelized finish that makes them look professionally baked.
What should the cookies look like when they come out of the oven? When removed from the oven, the tops of the cookies should appear beautifully golden brown, and the edges should be set. The centers will still look soft and slightly underbaked; this is exactly what you want for that signature gooey Levain texture! They will continue to set as they cool.
How can I prevent my cookies from spreading too much? Several factors contribute to cookie spread. Ensure your butter is cold, don’t over-cream the butter and sugar (just until light and fluffy), thoroughly chill your dough, and make sure your oven is fully preheated to the correct temperature. Using a mix of all-purpose and bread flour also helps.

Recommended Tools for Baking Success

Electric Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer – Essential for effortlessly creaming the butter and sugars (a paddle attachment yields the best results).
Kitchen Scale – Highly recommended for precise measurement of flour and consistent portioning of dough, ensuring perfectly sized, bakery-style cookies.
Cookie Scoop (Large or ½ Cup Measuring Cup) – Ideal for portioning out those impressively thick, bakery-style cookie dough balls with ease.
Parchment Paper – A must-have to prevent sticking and promote even baking without overbrowning the bottoms of your cookies.
Baking Sheets – Opt for light-colored, heavy-duty sheets for optimal heat distribution and consistent baking results.
Cooling Rack – Allows air to circulate around the cookies, ensuring they cool evenly and prevent them from continuing to bake on the hot pan.
Sharp Knife or Bench Scraper – Useful if you’re using whole caramels or chocolate bars that need to be chopped into bits.
Rubber Spatula – Perfect for gently folding in your mix-ins without overworking the dough, maintaining its tender texture.

Storing and Freezing Your Levain Copycat Cookies

To ensure your Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies remain as fresh and delicious as the day they were baked, proper storage is key. Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. This will help maintain their wonderful freshness and signature soft, chewy texture. For longer preservation, these cookies freeze beautifully, allowing you to enjoy them whenever a craving strikes.

Freezing – Levain Copycat Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

To freeze baked Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies, allow them to cool completely on a wire rack first. Once thoroughly cooled, arrange them in a single layer in an airtight container or a heavy-duty zip-top freezer bag. If you need to stack them, place a sheet of parchment paper between layers to prevent them from sticking together. They can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. To enjoy, simply thaw them at room temperature, or warm them slightly in a microwave or oven for that freshly baked experience.

You can also freeze the cookie dough! Shape the dough into individual portions (as if ready to bake), then wrap each portion tightly in plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, allow the dough to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking as directed in the recipe. This makes having a fresh, warm cookie incredibly convenient!

These Levain Copycat Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies are truly the ultimate sweet treat – perfect for a lavish brunch spread, a comforting dessert after dinner, or simply any time you desire something truly indulgent. If you try this recipe, please take a moment to leave a star rating and share your feedback in the comments below. Your thoughts and experiences are invaluable! Happy baking!

More Delicious Desserts to Try

The Best and Easiest Coconut Loaf Cake
Easy To Make Chocolate Graham Cracker Cake
Copycat Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake Factory

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Recipe

Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie

Molly Murphy

Large, thick, and chewy cookies filled with shredded coconut, caramel bits, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

5 from 6 votes

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Servings

7
cookies

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter cold and sliced
1 cup dark brown sugar packed
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
2 cups bread flour this is what gives it a crunchy exterior, you can sub all-purpose
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 ¾ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 ½ cups shredded sweetened coconut
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 11- oz bag Kraft Caramel Bits reserve ¼ cup for garnishing on top, trust me. This is what give it the look

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cold, sliced unsalted butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Cream these ingredients together until they are well combined, light, and fluffy. This process typically takes about 3-4 minutes. This creaming step is critically important as it incorporates air, which provides structure to your cookies; under-mixing can result in a flatter cookie.
Using a rubber spatula, carefully scrape down the sides and the bottom of the mixing bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated. Add the large egg and mix for 30 seconds. Then, add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, mixing again until the batter appears smooth and creamy. Repeat the scraping of the bowl to ensure consistency.
Add all the dry ingredients at once: all-purpose flour, bread flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, kosher salt, shredded sweetened coconut, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and caramel bits. Mix on low speed until just combined. The dough will begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl when properly mixed. Be careful not to overmix, which can lead to tough cookies.
Weigh or scoop the cookie dough into generous portions, with each portion weighing approximately 5.5 ounces. For that authentic bakery-style, caramelized finish, gently press an additional 0.5 ounces (roughly) of extra chocolate chips and caramel bits onto the top of each dough ball.
Place the portioned cookie dough balls on a plate or small baking sheet and chill them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This step is crucial for preventing excessive spreading and enhancing flavor.
While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 410°F (210°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
After the chilling period, arrange the chilled, portioned dough balls evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies are ready when their tops are beautifully golden brown, and the edges are set, but the centers still appear soft and slightly gooey – this is key for the classic Levain texture!
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This allows them to set further without losing their gooey interior. Serve warm for the ultimate experience!

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