We survived the first week of virtual homeschooling — hooray. We deserve all the cookies. Not just any cookies: these giant tahini chocolate chip cookies inspired by Levain Bakery are worth celebrating.
If you’re homeschooling this year too, I see you. Make a batch of these warm, gooey, fresh-from-the-oven cookies. They’re comforting, substantial, and a little bit decadent.
True to the Levain Bakery-style original, these oversized cookies are:
- golden and lightly toasted on the outside
- chewy and slightly underbaked in the center
- richly nutty
- loaded with chocolate chips and halva pieces
- massive — each cookie weighs nearly half a pound
- the perfect treat after a long week
Key features of these cookies
- Cake flour: Cake flour yields a more tender cookie. With lower protein (about 7–9%), it forms less gluten and creates a softer, lighter texture.
- Cornstarch: Helps the cookie stay tender and chewy by thickening the dough without drying it out.
- Brown butter: Browning the butter adds a deep, nutty flavor that enhances the cookie’s profile.
- Tahini: A twist on the classic that adds a rich, sesame-based nuttiness and depth.
- Brown and granulated sugar: The classic duo that provides structure, chew, and that familiar cookie flavor.
- Halva: Halva caramelizes in the oven, adding crunchy, caramel-like pockets. If you prefer, replace it with extra chocolate chips, walnuts, or peanut butter/butterscotch chips.
How to make and bake these tahini chocolate chip Levain-inspired cookies
- Cold ingredients: Cube and chill the browned butter (or use cold unsalted butter) so it creams properly with the sugars. Cold butter helps create the cookie’s signature texture.
- Chill: Chilling the dough rests the gluten and reduces spread, giving a chewier interior. The original method includes chilling, so this recipe follows suit.
- Food scale: Each cookie weighs 6 oz. Use a food scale for consistency. If you don’t have one, a generously filled ½-cup measure can work. This recipe yields about eight cookies.
- Shape: Shape the dough rustic-style by hand or with a spoon — the cookies should look intentionally rough and chunky.
- Fold the chocolate chips and halva in together so the mix is evenly distributed.
- Baking temperature: Bake in a very hot oven briefly to set the exterior while keeping the interior soft and gooey.
- Finishing off the sheet: Let cookies finish on the hot baking sheet for about 15 minutes after removing from the oven so they continue to set without overbaking.
- Cooling time: For best texture, allow the cookies to fully set and cool — ideally up to an hour if you can wait.
Other fall-inspired tahini treats
- s’mores tahini cookie bars
- chai-spiced tahini blondies
- pumpkin tahini chocolate chip cookies
Tahini Chocolate Chip Levain Bakery–Inspired Cookies
Megan
Giant chocolate chip cookies made with brown butter, tahini, halva pieces, and chocolate chips. Baked to have a toasted exterior and a chewy, slightly underbaked interior. Nutty, sweet, and irresistible — perfect for sharing.
4.40 from 33 votes
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Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Rest Time15 mins
Total Time55 mins
CourseCelebrations, Dessert, Snack
CuisineAmerican
Servings8 6 oz. cookies
Equipment
- cookie sheet
- stand or electric mixer
- parchment paper or Silpat
- food scale or ½-cup measuring cup
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup (150g) cake flour
- 1 ¾ cup (210g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup (175g) browned butter, cold (or ¾ cup cold unsalted butter)
- ¼ cup (56g) tahini, cold and well stirred
- ¾ cup (150g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (130g) halva, chopped (or substitute extra chocolate chips or peanut butter chips)
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- To make the brown butter: melt 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Once it foams, stir frequently; the foam will rise and then subside as brown bits form. When it smells nutty and you see browned solids, remove from heat. Pour into a heatproof container, cool to room temperature, then chill until firm. This process can take 2–3 hours. You can make it a day (or up to two weeks) ahead or use regular cold unsalted butter.
- Preheat oven to 410°F (210°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Sift together cake flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- On low, increasing to medium speed, cream together the cold browned butter, tahini, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating about 20 seconds after each addition.
- By hand or on the lowest mixer speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions, leaving a few flour streaks between additions. When the last third is incorporated, fold in the halva and chocolate chips until the dough is combined and no dry streaks remain. Chill the dough in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Measure dough into 6 oz. portions (use a food scale or a generous ½-cup scoop). Start by baking four 6 oz. cookies at a time, keeping the remaining dough chilled while the first batch bakes. Space each cookie at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake in a fully preheated 410°F oven for 9–12 minutes. The edges should be set and golden, the top golden but not dark, and the center slightly underbaked. The cookies will continue to set on the hot baking sheet.
- Remove the baking sheet to a cooling rack and leave the cookies on the hot sheet for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. While the first sheet cools, pull the next set of chilled dough from the fridge about 10 minutes before baking.
- Serve and enjoy — these cookies are meant to be shared (but you do you).
Keywordbrown butter cookies, homemade cookies, Levain copycat cookies, tahini chocolate chip cookies
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Tag me on Instagram @olivesnthyme if you make these. For more dessert ideas, follow the author’s Pinterest.