If you’ve ever dreamed of recreating the irresistible magic of Levain Bakery in your own kitchen, these Levain Bakery Rocky Road Cookies are the recipe you need in your life. Picture massive, deeply rich chocolate cookies with gooey pockets of marshmallow, crunchy cashew chunks, and wave after wave of melty chocolate chips. With their signature thick and chunky profile, these cookies strike a perfect balance between fudgy decadence and chewy, nutty delight. Whether you’re baking for a special occasion or simply because you can’t resist a warm batch of cookies, this recipe will quickly become your new favorite indulgence.

Levain Bakery Rocky Road Cookies Recipe - Recipe Image

Ingredients You’ll Need

The beauty of these Levain Bakery Rocky Road Cookies lies in the simplicity of the ingredients. Each one serves an important role, from creating the cookie’s soft interior to packing every bite with flavor and texture. Here’s what you’ll need and why each ingredient matters:

Cold Butter (cut into cubes): Using cold butter is key for that thick, bakery-style texture—don’t let it come to room temp!
Brown Sugar: This adds moisture and a subtle caramel note, giving your cookies that ultra-chewy bite.
Sugar: Regular granulated sugar adds sweetness and helps the cookies spread just the right amount.
Eggs (large): Two eggs create a rich, tender dough that holds up all those yummy mix-ins.
Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla highlights the chocolate and marshmallow, giving these cookies an irresistible aroma.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: This is how you get that deep, chocolatey punch in every bite.
Cake Flour: The secret to a tender crumb, giving your Levain Bakery Rocky Road Cookies their melt-in-your-mouth texture.
All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure and lift so the cookies are thick, never flat.
Cornstarch: Just a teaspoon keeps the cookies soft and a little chewy—don’t skip it!
Baking Soda: Ensures the cookies rise perfectly, creating those irresistible bakery-style cracks.
Salt: Balances all the sweetness, making the chocolate really pop.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Chunks of melty chocolate are a must—semisweet keeps things perfectly balanced.
Mini Marshmallows: The star of “rocky road,” these create gooey bites and stunning pockets inside the cookies.
Cashews (roughly chopped): Cashews add crunch and a buttery flavor, elevating every bite.

How to Make Levain Bakery Rocky Road Cookies

Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugars

Start by preheating your oven to a toasty 410 degrees, which helps the cookies puff up high and develop a gorgeous crust without overbaking the centers. In a large mixing bowl, toss in those cubes of cold butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Give it a good four-minute mix, letting the butter break down and blend with the sugars until the mixture looks pale and creamy—this step lays the foundation for that signature thick, chewy texture.

Step 2: Add Eggs and Vanilla

Next, crack in your eggs and pour in the vanilla extract. Mix for just one minute longer; you don’t want to overbeat, but you do want everything to be well-incorporated. Once finished, your dough should look glossy and inviting.

Step 3: Fold in the Dry Ingredients and Mix-Ins

Sift together your cocoa powder, cake flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. With a gentle hand, fold these dry ingredients into your wet mixture, stopping as soon as everything is just combined (lumps are okay!). Then the magic happens: stir in the semi-sweet chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and rough-chopped cashews. Every stir should load the dough with chunky, rocky-road goodness.

Step 4: Shape the Dough

Divide the dough into large balls—think 5 to 6-ounces each—because Levain Bakery Rocky Road Cookies are all about a bakery-sized wow factor. Arrange them on a parchment-lined, light-colored baking sheet to prevent the bottoms from over-browning.

Step 5: Make Them Look Gourmet

Before they bake, press a few extra chocolate chips and marshmallows gently on top of each dough ball. This not only makes the cookies look bakery-perfect, but it also gives you those glorious gooey and melty spots on the finished cookies.

Step 6: Bake and Shape the Edges

Slide your cookies into the oven for 9 to 11 minutes—just until they’re set on the edges but still oh-so-soft in the middle. After baking, you might notice marshmallows have oozed out at the edges (they’re escape artists, after all). Grab a small spatula and gently press the warm edges back toward the centers, reshaping them into thick, rugged beauties.

Step 7: Let the Cookies Rest

This step requires all your willpower, but it’s so worth it: let your Levain Bakery Rocky Road Cookies rest on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes. This allows them to finish setting up and ensures gooey, sturdy, bakery-style cookies every time.

How to Serve Levain Bakery Rocky Road Cookies

Garnishes

For a little extra flair, sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt right after baking to accentuate the chocolate and cut the sweetness. Or, dust your cookies with a light snowfall of powdered sugar for that classic, just-baked look. If you’re feeling adventurous, drizzle warmed chocolate or caramel over the tops for a dazzling effect.

Side Dishes

The obvious pairing is a tall glass of cold milk (you really can’t go wrong), but these cookies also shine next to a scoop of vanilla or rocky road ice cream. If you want to set up a dessert board, add fresh berries and crunchy pretzels to balance all those melty, gooey flavors.

Creative Ways to Present

For an unforgettable touch, stack a few cookies and tie them with festive ribbon for gift-giving. Serve them warm for brunch with fresh fruit on the side, or press mini cookies into the tops of milkshakes for a knockout dessert. You could even crumble them over sundaes—the rocky road pieces add crunch, chewiness, and instant charisma to any dessert plate.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

If you’re fortunate enough to have leftovers, store your Levain Bakery Rocky Road Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay soft and rich for about 3 to 4 days, especially if you tuck a slice of bread in the container to maintain moisture.

Freezing

These cookies freeze beautifully, both as dough balls and baked cookies. For dough, flash-freeze the formed balls on a baking sheet, then transfer to a sealed bag or container for up to three months. The baked cookies can be wrapped individually and frozen as well; just thaw at room temperature or reheat to bring them back to their gooey best.

Reheating

For bakery-fresh gooeyness, pop the cookies in a preheated oven at 300 degrees for about 4 to 5 minutes, or zap them in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds. This brings back that molten chocolate and perfectly tender center that Levain Bakery Rocky Road Cookies are famous for.

FAQs

Can I substitute other nuts for cashews?

Absolutely! Feel free to swap in walnuts, pecans, or even almonds if you prefer. Each nut brings its own unique flavor and crunch, so use what you love or whatever you have on hand.

Why do I need both cake flour and all-purpose flour?

The combination is key for creating the signature Levain Bakery Rocky Road Cookies texture. Cake flour yields a tender, almost melt-in-your-mouth crumb, while all-purpose flour gives the cookies enough structure to stay thick and tall.

Do I have to use cold butter?

Yes—using cold butter is non-negotiable for that classic Levain texture. It helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much, resulting in those irresistibly thick and chunky cookies you’re craving.

What if my marshmallows melt out of the cookies?

That’s totally normal! Just follow the tip to gently press the melted edges back toward the center of each cookie while they’re still warm; it’ll reshape them and keep all that gooey goodness inside.

Can I make the dough in advance?

Definitely. You can shape the dough balls and refrigerate or freeze them until you’re ready to bake. Chilling the dough overnight can even help intensify the cookie’s flavor.

Final Thoughts

There’s a special kind of joy in sinking your teeth into a Levain Bakery Rocky Road Cookie—especially when it’s just come out of your own oven. These cookies capture everything you love about bakery treats: rich, gooey, crunchy, and completely indulgent. Treat yourself and your loved ones to a batch; your kitchen just might become everyone’s new favorite bakery!