I just made a Levain Bakery fall cookie and the center is so fudgy with spiced chocolate pockets that I almost called the bakery to confess.

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I’m obsessed with this Fall Chocolate Chip Spiced Cookie because it hits every craving and refuses to be subtle. I love a cookie that’s big, slightly messy, studded with semisweet chocolate chips and carrying real spice, not the fake syrup stuff.

Levain Bakery vibes, but mine has its own attitude. Fall Cookies?

Yes, but not the syrupy Instagram kind. I adore the bold hit of ground cinnamon that sneaks into every bite and makes you pause.

And the chew. But mostly the chew.

One bite and I’m ruining my shirt, smiling like an idiot. Totally worth it.

No regrets, ever.

Ingredients

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Bread flour: Gives chewy structure, makes it feel like a bakery cookie.
Rolled oats: Adds toothy texture and a cozy whole-grain vibe.
Baking powder: Helps cookies puff a bit, so they’re not flat.
Baking soda: Reacts with sugar for lightness and browning.
Fine sea salt: Brightens everything, balances sweet and pumpkin.
Ground cinnamon: Classic fall warmth, it’s cozy without being overpowering.
Ground ginger: Little zing and warmth, keeps things interesting.
Ground nutmeg: Subtle nutty warmth, basically fall in tiny doses.
Cold butter: Creates flaky layers and big, crackly edges.
Light brown sugar: Adds moisture and that deep caramel note.
Granulated sugar: Gives crisp edges and crunch when baked.
Pumpkin puree: Keeps cookies moist and tender, not pumpkin pie.
Egg plus yolk: Binds ingredients and adds rich chew.
Vanilla extract: Rounds flavors out, it’s simple but essential.
Semisweet chocolate: Melty pockets of bittersweet comfort in every bite.
Chopped nuts: Crunch and toasty flavor, optional but wonderful.
Coarse sea salt: Sprinkle on top for hits of savory contrast.

Ingredient Quantities

2 1/4 cups bread flour

3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats, lightly pulsed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (about 12 ounces)

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted if you like

Optional coarse sea salt for sprinkling

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 375F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats; if you like, toast the chopped walnuts or pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes until fragrant, then cool.

2. In a large bowl whisk together 2 1/4 cups bread flour, 3/4 cup lightly pulsed old fashioned rolled oats, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

3. Cut 12 tablespoons cold, cubed unsalted butter into the dry mix using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips until you still have some pea and coin sized pieces of butter; you want chunks for that Levain style texture, not a smooth uniform dough.

4. In a separate bowl stir together 1 cup packed light brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar, then add 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; mix until evenly combined but dont overwork it.

5. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the butter and dry ingredients and fold with a spatula until you have a shaggy, slightly sticky dough; there will be visible chunks of butter and it may look a bit uneven, thats fine.

6. Fold in 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate and 1 cup toasted or untoasted chopped nuts until distributed, scraping the bowl so no dry pockets remain.

7. Chill the dough in the fridge for 20 to 45 minutes if your kitchen is warm; you want it firm enough to shape into large, tall cookie mounds that will bake up with a crackly, gooey center.

8. Form 8 to 10 large cookie mounds about 5 to 6 ounces each, gently pressing them into tall rounds and placing them on the prepared sheets with plenty of space; the cookies should be thick, not flattened.

9. Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 12 to 16 minutes, until the edges are golden brown but the centers still look soft and slightly underbaked; rotate the pan halfway if your oven runs uneven.

10. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 10 to 15 minutes so they set, then transfer to a rack; sprinkle optional coarse sea salt on top while still warm and enjoy warm for the best gooey texture.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven plus two rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats
2. Large mixing bowls (one for dry, one for wet)
3. Measuring cups and spoons
4. Whisk and rubber spatula
5. Pastry cutter or two forks (or your fingertips if you prefer)
6. Small skillet for toasting nuts (optional)
7. Kitchen scale or cookie scoop (5–6 oz portioning)
8. Cooling rack
9. Refrigerator space or a small baking-proof tray for chilling dough

FAQ

Q: Can I make the dough ahead of time and bake later?

A: Yes. You can chill the dough for up to 48 hours in the fridge, or freeze scooped dough balls for up to 3 months. If chilled, let dough sit at room temp 20 to 30 minutes before baking so it spreads better. If frozen, bake from frozen adding 2 to 4 minutes to the bake time.

Q: My cookies came out flat, what went wrong?

A: Most likely the butter was too warm or you used too much pumpkin. Use cold cubed butter like the recipe says, and measure pumpkin with a spoon then level it. Also don’t overmix the dough, and chill it at least 30 minutes if your kitchen is warm.

Q: Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?

A: Yes, you can swap in all-purpose flour. Cookies will be slightly less chewy and a bit more tender, but still great. If you want more chew without bread flour, add 1 tablespoon of vital wheat gluten or use 1 tablespoon more flour.

Q: How do I get the Levain-style thick, gooey center?

A: Make big tall dough balls, about 4 to 6 tablespoons each, and bake on a hot lined sheet pan. Start with a very cold dough and higher oven temp around 375F for first 6 to 8 minutes then lower to 350F if the edges brown too fast. Timing depends on size so watch them, pull when edges are set and centers still a bit jiggly.

Q: Can I skip the nuts or change the chocolate?

A: Totally. Skip nuts for nut-free or swap them for toasted sunflower seeds. You can use milk, dark, or chunked chocolate. Larger chopped chocolate pieces give pockets of melted chocolate which is lovely.

Q: Why is pumpkin in the dough and does it make them cakey?

A: Pumpkin adds moisture, a subtle flavor, and helps keep centers tender without making them cakey if used in this amount. Use canned pumpkin puree only, not pumpkin pie filling. If you add more than recipe says they might get softer and more cake like.

Fall Chocolate Chip Spiced Cookie (Levain Bakery Fall Cookie Knock Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Bread flour: swap with 2 cups all purpose flour + 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten for similar chew, or use 2 1/4 cups all purpose if you don’t have gluten and accept slightly less chew.
Old fashioned oats (pulsed): use 3/4 cup quick oats or 3/4 cup oat flour for the same texture; if using whole rolled oats without pulsing, expect chunkier bites.
Pumpkin puree: equal part unsweetened applesauce or mashed cooked sweet potato; both keep moisture but applesauce will lighten the pumpkin spice flavor.
Cold unsalted butter: use chilled coconut oil (same measure) for dairy free, or stick with chilled vegan butter/margarine; note coconut oil can add a faint coconut taste and makes edges crisper.

Pro Tips

1. Use the “scoop and level” method for the bread flour or weigh it if you can. Too much flour makes these dry and crumbly, so don’t pack the cup. If you weigh, aim for about 300 grams for 2 1/4 cups.

2. Keep the butter cold and don’t overwork the dough. Those pea and coin sized chunks are what give the cookie a flaky, Levain-like interior. If your kitchen is warm, chill the dough 30 to 60 minutes instead of just 20, you’ll get taller, more oven-spring cookies.

3. Toast the nuts and use good chocolate. Toasted nuts add a deeper flavor and less moisture, and chopped high quality chocolate melts into pockets better than small chips. If you want extra gooey pockets, toss half the chocolate in larger chunks.

4. Watch the bake and rest time closely. Pull the cookies when the edges are golden but centers still look soft. Let them cool on the sheet for 10 to 15 minutes so they set up. Right before serving, a tiny sprinkle of coarse sea salt makes the flavors pop.

Fall Chocolate Chip Spiced Cookie (Levain Bakery Fall Cookie Knock Recipe

Recipe by Sammy Hunter

0.0 from 0 votes

I just made a Levain Bakery fall cookie and the center is so fudgy with spiced chocolate pockets that I almost called the bakery to confess.

Servings

servings

Calories

531

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven plus two rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats
2. Large mixing bowls (one for dry, one for wet)
3. Measuring cups and spoons
4. Whisk and rubber spatula
5. Pastry cutter or two forks (or your fingertips if you prefer)
6. Small skillet for toasting nuts (optional)
7. Kitchen scale or cookie scoop (5–6 oz portioning)
8. Cooling rack
9. Refrigerator space or a small baking-proof tray for chilling dough

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups bread flour
3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats, lightly pulsed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (about 12 ounces)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted if you like
Optional coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats; if you like, toast the chopped walnuts or pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes until fragrant, then cool.
In a large bowl whisk together 2 1/4 cups bread flour, 3/4 cup lightly pulsed old fashioned rolled oats, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg.
Cut 12 tablespoons cold, cubed unsalted butter into the dry mix using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips until you still have some pea and coin sized pieces of butter; you want chunks for that Levain style texture, not a smooth uniform dough.
In a separate bowl stir together 1 cup packed light brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar, then add 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; mix until evenly combined but dont overwork it.
Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the butter and dry ingredients and fold with a spatula until you have a shaggy, slightly sticky dough; there will be visible chunks of butter and it may look a bit uneven, thats fine.
Fold in 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate and 1 cup toasted or untoasted chopped nuts until distributed, scraping the bowl so no dry pockets remain.
Chill the dough in the fridge for 20 to 45 minutes if your kitchen is warm; you want it firm enough to shape into large, tall cookie mounds that will bake up with a crackly, gooey center.
Form 8 to 10 large cookie mounds about 5 to 6 ounces each, gently pressing them into tall rounds and placing them on the prepared sheets with plenty of space; the cookies should be thick, not flattened.
Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 12 to 16 minutes, until the edges are golden brown but the centers still look soft and slightly underbaked; rotate the pan halfway if your oven runs uneven.
Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 10 to 15 minutes so they set, then transfer to a rack; sprinkle optional coarse sea salt on top while still warm and enjoy warm for the best gooey texture.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.