Introduction & Inspiration

This recipe is inspired by the legendary Levain Bakery in New York City, famous for its enormous, gooey, and incredibly delicious cookies. But with a twist!

Nostalgic Appeal

These cookies tap into several layers of nostalgia. Levain Bakery cookies themselves have become a modern classic.

Circus animal cookies, with their bright pink and white frosting and rainbow sprinkles, are a beloved childhood treat for many.

The combination of these two elements creates a cookie that’s both familiar and exciting, appealing to both kids and adults.

It’s a perfect way to indulge in a bit of childhood nostalgia while enjoying a truly decadent and delicious cookie.

Homemade Focus

I’m a firm believer in the magic of homemade baking. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of creating something delicious from scratch.

This recipe, while inspired by a bakery-style cookie, is all about embracing that homemade goodness.

Baking your own cookies allows you to control the ingredients and to ensure that you’re using high-quality components.

Plus, it’s a fun and rewarding activity that you can share with your loved ones. The aroma is amazing.

Flavor Goal

The flavor goal is a symphony of textures and tastes: buttery, sweet, slightly salty, with pops of vanilla, white chocolate, and the unique flavor of frosted circus animal cookies.

The cookie base should be incredibly soft and gooey in the center, with slightly crispy edges. This is key.

The white chocolate chips add bursts of creamy sweetness, complementing the buttery cookie dough.

The chopped circus animal cookies contribute their signature frosting flavor and a fun, slightly crunchy texture.

The rainbow sprinkles add a pop of color and a touch of extra sweetness. They make it festive.

It’s a cookie that’s both decadent and playful, a truly unforgettable treat. It’s an explosion of flavors.

Ingredient Insights

Let’s break down each ingredient:

COLD Unsalted Butter (cut into cubes): Using cold butter, as opposed to softened butter, is a key element of the Levain Bakery cookie style. It helps to create a thick, gooey cookie.

Granulated White Sugar: This provides sweetness and contributes to the cookie’s texture.

Large Eggs: These add richness, moisture, and structure to the cookies.

Pure Vanilla Extract: This enhances the overall flavor profile, adding a warm, aromatic note.

Cornstarch: This is a secret ingredient that helps to create a soft and tender cookie.

Baking Soda: This is the leavening agent, helping the cookies to rise and spread slightly.

Salt: This balances the sweetness and enhances the other flavors.

Cake Flour: Using a combination of cake flour and all-purpose flour creates a cookie with a soft, tender crumb. Cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour.

All-Purpose Flour: This provides the structure for the cookies.

Frosted Circus Animal Cookies (roughly chopped): These add a fun, colorful, and flavorful element to the cookies, contributing their signature frosting flavor and a slightly crunchy texture.

White Chocolate Chips: These add bursts of creamy sweetness, complementing the buttery cookie dough and the circus animal cookies.

Rainbow Jimmies Sprinkles: These add a pop of color and a touch of extra sweetness, making the cookies even more festive.

Essential Equipment

Here’s the equipment you’ll need:

Baking sheet(s): For baking the cookies.
Parchment paper: To line the baking sheets and prevent sticking.
Stand mixer (with paddle attachment): This is the ideal tool for creaming the cold butter and sugar, but a hand mixer can also be used (with more effort).
Measuring cups and spoons: For accurate ingredient proportions.
Digital cooking scale: This is crucial for weighing out the dough to create the signature large Levain-style cookies.
Large mixing bowl: If not using a stand mixer.

List of Ingredients with Measurements

Here’s the ingredient list with precise measurements:

1 cup COLD unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 ½ cups granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups cake flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups frosted circus animal cookies, roughly chopped (like by Mother’s brand)
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup rainbow jimmies sprinkles

Step-by-Step Instructions

Let’s walk through the process:

Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the cubed cold butter and the granulated sugar with the paddle attachment on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and continue mixing for 30 seconds. Lastly, increase the speed to high and mix for another 30 seconds until the butter mixture is fluffy and light. This unusual method is key to the Levain style.
Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla, until the mixture is combined.
Add Dry Ingredients: Add in the cornstarch, baking soda, salt, cake flour, and all-purpose flour, mixing until incorporated.
Add Mix-Ins: Lastly, stir in the chopped frosted circus animal cookies, white chocolate chips, and sprinkles until fully combined.
Chill Dough: Refrigerate the dough to chill for 20 minutes. This helps to prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line 1 baking sheet with parchment paper.
Weigh and Shape Dough: Using a digital cooking scale, weigh out 6 ounces of dough and form it into a loosely packed, rough-textured ball. I like to form my cookie dough balls kind of on the taller side. This creates the signature large, thick Levain-style cookies.
Arrange on Baking Sheet: Place the dough balls staggered, 3 inches apart, 4 dough balls per sheet, on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake: Bake in the center rack of the oven, one sheet at a time, for 10-13 minutes, or until light golden brown and the exterior looks dull and dry. The centers should be gooey and underbaked. You can always test bake one cookie first to gauge what your best timing is.
Cool: Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets for up to 30 minutes, as cookies are quite fragile after being baked. Keep the remaining dough refrigerated while other cookies are in the oven.

Troubleshooting

Here are a few potential issues and solutions:

Cookies Spreading Too Much: This could be due to the butter being too warm, or not chilling the dough long enough. Make sure to use cold butter and chill the dough for at least 20 minutes.
Cookies Too Dry: This could be due to overbaking. Make sure to remove the cookies from the oven when the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers are still gooey.
Cookies Not Gooey Enough: This could be due to overbaking or not using enough butter. Make sure to use cold butter and don’t overbake the cookies.
Cookies sticking: Use parchment paper!

Tips and Variations

Here are some ways to customize this recipe:

Different Cookies: Use different types of frosted animal cookies, or even crushed OREO®s, instead of the circus animal cookies.
Different Chips: Use milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or butterscotch chips instead of white chocolate chips.
Add Nuts: Incorporate chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans, for added texture and flavor.
Smaller Cookies: You can make smaller cookies by weighing out less dough per cookie. Adjust the baking time accordingly.
Add Extracts: Add different flavored extracts.

Serving and Pairing Suggestions

These Levain Bakery-Style Circus Animal Sprinkle Cookies are perfect for:

Parties: Their large size and fun appearance make them a great party treat.
Birthdays: They’re a festive and delicious alternative to traditional birthday cake.
Holidays: The sprinkles can be customized for any holiday.
Bake Sales: They’re sure to be a popular item at any bake sale.
Everyday Indulgence: They’re a perfect treat to enjoy with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee.
Gifting: They make a wonderful gift.

Nutritional Information

These are definitely an indulgent treat, as they contain a significant amount of butter, sugar, chocolate, and processed cookies.

The exact nutritional information will vary depending on the specific brands of ingredients you use.

It’s best to enjoy them in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

Levain Bakery-Style Circus Animal Sprinkle Cookies

Author: Jessica

Print Recipe

Description

This recipe is inspired by the legendary Levain Bakery in New York City, famous for its enormous, gooey, and incredibly delicious cookies.

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup COLD unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 ½ cups granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups cake flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups frosted circus animal cookies, roughly chopped (like by Mother’s brand)
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup rainbow jimmies sprinkles

Instructions

Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the cubed cold butter and the granulated sugar with the paddle attachment on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and continue mixing for 30 seconds. Lastly, increase the speed to high and mix for another 30 seconds until the butter mixture is fluffy and light. This unusual method is key to the Levain style.
Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla, until the mixture is combined.
Add Dry Ingredients: Add in the cornstarch, baking soda, salt, cake flour, and all-purpose flour, mixing until incorporated.
Add Mix-Ins: Lastly, stir in the chopped frosted circus animal cookies, white chocolate chips, and sprinkles until fully combined.
Chill Dough: Refrigerate the dough to chill for 20 minutes. This helps to prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line 1 baking sheet with parchment paper.
Weigh and Shape Dough: Using a digital cooking scale, weigh out 6 ounces of dough and form it into a loosely packed, rough-textured ball. I like to form my cookie dough balls kind of on the taller side. This creates the signature large, thick Levain-style cookies.
Arrange on Baking Sheet: Place the dough balls staggered, 3 inches apart, 4 dough balls per sheet, on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake: Bake in the center rack of the oven, one sheet at a time, for 10-13 minutes, or until light golden brown and the exterior looks dull and dry. The centers should be gooey and underbaked. You can always test bake one cookie first to gauge what your best timing is.
Cool: Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets for up to 30 minutes, as cookies are quite fragile after being baked. Keep the remaining dough refrigerated while other cookies are in the oven.

Recipe Summary and Q&A

Recipe Summary: These Levain Bakery-Style Circus Animal Sprinkle Cookies are large, gooey cookies with a buttery base, studded with white chocolate chips, chopped frosted circus animal cookies, and rainbow sprinkles. They’re a decadent and fun treat!

Q: Can I make the dough ahead of time? A: Yes, you can make the dough ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Q: Can I freeze the baked cookies? A: Yes, you can freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. Make sure to store them in an airtight container or freezer bag.

Q: Can I use softened butter instead of cold butter? A: Cold butter is a key element of the Levain Bakery cookie style, contributing to the thick, gooey texture. Using softened butter will likely result in a flatter, less gooey cookie.

Q: How do I store the cookies? A: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

Q: Do I have to use cake flour? A: The combination of cake and all purpose flour creates the signature texture