Top 4 Chocolate Chip Cookies in NYC
Fellow chocoholics, the search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie can be a long one. Some of us like chewy doughy cookies and others like crispy cookies. Then there are the cookies with or without nuts…and what kind of nuts? The possibilities can be endless.
Don’t despair though, I have done research for you! If you are in NYC or will be in NYC soon, here are the top 4 places to go for chocolate chip cookies. Read on and pick the one that fits your preferences!
Levain Bakery (multiple locations in Manhattan and the Hamptons)
I discovered Levain randomly one rainy morning years ago while waiting for a school event and desperately needing breakfast. That morning discovery yielded a fantastic blueberry muffin, but I quickly noticed they seemed to be known for their chocolate chip walnut cookies. Of course I went back for one and now know why they’ve earned their cookie reputation!
Their cookies fall into the monster-size doughy category. Practically a full meal on its own, the gooey cookie is ideal slightly warm, with chocolate chips and walnuts filling a perfectly mixed dough. Sweet, but not overly sweet, these cookies are baked throughout the day and are often served slightly warm.
If you don’t fancy a chocolate chip walnut cookie, they also have dark chocolate chocolate chip (chocolate cookie with chips), oatmeal raisin, and dark chocolate peanut butter chip. Recently, they’ve also added a two chip chocolate chip cookie, giving you a nut-free cookie option. There is also a gluten-free chocolate chip walnut option.
Of course, if you don’t want a cookie, Levain has plenty of other tasty treats available. Beyond the blueberry muffin, I personally recommend the banana chocolate chip bread slice and the walnut sticky bun.
Jacques Torres Chocolate (multiple locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn)
Jacques Torres has a delightful array of chocolate fare: truffles, cookies, candy, hot chocolate, and ice cream. I first went inside due to sheer curiosity over the many flavors of truffles…and my need for a warm hot chocolate one early January! However, I quickly noticed they had cookies on offer too.
Their cookies are flatter and crunchier, but still have a chewy middle. I find it a nice balance between very chewy and very crunchy. Despite being flatter, the cookies have a wide diameter, so you are definitely not cheated in your cookie serving size!
They currently have four different cookie flavors: dark chocolate chip, chocolate covered dark chocolate chip, Belgian milk chocolate chip with pecans, and white chocolate macadamia nut. So there’s definitely choices! For our purposes, the dark chocolate chip is the closest to the no-nut chocolate chip cookie. I find the dough to be perfectly mixed with the scrumptious dark chocolate. The chocolate is the main highlight: the large chunks richly melt in your mouth and perfectly balance the sweetness from the dough. Definitely a solid cookie choice!
Maman (multiple locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn)
Maman initially caught my attention due to the lavender items on their menu. They have a wonderful lavender hot chocolate, as well as a honey lavender latte and a lavender blueberry cake loaf. They also had some delectable-looking chocolate chip cookies on display.
Their nutty chocolate chip cookie is smaller in diameter, but thick. And it will still fill a small plate alongside your coffee! It has a gooey buttery center with thick melted chunks of chocolate and a slightly crunchy outer edge. Maman is unique in using a combination of almonds, walnuts, and macadamia nuts in their recipe. This combination adds to the overall delicious taste. Interestingly, their cookie dough does have a balance of sweetness and saltiness…I believe they do tend to add more salt to their cookies. Their cookies claim to fame: ranked one of Oprah’s favorite things in 2017!
Not wanting any sweets? Maman still has you covered with a large menu for regular meals! And you must stop in to enjoy the floral cottage-like decor!
Ella Crown Bakehouse (149 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn)
Ella Crown Bakehouse opened on Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue at the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Perhaps this seemed unlucky timing, but the bakery is still going strong over a year later. Serving coffee/tea, cheesecake, and cookies, this spot is limited in its menu scope—but definitely covers all cookie and cheesecake flavor options!
The cookies are very similar to Levain Bakery in terms of size and chewiness. I do tend to find them a little sweeter in taste, but still absolutely delicious. For chocolate chip cookies, they have many options: chocolate chip, chocolate walnut, and dark chocolate almond. I thought the dark chocolate almond was particularly good, as, I think we can all agree, the combination of a good dark chocolate with almonds never goes amiss. If you want to try something different, I also recommend the matcha cookie: sweet white chocolate with a hint of something else (matcha).
I highly recommend stopping in for a treat here!
My Personal Favorite
Okay, so we all have our cookie opinions and I am no exception. Even though I truly love all four places listed, my all time favorite remains Levain Bakery. I love a doughy cookie and I like nuts in my cookie…Levain ticks all the boxes! However, when I want something a bit different, or find myself not in reach of Levain, I happily go to one of the other three places and enjoy the options they have on offer!
And now it’s your turn: which place fits your cookie preferences the best?
