Gluten Free Levain Style Cookies and Cream Cookies

Say Hello to the best cookies and cream cookies you will ever have – my Gluten-Free Levain Style Cookies and Cream Cookies. They are decadent and simple to make. Since we are using a combination of butter, cream cheese, and whole milk powder, those gluten free levain style cookies have this perfect soft, creamy crumb. And let’s not forget the abundance of Gluten Free Oreos and a mix of dark and white chocolate.

Levain Bakery is located in New York City and is known for its oversized cookies. Not only do they cost more than $4.50 but they are also not safe for celiacs. Clearly, something that caught my attention and I figured it was time to create my own recipes. My Gluten Free Levain Bakery Cookies have become a reader favorite.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I use my own gluten free flour blend in this recipe which already contains xanthan gum. I have also tried this with Bob’s Red Mill and it worked fabulously. If your blend does NOT contain xanthan gum, please add 2 teaspoons of xanthan to your dry ingredients.

Butter: We are using cold, unsalted butter for this recipe. Straight from the fridge.

Cream Cheese: I have only tested this recipe with full-fat cream cheese.

Cornstarch: The added cornstarch gives this cookie a tender crumb and keeps them soft as well as chewy.

Whole Milk Powder: Milk powder has been a staple in my kitchen and recipes for years. It enhances the taste of the baked goods by adding just a hint of sweetness as well as a creamier texture (think of it as an additional emulsifier). Also, when heated, the sugars from the milk powder caramelize which adds to the rich taste and give cookies a browner tone. The fat found in milk powder also acts as a tenderizer resulting in a softer bake. You can find milk powder in the baking section or near the canned milk in your local grocery store. I buy this product online: Whole Milk Powder.

Gluten Free Oreos: gluten-free Oreos are widely available in the US but feel free to use Kinnikinnick KinniTOOS or Glutino Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies. I use the double stuffed Gluten Free Oreos in this recipe because the regular stuffed ones seem very skimpy on the filling.

Chocolate: Sadly Hersheys Cookie and Cream chocolate is not gluten free. Therefore we are using a combination of dark chocolate chunks and white chocolate chips. White Chocolate Chips can be very funky so this is a good time to buy a quality product such as Guittard Baking Au Lait Chips.

How to make Gluten Free Levain Style Cookies & Cream Cookie Dough

We are going to learn a new technique today which we will call “The Streusel Technique”. It’s the best technique to make those fat, sturdy levain style cookies. Make sure to start with cold butter as mentioned above in the Recipe Ingredient Notes.

• Sift together your dry ingredient: In a seperate bowl sift together Gluten Free Flour, cornstarch, whole milk powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
• Break up the butter: Add your cold butter, cut in small pieces, to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle and beat it until it loses its shape. We are not going to cream the butter. We just want to break it up in smaller pieces. Make sure to scrape it of the paddle.
• Add your sugar and cream cheese: With the mixer running on low, add your sugar and the cream cheese and mix to combine. Again, we are not planning on creaming this. We want little hunks of sugary butter here (see image below)
• Add your dry ingredients: Wait, what? Yes, we are going to add the dry ingredients before the eggs. Add all your dry ingredients and mix together. You should have a mixture that looks almost like a Streusel (or crumble). This is why we are going to call this “The Streusel Technique”
• Add Oreos and Chocolate: Add your chopped up gluten free oreos, dark chocolate chunks and white chocolate chips and mix to combine.
• Add your Eggs and Vanilla: whisk together your whole egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract and with the mixer running on low, add it to your “streusel”. Mix it until all the dry pieces have disappeared. You should have a traditional cookie dough now. It might look a little bit rough but that’s okay.
• Time to shape and chill: Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and portion the dough in 6oz cookies using your hands and a digital kitchen scale. Wrap the sheet tray with plastic wrap and refridgerate the dough for at least 4hrs.

How to bake Gluten Free Levain Style Cookies & Cream Cookies

Once your gluten free dough has rested peacefully for 4 – 12hrs, it’s time to bake some outrageous cookies. The longer you allow your dough to rest, the more flavor your cookies will have.

• Preheat your oven to 375F. While you oven preheats, transfer the amount of cookies you want to bake to the freezer. It will take at least 20 minutes for your oven to be fully hot, so a quick freeze will help the cookies to hold their shape.
• Bake your cookies: Arrange no more than 4 cookies on your parchment-lined sheet pan and sprinkle with flaky sea. Bake at 375F for 10 minutes, rotate the tray and reduce the temperature of your oven to 350F. Rotate the sheet tray and bake for an additional 7-9 minutes. Your cookies are done when they have crispy edges, look puffy, and still look slightly underdone in the center. Top with a quarter gluten free oreo if you like.
• Cool your cookies: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the sheet tray for 10 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack and allow for them to cool completely.
• Storing: Like any other cookie, they taste the best when freshly baked BUT those cookies are amazing the next day as well. Store them in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Leftover Cookie Dough: If you do not plan on baking all the cookie dough at once, I recommend freezing it. Place it on a sheet tray that fits in your freezer and allow for the cookie dough to fully freeze. Once frozen transfer them to a ziplock bag and store in your freezer up to 3 months.

FAQ for Gluten Free Levain Style Cookies and Cream Cookies

Can I make those cookies with “Regular” All Purpose Flour?
Yes, Please substitute the gluten-free flour used in this recipe with 300 grams of regular all-purpose flour. If you use “wheat-containing” flour, you can also use regular double stuffed Oreos.

Can I make this recipe vegan?
I have not tested this recipe with butter or egg replacements to make this vegan. IF you do, please share your experiences in the comments. So others can benefit from your experiment. I know one of my readers has successfully used margarine in my Gluten Free Levain Bakery Cookies to make them dairy free.

Can I leave out the cream cheese?
Not really. The cream cheese is an essential part of the fat in this recipe.

Can I leave out the Oreo cookies?
If you are looking for a Levain Style Chocolate Chip Cookie, I recommend checking out my Gluten Free Bakery Cookies

Can I freeze the baked cookies?
Yes! Place the cookies on a baking sheet and freeze them. Once frozen wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in a ziplock bag in your freezer. When you are ready to eat a cookie, allow for it to thaw at room temperature. You can always warm it up in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to give it that fresh-baked cookie taste.

How should I store my cookie dough?
If you do not plan on baking all the cookie dough at once, I recommend freezing it. Place it on a sheet tray that fits in your freezer and allow for the cookie dough to fully freeze. Once frozen transfer them to a ziplock bag and store in your freezer up to 3 months.

How do I bake the frozen cookie dough?
The best way to bake the frozen cookie dough, please preheat your oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. When your oven is preheated, transfer the number of cookies you would like to bake to your sheet tray. Bake them at 375F for 13 minutes, lower the temperature to 350F and finish baking them for 7-11 minutes.

Why is this recipe in grams?

My recipes are posted in grams since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and can be found on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. Measuring cups are very inaccurate and can cause significant errors when it comes to baking. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 8

Gluten Free Levain Style Cookies and Cream Cookies

Print

Soft, chewy, HUGE Gluten Free Levain Style Cookies and Cream Cookies are loaded with chopped gluten free Oreos and two kinds of chocolate. This may be your new favorite cookie.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Additional Time 12 hours

Total Time 12 hours 48 minutes

Ingredients

• 325 grams Gluten Free Multipurpose Flour
• 30 grams cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon milk powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 113 grams unsalted butter, COLD
• 115 grams light brown sugar
• 100 grams granulated white sugar
• 60 grams full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 150 grams chopped gluten free double stuffed oreos
• 150 grams high quality white chocolate chips
• 100 grams dark chocolate chunks

for finishing

• Maldon Flaky Sea Salt
• Additional gluten free double stuffed oreos

Instructions

How to make Gluten Free Gluten Free Levain Style Cookies and Cream Cookie Dough

1. In a separate bowl sift together Gluten-Free Flour, cornstarch, whole milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
2. Add your cold butter, cut in small pieces, to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle and beat it until it loses its shape. We are not going to cream the butter. We just want to break it up in smaller pieces. Make sure to scrape it off the paddle.
3. With the mixer running on low, add your sugar and the cream cheese and mix to combine. Again, we are not planning on creaming this. We want little hunks of sugary butter here (See pictures in the above blog post)
4. Add all your dry ingredients and mix them in. You should have a mixture that looks almost like a Streusel (or crumble). This is why we are going to call this “The Streusel Technique”. Make sure to give your bowl a quick scrape.
5. Add your chopped-up gluten free Oreos, dark chocolate chunks, and white chocolate chips and mix to combine.
6. Whisk together your whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and with the mixer running on low, add it to your “streusel”. Mix it until all the dry pieces have disappeared. You should have a traditional cookie dough now. It might look a little bit rough but that’s okay. Remember, we are using our hands to pack it together into cookies once it has chilled.
7. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and portion the dough in 6oz cookies using your hands and a digital kitchen scale. Wrap the sheet tray with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 4hrs.

How to bake Gluten Free Levain Style Cookies & Cream Cookies

1. Once your gluten free dough has rested peacefully for 4 – 12hrs, it’s time to portion it out and bake some outrageous cookies.
2. Preheat your oven to 375F.
3. While your oven preheats, transfer the number of cookies you want to bake to the freezer. It will take at least 20 minutes for your oven to be fully hot, so a quick freeze will help the cookies to hold their shape.
4. When your oven is hot, arrange no more than 4 cookies on your parchment-lined sheet pan and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
5. Bake at 375F for 10 minutes, rotate the tray, and reduce the temperature of your oven to 350F.
6. Bake for an additional 7-9 minutes until they have crispy edges, look puffy, and still look slightly underdone in the center. If you want a gooey cookie you will want to underbake them.
7. Remove the cookies from the oven, top them with a quartered gluten free oreo if you like and allow them to cool on the sheet tray for 10 minutes. Those cookies taste the best when eaten when they are freshly baked.
8. Repeat with the rest of your cookie dough or freeze for future cookie cravings.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Oreo Double Stuf Gluten Free Sandwich Cookies 14.03 oz, Chocolate, 1 Count
• 
  KitchenTour Digital Kitchen Scale - 3000g/0.1g High Accuracy Precision Multifunction Food Meat Scale with Back-Lit LCD Display(Batteries Included)
• 
  Judee’s Whole Milk Powder 11oz - 100% Non-GMO, rBST Hormone-Free, Gluten-Free & Nut-Free - Pantry Staple, Baking Ready and Great for Travel - Made in USA

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 482

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