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.
Jump to:
- Recipe Ingredient Notes
- How to make Gluten Free Levain Style Cookies & Cream Cookie Dough
- How to bake Gluten Free Levain Style Cookies & Cream Cookies
- Storage & Freezing
- FAQ for Gluten Free Levain Style Cookies and Cream Cookies
- Join my Gluten Free Community!
- Note about Salt in my Recipes
- Baking in grams
- Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
- Substitutions and Modifications
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
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 1 to 1 and it worked fabulously. If your blend does NOT contain xanthan gum, please add 2 teaspoons of xanthan to your dry ingredients.
Butter: In this recipe for Gluten Free Levain Cookies and Cream Cookies we are using cold, unsalted butter. Straight from the fridge.
Cream Cheese: In this cookie and cream cookie recipe I use full-fat cream cheese (not the spreadable cream cheese sold in tubs) My brand of choice if Philadelphia which is gluten-free according to the Kraft-Heinz website. I always recommend checking the packaging or the manufacturer’s website to ensure the products used are celiac safe.
Cornstarch: The added cornstarch gives this cookie a tender crumb and keeps them soft as well as chewy.
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.
Step 1: In a separate bowl sift together Gluten-Free Flour, cornstarch, whole milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.
Step 2: Add the cold butter, cut into 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 into smaller pieces. Make sure to scrape it off the paddle.
Step 3: With the mixer running on low, add both sugar and the cream cheese and mix to combine. Again, we are not planning on creaming the ingredients together. We want little hunks of sugary butter here (see image below)
Step 4: Add the dry ingredients. Wait, what? Yes, we are going to add the dry ingredients before the eggs. Add all your dry ingredients and mix them 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"
Step 5: Add the chopped-up gluten-free Oreos, dark chocolate chunks, and white chocolate chips and mix to combine.
Step 6: In a separate small bowl whisk together the 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.
Step 7: Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and portion the dough into 6oz cookies using your hands and a digital kitchen scale. The cookie dough should be shaped into 6oz pucks - around 1" tall. 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
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.
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375F and arrange the wire rack in the oven in the middle.
Step 2: Arrange no more than 4 cookies on your parchment-lined sheet pan and sprinkle with the flaky sea. Bake at 375F for 10 minutes, rotate the tray, and reduce the temperature of your oven to 350F. 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.
Step 3: Remove the cookies from the oven and if you like, top them with additional gluten-free oreo pieces and chocolate chips. Allow them to cool on the sheet tray for 10 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.
Storage & Freezing
Like any other cookie, Gluten Free Levain Cookies taste the best when freshly baked BUT these cookies are amazing the next day as well. Store them in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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 them in your freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, bake from frozen as directed in the recipe. You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time.
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?
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 Levain 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 for up to 3 months.
How do I bake the frozen cookie dough?
The best way to bake the frozen cookie dough, preheat your oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and transfer the number of cookies you would like to bake to your sheet tray. Allow for them to sit at room temperature while your oven preheats. Bake them at 375F for 13 minutes, lower the temperature to 350F and finish baking them for 7-11 minutes.
Join my Gluten Free Community!
Note about Salt in my Recipes
I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.
Baking in grams
I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. 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. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.
Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.
If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.
Substitutions and Modifications
Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Levain Style Cookies and Cream Cookies
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.
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
- In a separate bowl sift together Gluten-Free Flour, cornstarch, whole milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
- 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.
- 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)
- 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.
- Add your chopped-up gluten free Oreos, dark chocolate chunks, and white chocolate chips and mix to combine.
- 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.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and portion the dough into 6oz cookies using your hands and a digital kitchen scale. The cookie dough should be shaped into 6oz pucks – around 1″ tall. 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
- Once your gluten free dough has rested peacefully for 4 – 12hrs, it’s time to bake some outrageous cookies.
- Preheat your oven to 375F and arrange the wire rack in the oven in the middle.
- When your oven is hot, arrange no more than 4 cookies on your parchment-lined sheet pan and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
- Bake at 375F for 10 minutes, rotate the tray, and reduce the temperature of your oven to 350F.
- 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.
- 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.
- Repeat with the rest of your cookie dough or freeze for future cookie cravings.
Notes
Note about Chilling Time: Please be aware the longer the dough is chilled, the less the cookies will spread while baking. If the cookie dough is allowed to chill for 4hrs or longer make sure to press down the cookie dough before baking.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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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)
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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:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 400
Calories are a guestimate.
Maiko says
OH MY GOD, these cookies look DIVINE. I want to try one of them right now. Do you think this could be made into a vegan version..?
Daniela Weiner says
I have not tried to make this recipe vegan. I know readers have successfully made my Levain Bakery Cookies with margarine and vegan butter but leaving out the eggs worries me.
Shannon says
These were fun to make! Doubled the recipe to use the whole package of oreos and they came out great. Thanks 🙂
Daniela Weiner says
Thank you so much Shannon! I LOVE reading this first review! So exciting
Anaiah says
These gluten free cookies and cream cookies look absolutely amazing and I am so excited to try them! I had NO idea that gluten free flours weigh differently than regular flours. Now I can use that as an excuse as to why my gf baking has always failed hahah
Kayla DiMaggio says
Yum! These gluten-free cookies were so delicious! I am always looking for some good gluten-free recipes to share as my sister has celiac, this was one of her favorites!
Sayre says
Made these regular sized instead and cooked them at 350 for 8-10 min and they turned out beautifully! Both gf and non-gf eaters loved them.
Megan says
Any recommendation for replacing the cornstarch to accommodate for a corn allergy? I figured I would try tapioca starch but wasn't sure if that would work?
Daniela Weiner says
Megan, I would just use 30 grams of additional gluten-free flour unless you have tapioca starch on hand anyways. Cornstarch can be substituted with potato starch and tapioca starch with no problem at all.
Megan Levonyak says
Daniela,
I portioned my dough out in 1.5oz sections. How long would you recommend I bake them for at each temperature?
Daniela Weiner says
Ohhh you made tiny cookies! okay, let's start at 375F for 6 minutes and then drop the temperature to 350F for maybe another 4 minutes? Keep an eye on them. You don't want to overbake them. I never tried them this small to be honest and I don't have any in my freezer I could try with.
Megan Levonyak says
Thank you!! I ended up doing 7 min at 375 and 5-6 min at 350 and they look and taste good! (though I only chilled them for 2.5 hrs due to being in a time crunch)
Holly hon says
Daniela, re-reading the recipe and have a couple questions: how thick do you shape the cookies? And are you chilled it unshaped for 12 hours or after shaped? Thank you!
Daniela Weiner says
Holly, I actually cover this in the text above the recipe card. I portion out the cookies in 6oz portions (there is a picture that shows how big the cookies are) and chill them shaped. They are around 1" tall. Hope this answers your question 🙂
Leanne says
Can you sub out the milk powder?
Daniela Weiner says
hello Leanne, yes you can leave out the milk powder. It's an optional ingredient in all my recipes
Kathy says
When you reduce the oven temp to 350 degrees, do you leave the cookies in the oven? Or take them out until the temp reaches 350 and put them back in?
Daniela Weiner says
Please do NOT remove the cookies. Just reduce the temperature as stated.
Brianna says
These cookies were amazing. I made them for some coworkers and family, and everyone went crazy for them! Daniela's recipes are better than any gluten-containing cookies I ever had before I was diagnosed with Celiacs!
Daniela Weiner says
Thank you so much for your kind words. This means a lot! Thank you!
Emily Ross says
Wow, I made these this weekend and they are outrageous in the best possible way. It's nice that you can just bake off one at a time. I used Bob's Red Mill 1:1 and skim milk powder and they turned out well. What a treat! Thanks!
Rebecca says
Hi, am I able to leave the rolled out dough in the fridge for 24hrs before baking or do I have to freeze them after the 12 hr mark then just take them out 12 hrs later?
I baked 3 already after letting them chill for 4 hrs and they came out absolutely perfect! I want to make the last 4 for family tomorrow which will require 24 hrs. What would work best?
Daniela says
Rebecca, you can store the portioned-out cookie dough in the fridge for up to 5 days. So happy to hear that you love them.
Rebecca says
Thank you! Also after adding in my egg mixture the mix stayed dry until I started forming the cookies. Even then they were hard to keep together. I’m assuming that’s normal considering the size of them?
Daniela says
Yes, this is normal. Baking really depends more on just the ingredients. Your elevation, the weather, size of eggs, which flour used.... everything plays a factor here 🙂
Katy Boreson says
I made these a few weeks ago and they are just as yummy as they look the pictures and video! My (non-gluten free) friend asked to take the rest of them on his road trip to Montana and I had to really consider if we were willing to part with them or not. 🙂 I highly suggest making these.
Daniela says
Thank you, Katy! This recipe is a personal favorite of mine. Everytime I pick up a box of Oreos I am like... can I justify making them again!
Rebecca says
Hi, I made the cookies probably a quarter of the hockey puck size maybe a bit bigger than a quarter. Should I keep the temperature and time the same or cut the times in half you think at each temperature? What would be your best idea?
Thank you!
Daniela says
It sounds like you made them very, very small. Could you provide a weight of them?
Rebecca says
Oh I didn’t weigh them out I just eyeballed and did them 1/4 the size compared to normal size so I am just assuming they weigh about 1.5-2 oz each. They are just slightly bigger than 1/4. I am bringing them to a party rn in my ice chest so I don’t have my scale unfortunately!
Daniela says
Got it. Well like I said, they sound very small to me. I would probably bake them 5 minutes at 375F and then an additional 5-6 minutes at 350F. I am very sorry but I don't have precise times for you since I never bake my Levain Style Cookies so small.
Rebecca says
Okay no worries thanks for the help! If it ends up working perfectly I will let you know!
Daniela says
Well I know you will bake the cookies perfectly - I believe in you 🙂
Kris says
Everyone in my family loved these! We ate some right away and froze some for later. All were good! I will definitely make these again. Thank you for an easy to make, excellent recipe.
Flavia Mikela says
Hi, I wanted to know if there’s something else I can replace cream cheese with? Since it’s small amount in the recipe I don’t want to buy a whole packet of it, it’s a bit expensive where I live.
Daniela says
You could try butter but I have never tried it since it is part of the recipe
Rebecca Nguyen says
Hi,
I made the cookies vegan this time and I trialed out a mini one last night to test it. It took way long than it should’ve been to bake but it did taste good and ended up baking just right! I’m worried about when I’ll bake the regular size ones because they are for a party so I cannot mess them up. What would you say is a good indicator sign to drop the temp to 350? I know originally they need to bake at 375 for 10 min but these need longer for some reason so since I don’t know an exact time what should I see happen before dropping the temp? Should they be cracking a lil already? Thank you!
Daniela says
Hello, since I have never made them Vegan nor a vegan 3oz version I can not provide exact baking times. I wonder if they are too wet if they need to bake longer.
Victoria says
Hi can’t wait to try this recipe today! How would I adjust the recipe if I’d like to put less sugar in them? I would want to do 25% less then the sugar amount the recipe calls for.
Daniela says
You can try reducing the sugar but sugar not only provides sweetness but also structure and moisture in baked goods. Any adjustments will alter the recipe and the most likely the end product.