Levain Bakery Just Dropped Its First-Ever Vegan (and Gluten-Free) Cookie, and It’s Available for Shipping Nationwide
Indeed: After 28 years of experimentation and meticulous recipe development, the bonkers-popular bakery—beloved for its classic chocolate chip walnut cookie—has perfected a new plant-based and gluten-less cookie recipe. As of March 6, cookie monsters and devout Levain Bakery lovers alike will be able to get their hands on the long-awaited vegan and GF chocolate chip walnut cookie at all of their retail locations. And, much to our relief, the all-new cookie will also be available for shipping nationwide—no need to wait in long lines that wrap around the corner necessary. (IYKYK.)
Why the founders are so excited about this new cookie drop
Some folks talk about athletic gear and personal records while training for swim and triathlon competitions, but not these two. Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald, the co-founders of Levain Bakers, had a favorite workout pastime that was slightly (ahem) off the beaten path: swapping ideas for their future bake shop in the early '90s.
By 1995, the duo turned their dreams into reality and launched Levain Bakery as a small bread shop on the Upper West Side. While on the hunt for the ultimate sweet treat to give them fuel while training for a triathlon, Weekes and McDonald created their iconic chocolate chip walnut cookie recipe—which was an instant hit at the shop. And, as they say, the rest was history.
The bakery has since become a renowned baked goods destination with eleven locations across New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, and Chicago, with an additional store opening this spring in Los Angeles. And it’s no secret that the bake shop is well-loved by its customers—they’ve amassed a massive following of devout cookie lovers and have nearly 416K followers on Instagram alone.
But with great cookie-influencing power comes great responsibility. As such, Levain’s founders have worked hard to live up to their reputation (which is...28 years of baking the world's most perfectly-crafted cookies) as well as expectations of their loyal vegan and/or gluten-free customers. And let’s just say it certainly was worth the wait.
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“One of our core values is to welcome all, and we want to invite everyone into our bakeries for a treat,” Weekes and McDonald say. In the spirit of inviting all into their shops for a delicious treat, they worked long and hard to create a gluten-free and vegan cookie recipe that lived up to their standards. “With this new cookie, we’re making good on that vision for those who follow a vegan and gluten-free lifestyle. Next time you visit our bakery, we’re proud to offer you this delicious option.”
“One of our core values is to welcome all, and we want to invite everyone into our bakeries for a treat,” Weekes and McDonald say. In the spirit of inviting all into their shops for a delicious treat, they worked long and hard to create a gluten-free and vegan cookie recipe that lived up to their standards.
The new release has the same components of the original cookie many adore: Crispy on the outside, ooey-gooey on the inside, with chunks of crunchy walnuts, but this new version is made even better with semisweet vegan chocolate chips and cultured plant-based creamy “butter” made from cashews. Basically, it slays on all accounts. And if you haven't tried a Levain Bakery cookie before, it's like love at first bite.
To get your hands on the destined-to-be favorite vegan cookie for many, it’ll be available in all retail bakeries beginning March 6th and will be available for nationwide shipping via their website, www.levainbakery.com. Each gigantic six-ounce cookie will retail for $6. (For context, an average—meaning non-Levain—cookie is about 1.25 ounces of dough.)
Of course, if you can’t help but order more than one (same!), the bakery has several other highly-popular options (note: they’re not gluten-free and vegan), like: chocolate chip walnut, dark chocolate chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, dark chocolate peanut butter chip, and two chip chocolate chip, as well as some seasonal flavors like rocky road and dark chocolate peppermint. In addition to cookies, the bakeries also offer mouth-watering pastries such as blueberry muffins (one of the bakery’s most popular items), chocolate chip brioche, and sour cream coffee cake, all baked fresh in-house daily.
TL; DR? If you have any birthdays or special occasions on the radar, these all-new vegan and gluten-free cookies will be the perfect gifting option for your loved ones—or an act of self-care for vous et moi—whether plant-based or not.
Here's a quick and easy vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe to hold you over until your shipment from Levain Bakery arrives at your doorstep:
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