Levain Bakery is famous for its giant, ultra‑thick cookies with gooey centers and crisp edges, and these rocky road cookies bring that same bakery feel into your kitchen. Inspired by classic rocky road flavors, they pack rich chocolate dough with semi‑sweet chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and crunchy nuts for serious texture in every bite. The secret is using cold butter, a mix of flours, and a high baking temperature so the cookies stay tall and soft inside instead of spreading flat.
Ingredients
– 1 cup (225 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
– 1 cup (200 g) packed brown sugar
– 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
– 2 large eggs, cold
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 1/2 cup (45 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
– 1 cup (120 g) cake flour
– 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all‑purpose flour
– 1 teaspoon cornstarch
– 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
– 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
– 1 3/4 cups (300 g) semi‑sweet chocolate chips
– 2 cups (100 g) mini marshmallows
– 3/4 cup (90 g) roughly chopped cashews or almonds
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 410°F (210°C) and line a light‑colored baking sheet with parchment paper; this high temperature helps the cookies set on the outside while staying soft in the middle. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cold cubed butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed for about 4 minutes, until the mixture looks light and creamy and the butter has softened and blended evenly with the sugars.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then blend in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, cake flour, all‑purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt to remove any lumps and distribute the leavening evenly. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing just until a thick, stiff dough forms and no dry streaks of flour remain.
Use a spatula to fold in the chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and chopped cashews, making sure they are well distributed throughout the dough. Divide the dough into 8 large portions of about 5 to 6 ounces (140–170 g) each and shape them into tall, rough balls; do not flatten them, as the height helps mimic the bakery style. If you want a more decorative look, gently press a few extra chocolate chips and marshmallows onto the tops of each dough ball.
Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between them, and bake for 9–11 minutes, until the edges look set but the centers are still slightly soft and underdone. If some marshmallows have melted out toward the edges, use a small spatula as soon as the cookies come out of the oven to nudge the soft edges back toward the center, rounding the cookies and tucking the marshmallows in. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 10–15 minutes so they can finish setting and firm up enough to handle while staying gooey inside.
Serve the rocky road cookies slightly warm for the best texture, when the chocolate is melty and the marshmallows are soft and stretchy. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days; briefly warming them in the microwave will bring back that fresh‑baked Levain‑style softness.