Living on an island has its fair share of pros and cons. One of the more unexpected challenges I faced when I first moved here was a complete shortage of eggs. Yes, you heard that right – the entire island was out of eggs!
As someone who loves to bake, I found myself in a bit of a predicament. But rather than letting this setback dampen my spirits, I saw it as an opportunity to get creative in the kitchen. The result? A recipe for egg-free Levain-style cookies that are just as delicious than their traditional counterparts.
After many rounds of testing, tweaking, and perfecting, I’m excited to share this recipe with you. These cookies are everything you want them to be – thick, chewy, and packed with flavour. Plus, they’re incredibly easy to make and adaptable to fit both vegan and gluten-free diets. Whether you’re out of eggs like I was or simply looking for a new twist on a classic favourite, this recipe has you covered.
Ready to get baking? Check below to dive into the full recipe or watch the video and experience the joy of homemade, egg-free Levain-style cookies. Trust me, you won’t miss the eggs!
Egg-free Levain-style Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 180 g Butter softened
- 100 g White Sugar
- 150 g Brown Sugar
- 2 g Salt a pinch
- 55 g Milk
- 260 g Flour
- 13 g Baking Powder
- 70 g Walnuts chopped into chunks
- 140 g Dark Chocolate chopped into chunks
Decoration
- 100 g Chocolate Spread or Nut Butter
Instructions
Making the Cookie Dough
- Start by measuring 180 g of butter. Cut it into small cubes so it softens faster.
- In the meantime, prepare all the other ingredients. Chop 140 g of chocolate and 70 g of walnuts into big chunks.
- Once the butter is soft (see the video for this step if you're unsure), place it in a bowl together with 100 g white sugar, 150 g brown sugar and a pinch of salt (2 g). Cream the ingredients together until the colour of the butter has lightened and everything is well incorporated.
- Add 55 g of milk or your plant-based alternative if you're making vegan cookies. Mix everything together. If the liquid is a lot colder than the butter-sugar mix, the dough might lose its homogeneity. Don't worry - adding the flour and baking powder in the next step should solve the issue.
- Mix together 160 g flour and 13 g of baking powder and give it a stir. Add these powders into the dough. Important: Only mix in the flour until it is fully incorporated into the dough, then stop mixing.
- Add around 2/3 of the chocolate chunks and 2/3 of the walnuts chunks into the batter. Give it a quick mix. Set aside the remaining chocolate and walnuts for decoration.
- Divide the batter into seven balls of 120 g each. If there is any batter left, then place a bit on top of each ball. Ensure they are all the same size.
- Place the dough balls in the freezer for minimum 3 hours, you can also fully freeze them and take them out once you're ready to bake them.
Baking and Shaping the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 180°C or 360 ° F.
- Place the frozen cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Ensure they are spread out as they will flatten while baking.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes in the middle of the oven.
- Once they're golden on the surface, take them out of the oven. Optional: If you want the cookies to be round and less flat, use a cookie cutter slightly bigger than the cookie and shape it in circular movements.
- Let the cookies cool down completely.
Decorating
- Fill your favourite chocolate spread or nut butter into a piping bag. Cut of the tip and place several dollops on top of each cookie.
- Finish the cookies by sprinkling some chocolate and walnut chunks onto each cookie.
- Enjoy!
