Cookie Monsters

Photo credit Kate Previte

For the uninitiated, Levain is a New York City-based bakery that began selling enormous cookies in 1995. Launched by two triathletes looking to carbo load, the bakery’s signature six-ounce cookies come in four flavors (Chocolate Chip Walnut, Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip and Oatmeal Raisin) and guarantee that your jeans won’t fit the next day. So what do these muffin-sized cookies have to do with Irvine? Irvinites can experience this ultimate cookie treat without leaving the city limits. Check out the options below for a perfectly baked Levain-inspired cookie that’s big enough to split (but too delicious to share).

Paderia
What would happen if a cookie and a muffin had a baby? The answer is Paderia’s cookie. Standing at nearly two inches tall, this cookie comes in Triple Chocolate, Chocolate Walnut, Peanut Butter Chocolate, and Blueberry Coconut Pecan, as well as seasonal specialties. Order online or in-store and prepare for freshly baked warm cookies. Founders Nathan Vuong and Davion Tran designed the eclectic menu, including Portuguese egg tarts, mini cheesecakes, and banana pudding, as well as coffees, teas, and horchatas.
17935 MacArthur Blvd
Irvine, CA 92614
Open M-F, 9 am - 7 pm and Sat/Sun 10 am - 7 pm

Hudson’s Cookies
Named after pastry chef and owner Verlie Payne’s son, Hudson’s prides itself on the girth of its giant cookies. The bakery’s slogan (“You're gonna need a bigger jar!”) gives the buyer a clear warning: health goals beware. In addition to the Levain inspired monster cookies in Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Pecan, Red Velvet, Double Chocolate Peanut Butter, Triple Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Butterscotch Caramel, and Birthday Cake, Hudson’s also offers more traditional cookies and meringues.
Irvine Spectrum (near Old Navy)
670 Spectrum Center Dr. Irvine, CA 92618

Gelson’s
Although Gelson’s has its own excellent bakery, your Levain cookie craving won’t be satisfied there. Head to the freezer section and buy a box of eight frozen Levain cookies. While this product is surely not as good as what one would buy at an actual Levain bakery, it still has all the best qualities of a perfectly baked cookie. Pop into the oven for a crispy exterior, gooey interior, and buttery depth. Just keep in mind this cookie was created to replenish calories after a grueling bike, run, and swim.
5521 Alton Parkway
Irvine, CA 92618
Mon-Sun, 7 am - 9:30 pm