So let me fill you in on a little secret: I am a total cookie monster. This is well-documented on my Instagram and within my circle of friends and family. There’s not a whole lot I wouldn’t do for a perfectly gooey, fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookie. So I put together a list of a few of my faves, both new and old, in our lovely little city. Get ready to enjoy the best cookies in NYC.
Culture Espresso: This Midtown West gem is the home of my favorite classic chocolate chip cookie in the city. It is the perfect blend of crunchy edges and a soft interior, and they use big chunks of chocolate that literally ooze out of the center when you break it in two. Tip: If you go towards the end of the day, they have been known to throw in a few extra cookies on the house. I dare you to not eat them all in one sitting. No sharing.
City Cakes: I live in Chelsea, and often have to avoid the stretch of 18th Street where City Cakes resides, or else I would go there every day. Their cookies are half-pounders and they mean business. The triple chocolate spice is one of the more unique cookies I have encountered in NYC — it has a rich clove flavor that makes it taste like the holidays to me. I also love the killer red velvet and classic snickerdoodle.
Sweet Corner Bakeshop: On a literal “sweet corner” in the West Village, this little neighborhood spot is the perfect pit-stop on a weekend afternoon. All of the cookies are great, but I always make a bee-line for the Nutella-stuffed red velvet cookie. Ask them to warm it up for you, grab a latte, and perch on one of the window bench seats with this decadent treat. Weekend #winning.
Milk & Cookies Bakery: Another idyllic West Village bakery. What else is new. Milk & Cookies is tucked away on Commerce Street and is worth the trek just for the s’more cookie, which features Golden Grahams cereal and is pretty much the best thing ever. This bakery is known for its maple bacon cookie, but I would skip that and go straight for the s’mores. My other votes are the double chocolate chip and salted oats.
Levain: Also known as, the holy grail of cookies. No “Best Cookies in NYC” list is complete without this classic Upper West Side bakery, which you can spot from a mile away because of the line snaking down 74th Street. My top pick is the chocolate chocolate chip, which is really just a decadent brownie in cookie form. I personally don’t care for their version of chocolate chip, which is chock-full of walnuts, but I may be the only Manhattan resident with that opinion. As long as you make sure to leave time to wait in the inevitable line, you really can’t miss with Levain. (Note: these cookies will also make you the most-loved guest at any dinner party. Trust me.)
By Carolyn Stine: Carolyn is the Commerce Experience Manager at Club Monaco, but her heart (and stomach) lies firmly in the food and travel universe. Despite working on the digital side of the fashion industry by day, you can most frequently find her in search of the best new restaurant, knee-deep in planning a trip to a far-reaching locale, or at her local branch of the New York Public Library. Follow Carolyn’s adventures on Instagram at @carobaker1 and Caro’s City!
