If you love thick chocolate chip cookies with gooey centers and crisp edges, this recipe is for you. Inspired by the famous Levain Bakery cookies, these oversized, bakery-style cookies are tall, rich, and require two hands to eat without the trip to NYC.

After standing in line at Levain and later discovering similar jumbo cookies closer to home, I knew I had to recreate them in my own kitchen minus the nuts (no thank you!) and specialty ingredients. After extensive testing (and a lot of cookies), this recipe delivers everything people love about Levain-style cookies: height, chew, and total indulgence made with everyday ingredients.

What Makes These Cookies So Thick?

These cookies stay thick because of a few key techniques that prevent them from spreading too much in the oven.

First, the ratio of ingredients is designed to support a tall cookie. The dough contains plenty of flour and just the right amount of fat, which gives the cookies structure while still keeping them soft and gooey in the center. I’ll explain more below.

Second, the recipe uses both baking soda and baking powder. Baking soda reacts with the brown sugar to create lift, while baking powder gives the cookies an extra boost so they rise instead of spreading flat.

Another important factor is the large dough balls. Each cookie is made with about 6 ounces of dough, which allows the outside to set while the inside stays thick and soft.

Finally, chilling the dough helps solidify the butter before baking. This slows down how quickly the cookies spread in the oven, helping them keep their tall, bakery-style shape.

The result is exactly what we’re going for: thick, gooey chocolate chip cookies with crisp edges and soft centers just like the famous bakery versions.

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If you’ve ever found yourself craving that tender, flavorful Cafe Rio shredded chicken, you’re in the right place! This slow cooker recipe makes it easy to have those bold, zesty flavors right at home—without the takeout line. It’s family-friendly, perfect for meal prep, and honestly one of the easiest ways to feed a crowd.

This chicken dinner recipe is one of those life saver crock pot (slow cooker) recipes. I love that you can throw everything together in less than 5 minutes, let it cook all day and then feel like a hero as you serve it to your family for dinner.

Why You’ll Love This Cafe Rio Chicken

• Hands-off crock pot recipe – take 5 minutes to throw all the ingredients in the crockpot, set it and walk away
• Just a few pantry ingredients – only 5 ingredients needed!
• Freezer-friendly & great for meal prep – freeze for another meal or eat it throughout the week
• Works in tacos, burritos, salads, and more – so versatile!
• Copycat flavor at a fraction of the price – restaurant prices are insane these days, so I try to make more restaurant copycats at home
• Great for a crowd or to share with a neighbor – It’s a great dinner idea to take to someone who may need a family friendly meal.

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Cafe Rio Chicken

You only need 5 ingredients to make this delicious chicken recipe! And you literally toss it all in the slow cooker let it cook. Here is the ingredients list:

• Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing: Acts as the flavorful marinade base. The vinegar tenderizes the chicken while the herbs and spices infuse it with that bold, tangy punch Cafe Rio chicken is known for. Avoid the fat free dressing.
• Cumin: Adds a warm, earthy depth and a hint of smokiness that balances the tangy dressing.
• Chili Powder: Brings mild heat and layers of chili pepper flavor, making the chicken savory and robust without being overly spicy.
• Garlic: Boosts the savory notes and gives the chicken that aromatic, crave-worthy flavor.
• Chicken Breasts: The protein star of the recipe; they soak up all the marinade flavors and shred beautifully after slow cooking, just like Cafe Rio’s signature chicken.
• Creamy Tomatillo Cilantro Ranch Dressing: The famous Cafe Rio sauce! Creamy, tangy, and fresh, it ties everything together when drizzled over salads, tacos, or burritos.
• Cilantro Lime Rice: The perfect base. Light, fluffy, and bright from the lime and cilantro, it balances the richness of the chicken and dressing, just like at the res

Homemade BYU Graham Canyon Ice Cream Copycat (Graham Central Station Ice Cream) [+Video]

Graham Canyon ice cream is a creamy graham cracker flavored ice cream with ribbons of graham cracker swirl and chunks of chocolate covered honeycomb bits. It is the best ice cream you’ll ever have!

Graham Canyon ice cream copycat is probably the greatest recipe copycat I’ve ever made and it works with both homemade and store-bought ice cream, though I will now, just as always, use Tillamook since it’s so easy.

Cade is insanely ice cream obsessed and since discovering Graham Canyon from the BYU Creamery or as Handel’s calls it, Graham Central Station, it has quickly risen to one of his most favorite flavors. Literally the most delicious ice cream ever and I think I’ve made every neighbor and friend in Davis County try it.

I decided I had to finally figure out a copycat version for Cade’s birthday this year. We used to be able to find graham canyon in a couple of different spots up here in Davis County, but I haven’t been able to find it in months. Since BYU is a little too far away for an ice cream run, I brought the BYU creamery into my kitchen! Best birthday ever for Cade this year!

Ingredients for Graham Canyon Ice Cream

I’m going to give you two different options for making this ice cream recipe – one completely from scratch and one that simplifies things by using store-bought ice cream that you transform into graham cracker ice cream. You can choose what you have time for. Here is everything you’ll need…

For the Homemade Ice Cream

• Heavy Cream: use heavy whipping cream for the creamiest texture
• Half and Half: combines with the cream for a smooth and creamy ice cream
• Sugar: adds sweetness
• Vanilla Extract: adds flavor
• Egg Yolks: adds richness and creaminess to the ice cream
• Graham Crackers: crushed into a fine powder

OR

• Tillamook French Vanilla Ice Cream: Tillamook has the best fat content and creaminess.

For the Graham Cracker Swirl

• Graham Crackers: crushed into fine powder
• Cinnamon: adds flavor
• Water: helps the swirl be ribbony and delicious
• Butter: adds rich flavor to the swirl and helps bind the swirl together
• Honey: adds natural sweetness
• Violet Crumble o