Barca needed a response after suffering back-to-back losses for just the third time under boss Hansi Flick, against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey and Girona in LaLiga, but they almost went behind inside 30 seconds when Carlos Alvarez found space in the box and fired straight at Joan Garcia.
The hosts quickly took control, though, and Jules Kounde volleyed over at the far post before Marc Bernal gave Barcelona a fourth-minute lead when he slid to convert Eric Garcia’s low cross for his second goal in three matches.
Barca should have doubled their lead shortly after, but Mathew Ryan saved at point-blank range to deny Raphinha, with Robert Lewandowski firing the rebound over the crossbar.
Levante spurned another big chance in the 15th minute, when Jon Ander Olasagasti shot straight at Joan García after Iván Romero’s through ball dissected the home defence.
Barcelona still continued to dominate, and Joao Cancelo nearly scored a fortuitous first goal when his inswinging cross missed everyone and struck the post.
The Portuguese full-back’s next cross proved even more dangerous as he picked out the onrushing De Jong, who timed his run perfectly to volley past Ryan from eight yards out.
Barça had scored 21 unanswered second-half goals in LaLiga home games this term pre-round, so Levante’s prospects did not look good. A third Blaugrana goal appeared inevitable as Eric Garcia thundered a header just wide six minutes after the break, before Alan Matturro made a brilliant last-ditch block to thwart Raphinha.
At the other end, Paco Cortes had a rare chance to prevent Levante from going three games without scoring when he sprung the offside trap midway through the half, but the substitute slipped and scuffed his shot into the side-netting.
Barcelona eventually added a third with nine minutes remaining, when Fermin Lopez collected a short corner and sent a thunderous strike in off the post from 20 yards to take his goal tally for the campaign to 11.
It was a fitting way to wrap up Barca’s 12th win in 12 LaLiga home games, and there was still time for Ryan to make a sensational double save from Raphinha and Lopez in the closing stages.
Flick’s men move one point clear of Real Madrid at the summit following their rivals’ shock 2-1 defeat at Osasuna on Saturday. In contrast, Levante remain 19th, seven points adrift of safety, after their fourth successive league defeat and have now lost all of their 17 LaLiga trips to Barcelona - a competition record.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona)