The BEST Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
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These Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies are a fun twist on your classic chocolate chip cookie. The sourdough discard gives them an unexpected depth of flavor, while the brown butter adds a rich, nutty base that makes each bite irresistible. You get the perfect balance of gooey centers and crispy edges, with a hearty dose of both dark and semi-sweet chocolate chips. It’s the kind of cookie that fills your kitchen with that perfect, warm scent, making it impossible not to sneak a bite or two while they’re cooling. With a prep time of just 20 minutes and a short chill in the fridge, this Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe are simple enough for a quick treat but special enough to impress. Plus, they make great use of that sourdough starter discard you’ve been holding onto!
Why You’ll Love These Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Perfect Texture: The combination of gooey centers and crispy edges creates the ideal chocolate chip cookie bite.
- Rich Flavor: Brown butter adds a deep, nutty flavor that perfectly complements the chocolate chips.
- Sourdough Twist: Using sourdough discard gives the cookies a unique depth of flavor, making them stand out from typical chocolate chip cookies.
- Quick & Easy: With a simple prep time and a short chill, you can have fresh cookies ready in under two hours.
- Great Use for Leftovers: This recipe is a fantastic way to use up your sourdough discard without wasting it.
Ingredients Needed To Make These Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Make sure you scroll down to the recipe card to see the full list of ingredients needed for this recipe.
- Browned unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Egg yolk
- Vanilla extract
- Sourdough discard
- All-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Chocolate chips (dark, semi-sweet, and regular)
- Walnuts (optional)
Oven Temperatures
Oven temperatures can vary significantly from one oven to another. To achieve consistent results, it’s crucial to know the exact temperature inside your oven. The safest and most accurate way to determine this is by using an oven thermometer. This simple tool can help you avoid underbaking or overbaking your treats.
How To Make These Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Brown the butter: Melt butter in a pot and cook it until it turns golden brown. Let it cool.
- Mix the sugars and butter: Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cooled browned butter in a bowl until smooth.
- Add wet ingredients: Stir in the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and sourdough discard. Mix until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients: Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate and walnuts: Gently mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Chill the dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate it for at least one hour.
- Preheat the oven: Heat the oven to the right temperature and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop the dough: Use a cookie scoop to portion out the dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving some space between each cookie.
- Bake: Place the cookies in the oven and bake until the edges are golden and the centers are soft.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Commonly Asked Questions
Can I use regular sourdough starter instead of sourdough discard?
Yes, you can use a regular sourdough starter in place of discard. Just make sure to adjust the amount slightly, as sourdough starter may be more active than discard. You might need to reduce the amount of flour in the recipe slightly to keep the dough from getting too thick.
Why do I need to chill the dough?
Chilling the dough helps the cookies maintain their shape during baking and allows the flavors to meld together. It also helps solidify the butter, leading to a chewier texture with crispy edges. Don’t skip this step if you want those perfect cookies!
Get all the best baking tips!
Wondering how in the world to get the BEST bake every time? We’ve laid it all out for you.
Can I use different types of chocolate chips?
Absolutely! Feel free to mix it up with dark chocolate, white chocolate, or even peanut butter chips. The combination of chocolate types gives the cookies an extra depth of flavor, but the classic mix of semi-sweet and dark chocolate is always a winner.
How do I store these cookies?
Once the cookies have completely cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They should stay fresh for about a week. If you want to keep them for longer, you can freeze them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Just thaw them at room temperature before enjoying!
Can I make these cookies ahead of time?
Yes, you can! After you’ve mixed the dough, just cover it and refrigerate it overnight. This actually makes the cookies even better, as the dough has more time to rest and develop flavor. Simply scoop and bake the cookies the next day as usual!
How do I get the cookies to be extra chewy?
For chewier cookies, make sure you don’t overmix the dough after adding the dry ingredients. Also, baking for a slightly shorter time and removing them when the edges are golden but the center is still soft can help achieve that perfect chewy texture.
The Best Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Pot (for browning butter)
- Mixer (optional)
- ice cream scoop
Ingredients
- 11 tbsp browned unsalted butter 11 before melting
- ¾ cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup sourdough discard
- 3 cups all-purpose flour or 1.1 cups GF flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Optional: 1 1/2 cups walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Brown the butter: Add the butter to a pot and cook on low until browned, about 10-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Mix sugars and butter: In a mixing bowl, add both sugars and the browned butter. Mix for 3 minutes until smooth.
- Add wet ingredients: Mix in the eggs, vanilla extract, and sourdough discard. Stir until fully combined.
- Add dry ingredients: Add all of the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt) and mix on high until just incorporated.
- Fold in chocolate and walnuts: Add the chocolate chips (all types) and optional walnuts. Mix until evenly distributed.
- Chill dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop dough: Using an ice cream scoop, scoop equal-sized portions of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie.
- Bake: Bake for 11-13 minutes. For a crispier texture, bake longer until the tops and edges are browned. For a gooey center, remove the cookies around 11 minutes, when the edges are lightly browned.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will be gooey on the inside when first broken open, and soft by the next day.
Nutrition
These sourdough chocolate chip cookies are a perfect balance of chewy and crispy, with just the right amount of chocolatey goodness. Whether you’re a sourdough enthusiast or just looking for a fun twist on the classic, these cookies are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. If you have any dough leftover, they also freeze well for future cookie cravings!
The BEST cookie recipe ever! Can change up the add ins really well too. Made biscoff centres too. Delicious
Can I freeze the dough for later use
YES-
Is there a way to get a gram measurement or cup measurement instead of ‘11 tbsp’ of browned butter? Also would that be like starting with 11 tbsp’s of solid butter before you heat it (so I know how much to use?) I’m not sure the measurement would come out the same after it’s heated?
Hi Kim- In the recipe card, click “metrics” and it will be converted to grams for you. 11 tbsp measured before melting
It doesn’t convert the 11tbsp into metric. I’m battling with the same – guessed the butter, about 70 gm
Butter: 1 tablespoon = 14 grams
What is sourdough discard?
Sourdough discard is the part of your sourdough starter that you remove before feeding it. You do this to keep the starter from getting too big and to keep it healthy. Even though it’s called “discard,” you don’t have to throw it away—it’s great in recipes like pancakes, waffles, muffins, and cookies! It adds a nice tangy flavor but usually won’t help your baked goods rise unless it’s really active.
Do u have a recipe for sour dough starter? I couldn’t find it in here.
We currently do not. Danielle was able to get a starter locally
These cookies are so good! Perfectly sized not too cakey and not too thin
Thank you Lisa!
What if I don’t have quite a 3/4 cup of discard?
It depends how short you are. Like a tablespoon or so.. no big deal. How much are you short?
I was too short. I fed my starter and am making them now.
Keep us posted 🙂
My cookies turned out so yummy! I was wondering why you use both baking soda and baking powder? Is that what makes them thicker?
My adult grandson ate one and said “these are REALLY good”.
Hello! Great question! Danielle uses both for different reasons.
1. Baking soda: helps with spreading and activates it
2. Baking Powder: gives them the lift
Forgive me for having to ask this, but what exactly is sourdough discard?
Sourdough discard is the portion of your sourdough starter that you remove before feeding it. When maintaining a sourdough starter, you regularly feed it with fresh flour and water. But before doing that, you need to “discard” some of the existing starter to keep the overall size manageable and to ensure the starter stays active and healthy.
Can I make the dough and leave it in fridge overnight and bake tomorrow?
TIA
yes, you can 🙂
Loved by my family!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Loved by my family!! Thank you for sharing