Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sourdough chocolate chip cookies are soft, chewy, and loaded with chocolate chips. Using your sourdough discard, one bowl, and a bit of chill time, this effortless cookie recipe is exactly what you’ve been waiting for!

Cookies stacked with one leaning and a small bottle of milk with a silver straw.

These sourdough chocolate chip cookies are an easy way to take basic butter cookies and elevate them to awesome soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies status. It’s a subtly sweet cookie with a melt-in-your-mouth buttery texture.

When we talk about making sourdough, I’m still surprised at the number of people who don’t put their sourdough discard to use! I mean, making a sourdough starter isn’t hard, but it’s still a process. So, why waste any of it?! Other than these delicious sourdough chocolate chip cookies, I like to use my discard to make easy focaccia, sourdough crescent rolls, Sourdough Cinnamon Coffee Cake and these sourdough lemon ricotta cookies.

This is a simple recipe all done in one bowl, with less than 1.5 hours of chill time and about 20 minutes of bake time. Once golden brown and delicious they are a welcome addition to any cookie tray, whether it be for serving guests, or devouring them yourself when the cookie cravings come knocking.

5 cookies stacked.

Sourdough chocolate chip cookies are always a hit and when something this delicious can be made this easily, you can bet it’s on full rotation all year round. Sourdough discard cookies have a natural bite to them, because of the slight tangy nature of the fermentation process, so they’re not overly sweet. The chocolate chips are definitely a nice balance to that, but you can customize to whatever add-ins you like.

What is your favorite way to use your sourdough discard?

How to Make Sourdough Discard Cookies

Beat the egg and sugars with the flat beaters before adding the discard, the whisked flour mixture and butter.

Eggs & sugars beaten, flour & butter added.

Continue to beat until almost combined, then add the chocolate chips and mix again.

Batter mixed, chocolate chips on top and mixed to combine.

Move the dough to a lightly floured flat surface and form into a ball. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for an hour.

Rool the dough out to 1/4” thickness. You can either use a cookie cutter to cut out the cookies, or roll dough into individual golf ball sizes and flatten slightly.

Dough rolled on plastic wrap to chill and cut out on cookie sheet.

While the oven preheats, chill the prepared cookie dough again.

Bake until lightly golden and allow to cool on the cookie sheet before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips & Optional Add-ins

  • You want the dough to be cold when going into the oven. This is how you get a nice thick soft cookie that isn’t too hard and crunchy and no cookie spread.
  • Don’t forget to bring the egg and butter to room temperature before beginning. You want your ingredients at even temperature, so it makes for even baking and easier mixing. The chill time will allow everything to solidify evenly as well.
  • The brown sugar gives a depth of flavour as well creates a softer cookie. If you’d rather just use all granulated white sugar you can, just keep in mind the texture and flavour will be slightly different.
  • You can use either all-purpose or bread flour for this recipe.
  • Swap the chocolate chips for chocolate chunks, white chocolate chips, chopped nuts, toffee bits, or a combination!
Cookies stacked and cookies in the bowl and a bottle of milk with a silver straw.

FAQs

What is sourdough starter?

When you’re making sourdough bread from scratch, you begin by making a starter. This is approximately a week long process of fermentation beginning with a simple flour and water mixture. You feed it, activate it, and the natural fermentation process takes place. In order to continue feeding it, you need to “discard” some of it. At a certain point in the process, the ” starter discard” can be used for plenty of other recipes!

What’s the best way to store sourdough cookies to keep them fresh?

To keep the moisture in, it’s best to keep these cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature. These cookies also freeze really well which is great if you’ve made too many or made a double batch. Keep stored in a freezer-friendly bag for months! Just take a few out at a time and thaw at room temperature whenever you feel like indulging.

Can I freeze the dough if I’m not ready to use it?

Absolutely. Keep it wrapped in plastic and stored in a freezer-friendly bag. Freeze them in individual dough balls, that way once you’re ready to bake them, you can just bake them from frozen!

Remember don’t throw out that extra discard! Make Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies! I hope you enjoy them.

chocolate chip cookies in a white biscotti bowl.
chocolate chip cookies in a white biscotti bowl.

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sourdough chocolate chip cookies are soft, chewy, and loaded with chocolate chips. Made with discard, one bowl, and a bit of chill time!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Course Cookies
Cuisine American
Servings 18 cookies
Calories 113 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • cups flour (195 grams)
  • 1 pinch salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 large egg (room temperature)
  • cup brown sugar (packed) (60 grams)
  • cup granulated sugar (66 grams)
  • 3 tablespoons sourdough discard (40 grams)
  • ¼ cup +½ tablespoon butter (soft – cubed) (65 grams)
  • ½ cup + 1 ½ tablespoons chocolate chips (or chopped nuts or a combination) (100 grams)

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder.
  • Beat the egg and sugars for 3 minutes with the flat beaters, add the discard, the flour mixture and butter, continue to beat until almost combined, add the chocolate chips (or chopped nuts) and mix 1 minute.
  • Move the dough to a lightly floured flat surface and form into a ball, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. 
  • Remove the dough from the fridge and roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness, cut out rounds with a cookie cutter or roll into a golf ball size, and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand or a glass (dip it in flour so it doesn't stick to the dough). Chill the dough 15-20 minutes while the oven is pre heating.
  • Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C).
  • Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool 10 minutes on cookie sheet then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 113kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 44mgPotassium: 22mgFiber: 1gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 128IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 1mg
Keyword butter cookies, chocolate chip cookies, sourdough chocolate chip cookies, sourdough discard cookies
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