Ready to elevate your cookie game? These sourdough chocolate chip cookies are chewy, rich, and irresistibly delicious! Made with sourdough discard, they’re a fantastic way to reduce waste while baking up something special. This sourdough cookie recipe will quickly become a family favorite, whether you’re making them for a special occasion, a dessert tray, or a simple mid-afternoon snack.
Creating the perfect sourdough discard chocolate chip cookies took a few trial runs, but once I nailed the balance of tang and sweetness, everyone I shared them with was hooked. The texture is everything you want in a cookie—crispy edges, soft chewy centers, and gooey chocolate in every bite. I recommend baking half the dough and saving the rest in the fridge to enjoy freshly baked cookies later in the week. (Trust me, they go fast!)
What makes sourdough chocolate chip cookies so special is the addition of sourdough discard, which adds a subtle depth of flavor and a soft, tender texture. The tangy notes perfectly complement the rich chocolate chips without overpowering the classic cookie taste. Best of all, this recipe is easy to follow, uses simple pantry staples, and is a great way to keep your sourdough starter waste-free.
If sourdough isn’t for you, try our chewy chocolate chip cookies instead.
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Why We Love These Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Reduce waste.
If you’re an avid sourdough baker, you know how quickly starter discard can pile up. Instead of throwing it away, these cookies let you repurpose it into a delicious treat! Using sourdough discard reduces waste and makes you feel good about turning something seemingly useless into a wonderful treat. If you want to know other ways on what to do with discarded sourdough starter, check out our guide! - Unique flavor twist.
The sourdough discard adds a subtle tanginess that enhances the sweetness of the chocolate and the richness of the dough. It’s not overpowering—it’s just enough to make these cookies stand out from traditional chocolate chip cookies. This sourdough cookie recipe offers a unique depth of flavor that will have everyone asking for your secret ingredient! - The texture is always perfect.
These cookies are an ideal treat for those who enjoy a variety of textures. Thanks to the combination of butter, sugars, and sourdough discard, they’re soft and chewy on the inside with slightly crispy edges. The addition of chocolate chips makes every bite gooey and indulgent. Plus, chilling the dough ensures the cookies bake evenly and retain their chewy perfection.
Once you try these sourdough discard chocolate chip cookies, they’ll become your favorite way to use up discard and satisfy your sweet tooth!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Unsalted butter: softened butter helps create a rich, creamy base when combined with the sugars. If salted butter is all you have, reduce the added salt in the recipe by half.
- Granulated sugar: gives the cookies structure and sweetness while helping to achieve the slightly crispy edges.
- Brown sugar: packing the brown sugar ensures you get the right amount for that soft and chewy texture.
- Sourdough discard: the secret ingredient! It adds a subtle tanginess to these cookies, enhancing and balancing the overall flavor profile. Unfed discard works perfectly here since it doesn’t need to be active for this recipe.
- Eggs: are essential for binding the ingredients and adding richness to the dough. Make sure they’re at room temperature for better incorporation into the butter and sugar mixture.
- Vanilla extract: use pure vanilla extract for the best results.
- All-purpose flour: flour provides structure to the cookies. This amount is perfect for balancing the wet ingredients, creating a dough that holds its shape while baking. Sift the flour if you prefer a lighter texture.
- Baking soda: acts as the leavening agent, giving the cookies just the right amount of lift for a soft, chewy texture.
- Kosher salt: balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor. People prefer Kosher salt because it has larger flakes and a milder taste compared to table salt. If substituting table salt, use about 1 ½ teaspoons.
- Semi sweet chocolate chips: use semi-sweet for a classic flavor, or milk chocolate for a sweeter option. For variety, you can mix in dark chocolate, white chocolate, or even chunks of your favorite chocolate bar. If you are unsure of the best chocolate chips to buy, check out this article: Pro Bakers Top Chocolate Chips.
Don’t have any eggs in your refrigerator? Try our chocolate chip cookies without eggs!
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
For the best chewy cookies, use room temperature butter (softened, but still cool) and eggs. If you forget to pull your eggs from the fridge 30 minutes ahead of time, place them in a glass of warm water for 5-10 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Double chocolate sourdough cookies: Swap ½ cup of the all-purpose flour with cocoa powder for a rich, chocolatey dough. Use a mix of semi-sweet and white chocolate chips for a flavor contrast. Try white chocolate chip cookies or white chocolate raspberry cookies for a non-sourdough versions.
- Espresso chocolate chip cookies: Mix 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder into the dough for a subtle coffee flavor that complements the chocolate.
- Spiced sourdough cookies: Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to the dry ingredients for a warm, spiced flavor. These cookies are ideal for fall or holiday baking!
- Nutty sourdough chocolate chip cookies: Add 1 cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds to the dough for a crunchy texture. Toast the nuts beforehand for extra flavor.
- Peanut butter sourdough cookies: Replace ¼ cup of butter with ¼ cup of creamy peanut butter for a nutty twist. Use peanut butter chips or chopped peanut butter cups instead of chocolate chips.
- Salted caramel sourdough cookies: Press a caramel candy or a dollop of caramel sauce into the center of each cookie before baking. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt immediately after baking for a sweet-and-salty combination.
Equipment Used In This Recipe
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment (or hand mixer and large mixing bowl)
- Spatula
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Cookie scoop (3 tablespoons)
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Cooling rack
How to Make Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cream the Wet Ingredients:
Add softened butter, sugars, and sourdough discard to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides.
- Incorporate Eggs and Vanilla:
Add eggs and vanilla, mixing at medium speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients:
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing at low-medium speed until just combined.
- Add Chocolate Chips.
Stir in the chocolate chunks by hand or mix briefly with the mixer. - Chill the Dough.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
For perfectly sized cookies, use a cookie scoop! I recommend using a large 3 tablespoon sized scoop. That’s what I use for all my cookie recipes.
- Bake the Cookies.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Scoop dough into cookie dough balls and place onto prepared cookie sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until edges are slightly dry and tops are light golden. - Cool and Serve.
Let cookies rest on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Serving Suggestions
Pair these sourdough discard cookies with a cold glass of milk, a hot cup of coffee, or crumble them over vanilla ice cream for a decadent dessert.
If you are looking for more ways to use up your sourdough starter, give our sourdough focaccia a try!
Recipe FAQs
Flash-freeze scoops of dough on a baking sheet for 1 hour. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Place frozen dough on a prepared pan, let thaw for 30 minutes, and bake as directed.
Yes, but the discard chocolate chip cookies add a unique flavor and texture. If you don’t have sourdough discard on hand, use our other chocolate chip cookies recipe.
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
If you love cookies and you would want to try something new, you shouldn’t miss our matcha white chocolate cookies and lemon blueberry cookies!
Other Sweet Treat Recipes to Consider…
If you tried this sourdough chocolate chip cookie recipe or any other sourdough discard recipes on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- stand mixer - or hand mixer
- silicone spatula
- whisk
- 3-tablespoon Scoop
- cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened, but still cool; if salted butter is all you have, reduce the added salt in the recipe by half
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup sourdough starter discard or fed 12-24 hours prior *see notes below
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt if substituting table salt, use about 1 ½ teaspoons
- 12 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips about 2 cups
Instructions
- Add the softened butter, sugars, and starter discard to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer and a large mixing bowl. Mix at medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with spatula.Add the eggs and vanilla and mix at medium speed for 30 seconds, or until well combined. Then, scrape down the sides of the bowl with spatula.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients, a cup at a time, to the wet ingredients while mixing at a low-medium speed for 30 seconds or until just mixed. Do not overmix, or your cookies will be crumbly and dry.Stir in the chocolate chips and mix for 15 seconds to incorporate. Alternatively, you can stir the chips by hand using a wooden spoon.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Prepare the cookie sheet(s) by greasing or lining it with parchment paper (or silicone baking mats).
- Using a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) leveled off, portion dough onto prepared cookie sheets – 12 per sheet – leaving 2 inches of space between each scoop of dough.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies look slightly dry and the tops are very light golden. Remove from oven and let cookies rest on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack with a spatula.
- Store cool cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Video
Notes
- Double chocolate sourdough cookies – Swap ½ cup of the all-purpose flour with cocoa powder for a rich, chocolatey dough. Use a mix of semi-sweet and white chocolate chips for a flavor contrast. Try white chocolate chip cookies or white chocolate raspberry cookies for a non-sourdough versions.
- Espresso chocolate chip cookies – Mix 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder into the dough for a subtle coffee flavor that complements the chocolate.
- Spiced sourdough cookies – Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to the dry ingredients for a warm, spiced flavor. Perfect for fall or holiday baking!
- Nutty sourdough chocolate chip cookies – Add 1 cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds to the dough for a crunchy texture. Toast the nuts beforehand for extra flavor.
- Peanut butter sourdough cookies – Replace ¼ cup of butter with ¼ cup of creamy peanut butter for a nutty twist. Use peanut butter chips or chopped peanut butter cups instead of chocolate chips.
- Salted caramel sourdough cookies – Press a caramel candy or a dollop of caramel sauce into the center of each cookie before baking. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt immediately after baking for a sweet-and-salty combination.
- Before baking, place baking sheets in the freezer for 1 hour to flash-freeze the scoops of dough. Once frozen, store frozen cookie dough in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Place frozen cookie dough on prepared pans. Let it thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes or until thawed but still cold. Bake according to the recipe instructions shown above.
Nutrition
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Patty Turner says
These cookies are delicious! I reduced the amount of white sugar to 1/2 cup and I ran out of all-purpose unbleached flour so I used about 1 1/2 cups spelt flour. I also added the walnuts.
This will be my go to recipe from now on.
Danielle says
I’m so glad I found a way to use up my discard! I was a little nervous about the sourdough affecting the flavor, but you are right, you can’t taste it at all and the cookies are so good and chewy! Will for sure be making these again and again.