Tested and retested over a dozen times, my recipe for homemade sourdough chocolate chip cookies is one you’ll make over and over again. Using leftover discarded sourdough starter, you’ll whip up the cookies using a bowl and spoon; no stand mixer needed!
Chewy, pillowy, and extra chocolatey (recipe calls for chocolate chips and chunks), these soft-baked cookies are ready in about 35 minutes. This recipe is vegetarian and easily dairy free.
Sourdough Discard Cookies
After discovering how amazing sourdough discard is in baked recipes, I want to add it to everything!
You can make so many things like Sourdough Discard Crackers, Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust, and much more with discard. I say, put it in everything!
So, it was such a delight to find sourdough cookies from a local bakery. The texture was pillow soft, tender and chewy. This discovery rocked my cookie world!
With my newfound sourdough cookie discovery and practice making hundreds of cookies in pastry school, I got to work converting an old favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, into a new sourdough cookie recipe.
“These cookies are FANTASTIC. I’ve had many requests for more since I started making them!”
Heather
This Recipe Is
- pillowy and tender
- rich and chocolatey
- mixed with bowl and spoon
If you enjoy making Sourdough Discard Recipes, you’ll enjoy these tasty, and timeless sourdough cookies.
About the Key Ingredients
- Melted Unsalted Butter – use high quality for best flavor. Butter tenderizes the cookies and adds so much flavor! It’s unsalted so we can control added salt.
- Sourdough Starter Discard – use your 100% hydration stirred-down sourdough starter. It adds flavor and tenderizes the crumb.
- Chocolate Chips – look for semi sweet chocolate chips, about 60%. If preferred, use milk chocolate chips, although the cookies will taste sweeter. I like Ghirardelli’s flatter chocolate chips (for excellent puddling – seen in the first picture above) or try Guittard Baking Chips, 63% Extra Dark Chocolate (seen in the images below).
- Chocolate Bar (chocolate chunks) – you’ll need one chocolate bar for these cookies. Choose at least 70% chocolate, 80% if you love dark chocolate, chopped. For dairy free, look for vegan chocolate chips and bar.
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How to Make Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
step by step
To create puddles of chocolate, chop your chocolate bar into BIG chunks, about 1/2 inch (1.3cm) each, so long as they fit into your cookie scoop or, you can add a few chunks to the top of the cookie before baking.
Sourdough Cookie Flavor Development
If baked right away, sourdough flavor isn’t apparent in these cookies. Rather, the magic comes in the cookies’ tenderness and keeping qualities.
However, if you’d like to tease out that tasty sourdough flavor from your cookies, simply rest the cookie dough in the fridge for up to three days. Do this by keeping them in the same mixing bowl, covered, scoop, then bake, or you can scoop all the cookies and rest in the fridge between parchment paper in a covered container.
The sourdough flavor is more apparent on day three than day one.
Traci’s Tips
- Dairy Free? Yes Please! I tested this recipe with Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, and it works well. Use your favorite dairy-free chocolate chips and bar. I like Enjoy Life Foods and Theo Chocolate. *See recipe notes for more details.
- No Refrigerator Resting: After scooping, there’s no need to rest in the fridge unless more sourdough flavor is desired.
Pillowy Soft Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Servings:30 1 1/2 Tbs. Each Cookies
Calories:130kcal
Tested and retested over a dozen times, my recipe for homemade sourdough chocolate chip cookies is one you'll make over and over again. Using leftover discarded sourdough starter, you'll whip up the cookies using a bowl and spoon, no stand mixer or fancy equipment needed! Chewy, pillowy and extra chocolatey (recipe calls for chocolate chips and chunks) these soft-baked cookies are ready in about 35 minutes. This recipe is vegetarian and easily dairy free. | *See recipe notes to make these cookies dairy free. Note on Room Temperature Ingredients: I typically recommend starting most baked recipes with room temperature ingredients. However, because the butter is melted and warm when whisked into the wet ingredients, it's not necessary to bring the starter and egg to room temperature. The egg and starter should be used straight from the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups + 1 tablespoon (260 grams) Unbleached All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder non aluminum
- 3/4 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons (155 grams) Unsalted Butter
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) Light Brown Sugar packed
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (80 grams) Organic Cane Sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 cup (65g) Sourdough Discard 100% hydration stirred down
- 1 Large Egg
- 2/3 cup (115 grams) Chocolate Chips I use 60% Semi Sweet
- 3 ounces (85 grams) Chocolate Bar I use 70% – 80% Dark, chopped into large chunks.
Instructions
- Set oven rack in center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit (177 Celsius). Line a sheet pan or pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
Mix the Cookies:
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a small sauce pot, heat the butter on low until melted. Set aside.
- Into a large mixing bowl, transfer the melted butter. It should be warm to the touch. To the butter, add the brown sugar and cane sugar. Whisk until incorporated. To the butter mixture, add the vanilla and sourdough discard. Whisk until incorporated. Crack the egg into the batter. Whisk until smooth.
- To the butter mixture, add the flour mixture all at once. Use a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients, folding and pressing the dough until there are no dry bits left. The cookie dough should be stiff.
- To the batter, add the chips and chunks. Tip: if you'd like puddles of chocolate on the top of your cookies, hold 1/4 of the chunks out and place a chunk on top of the cookie ball after scooping. Mix until the chocolate is evenly distributed. Optional: For More Sourdough Flavor rest cookies in the fridge for up to three days. This can be done right in the mixing bowl, covered, before scooping. Or, scoop (see below), then store cookies between sheets of parchment paper in a lidded container. Bring to room temperature before baking.
Scoop:
- Scoop cookies using a number 40 ice cream/cookie scoop and transfer to prepared pan spacing cookies at about 2 inches (5 centimeters) apart. Or portion to 1 1/2 tablespoons each, then roll into a ball. To Freeze (optional): At this point the cookies can be frozen. Freeze cookies on a parchment lined sheet pan. Once frozen, transfer to a storage container and freeze for up to three weeks. When ready to bake, thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Bake.
Bake:
- Bake cookies at 350 Fahrenheit (177 Celsius) for 10-13 minutes OR when the cookies are just turning golden around the edges and the bottom is golden. Remove sheet pan from oven and set on cooling rack. Optional Tip: to fix any wonky edges or to force your cookie into a more rounded shape, when the cookies are just out of the oven, place a large round biscuit or cookie cutter over the cookie on the sheet pan (the cookie should fit within the cutter). Gently, use your hand to swirl the cookie cutter in a circle to force the cookie into a round shape (see blog post picture above). Allow cookies to cool on the pan for about 5 minutes. Optional: A sprinkle of flaky sea salt is quite nice on these cookies. Just a pinch goes a long way.
- To Store: Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before placing in a cookie jar or other lidded container. Add a small slice of bread to the cookie jar to keep the cookies fresh and tender for about three to four days.
Video
Notes
Kitchen Tools: I recommend a digital oven thermometer and weighing your ingredients using a digital kitchen scale for best outcome (affiliate links).
*Dairy Free? I tested this recipe with salted Earth Balance Buttery Sticks and it works well. Here are the changes to the recipe:
- Reduce added salt to 1/4 tsp. due to the salt content in Earth Balance.
- Because the dough is a bit softer, rest in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes so that the dough is easier to scoop.
- Use your favorite dairy free chocolate chips and bar. I like Enjoy Life Foods and Theo Chocolate.
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Serving: 1Cookie | Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 154IU | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
Made It? Leave a comment below! The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications and/or helping other commenters. On Instagram? Take a snap of your make and share, tagging @VanillaAndBean #VanillaAndBean!
These are awesome.mi used all oat flour and they came out great!
Oat flour is amazing, Victoria! Thank you for your note and letting us know!
The chocolate chip cookies I’ve made.
My family absolutely loves them.
Thank you for sharing.
Love hearing this Ahlam! Thank you for your note.
The best chocolate chip cookie recipe! I made it gluten free, due to my celiac. They came out light and airy. Absolutely delicious!
Hi Charyl! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! Can you share what flour(s) you used to make it GF?
Hi Traci,
I used King Arthur Gluten Free Flour.
Thank you Charyl!
Can I use all purpose einkorn flour? I do love the recipe that uses my sourdough discard!
Hi Veronica! I’m not sure. If you experiment, please keep us posted!
This recipe is great but I am dairy free and I do not want to anything processed with seed oils so I used chicken fat instead of butter. I buy the chicken fat from a pasture raised farm. The cookie came out so good and chewy with a crust on the bottom. Very happy with the results
The absolute BEST cookie. I wish I can give more than a 5 star review. When baking these I did brown the butter on the stove first for a little nutty flavor. The cookies baked beautifully and I already having my house ask for more! Thanks for sharing this DELISH recipe! Cant wait to check out the others :)
Love hearing this, Julia! Thank you for your note, and brown butter tip (yum!)!
One of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes! I often get asked for the recipe when delivering to others… thank you for sharing your goodness! :)
Best news ever, Anita! Thank you for your note!
I’ve been baking these for a couple years now. I just made a batch and the amount of flour did seem like it was more (I hadn’t seen your note about the recipe change before I started making them). They definitely came out fluffier. I prefer the old recipe but these are great too. My kids will still eat them :). Mine flatten out just enough with the old recipe. It’s a keeper for sure!
Hi Jackie! Thank you for your note and giving the new version a go. It’s interesting how results can vary depending on a variety of factors (like all sourdough!). I added the original recipe to the notes, for this very reason. So glad your kiddos are enjoying the cookies!
Can I use melted coconut oil?
Hi Shaz! While I’ve not tried it in this recipe, I think it could work. I’d reduce the amount slightly, by a few teaspoons since butter has water in it. Keep us posted if you give it a try!
These cookies are FANTASTIC. I’ve had many requests for more since I started making them!
Thank you for your note, Heather!!
How bad did I ruin my cookies if I added an extra 20g of discard? I doubled the batch and did my math wrong.
Hi Corinne… I’m sorry to hear this. I’m thinking you’ll get a bit more spread in the cookies.
These taste delicious! Today is my first day making anything GF sourdough. The only question is why did mine stay in a ball shape? Haha!
Hi Teagan! Did you sub gluten free sourdough discard? If so, what kind of flour did you use for these? Thank you for your note and review!
I did use GF discard and that recipe used buckwheat flour so maybe that’s why?
Hello, will this work with gluten free sourdough discard ? and gluten free flour?
Hi Amira! Without testing, I just don’t know. If you experiment, please keep us posted!
Hi Amira,
It works wonderfully! I used King Arthur GF Flour, which is also what I used to make my starter
Can I make these egg free? :)
Hi Darci! I’ve not tried it, but if you’re up for an experiment, I’d use 1/4 cup apple sauce to substitute the egg.
Thanks!
Hi there! I made these for my family last week and they were an absolute hit! I’ve never tasted a cookie with that flavor profile and texture, absolutely amazing! I was wanting to make them again today and was wondering if I could use fed starter? If so would I need to make any other adjustments? Thanks!
Hi Keegan! Super happy to hear you’re enjoying the cookies. Thank you for your note and five star review! While I’ve not tried it, making them with fed starter should be fine. I’m thinking they may be puffier and a bit more sour. However, without testing, I’m not sure if there’d be any adjustments.
Wow! These cookies are amazing!!!! I am new to the sourdough game but not the baking game. I’ve had a chocolate chip cookie recipe that I’ve used for years that everyone loves. I was hesitant to try a new one because I’m so biased towards mine but wow these are the best cookies I’ve ever had let alone made!!!!!!!!! I could literally cry (probably because I’m 6 months pregnant)!! Also, I have made 100s of recipes I’ve found online but I’ve never taken the time to comment. These are seriously just that good 😭
Oh my gosh, Raven, lol! Your note made my day! SO excited you’re enjoying the cookies. Thank you for coming back and sharing your thoughts, and five star rating! Day made!
Hello! I’ve made these a few times and they’re one of my favorite cookie recipes! However, the last 2 times I’ve made them, They spread completely flat. Very little structure. I am weighing everything. Any troubleshooting tips for me? Thanks!
Hi Morgan! Thank you for your note. Love that you’re weighing your ingredients and so happy to hear you’re enjoying the cookies, despite their spread. Try adding 1-2 tablespoons of extra flour next time. Due to moisture content differences in flour (and butter), this could be the culprit. Also, are you using an oven thermometer (digital or dial – the kind you put inside your oven) to check proper oven temperature? Let me know how it goes, okay?
It’s so nice to get a recipe from someone who has actually made this recipe. I don’t like the taste of chocolate, but love the smell. I make English Muffins and Bagels each week, and I hate tossing the sourdough discards. I made 18 of these cooking for my study group, they were devoured by 4 women who just couldn’t stop themselves (we had other food there, but the cookies won the disappearance contest!).
Hii Isabel! Thank you for your note and sharing your success with us! Sounds like it’s time to make another batch ;)
I made this twice! Great cookies!
I would like to substitute goji berries instead of the chocolate (due to melting). Should I just add try chopped goji berries or should I rehydrate them before I add them?
Hi Veronica! Hooray! SO happy to hear you’re enjoying the cookies. Definitely rehydrate the goji berries! That sounds yummmm!!
Hi Traci! I feed my starter with bread flour (not all purpose flour) would that be okay to use the discard for this cookie? Thanks@
Hi Lin! It’ll be delicious! 🙌🏻
Hello, today is my 3rd time making this recipe using regular semi-sweet chips and once adding M&M’s to regular semi sweet chips. I am sort of new to using sourdough starter in breads (everyone seems to have been on board since March 2020!) and always felt wasteful with my discard! No more! Thank you, and I’ve been enjoying the recipes in the blog!
Hi Kristin! Thank you so much for your note and giving the recipe a go. I love how versatile it is, and that you added M&M’s! What fun! So happy you’re enjoying the blog :D
a very nice alternative to the same old and for me very old chocolate chip cookie recipe, I’m definitely new to anything sourdough other than basic bread and pizza dough, so thank you!
Hi Sabrina! SO happy to hear you enjoyed the cookies. Discard is magic in baked goods!
What a flawless cookie! So nice to have a recipe that comes together quickly, and bakes so beautifully. I dressed these babies up a little by browning the butter, adding 80 g toasted walnuts, and giving them a little sprinkle of flaky sea salt before baking. I’ve made these several times now, and everyone loves them!
Thank you for your note, Paula and giving the cookies a go! Love these tips… and yes to flaky sea salt! :D
That is a great idea Traci… I used to throw away sourdough natural yeast that I made everyday. Now you just gave me a new cooky recipe… By the way, I made EGG Drop Soup this morning… I comfort food when the weather is cold and I have not make this soup for a few months now… Thanks for a great cooky recipe… Nathan
Thank you for your note, Nathan! Let me know if you give the cookies a go!
Great cookie but I only had a bar of unsweetened chocolate bar that was 100% cacao. I used semi sweet morsels. I little too bitter for my taste buds but nothing a nice glad of milk didn’t cure. I’ll make again after purchasing a better bar of chocolate.
Hi Vickie! Hooray! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! Indeed, 100% cacao is very bitter, even for a cookie with lots of sugar. A 70-80% chocolate bar tones down those bitter chocolate notes and pairs so well with semi sweet morsels! LMK if you give it a go again with a less bitter chocolate.