The Best Chewy Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe for chewy, gooey perfection. Discover the secret to the best homemade cookies with this easy, delicious guide.
Everyone needs a go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe—the one you turn to when unexpected guests arrive or when you need to bring a sweet treat to a dinner party or celebration.
Growing up, we always made the classic chocolate chip cookies on the backside of Nestle’s chocolate chips. Though that recipe will always have a place in my heart, they have forever been replaced with these Chewy, Chocolaty Browned Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies!
My goodness, they’re pure perfection!
From the nutty flavor of brown butter to the perfectly gooey, chewy center and lightly crispy edges, every bite is filled with melty semisweet chocolate chunks and a subtle tang from the sourdough starter discard.
I’ll admit, I may have indulged in more of these cookies than I should have while testing the recipe! But how can you blame me when they taste this good?!
Make a double batch and freeze half for a quick dessert in a pinch!
I promise you, once you make these Chewy Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies, there’s no going back.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Easy to make
Simple ingredients and straightforward steps make baking these cookies a breeze.
Plenty of chocolate
A generous amount of chocolate chips guarantees that every bite is filled with rich, gooey goodness.
Chewy texture
They offer the perfect balance of crisp edges and soft, chewy centers for ultimate cookie satisfaction.
Ingredients Needed
Butter: Browned butter helps to remove some of the water content that is added by the sourdough discard, but it also gives the cookies a better texture and adds nuttiness.
Sugar: Cane sugar can be substituted. Brown sugar helps create perfectly chewy cookies!
Egg yolks: We removed the egg whites to reduce the water content, but the yolks bring moisture and chewiness to the cookies.
Vanilla extract: For the best flavor, opt for pure vanilla extract over imitation.
Sourdough discard: Use sourdough discard that is no older than 2 weeks for sweet treats like these cookies.
Flour: I use all-purpose flour for this recipe.
Baking Powder: Make sure your leaveners are fresh! Otherwise, the cookies won’t rise properly.
Baking Soda
Salt: I love Redmond’s Real Salt for the cookie dough, but don’t forget to sprinkle on some flaky sea salt when the cookies are still warm!
Chocolate Chips: I used chocolate chunks, but you can use whatever your heart desires, from milk chocolate to dark chocolate chips, to butterscotch to M&M’s!
Supplies
Medium skillet
How to Make Browned Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Melt the butter in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once the butter is fully melted, it will begin to bubble. Continue to stir constantly until the bottom of the pan is covered with small amber specks (about 2–3 minutes)
Carefully remove the browned butter from the heat and pour it into a large mixing bowl. Allow the butter to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. (If it forms back into a solid, that’s okay!)
While the butter cools, prepare your dry ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
Once the browned butter is at room temperature, add both sugars and use a wooden spoon to mix. Then add in the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and sourdough discard, and mix until fully incorporated.
Finally add the dry ingredients. I like to add a little at a time for easier mixing.
Once all the flour has been incorporated, add the chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed.
Scoop 70g of the cookie dough with a cookie scoop, roll into smooth dough balls, top with a few extra chocolate chips, and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, overnight is best!
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place 5 cookies on a 13×18 inch rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 11–13 minutes, or until the edges are just golden brown.
Leave them on the cookie sheet for 5 extra minutes, sprinkling the tops with flaky sea salt, then remove to cool fully on a wire rack or enjoy warm!
TIP: To create a perfectly round cookie shape, use the backs of two spoons to shape the cookies. Make sure to do this immediately out of the oven while the cookies are still warm! Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before placing them on a wire rack to cool.
How to Serve
Warm with a glass of milk, of course! But if you’re feeling really indulgent, these cookies would be the perfect base for ice cream sandwiches!
How to Store
Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for 2–3 days with a slice of bread or apple to help retain moisture.
If you’re making a larger batch or want to keep them fresh longer, freezing is also a great option. Scoop the cookie dough balls onto a baking tray and freeze until solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag.
When you’re ready to bake, place the frozen dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for an extra few minutes. You’ll always have homemade chocolate chip cookies on hand!
FAQs
Can I Use Regular Butter Instead of Browned Butter?
For the best flavor and chewy texture, it’s best to use browned butter because it adds a nutty depth that regular butter just can’t match. Browning butter helps to remove extra moisture, so using melted butter will be too much moisture for this cookie recipe.
How Can I Make These Cookies If I Don’t Have a Cookie Scoop?
You can use a spoon to drop dough onto the baking sheet. Try to make each dough ball around 70 g for even baking.
Happy baking!
More Recipes Like This:
Sourdough Skillet Cookie
Chewy Oatmeal Butterscotch Sourdough Cookies
Chewy Brown Sugar Sourdough Cookies
Sourdough Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Cookies
FULL RECIPE TUTORIAL
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
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Ingredients
- 226 grams unsalted butter, browned 1 cup
- 200 grams white sugar 1 cup
- 220 grams brown sugar 1 cup
- 200 grams sourdough discard 3/4 cup
- 2 egg yolks 40g
- 8 grams vanilla extract 2 teaspoons
- 355 grams all-purpose flour 2 1/2 cups
- 6 grams baking soda 1 teaspoon
- 4 grams baking powder 1 teaspoon
- 4 grams salt 3/4 teaspoon
- 350 grams chocolate chips 2 cups
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once the butter is fully melted, it will begin to bubble. Continue to stir constantly until the bottom of the pan is covered with small amber specks (about 2–3 minutes). You should be left with 180g of browned butter.226 grams unsalted butter, browned
- Carefully remove the browned butter from the heat and pour it into a large mixing bowl. Allow the butter to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. (If it forms back into a solid, that’s okay!)
- While the butter cools, prepare your dry ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside.355 grams all-purpose flour, 6 grams baking soda, 4 grams baking powder, 4 grams salt
- Once the browned butter is at room temperature, add both sugars and use a wooden spoon to mix. Then add in the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and sourdough discard, and mix until fully incorporated.200 grams white sugar, 220 grams brown sugar, 2 egg yolks, 8 grams vanilla extract, 200 grams sourdough discard
- Finally add the dry ingredients. I like to add a little at a time for easier mixing.
- Once all the flour has been incorporated, add the chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed.350 grams chocolate chips
- Scoop 70g of the cookie dough with a cookie scoop, about 3 Tablespoons, roll into smooth dough balls, top with a few extra chocolate chips, and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, overnight is best!
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place 5 cookies on a 13×18 inch rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 11–13 minutes, or until the edges are just golden brown.
- Leave them on the cookie sheet for 5 extra minutes, sprinkling the tops with flaky sea salt, if desired, then remove to cool fully on a wire rack or enjoy warm!
Mine turned out super bread like which seems different then your video. Should I adjust the flour?
I’m so sorry that happened! If they turned out bread-like, it’s usually from too much flour, which can easily happen when measuring with cups. I definitely recommend using the gram measurements for best results. If you’re using cups, try spooning the flour into the measuring cup and leveling it off (instead of scooping). I hope your next batch turns out just like the video!
These are our favorite cookies!! Don’t omit the chilling step – we accidentally did that on the first tray and they weren’t as good. Careful with the bake time – err on the side of underdone!
Overall delicious!!
Thank you so much! I’m so happy these are your favorite cookies. Thank you for sharing your experience — it’s so helpful for other readers too!
I made these cookies for my home group and they loved them. Making another batch tonight. In case you want to know, they work great putting 2 whole eggs in. I separated my eggs and grabbed the wrong bowl. So I threw the egg whites in, so I just threw the yolks in and went with it. Lol
Haha I love this so much! I’m so glad they still turned out amazing — and that’s actually really helpful to know that using 2 whole eggs worked well! Thank you for making them and sharing them with your home group… and for coming back for another batch! That truly makes my day.
I shaped mine it’s tall domes, I saw a post that they bake better that way. However I cannot get them to bake in the middle. They get very crunchy on the outside but basically raw on the inside. How would you recommend shaping?
This is a really common issue with tall, dome-shaped cookies. While that method works well for some bakery-style cookies, this dough is a bit thicker and benefits from a flatter shape so the heat can reach the center.
For best results with this recipe, I recommend shaping the dough into round balls and then gently flattening them slightly before baking. This allows the cookies to bake evenly while still staying soft and chewy inside. I hope that helps — once you find the right shape, they bake up beautifully!
Awesome recipe! I’m a horrible Baker but, I tried this as my first recipe for my sourdough starter I just started. I’m also at high elevation and I made zero adjustments.
That makes me so happy to hear! I’m honored this was your first recipe with your new starter, and I love that it worked so well for you. Thank you so much for taking the time to share—here’s to many more successful bakes ahead!
I just made these tonight but am afraid I’ve messed up and am wondering if you have any suggestions. The pics you’ve shared of them are goes I usually love my cookies but I can never get sourdough cookies that texture.. These turned out puffed up almost cakey and still raw on the inside.. luckily I only baked 4 of them but now I have a whole batch of the dough sitting in my fridge and an wondering if you have any suggestions I could make more to fix the rest?? (And yes I weighed everything.. 😩)
Oh no — I’m so sorry! If they’re puffed and cakey but still raw inside, it’s usually one of two things: the cookies were shaped too thick/tall, or they needed a couple extra minutes in the oven.
For the rest of your dough, try this: flatten the dough balls slightly before baking (don’t leave them as tall domes), and bake on the middle rack. You can also lower the oven temperature by 15–25°F and bake a minute or two longer so the centers cook through without over-browning the outside. I hope the next batch turns out perfectly chewy for you!
These cookies are the BEST & loved by all!! Quick question, if I have melted & browned the butter but need to wait until the following day to make the dough, is that ok to still use it? If so, should I store the butter in fridge until ready to use?
Thank you!
Yes, that’s totally fine!You can brown the butter ahead of time and use it the next day with no problem. I recommend letting it cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge. When you’re ready to make the dough, let the butter sit out at room temperature until it’s soft and scoopable (not melted again).
If it feels too firm, you can gently warm it just until softened, but avoid re-melting it—using it in that soft state will give you the same great texture and flavor in the cookies.
This is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever tried! I made a ton of batches around Christmas to give away. Multiple people said it’s the best cookie they’ve ever had. I love using a mix of chocolate chips and chopped baking chocolate to get melty cookies.
That’s so wonderful to hear! I’m thrilled that these cookies were a hit for your holiday baking and gift-giving. I love your idea of mixing chocolate chips and chopped baking chocolate—melty pockets of chocolate really do make the cookies next-level. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Idk what i did wrong but mine dont look like yours.. lol.
Yours are perfect.
I will try recipe again. Haven’t tasted but smells good. Lol
That’s okay! Sometimes cookies just don’t look like the picture on the first try.Make sure your dough is the right size, your oven is at the correct temperature, and don’t overmix. I’m confident your second batch will turn out beautifully, and even if they don’t look perfect, they’ll still taste amazing!
Hey there, can I prep the dry ingredients a couple days prior ?
Yes — you can absolutely prep the dry ingredients a couple of days in advance. Just whisk everything together well, then keep it in an airtight container at room temperature.
I have made these a handful of times – and everyone just raves about them. However; I think out of muscle memory for baking I use my kitchen aid stand mixer and I’ve never had any issues versus mixing by hand. Do you suggest one way or the other? I know you mention in this recipe to use a wooden spoon, but what would be the reason to not use a stand mixer?
That’s a great question — and you’re absolutely right that both methods can work 😊
I suggest mixing these cookies by hand with a wooden spoon mainly as a safeguard against over-mixing, not because a stand mixer is “wrong.” With sourdough cookie dough, it’s easy to accidentally overdevelop the gluten if the mixer runs a little too long, which can make cookies bake up more cakey or tough instead of soft and chewy.
OH. MY. GOODNESS! These cc cookies are truly the best we’ve had! They turned out beautifully and the taste is amazing! So many cc cookies with sourdough seem to turn out cakey. These are nice and crisp on the edges and chewy in the middle! They have a bit of a crack, which I like and sprinkled with Maldon sea salt flakes is perfection! Thank-you so much for sharing. This is the 1st of your recipes I have tried and I can’t wait to make others!
Oh my goodness, this just made my day—thank you so much! I’m so glad you loved them, especially that crisp-edge/chewy-center texture. And YES to Maldon sea salt… absolute perfection. I’m honored this was your first recipe from my site and can’t wait for you to try more. Thank you for baking along with me!
Can I take my discard out of the fridge and use it right away for this recipe or should I let it come to room temp?
You can use discard straight from the fridge!
McKenna, these are now my favorite chocolate chip cookies. I have a vintage ice cream scoop that makes the perfect size cookie. As a matter of fact, I am making these as Christmas gifts, by baking a few and giving a container of frozen balls of cookie dough. I hope you don’t mind me sharing your recipe on my blog today~will definitely give you the credit! Love these!
This absolutely made my day — thank you! I’m so glad these cookies have become a favorite in your home. And what a fantastic gift idea with the frozen dough balls! I don’t mind at all if you share the recipe on your blog — thank you so much for crediting me, that means a lot. Happy baking and Merry Christmas!
These are my new favorite cookies!! Thank you.
So thrilled to hear that, Zara! Thank you so much for sharing.
This recipe is AMAZING! Not just the cookies themselves, but how this recipe was written. From offering the specific measurements to stating how many cookies will fit on the right size sheet. Baking these was the most confident I’ve ever felt baking. I also really really really appreciated having the ingredients on each step so I didn’t have to keep scrolling up. It’s the little things. 😊. Will definitely follow this page.
Wow, thank you so much for this incredibly kind comment! It makes me so happy to hear that the recipe felt clear and confidence-boosting — that’s exactly what I hope for when I write them. I’m thrilled you loved the cookies and the step-by-step layout with ingredients included (those little details really do make baking easier!).
I’m so glad you’re here and can’t wait to share more recipes with you!