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!
These are delicious! Best chocolate chip cookies ever! My kids request these often and my son had me make them to give to his friends as his birthday party favor! 🙂
I love these cookies. I try to convince myself they’re healthy, being sourdough and all. I’m going to try making mini cookies to eat as “cereal”. My daughter loves it. I’ll bake them a little longer, maby at a lower temperature so they dry without burning. I don’t really know what I’m doing but the dough is in the fridge. I hope it works 🤞
This made me smile — cookie cereal sounds so fun! Hope your daughter loves it!
I thought they were going to be too acid because I had the dough in the fridge for a few days but they were perfectly fine. Finally made them last night, after my daughter went to bed. Guess what she had for breakfast this morning? That’s right, a big bowl of cereal cookies. Or cookie cereal. She loved it. Thank you for your great recipes.
Any suggestions for people who can’t do lactose? Ghee? Margarine?
My first time making browned butter cookies and they are so yummy! Everybody in my house loves them I am trying to nail the bake so the inside isn’t raw and I’m finding I had to bake for about 20 mins..? I’m being from frozen. Should I increase temperature?
That makes me so happy to hear—browned butter really does take them to another level! If you’re baking from frozen, it’s totally normal for them to take closer to 16–20 minutes, so you’re right on track. I wouldn’t increase the temperature, as that can cause the outside to brown too quickly before the center is fully baked. If anything, you could let the dough sit at room temp for 10–15 minutes before baking to help them bake more evenly. Hope this helps!
I am making these to take on vacation in a week. I see you say to freeze the dough balls in order to keep the cookies longer. Can I bake them and then freeze them or would they get too dried out and not be chewy?
Yes, you can absolutely bake them and then freeze them! They won’t dry out as long as they’re stored well. Just let the cookies cool completely, then place them in an airtight container or freezer bag. When you’re ready to enjoy them, let them thaw at room temperature or warm them slightly to bring back that soft, chewy texture. Enjoy!
I’ve made this recipe a dozen times and it is hands down the most delicious cookie recipe ever!! These cookies taste like they’re from a fancy bakery.
Hearing that you’ve made them a dozen times and still love them that much truly made my day! I’m so glad they give that bakery-style result—that’s exactly what I was going for. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.
This recipe is perfection!!! Would it be ok to leave my cookie dough balls in the fridge for about 18 or 19 hours before baking them? I would make the dough, put in fridge by 3pm, but wouldn’t bake them until the next day, around 10 AM.
Yay! So thrilled to hear you love them as much as we do. Absolutely! This longer chill will allow the flavors to deepen and for the cookies to be even more delicious. Enjoy!
My new favorite chocolate chip cookie! They are delicious!
So happy to hear that! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this sweet comment.
Hi! My dough was
So cold after the overnight chill and it took about 20 plus minutes to bake. What am I doing wrong?
Great question! If the dough is baked straight from the fridge, it can be quite firm, which may cause the cookies to take a bit longer to bake. That’s totally normal.
If you’d like, you can let the dough sit at room temperature for about 10–15 minutes before baking so it softens slightly. That can help them bake more evenly and closer to the original bake time.
Not only were these the best discard chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had, but they were the BEST cookies in general I’ve ever had. Browning the butter makes all the difference. I also used bourbon vanilla from Trader Joe’s and I’ll never make chocolate chips cookies another way again! THANK YOU!
Wow — this comment made my day! Thank you so much! I’m thrilled you loved them that much. Browning the butter really does make such a difference, and that bourbon vanilla sounds like an amazing touch! So glad these have become your new go-to chocolate chip cookies. Thanks for sharing!
These cookies are amazing! My family requests them on a regular basis. I will never make another chocolate chip recipe. There is no way to improve on these!
Wow — that is the ultimate compliment! I’m so happy your family loves them and keeps requesting them. It means so much to hear they’ve become your go-to chocolate chip cookies. Thank you for sharing!
I’ve made these 3 times now and they are my husband’s new favorite cookies. 🙂 I’m not usually a chocolate chip fan but these are so good, not too sweet which is perfect for me.
This makes me so happy to hear — thank you! I love that they’ve become your husband’s favorite… and even better that they won over a not-usually-a-chocolate-chip fan! Thanks so much for baking them (three times!) and sharing.
This recipe is fantastic! Would it be ok to half this recipe and only make about 11 cookies? Would the cookies still come out tasting amazing?
Yes — absolutely! You can definitely half the recipe and make a smaller batch (about 10–12 cookies). The cookies will still come out chewy and delicious — just bake them exactly the same way and check for doneness on the shorter side of the suggested bake time.Happy baking!