The Best Chewy Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
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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. These Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies are pure perfection, offering a delightful twist on a classic favorite.
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. If you’re looking for a fun variation, you might also enjoy our Sourdough Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie or our Chewy Sourdough Brown Sugar Cookies.
Quick Look: Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Chill Time: 2 hours
- Bake Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 27 minutes
- Servings: 22 cookies
- Calories: ~300 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- Cook Method: Baked
- Flavor Profile: Chewy, gooey, and rich with nutty brown butter, melty chocolate chips, and a subtle tang from sourdough discard. Finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
- Difficulty: Easy — Simple to mix with no special equipment needed. Just allow time for chilling!
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Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
- Simple ingredients and straightforward steps: This recipe makes baking these cookies an absolute breeze. You don’t need any complicated techniques or hard-to-find ingredients to achieve bakery-quality results right in your own kitchen. It’s as easy as whipping up a batch of Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones.
- A generous amount of chocolate chips: We guarantee that every single bite is filled with rich, gooey goodness. The combination of melty chocolate chunks and the subtle sourdough tang creates a flavor profile that is simply irresistible. If you’re a true chocolate lover, you should also check out The Best Sourdough Brownies Recipe.
- The perfect balance of textures: These cookies offer crisp edges and soft, chewy centers for ultimate cookie satisfaction. The browned butter adds a depth of flavor that elevates the entire experience, much like it does in our Sourdough Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
Wet Ingredients
- Unsalted butter – We brown the butter to remove some of the water content. Melted, browned butter gives the cookies a better, chewier texture and adds a wonderful nuttiness.
- Sugar – I use a combination of white cane sugar and brown sugar. The brown sugar is essential for creating perfectly chewy cookies.
- Egg yolks – We remove the egg whites to reduce the water content, but the yolks bring essential moisture and chewiness to the cookies.
- Vanilla extract – Opt for pure vanilla extract over imitation for the best flavor.
- Sourdough discard – Use unfed sourdough discard that is no older than 2 weeks. For sweet treats like these cookies, younger discard provides a milder tang.
Dry Ingredients
- All-purpose flour – Regular all-purpose flour provides the perfect structure for these cookies.
- Baking powder & Baking soda – Make sure your leaveners are fresh! Otherwise, the cookies won’t rise properly. These help balance the acidity of the sourdough discard.
- Salt – I love using Redmond’s real salt to balance the sweetness.
- Chocolate chips – I used chocolate chunks for big pockets of melted chocolate, but you can use whatever your heart desires—from milk chocolate to dark chocolate chips, to butterscotch or M&M’s!
How to Make Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Brown the Butter 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).
- Cool the Butter Carefully remove the browned butter from the heat and pour it into a large mixing bowl. Allow the melted butter to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. (If it forms back into a solid, that’s okay!)
- Mix the Dry Ingredients While the butter cools, prepare your dry ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined and set aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients 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.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients and Chocolate Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. 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.
- Chill the Dough: Scoop 70g portions of the cookie dough and roll them into smooth dough balls. Top each ball with a few extra chocolate chips, and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours (overnight is best!).
- Bake and Serve: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Place 5 cookies on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 11–13 minutes, or until the edges are just golden brown. Serve warm with a tall glass of milk!
McKenna’s Helpful Tips
- Brown the butter carefully: Browning the butter adds an incredible nutty depth to the cookies, but it can go from browned to burnt very quickly. Watch it closely and remove it from the heat as soon as you see those small amber specks. For more brown butter goodness, try our Chewy Sourdough Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies.
- Don’t skip the chill time: Chilling the dough is crucial for preventing the cookies from spreading too much in the oven and for developing that perfect chewy texture. If you’re impatient, you can always make our The Best Sourdough Snickerdoodles which require no chill time!
- Use fresh sourdough discard: For sweet treats like these cookies, it’s best to use discard that is no older than 2 weeks. This ensures a mild, pleasant tang rather than an overpowering sourness. If you’re wondering about storage, check out our guide on How Long Does Sourdough Discard Last in a Jar?.
- Shape immediately after baking: To get perfectly round cookies, use the backs of two spoons to gently push the edges inward right when they come out of the oven while they are still warm and pliable.
How to Store
Store the baked cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for 2–3 days. Add a slice of bread or an apple wedge to the container to help retain moisture.
If you’re making a larger batch or want to keep them fresh longer, freezing the dough is a great option. Scoop the cookie dough balls onto a baking tray, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. When you’re ready to bake, place the frozen dough directly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for an extra few minutes.
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies FAQs
Can I Use Regular Butter Instead of Browned Butter in these Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies?
For the best flavor and chewy texture, it’s highly recommended to use browned butter because it adds a nutty depth that regular butter just can’t match. However, if you’re in a pinch, regular butter can be used, but the cookies will not be quite as flavorful. If you love the taste of browned butter, you’ll also adore our Chewy Sourdough Brown Sugar Cookies.
What Should I Do If I Don’t Have Sourdough Discard this Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe calls for?
If you don’t have sourdough discard on hand, you can increase the flour by 100 grams and add the 2 egg whites as well. You’ll still get a delicious cookie, though it might miss out on the slight tanginess and extra chewiness that sourdough discard brings to the table. If you’re looking to use up a lot of discard, try our Sourdough Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie!
Why are my sourdough chocolate chip cookies puffy?
Puffier and drier cookies usually happen from a little extra flour. For the most accurate measurements of your ingredients, I always recommend using a kitchen scale.
If you tried this Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
FULL RECIPE TUTORIAL
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Yield: 22 cookies
Prepare yourself because these Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe are chewy, gooey perfection. Browned butter and sourdough discard are the secret ingredients, plus plenty of melty chocolate chips! Whip them up quick or let them long-ferment, but I promise you they won't last long.
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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!
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.
Notes
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. This recipe card was updated on 03/10/26.Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 170mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram!
The best cookie I’ve ever had. We make double batches and freeze them.
This means so much, thank you for sharing!
mine came out a little flat – what did I do?
Hi Kelly! This could happen due to a few reasons, like the butter too warm or melted, there wasn’t enough flour or the dough was too warm before baking. I always recommend that you use a kitchen scale for the most accurate measurement and don’t skip the chill time. Hope you give this recipe another try! It’s a favorite!
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! 🙂
This makes me so happy to read—thank you for sharing this! I love that your kids request them and that your son chose them for his birthday party favors… that’s the ultimate compliment!
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.
I love this so much! What a fun breakfast and memory for your little one. Thank you again for sharing!
Oh, she’s not little, she’s fifteen, but she’s still my baby 😊🤗
Next cheez-its
So sweet! Hope you love this one as well!
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!