The Best Sourdough Brownies Recipe
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Sourdough brownies are rich, fudgy, and decadent! This easy sourdough brownies recipe uses discard for extra chewiness and deep chocolate flavor.
This sourdough brownie recipe makes rich, fudgy, extra-chewy brownies using sourdough discard. Browned butter and a little espresso powder deepen the chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee. These brownies are quick to make and perfect for family gatherings or an easy after-dinner treat when you want something really chocolatey. If you’re a chocolate lover, you can try making Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread and Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you’re new to sourdough discard recipes, these delicious brownies are a great place to start. Here’s why:
- Chewy with crinkle tops – A perfect brownie comes with a great flavor, but that’s not all it offers. It also comes with that chewy texture and the crinkle top we all love. These homemade brownies nail both, delivering that soft, fudgy bite with the perfect crackly top. You won’t be able to resist going back for more!
- Decadent and fudgy – These brownies get their rich chocolate flavor from blooming the cocoa powder and a little espresso powder if you like an extra kick. They turn out thick, soft, and super fudgy, with deep, chocolate flavor in every bite.
- One-bowl recipe – Who has time for a sink full of dishes? You can make these sourdough discard brownies in just one bowl with a whisk, so cleanup is easy and you get more time to enjoy them.
If you love baking with sourdough discard, try peppermint sourdough brownies for a chocolate-mint twist or sourdough brown sugar cookies for a sweet, chewy treat.
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
- Unsalted butter – Brown butter adds an amazing nutty flavor to these fudgy sourdough brownies. If you’re short on time, you can use 125 grams of butter and melt it in the microwave.
- Cocoa powder – You can use unsweetened natural cocoa powder or Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but for the richer chocolate flavor, opt for natural cocoa powder. Also, be sure to sift the cocoa powder first, as it can have lumps.
- Sugar – For an extra-chewy brownie, you can swap part or all of the granulated sugar for light brown sugar.
- Chocolate chips – I love a good-sized bite of chocolate to tame my chocolate cravings, so I like adding dark chocolate chunks. You can also use regular dark chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, or mini chips. Or swap in toffee, butterscotch chips, or chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Large eggs – Since we are adding extra moisture to the brownie batter with the sourdough discard, we will only use the egg yolks from 2 of the 3 eggs. This helps the brownies stay nice and chewy.
- Espresso powder (optional) – This ingredient is optional but totally worth it! Espresso powder gives a richer, deeper chocolate flavor, but the sourdough brownies are still delicious without it.
- Vanilla extract – I recommend using pure vanilla extract instead of imitation for the best flavor.
- Salt – Enhances and balances the sweetness.
- Sourdough starter discard – For a mild tang, I prefer to use fresh discard under 2 days old. Older discard gives a stronger tang. Use room-temperature sourdough discard for easy mixing.
- All-purpose flour – I highly recommend using a kitchen scale, as it gives the most precise results. If you are measuring by volume, fluff the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level it off with a knife. Packed flour adds too much and can make the brownies more cakey.
How to Make Sourdough Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a metal 8×8 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- 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).
If you are short on time, you can melt 125g of butter in the microwave with the sugar. Heat for 2 minutes total, stopping to stir every 30 seconds. Then continue with the recipe.
- In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients: sugar and sifted cocoa powder. Cocoa powder tends to have lumps, so make sure it’s sifted.
- Carefully pour the browned butter into the large mixing bowl and whisk vigorously for 30 seconds.
- Add the egg + 2 egg yolks, espresso powder (optional), vanilla extract and salt. Whisk until smooth. With a rubber spatula, fold in the sourdough discard until there are no more white streaks.
- Finally, fold in the flour and chocolate chips until the flour is just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to a more cake-like brownie. You can also add or substitute with other inclusions.
- Scoop the brownie batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Bake the brownies for 35-40 minutes, or until just a few moist crumbs are on a toothpick that was inserted in the center.
- For easy slicing, leave the Sourdough Brownies in the baking pan to cool until room temperature. Slice into 9 or 16 brownies and enjoy!
McKenna’s Helpful Tips
- Bloom the cocoa in warm butter. Mixing cocoa powder with hot browned butter deepens the chocolate flavor and helps create crackly tops.
- Use egg yolks, not whole eggs. Extra yolks keep the brownies fudgy and chewy instead of cakey.
- Don’t overmix the flour. Stir just until the flour disappears to keep the texture dense and rich.
- Let them cool before slicing. Cooling sets the brownies so you get clean slices instead of gooey crumble.
How to Store
Store your fudgy brownies in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. Let’s be honest, you and the kids will probably eat them all on the first day!
FAQs
Try tossing in crushed Oreos for extra crunch, or dried cherries or cranberries for a little tang. Coconut flakes add a sweet, tropical touch, and if you like a hint of spice, a pinch of cinnamon or cayenne gives the brownies a fun kick.
Yes, whole wheat or rye flour works well. They add more fiber and a nuttier flavor, which makes the brownies a bit denser. To keep them from drying out, you might need to add a little extra moisture, like an extra egg white or more butter. You can also mix them with all-purpose flour for a nice, balanced texture.
This recipe uses sourdough discard. Active starter hasn’t been tested here, and using it could change the flavor and texture, making the brownies tangier and slightly less fudgy. For the best results with this homemade dessert recipe, stick with discard.
Yes, you can use coconut sugar instead of white sugar and still get perfect brownies. It gives a nice caramel flavor and is a little healthier. It’s not as sweet as regular sugar and a bit coarser, so you might need a little more to get the level of sweetness you like. You can also use dark brown sugar for that deep, rich flavor and extra chewiness. Your brownies will be a little darker but still super tasty.
Sourdough Brownies Recipe
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Ingredients
- 170 grams unsalted butter 12 Tablespoons
- 300 grams sugar 1 1/2 cups
- 75 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 3/4 cup
- 1 egg room temperature
- 2 egg yolks room temperature
- .5 gram espresso powder 1 teaspoon
- 8 grams vanilla extract 2 teaspoons
- 5 grams salt 3/4 teaspoon
- 120 grams sourdough discard 1/2 cup
- 70 grams all-purpose flour 1/2 cup
- 180 grams chocolate chips or chunks 1 cup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and line a metal 8×8 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- 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 125g of browned butter.Note: If you are short on time, you can melt 125g of butter in the microwave with the sugar. Heat for 2 minutes total, stopping to stir every 30 seconds. Then continue with the recipe.170 grams unsalted butter
- To a large bowl, add the sugar and sifted cocoa powder. Cocoa powder is notorious for having a bunch of lumps, so don’t skip the sifting!300 grams sugar, 75 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- Carefully pour the browned butter into the large mixing bowl and whisk vigorously for 30 seconds.Mixing the cocoa powder with the warm butter helps to “bloom” the cocoa, which gives these brownies a more decadent chocolate flavor. The warm butter also helps to dissolve the sugar, which will help to get that classic crinkle top!
- Add the egg + 2 egg yolks, espresso powder (optional), vanilla extract and salt. Whisk until smooth.1 egg, 2 egg yolks, .5 gram espresso powder, 8 grams vanilla extract, 5 grams salt
- With a rubber spatula, fold in the sourdough discard until there are no more white streaks. You can use active starer, just make sure to use the same amount in grams.120 grams sourdough discard
- Finally, fold in the flour and chocolate chips until the flour is just incorporated. Be careful not to over mix, as this can lead to a more cake-like brownie. You can also add or substitute with other inclusions. I also like to sprinkle the top with a few more chopped chocolate chunks70 grams all-purpose flour, 180 grams chocolate chips or chunks
- Scoop the brownie batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly with an offset spatula.Long-ferment: Cover the brownies with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight.
- Bake the brownies for 35-40 minutes, or until just a few moist crumbs are on a toothpick that was inserted in the center.
- For easy slicing, leave the Sourdough Brownies in the baking pan to cool until room temperature. Slice into 9 or 16 brownies and enjoy!
Currently making this recipe and letting it rest in the fridge. Do you think the texture would change if my starter is thicker rather than more liquid? I couldn’t figure out why it was so hard to fold in at first, then realized my starter’s consistency is different from most people’s.
Yes — a thicker starter/discard can definitely make the batter harder to fold in at first. As long as everything is fully incorporated, they should still bake up delicious! If your batter ever feels overly thick, you can add a splash of milk to loosen it.
How long would you recommend letting them ferment overnight in the fridge? I wanted to make them today and bake them tomorrow, but looking at close to 24 hours based on my ideal schedule. Too long?
Great question! Chilling the brownie batter overnight in the fridge actually improves the flavor and texture, so your plan will work perfectly. About 12–24 hours is totally fine—24 hours won’t hurt them at all. Just be sure to cover the pan tightly so it doesn’t dry out, and you’ll be good to go!
I just made these and they are so good!
I accidentally added 6 grams of espresso powder. I saw the 8 grams next to espresso powder and thought, this looks like a lot! So I stopped at 6 and realized it was 8 for the vanilla extract. But oh well, now I can say they are just espresso brownies 😁
I also made them gluten free using 50 grams of brown rice flour, 10 grams potato starch, and 15 grams tapioca flour. Then of course my gf starter.
Haha, oops! Can’t go wrong with chocolate and espresso! Thank you so much for sharing this GF version as well.
Can I double and use a 9×13? I only have a glass 8×8 and I’m guessing that won’t work for this recipe?
Hi Candice! I haven’t personally tested this, so I’m not 100% sure, but I should work! You might need to increase the bake time slightly, so I would check every 5 minutes after the first 35 minutes. Enjoy!
Good morning. I can’t wait to try these brownies! Is there anyway you can fix the print option? I do not want a picture of brownie as it uses to much ink and I like the option for choosing smaller font as that uses less paper. Thank you!!
These brownies were one of my first discard recipe attempts for a dessert and I must say it was well written and the notes were very helpful. Thank you for sharing this. The brownies had the perfect amount of sweetness, the perfect chew, and the chunks of chocolate were a lovely touch.
Hi Isha! Thank you so much for this sweet comment. I’m thrilled you found the recipe to be helpful and easy to follow, that is my #1 goal! We couldn’t get enough of these sourdough brownies, so I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe too. Thank you!
Can you substitute for espresso powder? If so, what do you recommend?
Hi Parker! You can omit the espresso powder from the recipe if you prefer!