If you’re looking for a way to use up your sourdough starter discard, might I suggest these chewy sourdough chocolate chip cookies? Made with brown butter and sourdough discard, they are a great way to prevent food waste. You’re going to love this delicious cookie!

Sourdough discard cookies on parchment paper.

When I first started making sourdough, I quickly realized that I needed to devise a game plan to use my sourdough discard and not be so wasteful.

So I committed to getting creative and finding new ways to use my sourdough discard to bake more delicious food beyond just sourdough bread. I have so many ideas for muffins, cookies, and cakes, so buckle up, because this is just the beginning!

*This recipe was updated on November 6, 2024. I have made some pretty awesome updates, in my opinion. To start, I eliminated chill time. No need to chill these cookies before baking!

The caveat is that you must cool the browned butter completely before making the cookie dough. A fast way to do this is by filling a glass mixing bowl with ice and immediately placing the saucepan of browned butter on top of the ice to assist in cooling it faster.

That way, you can scrape all the cooled brown butter into the mixing bowl and remove any need to chill the dough before baking.

Another change I made was omitting the egg white from one of the eggs. Now, this recipe calls for one egg, and one egg yolk. You’re going to LOVE these cookies!

If you’re looking for more chocolate chip recipes (that don’t require you to have your own sourdough starter) check out these Tahini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Caramel Chocolate Chip Bars, Chocolate Peanut Butter Krispie Treats, or these Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Sourdough discard cookies on a wire rack with parchment paper beneath it.

Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Chip Sourdough Discard Cookies

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – These are perfectly chewy cookies with golden brown crispy edges.
Simple to Make – No need to chill the dough! As long as you allow the browned butter to cool *completely*, you will not need to chill this cookie dough which saves a ton of time!
Brown Butter Makes These the Ideal Cookies – Browning the butter before adding it to the dough removes excess liquid. This results in a chewier cookie instead of a cake-like cookie.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Picture of ingredients needed for sourdough chocolate chip cookies. All-purpose flour, sourdough discard, vanilla extract, eggs, butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, salt, semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Brown Butter – You’ll need to brown the butter. I use salted butter, but unsalted butter works too. Just add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the dough.
Granulated Sugar – I use a mix of white sugar and brown sugar in this recipe (similar to these caramel chocolate chip cookies
Brown Sugar – I use light-brown sugar, but dark brown sugar works great as well!
All-Purpose Flour – I use all-purpose flour for these cookies, but bread flour would also be a great option!
Eggs – Room-temperature eggs work best here. Take them out an hour or two before baking. If you forget, you can also set the eggs in a bowl of hot water for 5 minutes beforehand. This recipe calls for 1 egg and 1 egg yolk.
Sourdough Discard – Make sure the discard is at room temperature. You could also use an active sourdough starter if you have a lot to use up. An active starter would give a more fermented flavor.
Vanilla Extract
Baking Soda and Salt – Baking soda is a leavening agent that gives rise to these cookies. The salt adds a depth of flavor and helps offset the sweetness of the cookies.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – You could also use dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or chocolate chunks.

See recipe card for quantities.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Butter cubed in a sauce pan preparing to become browned butter.

Step 1: First, you need to brown the butter. Cube the butter and add it to a saucepan on the stove over medium heat. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix continuously as the butter begins to melt and boil.

Step 2: Keep mixing until a foam appears on the top and the butter underneath it is brown! Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely. Hint: I fill a glass mixing bowl with ice and rest the saucepan of browned butter on top of the ice. This cools down the butter fast and allows me to add it to the dough within 10 minutes.

Creamed brown butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl.

Step 3: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then set aside. Use an electric mixer or the paddle attachment on a stand mixer to cream together the brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Gradually add the egg and egg yolk one at a time.

Brown butter, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl.

Step 4: Add the vanilla extract and sourdough discard.

Dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking soda) added to the wet ingredients in a mixing bowl with a spatula in the bowl.

Step 5: In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, and salt. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl to incorporate all the ingredients thoroughly.

Semi-sweet chocolate chips added to the cookie dough in the mixing bowl with a spatula sitting in the bowl.

Step 6: Fold in the chocolate chips. Use a 2-tablespoon-sized cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough balls. Space the cookie balls on the parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart from each other. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool slightly on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool further.

Sourdough discard chocolate chunk cookies. Four of them with coarse salt on top.

Looking for More Sourdough Discard Recipes? Check These Out:

Helpful Hint:

You’ll know the cookies are ready to be taken out of the oven when the outside edges are crispy and golden brown, but the middle is still a bit under-baked. They will bake further on the baking sheet.

Equipment

Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer – either work to make these cookies!
Mixing Bowl
Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper – I like to line my cookie sheets with parchment paper to easily remove them once baked.
Rubber Spatula – I use this to help scape the ingredients from the bowl to make sure I am incorporating all of them evenly.
Wooden Spoon – to mix the butter as it browns.
Medium Saucepan – to brown the butter on the stove.
Cookie Scoop – Not necessary, but helps keep the cookies all similarly sized.

Storage

Store Already-Baked Cookies – Store these baked sourdough cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them by storing in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months.

Freeze Cookie Dough – If you want to freeze the cookie dough, store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. If you want to easily bake the cookies straight from the freezer, chill the cookie dough balls first and then transfer the dough balls to a plastic bag and store in the freezer.

Bake Frozen Cookie Dough Balls – When it’s time to bake the frozen cookie dough balls, simply bake straight from the freezer. Add an extra minute or two to bake time.