Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies are a delicious and simple recipe that uses sourdough starter discard. Loaded with chocolate chips and just a hint of sourdough flavor, these soft and cake like cookies will become your new favorite recipe.
These cookies are so soft! They have a tender crumb that is lightly chewy and lightly cake like at the same time – AND they stay soft for days after baking, too! If you don’t eat them all, that is.
I don’t like throwing out my sourdough discard each week, so instead I love finding easy (and delicious!) ways to use my starter when I don’t want to bake bread. These sourdough chocolate chip cookies are a perfect way to utilize your sourdough discard – and they taste great, too!
Try these other easy ways to use your leftover sourdough starter discard:
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sourdough Starter
These sourdough chocolate chip cookies are great – daresay better than a regular chocolate chip cookie!
They are tender and chewy and have a slight sourdough note that you can just tell is there but helps give a greater depth of flavor in the cookie.
This recipe uses sourdough starter discard, the part of your sourdough starter that you remove when it is time to feed it. For more information, read Feeding Your Sourdough Starter. You do need a sourdough starter to make these cookies.
For this recipe, your starter discard does not need to be fed and active, but the more active it is, it will change the texture of your cookies
- If your starter has been sitting in the fridge for a week and has a lot of hooch (the liquid that the sourdough yeast produces as it consumes) on top, the cookies will be flatter and crisper.
- If your starter has been sitting on the counter and was fed yesterday, your cookies will be softer, more cake like and rise more.
This is just a general overview on how to make these cookies, please make sure you scroll down to the recipe card below for the full instructions:
- Beat together the room temperature butter and both the brown sugar and white granulated sugar. Using both kinds of sugars helps create soft cookies.
- Add in the egg and mix to combine.
- Stir in the sourdough starter and vanilla extract.
- Add in the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir until just combined, do not over mix.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto the baking mats about 2-3″ apart. I use a cookie scoop that is about 2 to 3 Tablespoons of dough.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are starting to turn golden and the tops are set. Remove the baking tray from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes.
- Remove the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling all the way.
- Enjoy!
Also give Kitchen Sink Sourdough Cookies or Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies a try! Need even more? Check out a collection of sourdough discard cookie recipes!
Do you need to put the dough in the fridge before baking?
No, you don’t! You can bake these right after mixing. Your cookies will be very puffy with a cake like texture this way.
These cookies store best in an airtight glass container on the counter for 3-4 days!
These cookies also freeze really well! Once they are totally cooled, place them in a sealed freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Make sure to label them so you don’t forget what they are!
How these cookies taste depends largely on your sourdough starter!
If your starter is newer (younger), or has recently been fed, there won’t be a lot of sourdough “tang” to the cookies. They will taste pretty much like your normal chocolate chip cookies, but will have a slightly deeper/more rich flavor to them.
If your starter is really sour or hasn’t been fed for a while, it will have a really strong sourdough flavor to it.
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Make sure you also check out 10 easy recipes that use sourdough discard for more ideas for how to use your sourdough starter in quick ways!
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies are a delicious and simple recipe that uses sourdough starter discard. Loaded with chocolate chips and just a hint of sourdough flavor, these soft and cake like cookies will become your new favorite recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter discard
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- Beat together the room temperature butter and both the brown sugar and white granulated sugar.
- Add in the egg and mix to combine.
- Stir in the sourdough starter and vanilla extract.
- Add in the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir until just combined, do not over mix.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto the baking mats about 2-3" apart. I use a cookie scoop that is about 2 to 3 Tablespoons of dough.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are starting to turn golden and the tops are set.
- Remove the baking tray from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes.
- Remove the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling all the way.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Store these cookies in an air tight container.
You can bake these without placing them in the refrigerator, but they will be a lot more puffy and cake like in texture.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 220Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 132mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 2g
Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided for informational purposes only. For the most accurate information, please calculate using your specific brands and exact measurements.
Annie
Tuesday 28th of June 2022
Hi! Just found your website! I'm new to sourdough....can you freeze these unbaked? I love doing big batches and freezing to have a quick treat later.
Jenni
Friday 15th of July 2022
Hhi Annie! Yes, you can freeze this dough in pre-scooped balls! Enjoy!
Janet
Saturday 5th of December 2020
Hi Jenni,
Do you think I could use oil instead of butter in the recipe? Thanks!
Jenni
Tuesday 8th of December 2020
Hi Janet! I would not suggest using oil instead of butter in this cookie. The butter helps develop the texture and flavor of the cookie. Using oil will result in a cookie that ends up tasting greasy.
Annie
Tuesday 28th of July 2020
Hello! Is a tsp of salt right? Most cookie recipes call for much less. Thank you!
Jenni
Tuesday 28th of July 2020
Yes, the recipe is correct as written!
Lee Rosenthal
Wednesday 8th of July 2020
how would these be as a bar? What would the baking time be in a 9X13 pan? should that be refrigerated before baking?
Jenni
Thursday 9th of July 2020
Hi! I have not baked these in a 9x13 pan, but you could bake them that way! I am guessing around 30 minutes or so, but check it often! I would still refrigerate the dough before baking, as it affects the texture of the cookies. Let me know how it turns out!