Chocolate Sourdough Discard Cookies

Recipe by Sarah Jampel
2 Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars

Sourdough discard cookies are a great reward for maintaining your sourdough starter. Our version has crisp edges; chewy, bendable centers; a subtle sourdough tang; and plenty of milk chocolate chips to offset the dough’s deep cocoa flavor. Whenever your starter is getting hungry or your discard jar is getting full, make a batch of this one-bowl, no-mixer cookie dough, then store the scoops in your freezer for the moments when warm, melty cookies are necessary.

Prep
15 mins
Bake
14 to 16 mins
Total
2 hrs 40 mins
Yield
16 to 18 cookies
Chocolate Sourdough Discard Cookies on a cooling rack - select to zoom
Chocolate Sourdough Discard Cookies on a cooling rack - select to zoom
Chocolate Sourdough Discard Cookies on a plate - select to zoom
A single Chocolate Sourdough Discard Cookie with a bite taken out - select to zoom

Instructions

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  1. In a large bowl in the microwave, or in a large saucepan on the stove, heat the butter until just melted. Remove from heat, add the sugars, and whisk until fully combined and creamy, 1 full minute.  

  2. Add the salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and whisk until combined.  

  3. Add the sourdough discard, egg, and vanilla and whisk until homogenous, with no streaks of discard visible.  

  4. Switch to a flexible spatula and stir in the flour and cocoa until just a few dry patches remain. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours. 

  5. Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment.  

  6. Scoop the cookies into 2-tablespoon portions (about 50g each) and distribute evenly among the prepared baking sheets (a Jumbo Cookie Scoop works well here).  

  7. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, rotating top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until the cookies look matte on the top; they will still feel a bit soft but will firm up as they cool. 

  8. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets before serving. Store leftover sourdough discard cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. 

Tips from our Bakers

  • To freeze the sourdough discard cookie dough, place the dough balls close together on one parchment-lined baking sheet after scooping (step 6), then freeze until solid, about 1 hour. Transfer the frozen dough balls to a zip-top bag or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. To bake from frozen, add an additional 2 minutes to the bake time. 

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