Sourdough Brownies
These fudgy sourdough brownies are everything you want in a chocolate treat—rich, gooey, and loaded with deep chocolate flavor. Easy to make and always a crowd favorite!
The sourdough discard adds a subtle tang that makes the brownies extra moist and gives them a little something special. You still get that classic crackly top and dense, fudgy center, but with a unique twist that makes them seriously hard to stop eating. Perfect for using up extra starter—and even better with a scoop of homemade ice cream on top!
Nothing beats sweet, fudgy brownies, and this sourdough brownie recipe is one of the best ways to enjoy a chocolaty dessert. When you’re craving something sweet with a little tang, reach for this recipe—or sourdough coffee cake or sourdough carrot cake for a cozy twist.
Why You’ll Love Sourdough Brownies
- Use up excess sourdough starter: In my experience, all baked goods taste better with a dollop of sourdough starter discard—and it’s a great way to reduce waste and satisfy those chocolate cravings at the same time!
- Easy to make: This recipe uses a classic brownie base, making it quick to mix up and pop in the oven. Your kitchen will smell amazing—and you’ll seriously end up with some of the best brownies you’ve ever tasted!
- Favorite sourdough dessert idea: Perfect brownies are always a hit! For more sweet sourdough ideas, try sourdough blueberry bread, sourdough lemon bread, or this sourdough pumpkin roll.
Ingredients
Find the full list of ingredients, amounts, and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Butter and oil: A mix of unsalted butter and your preferred vegetable oil gives the perfect balance of richness and moisture. Avocado oil works well if you want a healthier option.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Melted into the batter for that classic fudgy texture and deep chocolate flavor.
- Instant espresso: Optional, but it adds a bold pop of flavor that enhances the chocolate.
- Sourdough discard: Adds moisture and subtle tang—use your unfed starter or active if you happen to have some bubbling.
- Granulated sugar: Some people like to do half dark brown sugar and half white sugar, but all white is more classic.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract gives that warm, rich flavor. (Learn how to make your own homemade vanilla extract!)
- Maldon sea salt flakes: Optional, but a light sprinkle of sea salt flakes on top adds that salty-sweet contrast that makes a good brownie even better.
Equipment
- 9×9-inch baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Offset spatula
How to Make Sourdough Brownies
Here are the step-by-step instructions for making sourdough discard brownies.
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on opposite sides for easy removal.
Step 2: In a double boiler, melt the butter, oil, and chocolate chips together (Photo 1), stirring constantly until smooth. Alternatively, microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring each time until fully melted (Photo 2). Set aside to cool slightly.
Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, espresso powder, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder (Photo 3).
Step 4: In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, sourdough discard, sugar, and vanilla extract until well combined (Photo 4).
Step 5: Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the wet ingredients (Photo 5) and stir until incorporated. Then, fold in the rest of the ingredients—your prepared dry mixture—using a wooden spoon or spatula. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
Step 6: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula or wooden spoon (Photo 6). Mix just until combined—do not overmix.
Step 7: Spread the thick brownie batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top (Photo 7).
Step 8: Bake for 22–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs but no raw batter (Photo 8). Let cool completely before cutting into squares.
How to Store
Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also slice cooled brownies and wrap them individually in plastic wrap for easy portable snacks.
Tips
- You can use an active sourdough starter if you don’t have discard available.
- The espresso powder is optional, but it really enhances the rich, chocolatey flavor.
- Serve with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream and a dollop of whipped topping for an extra-decadent treat.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can but you will need to increase your baking time as the brownies will be thicker.
Yes! Sourdough discard is perfect for using in desserts—this brownie recipe is a great recipe to try if you’re just getting started baking with discard.
Sourdough brownies taste just like classic chocolate brownies, but the addition of discard makes them extra moist and rich—truly delicious brownies with a depth of flavor you’ll love.
More Sourdough Discard Recipes
- Sourdough Vanilla Almond Scones
- Sourdough Blueberry Muffins
- Sourdough Blueberry Bread
- Sourdough Coffee Cake
- Sourdough Pumpkin Scones
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment with a 5-star recipe rating and let me know! Thank you so much!
Sourdough Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (55 grams)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (51 grams)
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (173 grams)
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (105 grams)
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso optional
- 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (26 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (3 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (4 grams)
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/4 cup sourdough discard (65 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (229 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (8 grams)
- Maldon sea salt flakes optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper so that the edges of the parchment paper hang over opposite sides.
- Using a double boiler, melt together the butter, oil, and chocolate chips stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth. You can also microwave in a microwave safe dish for 30 second increments. Stir after each time. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, espresso powder, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the eggs, sourdough discard, sugar, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Add the cooled chocolate mixture to your bowl of wet ingredients and mix until all ingredients are incorporated together.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared 9×9 baking pan. The batter is on the thicker side. Use an offset spatula to smooth out the batter so that it is even throughout the pan.
- Bake on the center rack for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center of the brownies comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting.
Notes
Storage
Store cooled brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.Tips
- You can use an active sourdough starter if you don’t have discard available.
- The espresso powder is optional, but it really enhances the rich, chocolatey flavor.
- Serve with a creamy scoop of vanilla ice cream and a dollop of whipped topping for an extra decadent treat.
Sourdough brownies are a delicious way to use up sourdough discard!