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Rich, gooey, and loaded with chocolate, these sourdough chocolate cookies are pure indulgence for chocolate lovers. The sourdough discard gives them an incredibly soft, chewy center and a subtle depth of flavor that sets them apart from any classic chocolate cookie.
With Dutch-process cocoa, dark and semi-sweet chocolate chips, and a soft-baked center, every bite feels like a cozy bakery treat fresh from the oven.
For more delicious sourdough discard recipes, try these Sourdough Thumbprint Cookies, Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies, and Sourdough Brownies. Each recipe uses sourdough discard in a deliciously creative way — from rich chocolatey bakes to melt-in-your-mouth cookies — making it easy (and fun!) to turn your starter into something sweet.
Why You’ll Love Sourdough Chocolate Cookies
- Soft, fudgy texture: The sourdough starter discard helps make the best chewy cookies in the center that are crisp around the edges.
- Deep chocolate flavor: Dutch-process cocoa plus two kinds of chocolate chips give that rich, bakery-style taste.
- Make-ahead friendly: You can chill the dough for up to 24 hours for even more flavor and an easy fresh-baked batch anytime.
Ingredients
Find the full list of ingredients, amounts, and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Butter: Adds richness and gives these sourdough discard cookies their soft, tender crumb.
- Sourdough discard: Creates that chewy texture and adds a touch of tang to balance the sweetness. You can also use active sourdough starter.
- Dutch-process cocoa powder: Gives these sourdough cookies their deep chocolate color and smooth, rich flavor.
- Chocolate chips: A mix of dark and semi-sweet chocolate makes every bite extra melty and indulgent.
Equipment
- 3-Tablespoon Cookie Scoop, optional
- Baking Sheets
- Round Cookie Cutter, optional, for making cookies more round
How to Make Sourdough Chocolate Cookies
Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to make these easy sourdough chocolate cookies:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment. Avoid dark sheet pans, which can cause cookies to overbake on the bottom.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 2 – 3 minutes (Photos 1 and 2).
Step 3: Mix in sourdough discard until smooth. Add egg yolk and vanilla, whisking until glossy (Photo 3).
Step 4: In a separate bowl, whisk cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt (Photo 4).
Step 5: Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in most of the chocolate, reserving some for topping (Photo 5).
Step 6: Scoop the dough into 3-tablespoon balls onto the parchment-lined baking sheet (Photo 6). Flatten each to about ¾ inch thick. Press a few chocolate pieces on top. Please note it is important to slightly flatten the cookie, otherwise you may end up with a thick cookie.
Step 7: Bake for 8–10 minutes, until edges are set but centers still look soft (Photo 7).
Step 8: When cookies come out, knock the pan gently on the counter a couple of times to release air. Use a round cookie cutter to “scoot” cookies into a circle while hot. Sprinkle with flaky salt and press in extra chocolate chips if desired.
Step 9: Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack (Photo 8). Serve and enjoy!
How to Store
- Room Temperature: You can store the cookies in an airtight container up to 3 days.
- Freezer: You can freeze the cookie dough balls up to 3 months; bake from frozen with 1–2 extra minutes. Baked cookies freeze up to 2 months.
Recipe Tips
- Pushing down/flattening the cookies slightly is important. Otherwise, these will bake quite thick. Just be sure to not skip that step unless you want thicker cookies!
- Hydration note: This recipe is tested with discard at 100% hydration (equal weights of flour and water). If your starter has a different hydration, you may need to adjust the flour slightly.
- Flour note: This recipe was tested with Gold Medal AP flour. King Arthur AP flour has a higher protein content and can produce a drier cookie, so it’s not recommended here.
- Make sure your butter, sourdough discard, and egg yolk are all at room temperature before mixing. Cold ingredients can affect how well the dough comes together and change the spread of the cookies.
- For a thicker cookie with a deeper chocolate flavor, refrigerate the dough overnight. If you don’t have that much time, even a 30-minute chill will help with shape and texture. Chilling the dough is not required for this recipe, but if you notice your cookies spreading, then try to chill the dough for 30 minutes.
- A mix of chocolate types gives more depth of flavor and makes the cookies more visually interesting. Combining dark and semi-sweet chips, or mixing chips and chunks, creates melted spots throughout the cookie.
- Avoid overbaking. Pull the cookies from the oven while the centers still look slightly underdone. They will firm up as they cool, but overbaking will make them dry.
Recipe FAQs
No, but chilling for 30 minutes helps control the spread, while overnight chilling gives thicker cookies with more developed flavor.
You can, but the flavor will be sharper and the cookies lighter in color. Dutch-process cocoa is smoother and richer.
Ovens, pans, and cocoa brands all bake differently. A test cookie ensures you nail the texture before baking a full tray.
Save some chocolate to press onto the dough before baking, and add a few extra pieces right after scooting them hot from the oven.
More Sourdough Dessert Recipes
- Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
- Sourdough Coffee Cake
- Sourdough Carrot Cake
- Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls
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 Chocolate Cookies
Equipment
- Round Cookie Cutter (optional, for making cookies round)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 115 g, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 150 g
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 50 g, packed
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard, 120 g, unfed, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, 50 g
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 160 g
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1-1 1/4 cups chocolate chunks or chips, 170–200 g, (mix of dark and semi-sweet recommended)
- flaky salt, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Avoid dark sheet pans, which can cause cookies to overbake on the bottom.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 2 – 3 minutes. You can use a stand mixer or regular electric mixer for this step.
- Mix in sourdough discard until smooth. Add egg yolk and vanilla, whisking until glossy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in most of the chocolate, reserving some for topping.
- Scoop the dough into 3-tablespoon balls and place each ball on a cookie sheet. Flatten each ball to about 3/4 inch thick. Press a few chocolate pieces on top. Please note it is important to slightly flatten the cookie, otherwise you may end up with a thick cookie.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, until edges are set but centers still look soft.
- When cookies are done, remove pan from the oven, and knock the pan gently on the counter a couple of times to release air. Optional: Use a round cookie cutter, glass, or jar lid to “scoot” cookies into a circle while hot. Sprinkle on some flaky salt and press in extra chocolate chips if desired.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Room Temperature: You can store the cookies in an airtight container up to 3 days.
- Freezer: You can freeze the cookie dough balls up to 3 months; bake from frozen with 1–2 extra minutes. Baked cookies freeze up to 2 months.
- Pushing down/flattening the cookies slightly is important. Otherwise, these will bake nice and thick. Just be sure to not skip that step unless you want thicker cookies!
- Hydration note: This recipe has been tested with discard at 100% hydration (equal weights of flour and water). If your starter has a different hydration, you may need to adjust the flour slightly.
- Make sure your butter, sourdough discard, and egg yolk are all at room temperature before mixing. Cold ingredients can affect how well the dough comes together and change the spread of the cookies.
- For a thicker cookie with a deeper chocolate flavor, refrigerate the dough overnight. If you don’t have that much time, even a 30-minute chill will help with shape and texture. Chilling the dough is not required for this recipe, but if you notice your cookies spreading, then try to chill the dough for 30 minutes.
- A mix of chocolate types gives more depth of flavor and makes the cookies more visually interesting. Combining dark and semi-sweet chips, or mixing chips and chunks, creates melted spots throughout the cookie.
- Avoid overbaking. Pull the cookies from the oven while the centers still look slightly underdone. They will firm up as they cool, but overbaking will make them dry.
- Dark sheet pans can cause the bottoms to bake too quickly and overbrown. Use lighter metal pans lined with parchment for the most even bake.
- Right after baking, knock the pan gently on the countertop a couple of times to release any trapped air inside the cookies. This helps the centers settle slightly and improves their texture.
- Using a round cookie cutter or glass to “scoot” the cookies while hot helps give them a perfectly round, bakery-style shape. This is also the best time to press in a few extra chocolate chips for a gooey finish.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Recipe TipS
I always recommend baking 1–2 test cookies first to find the perfect baking time for your oven and pans. Every oven is a little different, and a quick test run helps ensure the best texture. This is totally optional, but I highly recommend it.
Dark sheet pans can cause the bottoms to bake too quickly and overbrown. Use lighter metal pans lined with parchment for the most even bake.
Right after baking, knock the pan gently on the countertop a couple of times to release any trapped air inside the cookies. This helps the centers settle slightly and improves their texture.
Using a round cookie cutter or glass to “scoot” the cookies while hot helps give them a perfectly round, bakery-style shape. This is also the best time to press in a few extra chocolate chips for a gooey finish.
For an even darker, richer look, replace 1 tablespoon of the Dutch-process cocoa with black or extra-dark cocoa. This gives the cookies a striking color without being overpowering. This recipe was tested with both the Ghirardelli Dutch-processed cocoa and the Hershey Dark Special.
