These Sourdough Discard Brownies are a delicious, decadent treat where the sourdough tang really comes through! Pair these brownies with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee for the ultimate treat.
I made these brownies and they are wicked good!!! I'm going to have to pace myself, eating just one a day with my coffee ... I could easily eat the whole batch in one sitting!
- Els
Why you'll love this recipe
- This recipe comes together with about 30 minutes of hands-on time.
- Looking for other easychocolate dessert recipes? Try this Sourdough Chocolate Zucchini Cake and these Sourdough Chocolate Espresso Cookies.
- You can adjust the baking time to make these brownies slightly more fudgy, or more cakey, based on your preference!
- These Sourdough Discard Brownies are a great way to use up some of your sourdough discard, but you can also make them with active sourdough starter, if you prefer.
- These brownies are packed with flavor from the dark chocolate and also the sourdough discard.
Ingredients
There are only a few key ingredients you'll need to bring these brownies together.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Using semi-sweet (rather than dark chocolate, for example) is important here as you need the sugar and fat content to make the top layer of these brownies shiny.
- Sourdough discard: The sourdough discard should be unfed and at room temperature for this recipe. This recipe is made for a sourdough starter with a 1:1 ratio (when you feed your starter, it's with 1 part flour and 1 part water). If your starter uses a different ratio, you may need to adjust some of the ingredients in this recipe.
- Learn more about how to make a sourdough starter.
See full recipe below for detailed directions.
Substitutions & Variations
This is a very adaptable recipe and below are a few easy substitutions and variations you can try.
- Use active sourdough starter - If you'd like to use active sourdough starter instead of sourdough discard, you can. To do so, replace the sourdough discard with active sourdough starter (150g). You do not need to change any other ingredients in the recipe.
- Use different chocolate - You can make this recipe using different kinds of chocolate (instead of semi-sweet), but know that they will have a different flavor and this may also impact they shiny crust layer of the final brownies.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Brownies
There are only a few steps to making Sourdough Discard Brownies, but there are a few important moments. Take your time!
- Step 1: In a small saucepan, melt the butter, chocolate chips, oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth.
- Step 2: Using a stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugars until light and fluffy, about 8-10 minutes.
- Step 3: Gently fold the sourdough discard and chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Fold in the flour and salt, mixing until just combined (don't overmix here!).
- Step 4: Spread the batter into your 9x9-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Step 5: Bake for 22-25 minutes. Let the brownies cool in the baking pan for at least 30 minutes.
- Step 6: Remove from the baking pan and slice, then serve!
Expert Baking Tips
- Make sure to whip the eggs and sugar long enough. It's important that the sugar fully dissolves to give your brownies the right texture.
- It's important not to overmix the batter. After you're done whipping the eggs and sugar, shift into "do less" mode. Fold ingredients together, mixing as little as possible.
- Bake the brownies on the low end of the suggested time. You can always add more time, but you can't take it away!
- Once you remove the brownies from the oven, let them sit in the pan for at least 30 minutes. The shiny crust will become more clear as the brownies cool down.
Whipping the Eggs and Sugar
Mixing together the eggs and sugar is one of the most important parts of this recipe. Using a stand mixer, you'll likely need to whip the mixture for about 8-10 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved.
This process of whipping the eggs and sugar together until thick is also called mixing it to the "ribbon stage." When finished, the mixture will be light and fluffy, and will fall from the whisk in a "ribbon" before reincorporating fully.
Storage
Room Temperature Storage: Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Be prepared: the longer they sit, the more they will dry out and harden.
Freezer Storage: Brownies can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can freeze them in an entire slab (to cut before serving), or cut into individual squares. If you're freezing in squares, make sure to put a piece of parchment paper between each square to prevent them from sticking to each other. Let the brownies thaw to room temperature before serving.
Recipe FAQs
The edges should be firmed, but the center may still look a little jiggly. That's ok! This will firm up as the brownies sit and cool.
After removing the brownies from the oven, they'll rest in the pan for at least 30 minutes. During this time, the brownies are still baking and firming up, and the shiny crust should become more apparent as they cool.
I do recommend using a stand mixer to whip the eggs and sugar (I use a KitchenAid 5-Quart Stand Mixer). This can be done with a hand-held mixer, but just know that you'll be mixing for 10+ minutes, and that can be a really long time when you're doing the work by hand!
The shiny crust on brownies is developed in large part due to the whipping of the eggs and sugar. It's important that the sugar dissolves to give you that shiny brownie crust! If you're not whipping the eggs long enough, the crust will not be shiny.
More Sourdough Discard Dessert Recipes
If you tried these Sourdough Discard Brownies or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you! Happy Baking!
Sourdough Discard Brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- 150 grams sourdough discard unfed, at room temperature
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray an 9x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray, then line with parchment paper (this makes it easier to remove the baked brownies). Set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the chocolate chips, oil, and vanilla extract, and stir until melted and combined. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment*, beat the eggs and sugars until light and fluffy, and the sugar has dissolved (about 8-10 minutes). Don't overmix during this part: Using a spatula, fold the sourdough discard and chocolate mixture into the whipped egg mixture. Add the flour and salt and mix until just combined. The mixture wil be thick.
- Spread the batter into your prepared baking pan and bake for 22-25 minutes. When fully baked, the brownies should be set on the edges, but may still be a bit soft in the center.
- After baking, let the brownies cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes. They will continue to bake internally during this time, and the shiny crust will develop as the brownies cool. Remove the brownies from the pan and let cool fully. Slice into 25 pieces before serving.
Heather Chester says
Do the eggs have to be room temp
Jessica Vogl says
It's better, yes.
Sara says
Hi! Can i make them the day before and kind of let them « proof » over night to bake them the next day?
Jessica Vogl says
Hi! This recipe doesn't require any rise time at all, so it really will be best if you can mix them, then bake!
Megan says
I cooked these for 35 minutes, let sit for 30 minutes and they were so gooey in the middle. The top deflated and cracked. Did I need to cook longer?
Jessica Vogl says
You certainly could try that! Were you using an 8x8inch pan?
Anne says
Hi, I'm from UK and I was wondering, should I use light or dark brown sugar?
Jessica Vogl says
Either will work (just slightly different flavors)! I used light brown sugar.
Emily says
Made these with black cocoa powder and wowww they are so good. My new go to brownie recipe.
Jessica Vogl says
Love to hear it! So glad you loved them!
Els says
I made these brownies and they are wicked good!!! I'm going to have to pace myself, eating just one a day with my coffee ... I could easily eat the whole batch in one sitting! (Not recommended though)
Angie says
Will powdered sugar work in this recipe instead of granular? If so, do I have to adjust the amount?
Jessica Vogl says
No, I wouldn’t recommend it!
Ana says
Hi,can I use active starter instead of discard?
Jessica Vogl says
You can! There are directions in the "substitutions" section above!
Nadia says
I baked these with a few changes (currently house-sitting working with limited options haha).
- Used milk choc instead of dark
- Mixed it all by hand (no mixers in this kitchen)
- Split the batter into two 9x5 loaf pans. Baked for 20 mins each tray. Still made 16 squares total
I was worried it wasn't going to work but wanted to try anyway.
WOW what an awesome recipe, truly the best brownies I've ever tasted. That sourdough taste comes through so nicely this is wonderful!
If others can only mix by hand, don't fret, it still comes out wickedly good.
This is for sure my go to recipe now, thank you so much! xx
Shauna says
Best brownies I've ever had or made! I have been using your bagel recipe and also 5 stars for that too! And today made your cornbread lol. I love them so much thank you!
Jessica Vogl says
Aw yay! This made my day thanks so much for sharing!
Cheyenne Mortensen says
I don’t know if I did something wrong but these turned out more similar to fudge and were super rich. I halved the recipe and cooked in a bread pan for 20 minutes and they came out dense. The flavor was fine but not what I’m looking for in a brownie.
Jessica Vogl says
This recipe is getting an update in the next week! But I appreciate your feedback!
Olivia says
How much sugar could I reduce and will this bake well in a 9x13 pan?
Jessica Vogl says
Unfortunately, I'm going to recommend following the recipe as it's written. If you reduce the sugar, that will affect not only the taste of the brownies, but also the texture, consistency and the shiny top layer. I also highly recommend an 8x8in. pan or something as close as possible to that size. A 9x13in. pan is much larger and the brownies would be very, very thin and likely burn.