UPDATE: This recipe and images were updated on April 14, 2025.
These Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies are a delicious cookie with a chewy center and crisp edges that is packed with chocolate chips and sourdough tang. It's made using sourdough discard, but can also be made with active starter if you prefer!
If you're looking for other sourdough discard cookies, check out these Sourdough Discard Peanut Butter Blossoms and these Sourdough Discard Shortbread Cookies.
If you're in the mood for other sourdough discard recipes, try these Sourdough Discard Brownies, Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bites, and Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- This easy recipe comes together with just 15 minutes of hands-on time and doesn't require any chilling!
- These Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies are chewy in the center and crisp on the edges - the perfect combination!
- Cookies freeze well if you want to save some for later (or freeze the dough before baking)!
- This recipe is a great way to use up some of your sourdough discard, but you can make them with active sourdough starter as well.
Ingredients
There are only a few ingredients you'll need to bring these Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies together.
- Baking soda and baking powder: Even though we're using sourdough discard, we need to use a little bit of baking soda and baking powder to help the cookies rise appropriately and predictably.
- Unsalted butter: The butter should be softened at room temperature for this recipe to ensure your dough is the right consistency.
- Brown sugar: The brown sugar gives the cookies a deep sweet flavor, but also helps them become golden brown after baking.
- Sourdough discard: This recipe is designed for a 1:1 sourdough discard (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. The discard should be unfed and at room temperature for this recipe.
- Chocolate Chips: You can use chocolate chips or a chocolate bar coarsely chopped into chunks. Personally, I prefer dark chocolate!
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.
- Change up the chocolate - While I prefer dark chocolate, you might prefer milk chocolate! You can also use chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or coarsely chopped chocolate bars for this recipe.
- Add nuts - Reduce the chocolate chunks to 8 ounces, and add ¼ cup chopped pecans, almonds or walnuts to the cookie dough.
- Egg substitutes - If you're not baking with eggs, I recommend using a liquid egg substitute, such as Just Egg.
- Use active sourdough starter - If you'd like to use active starter instead of discard, you can! Replace the discard with active starter in a 1:1 substitute.
- Make crispier cookies - If you'd like a crispier cookie, there are a few things you could do:
- Use less batter per cookie. If you use 1 tablespoon of batter per cookie, you'll end up with a thinner, crispier cookie.
- Use ½ cup brown sugar and 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar instead of the amounts listed in this recipe. More granualted sugar will yield a crispier cookie.
I have not tested this recipe with other variations, but if you do, let us know how it turns out in the comments! I always love to hear how you're adapting these recipes and use those as ideas for future recipes as well!
How to make Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies
These Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies come together in a few easy steps and don't need any chilling time! The full recipe with detailed directions is at the bottom of this post.
Whisk together the dry ingredients, minus the sugars.
Cream the butter and sugars until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the egg, vanilla extract and sourdough discard. Then add the dry ingredients.
Mix in your chocolate chips or chocolate chunks.
Drop the cookies in 2-Tablespoonfuls per cookie on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and slightly browing at the edges. The cookies will look puffy when they come out of the oven, but they will settle as they cool.
Optional: While the cookies are warm, cover with the edges of a sturdy glass and lightly swirl the cookie. This makes the cookies perfectly round.
Be sure to swirl gently as too much will crush the cookies.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or whatever you prefer! I like to use dark chocolate, but you could easily make this recipe with milk chocolate or even white chocolate.
- Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature. This is important for getting the right consistency in the cookie dough.
- Use a cookie scoop for the dough. It ensures that all of your cookies are a uniform size, and it also helps make them more perfectly round. A 2-tablespoon cookie scoop is the perfect size for these cookies!
- Let the baking pans cool in between batches. If you place the cookie dough on an already warm baking sheet, it will start melting right away and will affect the final shape of your cookies.
- If you want perfectly round cookies, carefully swirl the cookies with a glass when they come out of the oven. While the cookies are warm from the oven, place the mouth of a sturdy glass over the cookies, and softly swirl them to make the edges perfectly round and uniform. This is optional, but makes them look great!
Equipment
I like to make the dough for these cookies in a 5-Quart KitchenAid Stand Mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, but that is optional. You can also make this in a large mixing bowl with a hand-held mixer. I recommend using a kitchen scale to measure the sourdough discard (at least).
You'll also need a few baking sheets, parchment paper, and a cooling rack. I also recommend using a 2-Tablespoon Cookie Scoop to scoop the dough.
kitchen essentials
My Favorite Baking Pans
The perfect baking pans for cookies, pretzels, bagels and more!
Storage
Room Temperature Storage: Store cookies in an airtight bag or container at room temperature for up to two weeks. They will get a bit harder and crispier as they sit, but they will still be delicious!
Freezer Storage: You can also freeze these cookies in an airtight bag or container for up to two months. Make sure the cookies are fully cooled before you package them for freezing. When ready to serve, let them thaw to room temperature.
Recipe FAQ
Sourdough discard is what is left over after you feed your sourdough starter. Sourdough discard can be literally discarded (thrown away or composted), or you can use it in sourdough discard recipes like this one!
If you are new to working with sourdough starter, check out these in-depth guides on how to feed sourdough starter, how to use sourdough discard, and tips for struggling sourdough starter.
Yes, you can! To do so, replace the sourdough discard with active starter (1:1 substitute).
This recipe uses dark chocolate, but you can also make it with milk chocolate or white chocolate. You can use chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate chunks for this recipe - whatever is easier for you!
Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 200 grams (about ¾ cup) sourdough discard unfed, at room temperature
- 12 ounces dark chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉ and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cornstarch, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl with a hand-held mixer), cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and sourdough discard and mix on low until smooth and combined.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips or chocolate chunks.
- Using a cookie scoop or a small spoon, scoop cookie dough (about 2 Tablespoons per cookie) onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving room for the cookies to spread. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden. The cookies will look puffy when they come out of the oven, with the edges slightly browned. They will deflate some as they cool.
- Optional: While the cookies are warm on the baking sheet, carefully place a sturdy round glass around the edges of the cookie and swirl slightly. This will loosen the cookie from the baking sheet and make the edges perfectly round. Keep in mind, you're not "trimming" the cookie, and you don't want to swirl too aggressively - you'll crush the cookie. Let the cookies cool for 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool fully.
Alexis says
My cookies came out really flat and all into each other 🙁
Danni says
This was my first time making sourdough cookies and I really enjoyed how these turned out! The texture was soo good and the flavor was perfect. It was really easy to make as well and I liked that it didn’t require any chilling! I’ll def be making these again
MCKINSEY MCMASTER says
Can you store the cookie dough in the freezer for a while before baking?
Jessica Vogl says
This should work! You can let the dough come to room temperature before baking, when you're ready. You could also bake it straight from the freezer, but the cookies will have a different final shape (less spreading).
Amy says
Jess, I’ve been making chocolate chip cookies for over 30 years, these have not only turned out the best, but my self-proclaimed cookie snob, husband says these are the best cookies ever! Even better than his Grandma used to make! So yummy!!
Jessica Vogl says
I love to hear that! Thank you!!
Kat says
This is one of the only cookies we make now! I save all my discard to make huge bulk batches for family and friends because they are that good. Thank you!
Annette says
I just refrigerated the cookie dough for about 8 to 9 hrs, just like Juliette from the first comment, and they turned out just great. They were cake like in the center and had a nice shape, they weren't flat at all. I had a heaping tablespoon of dough and baked the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes. My family loves them too!
Juliette says
Great recipe w a few modifications. The first time I made these cookies they baked v flat. Tasted good tho. So instead of baking the entire batch I put the rest of the dough in the fridge. After 24 hours plus baked the chilled cookie dough (tall heaping 2 TBL) at 350 for about 15 minutes- they r perfect! Edges golden brown w slight crunch and the middle pillowy. Added semi sweet, salted caramel and walnuts. So good my son thought they were store bought.
Heidi says
My cookies spread a lot. I even tried to cool the dough in the fridge. They taste great though. Could this be due to the baking soda instead of how most cookies call for baking powder?
Jessica Vogl says
Hmm it shouldn't be the baking soda. This one might need to go back into testing - I appreciate you flagging!
Destiney Hefner says
The cookies tasted really good, the only issue I had was they were very very flat. I refrigerated the other half for 24-48 hours to see if that would help but nope, still flat. I wonder what changes can be made?
I see some people are struggling with the same issue.