There’s something special about these sourdough cookies. I’ve made them more times than I can count, and they always disappear faster than I’d like to admit. Whether I serve them to friends or family, or just sneak a few for myself, they never disappoint.

These cookies are rich, chewy, packed with chocolate, and made with sourdough starter, which adds a lovely depth of flavor and makes them a bit easier to digest. And even though there’s no long fermentation involved, resting the dough in the fridge brings out the best in them. You can rest the dough for as little as 2 hours or as long as 24, whatever fits your schedule.

If you’ve got some sourdough starter sitting in your fridge and a bar of dark chocolate nearby, you need to make these cookies. They’ve become one of my go-to recipes, and I know you’ll love them as much as I do.

Why You’ll Love These Sourdough Cookies

Perfectly chewy texture thanks to the browned butter and resting time
Deep, complex flavor from sourdough starter and dark chocolate
Great for using up discard no need to use freshly fed starter
Freezer-friendly: bake some now, freeze the rest for later cravings

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients

120g (½ cup) unsalted butter
100g (½ cup) cane sugar
60g (¼ cup, packed) dark brown sugar
1 large egg
75g (about ⅓ cup) sourdough starter (discard or active)
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla powder
Pinch of salt
190g (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
150g (about 1 cup) chopped dark chocolate (70%) or chocolate chips

How to Brown Butter

Browning the butter is the first step, and it’s worth every second.

Add the butter to a saucepan over medium heat.
Stir constantly as it melts. It will start to foam and sizzle.
After a few minutes, you’ll see brown bits forming at the bottom and smell a rich, nutty aroma.
As soon as it turns golden brown (not burnt!), remove from heat and pour into your mixing bowl to cool slightly.

How to Make Sourdough Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Mix sugars and butter: To the bowl with your browned butter, add cane sugar and dark brown sugar. Mix until smooth.
Add wet ingredients: Add the egg and stir until fully combined. Then mix in the sourdough starter and vanilla.
Add dry ingredients: Stir in the salt, flour, and baking powder until no dry streaks remain.
Fold in chocolate: Mix in chopped chocolate, saving a few pieces to press on top of the cookies before baking.
Chill the dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 24 hours). This step helps the flavors develop and improves texture.
Scoop and bake:
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop the dough using a cookie scoop or spoon (think ice cream scoop size), and place spaced apart on the sheet.
- Press a few chocolate pieces on top if you saved some.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the edges are just golden. Don’t overbake, they should look slightly underdone in the center.
Cool and enjoy: Let them cool for a few minutes on the tray before transferring to a wire rack.
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4–5 days.

Tips for Success

Use discard or active starter: Both work equally well.
Chilling is key: The longer you rest the dough, the better the flavor and texture.
Don’t skip the brown butter: It adds an incredible nutty flavor you can’t get from regular melted butter.
Freeze extra dough: Scoop into balls, freeze on a tray, then store in a bag.

How Many Cookies Does This Make?

This batch yields about 24 cookies, depending on the size you scoop. I usually bake half and freeze the rest, it’s the best way to always have cookies ready when the craving hits.

Soft and Chewy Sourdough Cookies with Brown Butter and Chocolate Chunks

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

120 g unsalted butter ½ cup
100 g cane sugar ½ cup
60 g packed dark brown sugar ¼ cup
1 large egg
75 g sourdough starter (discard or active) about ⅓ cup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla powder
Pinch of salt
190 g all-purpose flour 1½ cups
1 teaspoon baking powder
150 g chopped dark chocolate (70%) or chocolate chips about 1 cup

Method

Add the butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly as it melts. It will start to foam and sizzle.
After a few minutes, you’ll see brown bits forming at the bottom and smell a rich, nutty aroma. As soon as it turns golden brown (not burnt!), remove from heat and pour into your mixing bowl to cool slightly.
Mix sugars and butter: To the bowl with your browned butter, add cane sugar and dark brown sugar. Mix until smooth.
Add wet ingredients: Add the egg and stir until fully combined. Then mix in the sourdough starter and vanilla.
Add dry ingredients: Stir in the salt, flour, and baking powder until no dry streaks remain.
Fold in chocolate: Mix in chopped chocolate, saving a few pieces to press on top of the cookies before baking.
Chill the dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 24 hours). This step helps the flavors develop and improves texture.

Scoop and bake:

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scoop the dough using a cookie scoop or spoon (think ice cream scoop size), and place spaced apart on the sheet.
Press a few chocolate pieces on top if you saved some.
Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the edges are just golden. Don’t overbake, they should look slightly underdone in the center.
Let them cool for a few minutes on the tray before transferring to a wire rack.

Notes

Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4–5 days.

Freeze extra dough: Scoop into balls, freeze on a tray, then store in a bag.