Soft and Chewy Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Looking for the perfect chocolate chip cookie that is packed with flavor? These sourdough discard chocolate chip cookies are the ultimate treat! Soft and chewy and packed with chocolate chunks, they are an absolute must try.

Five sourdough chocolate chip cookies laying on a wooden cutting board

It is no secret that I am an avid chocolate chip cookie fan. I perfected the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe ages ago, and have since tweaked it to create einkorn chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and even pumpkin cookies!

And now… sourdough discard chocolate chip cookies. Hooray!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • SOFT AND CHEWY: This cookie has the perfect texture! Its thick and soft, with crisp edges and a chewy center, just as all cookies should be, right?
  • USE UP SOURDOUGH DISCARD: Not true to its name, sourdough discard is great for use in a variety of recipes! I love to use it a variety of baked goods, like these sourdough scones, sourdough French toast casserole, and even sourdough discard tortillas!
  • QUICK AND EASY: These cookies can be made in own bowl and bake up very quickly (about 10 minutes!) This helps obtain that chewy texture that we’re going for.

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Flour: I use unbleached organic all purpose flour.
  • Sugar: This recipe uses a combination of white and brown sugar to make an extra chewy, flavorful cookie.
  • Sourdough Discard: Either discard or active starter will work in this recipe.
  • Butter: Softened, please! You can use salted or unsalted.
  • Eggs: This recipe uses 1 egg + 1 egg yolk. Trust me here, the addition of the extra yolk makes the cookies rich and chewy.
  • Chocolate Chunks: Semi-sweet chocolate chunks are a must. Be sure to measure with your heart and not by what the recipe says.

Rachael’s Top Tips!

  • I HIGHLY recommend chilling the dough for best results. I typically chill mine overnight and bake the next day.
  • If you love sweet and salty, topping these cookies with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt makes them extra delicious.
  • I always like to slightly underbake my cookies in order to obtain a chewier texture. They will continue to cook briefly on the cookie sheet once they are pulled out of the oven.

Step by Step Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a medium bowl, cream together softened butter and sugars until combined.
  2. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract until light (about 1 minute).
  3. Begin adding in the dry ingredients, mixing until combined.
  4. Add chocolate chunks and mix well.
  5. Add the dough to the fridge to chill for a minimum of 1 hour and up to overnight.
  6. Once ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat. Set aside.
  7. Using a medium sized cookie scoop, scoop out 12 equal balls of cookie dough onto each prepared cookie sheet.
  8. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 10-11 minutes. Take them out when they are just barely starting to turn golden brown.
  9. For best results, let them sit on the baking pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.
  10. Baked cookies will store well in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Be sure to check out the full recipe below!

Three sourdough chocolate chip cookies laying on a wooden cutting board

Tips & Tricks

  • I HIGHLY recommend chilling the dough for best results. I typically chill mine overnight and bake the next day.
  • If chilling overnight, I like to set out the bowl of cookie dough to thaw on the counter before trying to scoop and shape the cookies. Letting the dough come to room temperature makes this process much easier.
  • I always like to slightly underbake my cookies in order to obtain a chewier texture. They will continue to cook briefly on the cookie sheet once they are pulled out of the oven.
  • Don’t skip out on the additions of the egg yolk and cornstarch. They help to make a much chewier, softer cookie!
  • Using room temperature ingredients really does make a difference!
  • Feel free to experiment with different flavors. I add chopped pecans in this cookie recipe. Dark chocolate chips would also be a delicious swap.
  • If you don’t own a stand mixer, you can still easily make this recipe using a large bowl and an electric handheld mixer.

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Yes! These cookies can be made ahead of time and placed in the freezer until ready to bake. Sometimes I will make double the amount of cookie dough just so I can freeze some to have at a later time. My method for this is to scoop out balls of cookie dough and add them to a gallon sized freezer safe bag, making sure I store the bag laying flat in the freezer. Once you are ready to bake, you can pop the cookies straight from the freezer into the oven, or set out on the counter to thaw beforehand. If you are putting them straight in the oven from the freezer, you may need to adjust your baking time to allow the frozen dough extra time to bake.

These cookies store well at room temperature on the counter for up to 3 days, or an airtight container for up to 5 days. If you haven’t heard of the bread trick, definitely try it! Simply add a small slice of bread to your container to keep your cookies extra soft!

Keep in mind that at the end of the day, it is still a cookie recipe that contains sugar and fats. However, sourdough is a great option because the long fermented grain is more easily digested and utilized. It also adds more flavor to any recipe.

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Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies

Three sourdough chocolate chip cookies laying on a wooden cutting board

Looking for the perfect chocolate chip cookie that is packed with flavor? These sourdough discard chocolate chip cookies are the ultimate treat! Soft and chewy and packed with chocolate chunks, they are an absolute must try.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks softened butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
  • 2/3 cup sourdough discard
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chunks

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a medium bowl, cream together softened butter and sugars until combined.
  2. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract until light (about 1 minute).
  3. Begin adding in the dry ingredients, mixing until combined.
  4. Add chocolate chunks and mix well.
  5. Add the dough to the fridge to chill for a minimum of 1 hour and up to overnight.
  6. Once you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat. Set aside.
  7. Using a medium sized cookie scoop, scoop out 12 equal balls of cookie dough onto each prepared cookie sheet.
  8. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 10-11 minutes. Take them out when they are just barely starting to turn golden brown.
  9. For best results, let them sit on the baking pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.
  10. Baked cookies will store well in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

  • I HIGHLY recommend chilling this dough for best results. I typically chill mine overnight.
  • If chilling overnight, I like to set out the bowl of cookie dough to thaw on the counter before trying to scoop and shape the cookies. Letting the dough come to room temperature makes this much easier.
  • I always like to slightly underbake my cookies in order to obtain a chewier texture. They will continue to cook briefly on the cookie sheet once they are pulled out of the oven.
  • Don’t skip out on the additions of the egg yolk and cornstarch. They help to make a much chewier, softer cookie!
  • Using room temperature ingredients really does make a difference!
  • I recommend using cookie scoops so that all the cookies are uniform in size. I have linked the ones I like down below. I typically use a medium size scoop for cookies.
  • Feel free to experiment with different flavors. I add chopped pecans in this cookie recipe. Dark chocolate chips would also be a delicious swap.
  • If you love sweet and salty, topping these cookies with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt makes them extra delicious.
  • If you don't own a stand mixer, you can still easily make this recipe using a large bowl and an electric handheld mixer.

    •

    Did you make this recipe?

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    © Rachael

    If you loved this recipe for sourdough discard chocolate chip cookies, make sure to come back and leave a comment and a 5 star rating! I would love to hear how these cookies turned out for you.

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    Rachael

    6 Comments

    2. Could I not add the white sugar? could I just do one cup of coconut sugar? why is the extra cup of sugar?
      for the cornstarch, could I use tapioca instead?

      thank you 🙂

      Reply

      1. Hi,
        Yes coconut sugar works great as a substitute. Tapioca starch should also work as a substitute for the cornstarch, although I’ve not tried it personally! The recipe calls for 2 cups of sugar to help balance out all the tanginess from the sourdough.
        Best of luck and hope you enjoy! 🙂

        Reply

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