Sourdough Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft in the center, crisp at the edges, and full of nutty flavor thanks to brown butter, these sourdough brown butter chocolate chip cookies are one of the best things to come out of my kitchen.

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HOLY BROWN BUTTER HEAVEN.

If you’ve been saving up sourdough discard and wondering what sweet treat to make next, these brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies are about to become your new favorite. They’re everything a great cookie should be—soft in the center, crispy at the edges, and loaded with melty chocolate. My whole family loved them, and I know you will, too!
The brown butter adds a rich, nutty depth of flavor to the dough, while the sourdough discard brings a subtle tang that makes the flavor even more delicious. Whether you’re baking to share with family and friends or to simply make use of that starter, this recipe is easy, cozy, and always worth it.

Quick Recipe Snapshot

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour of chill time is highly recommended. These cookies bake up in about 10 minutes.
STORAGE: Leftover cookies store well in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
YIELD: About 24 cookies.
BEST SERVED: Warm from the oven, baby!

How to Brown Butter (And Why It’s Worth It)

If you’ve never browned butter before, have no fear— it is a simple step that can totally transform your cookies. Brown butter brings out a rich, nutty, almost toffee-like flavor that pairs perfectly with the tang of sourdough and the sweetness of chocolate. It’s one of those small upgrades that makes people ask, “What’s in these?!”

Here’s how ya do it!

1. Cube the butter (this will ensure it cooks evenly!)
2. Place the butter in a light-colored pan over medium heat. Stir the butter the entire time to keep it moving. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam and sizzle around the edges. After a few minutes, you will see the butter start to turn golden brown.
3. Immediately remove the pan from heat and pour the butter into heatproof bowl to stop the cooking process. If left in the hot pan, the butter will burn.
4. Allow to cool before adding to the cookie dough. Enjoy!

Step by Step Instructions

1. Make the brown butter: Cube the butter (this ensures it will cook evenly) and place in a pan over medium heat. Stir the butter the entire time to keep it moving. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam and sizzle around the edges. After a few minutes, you will see the butter start to turn golden brown. Immediately remove the pan from heat and pour the butter into heatproof bowl to stop the cooking process. If left in the hot pan, the butter will burn. Set aside to cool before preparing the rest of the cookie dough.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a medium bowl, add the cooled brown butter and sugar, mixing on medium low speed until combined.
3. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract until light (about 1 minute).
4. Begin adding in the dry ingredients, mixing until combined.
5. Add chocolate chips and mix well.
6. Add the dough to the fridge to chill for a minimum of 1 hour and for up to 2 days.
7. 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.
8. Using a medium sized cookie scoop, scoop out 12 equal balls of cookie dough onto each prepared cookie sheet.
9. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 10-11 minutes. Take them out when they are just barely starting to turn golden brown.
10. For best results, let them sit on the baking pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.
11. Baked cookies will store well in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Storage and Freezing Tips

• Storage: 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!
• Freezing Instructions: Cookie dough 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.

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Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Rachael
• Total Time: 30 minutes

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Description

Soft in the center, crisp at the edges, and full of nutty flavor thanks to brown butter, these sourdough brown butter chocolate chip cookies are one of the best things to come out of my kitchen.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup butter, browned (2 sticks)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
• 2/3 cup sourdough discard
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

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Instructions

1. Make the brown butter: Cube the butter (this ensures it will cook evenly) and place in a pan over medium heat. Stir the butter the entire time to keep it moving. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam and sizzle around the edges. After a few minutes, you will see the butter start to turn golden brown. Immediately remove the pan from heat and pour the butter into heatproof bowl to stop the cooking process. If left in the hot pan, the butter will burn. Set aside to cool before preparing the rest of the cookie dough.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a medium bowl, add the cooled brown butter and sugar, mixing on medium low speed until combined.
3. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract until light (about 1 minute).
4. Begin adding in the dry ingredients, mixing until combined.
5. Add chocolate chips and mix well.
6. Add the dough to the fridge to chill for a minimum of 1 hour and for up to 2 days.
7. 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.
8. Using a medium sized cookie scoop, scoop out 12 equal balls of cookie dough onto each prepared cookie sheet.
9. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 10-11 minutes. Take them out when they are just barely starting to turn golden brown.
10. For best results, let them sit on the baking pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

Notes

• Brown Butter: Quick and easy to make! It adds a ton of flavor to this recipe. Be sure to remove the butter from heat as soon as you start to see it turn golden brown. It can burn quickly!
• Chilling the Dough: Chilling the dough is essential for this recipe. This is a very soft cookie dough, and it needs a minimum of 1 hour in the fridge to firm up before baking. You can let the dough chill in the fridge up to 2 days.
• Baking: I always like to slightly underbake my cookies to obtain a chewier texture. I take them out of the oven when they are just barely starting to turn golden brown.
• Variations: Top these cookies with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt, add chopped pecans, swap out dark chocolate chips, or give this sourdough chocolate chip skillet cookie a try.
• Storage: 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!
• Freezing Instructions: 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.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Dessert Recipes
• Cuisine: American

If you loved this recipe for these brown butter sourdough chocolate cookies, be sure to come back and leave a 5 star rating and a comment! I love to hear how recipes turned out for you.

rachael