Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Learn how to make sourdough chocolate chip cookies at home with your sourdough discard!
These bakery-style cookies are soft, thick, and chewy. Loaded with chocolate chips in every bite!
Make the dough in advance and keep it in the fridge or freezer. You'll never be more than minutes away from satisfying your sweet tooth!
Sourdough chocolate chip cookies are a thing. A very delicious thing indeed!
Sourdough discard makes a naturally fermented cookie that your family will rave about.
Just like our sourdough peanut butter cookies, sourdough ginger molasses cookies, and sourdough oatmeal cookies, they are perfectly sweetened and stay soft and fresh tasting for days.
They are everything you're looking for when it comes to homemade chocolate chip cookies, but better!
Instructions
In order to create a soft and chewy sourdough chocolate chip cookie, the batter must NOT be over-mixed.
After several test batches, we found that the following method worked best for incorporating the ingredients without overmixing the dough.
To achieve this, use the paddle attachment with a stand mixer to beat cold, cubed butter with the sugars until it starts to come together, 45-60 seconds. The mixture will be thick and uneven looking.
Add the chocolate chips and continue to beat on low speed for 30 seconds. The texture of the chocolate chips will help blend the butter and sugar together evenly. (We are not looking for light and fluffy.)
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a small bowl and add them to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until it has a "crumbly" texture, 20-30 seconds.
Use a fork to beat the egg, sourdough discard, and vanilla in a small bowl. Add it to the batter and mix on low speed until "just incorporated", 20-30 seconds.
Use a spatula to make sure the ingredients are fully combined.
The goal is to avoid over-mixing the batter so that you get a thick, chewy, perfect cookie!
Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough into 12 large balls. Place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. 24 hours is best!
When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Bake the cookies for 15-17 minutes, or until the outside of the cookies are golden brown and the middle still looks slightly under-baked.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Tips and Tricks
After each addition of ingredients to the stand mixer, mix until "just incorporated". You do not want to add any air to the batter. Adding too much air creates a more "cake-like" cookie.
Bread flour is higher in gluten, which produces a more chewy cookie. If you don't have bread flour, you can use all-purpose flour in its place.
Enhance the flavor of the cookie with flaked sea salt. Add a pinch on top of the dough balls before you place them in the oven. (This is totally optional but highly recommended!)
How to store and freeze
Baked cookies
Store baked sourdough chocolate chip cookies at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 7 days. (To keep them extra fresh and chewy, place a small piece of white bread in the container.)
Freeze any leftover baked cookies for up to 3 months. After the cookies have cooled completely, individually wrap them in plastic wrap and insert them into a freezer-safe bag.
Unbaked cookie dough
Store unbaked cookie dough in the fridge, covered tightly for up to 7 days. (According to the FDA, unbaked cookie dough is not safe for consumption.)
To Freeze unbaked cookie dough, portion the dough out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and place it in the freezer. Transfer the frozen dough balls into a freezer-safe container and keep them frozen for up to 3 months.
Bake in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 17-20 minutes, straight from the freezer.
Alternatively, allow the dough to thaw in the fridge overnight and bake according to the original directions.
Other sourdough discard recipes you may like:
- sourdough vanilla cake
- sourdough brownies
- cut out sourdough sugar cookies
- sourdough thumbprint cookies
- sourdough sugar cookie bars
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
INGREDIENTS
Dry Ingredients
- ¾ cup + 1 teaspoon (95 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup + 1 teaspoon (125 g) bread flour (all-purpose can be substituted, see notes)
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Wet Ingredients 1
- 1 large (1) egg
- ½ cup (125 g) sourdough starter discard
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract
Wet Ingredients 2
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter (cold, cubed)
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) white granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups (340 g) chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)
INSTRUCTIONS
Mix dry ingredients
- Use a whisk or a fork to mix the bread flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
Mix wet ingredients 1
- In a separate small bowl, use a whisk or a fork to beat the egg, vanilla extract and sourdough starter until smooth. Set aside.
Mix wet ingredients 2
- Place the cold, cubed butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat on low-speed until the mixture forms small crumbles, 45-60 seconds. Add the chocolate chips and mix on low-speed 30-45 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low-speed until the batter starts to become a crumbly mixture, 20-30 seconds. Pour in the egg mixture and mix on low-speed until the dough comes together and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, 20-30 seconds. Use a spatula to stir the batter, ensuring all of the ingredients have been fully incorporated.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough into 12 balls, (2 scoops per cookie) and place them on a parchment-lined baking tray. Cover the dough with a sheet of plastic wrap so they do not dry out. Chill the dough in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. (24 hours is best!)
- Bake in a preheated, 375°F (190°C) oven for 15-17 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center still appears slightly under-baked. Remove and allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
NOTES
- Store baked cookies at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 7 days. Place a small slice of white bread inside the container to help keep cookies fresh.
- Freeze unbaked dough for up to 3 months.
- Bread flour can be replaced with equal parts all-purpose flour. Using 100% all-purpose flour will produce a less chewy cookie.
Absolutely love this recipe! Is it absolutely necessary to wrap them individually when freezing the cookies 🍪 ? I have not tried it without wrapping but was hoping to use less plastic .
Hi Anacesilia, wrapping the cookies individually helps so they don't stick together when they are frozen. You could try wrapping them in parchment paper and then put them in an airtight container or freezer safe bag.
I’ve had this recipe by two other bakers and the cookies were absolutely amazing (like the recipe says!). However, I have made this recipe three times, and each time the cookies are cakey - not dense and chewy. The third time I followed the “time” to a T because I worried I was over mixing the batter. Is something amiss with my discard? Should I leave out the leavening agents? I really want to get this recipe because I know it can be the perfect cookie! Would appreciate any and all tips. Thanks!
Hi Abby,
Typically the reason for "cakey" cookies is from adding too much leavening agents. Are you you leveling off the measuring spoons when measuring the baking soda and baking powder? Make sure they are not rounded. If you are measuring those right, then it could be from over mixing the dough. Hope this helps!
can you freeze baked cookies? I'm preparing a box of goodies for my parents so I'm baking then freezing till I get it all done.
Hi Rachell, yes they can be frozen.
what if I froze them and now I'm ready to bake. is it still 375?
Hi Julie, yes its 375. If you are baking from frozen, then they will need a few extra minutes baking.
Yummy cookies!! Wonderful and chewy and soft the next day. I have had my newly made sour dough starter for a month or so at this point and have made a few things but this was my first cookie recipe using it! They turned out great! I began preparing them knowing they would need to chill for at least 2 hours but my husband said he was ready to try them already! so I ended up putting them in the freezer for one hour and pre heated my oven as soon as I removed them from the freezer. I unfortunately didn't have bread flour so I also left that out wondering if the cookies would be harder than we liked but they weren't. They were still pretty chewy and soft. I'm excited to make these again and I think I might be making some to share with my siblings real soon! Thanks so much for taking the time to tweak and perfect this recipe. The great balance in taste definitely shows!!
Love this recipe! Thank you so much!
How many days can the uncooked dough stay in the refrigerator before baking?
Hi Cass, so thrilled you love this recipe! You can store cookie dough in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-4 days.
Ive made these 4 times now and love them! Thank you. Question- twice they have turned out more plump and fluffy, almost cake like and twice they have turned out flatter and more cookie'ish. What is going to cause it to do one vs the other? Thanks
Hi Jen, we're so happy to hear you love this recipe! This could be due to several different factors: If your butter is too warm or melted, the cookies will spread more, resulting in flatter cookies. Using cooler, room-temperature butter keeps them more plump and fluffy. It could also be from not chilling the dough long enough or at all. We recommend chilling the dough for at least 2 hours, but 24 hours is best. Skipping this step may lead to cookies spreading more. Another factor could be the amount of leavening. If you use too much leavening, it will lead to a puffier, more cake-like texture cookie. Reducing it can make them flatter. Hope this helps!
Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite, and these are the best I’ve ever had! I definitely agree they improve with an overnight in the fridge. The large size also makes them gooey and delicious. Thanks so much! Absolutely love them!
Hi!! does sourdough discard need to be cold or at room temp ?
Hi Sarah, sourdough discard needs to be stored in the fridge.
Delish! This is a must have for my family! Ever since I made this my family has begged me to make it! Go to recipe
Best chocolate chip recipe EVER! I actually make this every week and it has brought so much joy to my friends and family. thank you for sharing this!