Description
These Brown Butter Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies are rich, flavorful, and uniquely enhanced by the nutty depth of browned butter and tangy sourdough discard. Perfectly soft and chewy with crispy edges, studded with dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips and a hint of cinnamon, these cookies are a delicious way to use up sourdough discard while creating a bakery-style treat at home.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
- ½ cup sourdough discard, unfed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Mix-ins and Garnish
- 1-1/2 cups dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, plus extra for topping
- Flaky sea salt, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Brown the Butter: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir and swirl occasionally until it foams, then turns golden brown and smells nutty. Scrape all the browned bits into a large mixing bowl. Let it cool for 10–15 minutes to avoid cooking the eggs in the next steps.
- Combine Sugars with Browned Butter: Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the cooled brown butter. Whisk together thoroughly until the mixture is well combined and smooth.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until the batter is smooth, glossy, and homogenous.
- Incorporate Sourdough Discard: Stir in the sourdough discard until fully incorporated, ensuring there are no lumps.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon to evenly distribute the leavening agents and spices.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined, careful not to overmix to maintain a tender cookie texture.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Fold in the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate evenly throughout the dough.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, or up to 72 hours. This chilling step is crucial for thicker, more flavorful cookies and helps the dough hold its shape during baking.
- Preheat and Prepare for Baking: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and enable even baking.
- Shape the Cookies: Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon-sized balls and space them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 10–12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the centers appear slightly soft, ensuring a chewy texture.
- Finish and Shape: Immediately after removing cookies from the oven, press extra chocolate chips on top if desired. Using a large round cookie cutter or glass, gently “scoot” the cookies to perfect circular shapes for a polished bakery look.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired for a flavor contrast.
Notes
- 🥡 Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Placing a slice of sandwich bread in the container helps keep cookies soft.
- ♨️ Reheating: Warm baked cookies in a 300°F oven for 3–5 minutes. Alternatively, microwave individual cookies for 8–10 seconds. Air fryer reheating at 300°F for 2–3 minutes yields a slightly crisp edge.
- ❄️ Freezing: Freeze baked cookies in a zip-top bag for up to 2 months. Cool completely before freezing in a single layer or stacked with parchment paper. Reheat in a 300°F oven for a fresh-baked feel. Cookie dough balls can also be frozen on a baking sheet then transferred to a freezer bag for up to 3 months; bake directly from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to baking time.
- 💡 Tips for Best Results: Chill dough at least 2 hours for thick, flavorful cookies; use room-temperature sourdough discard for even mixing and texture; carefully brown the butter and incorporate all browned bits for maximum flavor; press extra chocolate chips on top for a bakery-style look; “scoot” warm cookies into circles immediately after baking for a perfect appearance.
- 🍳 Alternate Cooking Methods: No alternate methods apply; cookies must be baked in a conventional oven.
- ♻️ Leftovers: Store leftover cookies at room temperature for easy snacking. Crumble cookies over ice cream or yogurt for a quick dessert, or incorporate cookie dough chunks into brownies, milkshakes, or skillet cookies for a delicious treat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 140mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
