Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

These ooey, gooey, chewy sourdough chocolate chip cookies will make your mouth water, and will deliciously satisfy that sweet craving you have right now! And, you can make them from start to finish in less than 20 minutes. The way that the chocolate melts, the chewiness, the size, and the smell in your kitchen after baking is enough to make anyone’s mouth water. There’s nothing more classic than a chocolate chip cookie, but the fact that you can use up your sourdough discard in such a delicious way really takes the cake! Or cookie. It takes the cookie. Keep reading to get the best recipe for mouth-watering sourdough chocolate chip cookies you’ll ever find!

Supplies Needed

• Measuring cups and spoons: I use these measuring cups and these measuring spoons.
• Large bowl: I use the large bowl from this glass bowl set.
• Spatula: You can use a wood spatula or a silicone spatula, whatever you prefer!
• Scoop: You can use either a large dough scoop or a spoon to shape the cookies. I prefer the dough scoop because it is fast, easy, and consistent.
• Baking sheet: You’ll need at least one baking sheet for baking the cookies.
• Parchment paper: Line the baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Ingredients

• Light brown sugar
• Salted butter: At room temperature.
• Sourdough discard: Learn how to make a sourdough starter here.
• Egg yolks
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Salt: For the best flavor, I use Redmond Real Salt, but you can use any table salt that you have.
• Chocolate chips: You can use any variety of chocolate that you prefer, from white chocolate, to semi-sweet chocolate, to milk chocolate, to dark chocolate! Even try butterscotch chips for an extra special twist.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, use a spatula to thoroughly stir the brown sugar and soft butter together.

Add the sourdough starter discard, egg yolks, and vanilla extract, and stir to combine.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir just until combined, but be careful not to over-mix the dough.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Using the dough scoop or spoon, divide the dough into 12 equally sized balls, and place 6 on a baking sheet. Space them out well, as the dough will spread. This will make jumbo cookies.

Bake for 12-16 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the center is cooked but still soft. You may choose to bake a little longer for a crunchier cookie.

Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for a few minutes before eating! Or who are we kidding, grab a hot one now and do the breathe-through-your-teeth thing because we know you can’t wait. Enjoy!

Substitutions

• You can substitute dark brown sugar for the light brown sugar to get a richer flavor.
• You can use unsalted butter if that’s what you have on hand, and then add 1/4 tsp. additional salt to the recipe.
• If all you have is active sourdough starter, you can use it in the recipe! It will result in a thicker, more cake-like cookie consistency than had discard been used.
• For the chocolate chips, you can use whatever you want. You could sliver up a chocolate bar, use chocolate chunks, or anything else you ‘d like. You can even get extra fancy and drizzle extra chocolate on the baked cookies once they cool down! Can you tell I love chocolate? Okay, moving on.
• You may optionally add other mix-ins, such as nuts, pretzels, etc. at the same time as you add the chocolate chips.

Can I freeze cookie dough?

Yes! You can shape the unbaked cookie dough into balls, and then freeze for later use. You can bake frozen dough straight from the freezer, though it may take a few additional minutes in the oven.

Do yourself a favor, and double the recipe when you make these sourdough chocolate chip cookies. Save a batch for later so you can make them on a whim when you need something fast text time! Or, you can freeze the cookie dough balls individually, and then bake just one or two cookies at a time as a simple dessert for two. Or for just you…no judgement here!

How to Make Long Fermented Sourdough Cookies

In order to have a long-fermented cookie dough, you will need to make the dough in advance. Simply follow the directions as usual, but then refrigerate the dough for 3-4 days to allow enough time for the sourdough starter to do it’s job.

Then you have two options. You can either bake the dough from cold straight out of the fridge (resulting in a thicker and more cake-like cookie), or you can let the dough sit at room temperature for about an hour before baking (resulting in a thinner and chewier cookie).

When you long ferment dough, it means that you are allowing the sourdough starter to “sour” the grains in the recipe. It’s giving the yeasts in the sourdough starter enough time to begin breaking down the flours, making the final product more easily digestible. This comes with both flavor and health benefits!

Be sure to pin the recipe for later!