Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies are loaded with chocolate chips and so easy to make when you use your sourdough starter discard. No electric mixer is needed for this recipe (just your muscles), and you can have a soft, cakelike cookie or bake a little less time for a chewier cookie. Try my original Chocolate Chip Cookies recipes for another delicious recipe on this favorite classic cookie.
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Once you have a sourdough starter, you might as well use it as often as you can! For these Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies, you will use your sourdough starter that has not been fed for a couple of days or sourdough starter discard. There’s no reason to waste any of your starter when you have recipes like this or my Sourdough Blueberry Pancakes! With all the ingredients mixed in one bowl, it’s so simple to get the dough ready to be baked into a delicious cookie.
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Grab a large mixing bowl, the listed ingredients, and a little muscle power to get started on these easy to make chocolate chip cookies.
Ingredients (full recipe below)
- Unsalted butter (can use salted butter, just use 1/2 tsp salt instead of a teaspoon)
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Egg
- Sourdough starter
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour (can use bread flour)
- Kosher salt
- Baking soda
- Chocolate chips
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies Dough
As I mentioned, you only need a large mixing bowl, the ingredients, and a little stirring power to get the dough ready to bake for these Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies. I used a wooden spoon to do the mixing. You will need to let the dough rest for a while, so there is no need to preheat the oven until you are ready to bake the cookies.
- Begin preparing the dough by combining the softened butter and the sugar. I like to leave the butter out overnight to get it soft enough for mixing by hand. But, if you didn’t think about that, butter gets to room temperature in about 30 minutes. To get it softer even quicker, cut it up into chunks or flatten it out a bit. That will allow it to come to room temperature a little faster.
- Next, stir in the sourdough starter discard and vanilla.
- Then, add the dry ingredients, from the flour to the baking soda, mixing just until incorporated. Be careful not to overmix.
- Finally, add the chocolate chips. Let the dough rest for at least 15 minutes. You could even let the dough chill in the refrigerator overnight if you want to do that. Just be sure to let the dough come to room temperature before baking the cookies.
How to Bake Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Once you have the dough prepared, it’s time to bake the cookies!
But, baker beware…a mere two minutes can be the difference between a softer, fluffier, more cake-like cookie and a chewier, flatter cookie. I made them both ways, as you can see in the next couple of pictures. For all of the cookies, I used a 3 tablespoon scoop of dough.
If you want the more cake-like cookie, bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. For a chewier cookie, bake for only 6-8 minutes. The baking temperature for both is 350°F.
The Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies you see on the top picture above were baked in that 6-8 minute range. They have a chewier texture and did not ‘puff up’ like the more cake-like cookie below it. The cake-like cookie was baked in the 8-10 minute range. You can see the difference in the picture below as well. The cookies on the left were baked in less time than the cookies on the right.
How to Freeze Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cookies can be easily stored in the freezer. To freeze the cookies, let them cool completely. Then, lay the cookies flat on a piece of parchment paper, put them in the freezer for a few hours, and then store them in a zipped plastic freezer-safe bag. Remember to label the bag with the date. Cookies will stay fresh for up to 3 months. Let them sit out at room temperature overnight to thaw.
Looking for More Cookie Recipes?
Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Potato Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies
Use your sourdough starter discard to make these delicious Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- 14 tablespoons (1 stick + 3/4 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 cup sourdough starter, unfed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups (16 ounces) large chocolate chips
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In a large bowl, combine the softened butter and sugars. (Make sure the butter is soft enough to mix with the sugar by hand.)
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Add the egg to the mixture, stirring until incorporated.
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Stir in the sourdough starter and vanilla extract.
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Add the flour, salt, and baking soda, careful to not overmix.
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Finally, incorporate the chocolate chips and let the dough refrigerate for 15 minutes or refrigerate up to overnight. (I have made them without refrigeration and they get more cake-like in texture.)
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When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. (Let the refrigerated cookies come to room temperature.)
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Drop spoonfuls (2-3 tablespoons) of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. (I use a 3 tablespoon ice cream scoop.)
Bake 8-10 minutes for a cake-like cookie.
Bake 6-8 minutes for a chewier cookie. (My recommendation!) The cookie MAY appear a little wet in the center and that is ok. It will continue to bake and be cooked throughout after being out of the oven for a few minutes.
These cookies are 🔥. Light and fluffy, but still soft and gooey. I’m constantly in search of the perfect cookie and this is pretty close. I will definitely make again!! No change to the ingredients, but I tweaked the directions a bit…I used a semi fed starter (not at peak, but not unfed). Instead of chilling in the fridge, I scooped the dough and then put in the freezer for ~30 min before cooking. Took them out when I was preheating the oven so they started to come back to room temp. They did not cook in 8-10mins, Instead it took about 14mins, but they came out perfectly! I actually froze half of the uncooked dough to use later – hope they turn out just as delicious!
The best cookie ever! Family LOVEd them. Thick and chewy! First batch I made were gone in a day. Making them again tonight.
These are so good! I used recently fed sourdough starter and they came up puffy and perfectly cooked. Thank you!
This is by far the best choc chip cookie I’ve ever made. Recipe will be printed and added to my collection of must makes and go to recipes.
I added a cup of chopped pecans as well. What is a chocolate chip cookie without pecans?! What a wonderful cookie. I only bake what we will eat in a day as I love a freshly baked cookie. Delicious! Thanks for sharing
Love them. Made my first batch and thought they were staying a bit too puffy so I flattened them near the end of baking and they came out perfect!
A new family favourite! Love the way you set up the recipe so the directions are beside the ingredients vs. below. Makes following it so much easier!
These are by far the prettiest cookies I’ve made lately, and I’ve made a lot of cookies 😂 love that they don’t get all flat, dumpy or lose their shape! Thanks for sharing.
Love how simple and easy the recipe is,
Lesson learned: Do not refrigerate dough longer than overnight; it turns dark on the outer surface (like guacamole does) and appears wet; very unattractive and possibly unsafe. Mix what will be baked immediately.
Hi Emely – Sorry you had the experience! I have successfully refrigerated this dough overnight (on several occasions) and not run into an issue like that. Was it 2 days or longer that you had yours in the refrigerator?
Do you really call for 1 Tbsp. of vanilla for this recipe?
Hi, Sarah! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. The written recipe is correct; yes, a tablespoon of vanilla is used. Have a great day!
These were amazing
2 Tbl scoop, 350 for 8 minutes raw . 10 minutes different pan stll uncooked. Yes, I let then sit till totally cooled.
Easy recipe. I refrigerated over night let set at 75 degrees for 2 hours before baking.
Please feel free to bake your cookies until they are done. Oven temperatures can vary.
These were ok but fam didn’t like that they came out so bready. They are def. soft though. I think I will stick to my reg choc chip recipe.
Approximately how many cookies does this recipe making? Will try it out this weekend. I’ve been looking for sourdough choc chip cookie recipe! Thanks!
Baked 10 minutes were very cakes. Second batch baked 8 minute and seemed raw. Not a huge fan of consistency but were very tasty!
Hi there, may I know if I can use discards which are at least a month old (if not longer)? Would it affect the texture / taste of the cookies?
I would try to revive it and then use it. If it can’t be revived it won’t work in the recipe.
I’ve made these many times and everyone loves them. My girlfriend doesn’t care at all about my sourdough bread and only wants these cookies! I’m at high altitude and make it exactly as written, though I usually bake 2-3 minutes longer.
Thanks for the feedback, Brian!
These are the lightest fluffiest cookies I think I have ever made and eaten. My family went bonkers over them. They were so easy to make. Inhave finally found the best chocolate chip cookies.