Sourdough Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
These sourdough brown butter chocolate chip cookies might just be the most indulgent batch of cookies I’ve ever made. They’re soft and gooey in the center, with a unique flavor from the sourdough discard and a deep, nutty richness from browned butter. Two kinds of chocolate take them over the top, and a final sprinkle of flaky sea salt balances the sweetness perfectly.
The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Upgrade
These are the grown-up version of the classic chocolate chip cookie. Elevated and even more indulgent, you won’t want to go back to the original.
So what makes this recipe extra special?
- Brown butter: We’re not just melting butter—we’re toasting it until it’s golden, nutty, and makes your kitchen smell amazing! Brown butter adds rich, toasty depth that takes these cookies to the next level.
- Use up that sourdough discard: You know that jar lurking in the back of your fridge? Same. This recipe puts that discard to delicious use, adding just the right amount of chew and a subtle tang that makes these extra special.
- Double the chocolate: Milk and semi-sweet chocolate make for the ultimate melty, gooey, dreamy combo.
- A finishing touch of flaky sea salt: The little things make the difference. That final sprinkle of sea salt brings balance to the sweetness and gives these cookies a crave-worthy finish.
Basically, these cookies are like a cozy hug. Once you try them, they just might become your new go-to!
Ingredient Overview
- Butter: Use good-quality butter for the best flavor. Cut it into chunks and stir frequently, scraping the bottom of the pan while browning to ensure even melting and to prevent burning.
- Granulated Sugar: Using less granulated sugar than brown sugar helps create a chewier texture.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Dark brown sugar adds deeper flavor and a rich golden color, more depth than light brown sugar brings.
- Egg + Egg Yolk: The extra yolk adds richness and helps keep the cookies soft and gooey even after cooling. Always use large eggs for consistency when baking.
- Vanilla Bean Paste (or Extract): Vanilla bean paste adds a touch of luxury and a more intense vanilla flavor, but regular vanilla extract works perfectly too.
- Sourdough Discard: Use discard that’s no older than 1–2 weeks. Older discard adds more tang, while fresher discard gives a fluffier, gooier center. Both ways are delicious btw.
- All-Purpose Flour: Stick with standard all-purpose flour for the right balance of chew and structure.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda: This combo gives just the right amount of lift and spread for soft, thick cookies that don’t fall flat.
- Salt: Don’t skip it—it enhances all the flavors and balances sweetness.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate: Use semi-sweet chocolate chips or a chocolate bar chopped into chunks. I always use Ghirardelli chocolate. Trust me, it’s worth the extra cost to use good-quality chocolate in any chocolate chip cookie recipe!
- Milk Chocolate: Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips add a creamy sweetness that pairs beautifully with the nutty brown butter.
- Flaky Sea Salt: Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt after the cookies are baked for a finishing touch.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Brown Butter
Add the butter to a small pot and melt it over medium heat. Once it’s melted, you’ll see it begin to foam. Start stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot as it browns to keep all those yummy bits from burning. As soon as it reaches that perfect toasty brown color and has a nutty aroma, take it off the heat. Brown butter can go from perfect to burnt fast, so don’t leave it unattended. Pour it into a medium mixing bowl and let it cool completely—about 30 minutes.
2. Mix Dry Ingredients
While the brown butter is cooling down, take this time to measure out all your dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Cream Brown Butter and Sugars
Once the brown butter has cooled to room temperature, add the granulated sugar and dark brown sugar. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is well combined and slightly lighter in color.
Baker’s Note: If your butter is still a bit warm, the sugars might not fully incorporate, and the mixture could look a little grainy. No worries—just go ahead and add the one egg and beat until smooth. It’ll come back together beautifully!
4. Add Wet Ingredients
Add the egg and egg yolk one at a time, mixing until fully combined before adding the next. Measure out your sourdough discard and vanilla extract and add, mixing on low speed until fully combined. Be sure to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl at this point to make sure everything is mixed together evenly.
5. Add Dry Ingredients
Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix on a low speed or by hand with a spatula until combined and just a few streaks of flour remain.
Baker’s Note: When adding the flour to cookies, it is best not to overwork the dough at this point to ensure a soft and light cookie!
6. Add the Chocolates
Add the chocolate chips/chunks and milk chocolate chips to the dough and mix by hand with a rubber spatula until no flour streaks remain and the chocolate chips are evenly distributed.
7. Scoop and Chill
Using a large cookie scoop, portion 12 cookies onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Press the reserved chocolate chips or chunks onto the tops of each cookie. Cover the tray with plastic wrap or transfer the dough balls to a gallon-sized freezer bag. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or ideally overnight, before baking.
8. Bake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Sprinkle with a bit of flaky sea salt straight out of the oven. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling before enjoying!
Blue Mountain Baker’s Tips
Use a kitchen scale to measure ingredients with the most accuracy. I always use my kitchen scale and measure in grams. It’s a useful and fairly inexpensive tool to add to your kitchen, even as a novice baker. This is the kitchen scale I have had for years!
Use sourdough discard that’s no older than 1–2 weeks. Older discard can add an overly sour, acidic flavor. Flat, inactive discard works perfectly here since it’s used for flavor and texture, not leavening. You can also use fresh discard (taken just before feeding your starter), which results in slightly thicker, gooier cookies. Want to dive deeper into sourdough? Be on the lookout for my Sourdough Basics series that is in the works! Sign up for my newsletter to be the first to receive it!
Let the cookies chill. Refrigerating the dough for at least a day (and up to 3) improves both texture and flavor. The flour fully hydrates, the sourdough flavor develops, and the cold butter helps the cookies bake up thicker and softer, with less spreading in the oven.
Use a large cookie cutter to shape the cookies after baking. While the cookies are still warm, swirl a cutter (or even a cup or small bowl) around them to nudge them into perfect circles—a trick I use for all my cookies!
Sourdough Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies FAQ
Chilling the dough is highly recommended for the best flavor and texture, but if you’re short on time, you can bake them right away—just note they’ll spread more and be slightly less chewy.
Yes, this is what I do for most all my cookies! Scoop the dough, add your chocolate on top, then freeze on a tray. Once solid, transfer to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen—just add a minute or two to the baking time. Love this for when you just want to bake a couple of cookies at a time!
Make sure the brown butter has cooled to room temperature before creaming with the sugars. If it’s too warm, the dough may not emulsify properly. If this has happened, no need to start over; we can fix it! Just slowly add the egg one at a time, mixing on medium-high speed until the mixture has come back together.
If Somehow You Have Leftovers…
Store baked cookies in an airtight container or zip-lock bag at room temperature for 3–5 days. For longer storage, freeze them tightly wrapped for up to a month—just warm them up for a few seconds in the microwave to wake them back up to that fresh-baked cookie.
Also, freezing the dough balls before baking is a great way to store cookies when you don’t want to bake the whole batch at once. Just store in a gallon zip-lock bag in the freezer for up to a month, and have fresh-baked cookies whenever you want!
Want More Cookie Recipes?
I hope these sourdough brown butter chocolate chip cookies find their way into your kitchen soon! If you give this recipe a try, I’d love to hear how it went! Leave a comment below or share a photo and tag me so I can see your beautiful creations.
Happy baking, and thanks for being here.
XO, Blue Mountain Baker 💙
Recipe Card
Sourdough Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- rubber spatula
- wooden spoon
- 2-3oz cookie scoop
- baking sheets
- small pot
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (170g) butter, unsalted
- 1/2 cup (115g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (190g) dark brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or any vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (130g) sourdough discard
- 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (135g) semi-sweet chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate bar, chopped *plus extra for topping
- 1/2 cup (80g) milk chocolate chips *plus extra for topping
- pinch of flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Brown the butterAdd the butter to a small pot and melt over medium heat. Once fully melted, it will begin to foam. At this point, stir and scrape the bottom of the pot as the butter turns a golden brown color. Remove from the heat as soon as it begins to smell nutty and reaches that perfect golden color. Brown butter can go too far and burn quickly if you aren’t careful, so pay attention at this point. Pour the browned butter into a medium mixing bowl and allow it to cool completely (about 30 minutes).
- Mix the dry ingredientsWhile the butter is cooling, measure your dry ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
- Combine the butter and sugarsOnce the butter has cooled and is at room temperature, add the sugar and dark brown sugar. Mix with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is lighter in color.
- Add the egg, yolk, sourdough discard, and vanilla extractAdd the egg and egg yolk one at a time, mixing until fully combined before adding the next. Pour in the sourdough discard and vanilla extract, and mix again until combined. At this point, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is fully incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredientsAdd the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined and only a few streaks of flour remain.
- Add the chocolatesAdd the chocolate chips/chunks and milk chocolate chips to the dough and mix by hand with a rubber spatula until no flour streaks remain and the chocolate chips are evenly distributed.
- Scoop and chill the cookiesUsing a large cookie scoop, portion 12 cookies onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Press the reserved chocolate chips or chunks onto the tops of each cookie. Cover the tray with plastic wrap or transfer the dough balls to a gallon-sized freezer bag. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or ideally overnight, before baking.
- Bake the cookiesPreheat the oven to 350°F. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined sheet pan about an inch apart. Bake for 14–16 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Sprinkle with a bit of flaky sea salt straight out of the oven. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container or zip-lock bag at room temperature for 3–5 days. For longer storage, freeze them tightly wrapped for up to a month—just warm them up for a few seconds in the microwave to wake them back up to that fresh-baked cookie.
- Use sourdough discard that’s no older than 1–2 weeks. Older discard can add an overly sour, acidic flavor. Flat, inactive discard works perfectly here since it’s used for flavor and texture, not leavening. You can also use fresh discard (taken just before feeding your starter), which results in slightly thicker, gooier cookies.
- Refrigerating the dough for at least a day (and up to 3) improves both texture and flavor. The flour fully hydrates, the sourdough flavor develops, and the cold butter helps the cookies bake up thicker and softer, with less spreading in the oven.
