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brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookie holding in hand close up with cookies in background

Sourdough Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Katie Penland
These brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies will have your kitchen smelling like a bakery! The rich and nutty browned butter paired with the slight tang from the sourdough discard makes these soft and chewy cookies irresistible. Not to mention, the best way to use up your sourdough discard! 
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 44 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12

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 butter
    Add 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 ingredients
    While 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 sugars
    Once 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 extract
    Add 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 ingredients
    Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined and only a few streaks of flour remain.
  • 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.
  • Scoop and chill the cookies
    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.
  • Bake the cookies
    Preheat 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.
Keyword brown butter, chocolate chip cookie, sourdough discard