Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you have a sourdough starter, you already know how quickly discard can pile up. These sourdough discard chocolate chip cookies are one of my favorite ways to use it instead of throwing it away.

These cookies are soft and chewy in the center with slightly crisp edges, and the sourdough discard adds a subtle depth of flavor without making the cookies taste overly sour.

I started making these when I wanted a way to use up extra discard that wasn't another loaf of bread. After experimenting with the flour ratios and chilling time, this became one of our favorite ways to use sourdough discard.

The best part? You don't need an active sourdough starter for this recipe. **Discard is exactly what you want.**

Why We Love These Sourdough Discard Cookies

There are a few things that make this recipe a little different from a traditional chocolate chip cookie:

- **Sourdough discard:** It's an easy way to use something that might otherwise go to waste.
- **Bread flour + all-purpose flour:** The combination helps give these cookies their chewy texture.
- **Lots of chocolate chips:** We use 340 grams, so there is chocolate in pretty much every bite.
- **Chilling the dough:** Don't skip this step. Chilling for several hours helps the cookies develop their texture and flavor.
- **Slightly underbaking them:** Taking them out when the edges are golden but the centers are still slightly underbaked helps keep them soft and chewy.

What Kind of Sourdough Discard Should You Use?

You can use unfed sourdough discard straight from your refrigerator.

You don't need to feed it before making these cookies. That's one of the reasons this recipe is such an easy way to use up discard that has been sitting in your fridge.

I also recommend weighing your ingredients with a kitchen scale when possible. The recipe is written in grams because measuring flour by weight gives you a much more consistent result.

Our Favorite Way to Make Them

The biggest tip I can give you is **don't rush the chilling step**.

You can technically chill the dough for as little as a couple of hours, but we prefer letting it sit longer when we have the time. The dough can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake.

When you're ready to bake, portion the dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake until the edges are golden.

Let them sit on the baking sheet for about five minutes after coming out of the oven. They'll continue to set as they cool.

Then comes the hardest part: trying not to eat them all at once.

Tips for Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies

**Use cold discard:** You can use discard directly from the refrigerator.

**Don't skip the chill:** The dough needs time in the refrigerator before baking.

**Watch the edges:** The cookies should look slightly underbaked in the center when you remove them.

**Let them cool:** Give the cookies five minutes on the baking sheet before moving them to a cooling rack.

**Freeze extra dough:** If you don't want to bake all of the cookies at once, the dough can be frozen for up to two months according to our recipe notes.

Now let's make some cookies!

Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Learn how to make sourdough chocolate cookies with your discard to save the waste and enjoy a soft and chewy cookie

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Servings: 16 cookies

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 890

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Dry Ingredients

• 95 g all-purpose flour
• 125 g bread flour
• 5 g fine sea salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder

Wet Ingredients 1 (set to side)

• 1 large egg
• 125 g sourdough discard
• 5 g vanilla extract

Wet Ingredients 2 (set to side)

• 113 g unsalted cubed butter
• 100 g light brown sugar
• 100 g white granulated sugar
• 340 g chocolate chips of choice

Equipment

• 2 Mixing Bowls these will be set to the side
• 1 Kitchen aid mixer with bowl Optional: you can use a third bowl and hand mixer
• 1 Spatula or spoon
• 1 Cookie Tray
• 1 parchment paper
• 1 plastic wrap

Method

 

Mix Dry Ingredients

1. Use a whisk or fork to mix the bread flour, all-purpose flous, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set to the side

Mix Wet Ingredients 1

1. Mix with a whisk or fork the egg, vanilla extract, and sour dough starter until smooth (this may take a few minutes for your starter to mix in). Set aside.

Mix Wet Ingredients 2

1. Place the cubed butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar into your stand mixer bowl (or large bowl) with a paddle attachment.
2. Mix on low speed for 1 minute until small crumbles form. Scrape the edge.
3. Add chocolate chips and mix for 45 seconds. Scrape the edge.

Bringing it all together

1. Add the dry ingredients to your "wet ingredients 2" that are in your large mixer or stand mixer. Mix around 30 seconds until it becomes crumbly.
2. Pour the "wet ingredients 1" egg mixture into your large bowl for 20-30 seconds. The dough will start to be uniform and pull away from the bowl.
3. Use a spatula to stir the ingredients to ensure mixed together.

Prep & Chill

1. Use your hands or a cookie scoop to portion the dough onto a cookie tray covered with parchment paper. (2 scoops per cookie if you use a scoop).
2. Cover with plastic wrap(to stop them from drying out) and chill the dough in the fridge for 2-24 hours (longer the better).

Bake Time

1. Preheat oven to 375℉.
2. Bake 15-17 minutes (when you see the edges get golden, take them out slightly underbaked).
3. Allow the cookies to rest on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack

Notes

• Store in room temperate
• Store in air-tight containers for up to 7 days
• Frozen dough is good up to 2 months
• If you do not have bread flour, you can use all purpose in a 1:1, but it will make the cookie less chewy.