These Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies are truly chewy (not crisp or gooey) with a rich nutty, toffee-like flavor thanks to the addition of browned butter and dark brown sugar. Incorporating a little bit of sourdough discard to these chocolate chip cookies adds a delicious tang that makes these cookies truly unique.
Sponsored by Imperial Sugar
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What makes this chocolate chip cookie recipe special?
Nothing beats a truly chewy cookie. Many cookies claim to be chewy but are actually under baked gooey cookies. While gooey cookies can be really good, gooey sourdough cookies tend to taste raw and unappetizing.
Thanks to the perfect ratio of ingredients and tried and tested baking method these Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies are truly chewy and will retain their texture without becoming crispy and stale.
If you love sourdough cookies, check out my collection of Top Sourdough Discard Cookie Recipes!
Recipe Box Series
This Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe is part of my Recipe Box Series with Imperial Sugar. Each month, I’ll be releasing recipes for classic bakes made with a sourdough twist! You can look forward to comforting classics like Sourdough Sticky Buns, Apple Pie with Sourdough Crust, Sourdough Pumpkin Bundt Cake and Sourdough Monkey Bread.
Sugar is such a vital part of every dessert, it imparts flavor, texture, moisture, and without it, it would be impossible to make our favorite bakes. I use a combination of Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar and Imperial Sugar Dark Brown Sugar in these cookies. The granulated sugar gives the cake structure and lightness, while brown sugar adds moisture and rich toffee-like flavor. The combination is essential to the texture of this recipe, but if you only have one in your pantry, use dark brown sugar to maintain the chewy texture of these cookies.
Imperial Sugar products are 100 percent pure cane sugar, non-GMO and provide consistently delicious results.
What you need
Oil: Oil stays liquid at room temperature and helps these cookies maintain their chewy texture. I recommend using olive oil for added flavor, but any type will work.
Walnuts: Skip the nuts if you're allergic. Add more chocolate or use dried fruit.
Chocolate: Chocolate chips contain lecithin which helps them keep their shape, chocolate chunks impart a better mouthfeel to these cookies.
Baking with sourdough discard
Sourdough discard adds a great tangy flavor, this touch of little acidity cuts through the sugary sweetness of these cookies. You can use your sourdough discard directly from the fridge since you are not using it to make bread. No need activate or feed your your sourdough starter before using it in this recipe.
If you love these sourdough cookies, try my recipes for Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sourdough Discard Chewy Spice Cookies, Sourdough Discard Crinkle Cookies, Sourdough Discard Oatmeal Cookies and Sourdough Ube White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies.
Step-by-step Instructions
STEP 1: Brown butter and cool before adding to cookie dough.
STEP 2: Whisk sugars into cooled butter.
TIP: Brown butter imparts a rich nutty flavor. Let the butter cool completely or it will melt your sugars and cause your cookies to spread and lose their shape.
STEP 3: Make the dough and chill for at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days
STEP 4: Use a large cookie scoop to measure out cookie dough balls into 3 tablespoon portions
TIP: If you find your cookies are spreading too much, the culprit might be that the butter in the dough was still too warm during baking. To remedy this, refrigerate your cookie dough for at least an hour, and you can even let it chill for up to 2 days before baking. The longer you let it chill, the more delicious flavor it will develop.
STEP 5: Bake at 375 F for 11 minutes using a light-colored baking sheet
STEP 6: Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack
TIP: Let your cookies cool on baking sheet, this step is just as important as baking. Your cookies will be soft and under baked when you pull them out of the oven. Residual heat from your baking sheets will continue to bake your cookies as they rest, this is how you get cookies that are soft and chewy not crispy.
Tips for success
Use chocolate chunks not chips: Chunks of chocolate instead of chocolate chips will impart a richer mouthfeel and will create gorgeous chocolate puddles in your cookies.
Use a cookie scoop: Portion out the dough using a cookie scoop instead of rolling your cookie dough this imparts the desirable scraggly texture in these cookies.
Use a light-colored baking sheet: Darker baking sheets heat up more in the oven, this will cause your cookies to become over baked and lose their chewy texture. The baking times for these cookies are quite precise and depend on the color of your baking sheet.
Recipe FAQs
If you have trouble with your cookies spreading, your butter was probably too warm when you baked them. Try to chill your cookies for a longer period of time before baking.
If you don’t have time to chill your cookie dough for an extended period, try portioning them out first and then freezing the dough balls for at least 30 minutes. You’ll still have to chill the dough for some time but it won’t take as long as chilling the entire bulk of cookie dough.
To make these cookies ahead, portion them out and freeze them on a baking tray for 1 hour. When completely frozen, store them in a ziplock bag for up to a month. Bake them at 375 F, but add 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time.
Sourdough cookies incorporate sourdough discard in the cookie dough. Sourdough adds a nuanced flavor and moisture that makes these cookies taste fresh for longer.
Yes! Since you are not using it for leavening, your sourdough discard does not need to be active and can be used unfed, straight from the refrigerator.
Other sourdough cookie recipes you may like
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Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
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Ingredients
- 113 g butter
- 21 g miso, red or white (optional)
- 5 g milk powder (optional)
- 20 g olive oil
- 2 egg yolks
- 100 g Imperial Sugar Dark Brown Sugar
- 67 g Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 56 g sourdough discard
- 8 g vanilla
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- 10 g baking powder
- 5 g salt
- 113 g dark chocolate 1 bar
- 100 g walnuts (optional)
Click US Customary to view volume measurements
Instructions
- Brown butter: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat,. Once melted, continue to heat butter for 2 to 3 minutes swirling the pan occasionally to loosen the milk solids from the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat when the milk solids are golden brown and the butter has a nutty aroma. Transfer the butter to a heatproof bowl. Whisk the miso and powdered milk into the brown butter, if using. Let the brown butter cool for 10 minutes.113 g butter, 21 g miso,, 5 g milk powder
- Make the cookie dough: Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, egg yolks and vanilla to browned butter and whisk until combined. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes.20 g olive oil, 2 egg yolks, 100 g Imperial Sugar Dark Brown Sugar, 67 g Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar, 8 g vanilla
- Whisk the mixture after the rest period until it looks fluffy and lighter in color. Stir in sourdough discard until no traces of discard remain.56 g sourdough discard
- Fold the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt into the brown butter mixture until no traces of dry flour remain.180 g all-purpose flour, 10 g baking powder, 5 g salt
- Add mix-ins: Stir in the chopped chocolate chips and walnuts (if using).113 g dark chocolate, 100 g walnuts
- Chill dough: Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- Prepare for baking: As your dough chills, preheat the oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Portion out cookie dough: Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, divide the dough into 12 roughly equal portions. Arrange 6 cookies on each baking sheet, spacing them out evenly.
- Bake: Bake cookies one tray at a time (refrigerate the remaining cookie dough portions) for 11 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the tray from the oven and let the cookies set for 5 to 10 minutes on the baking tray. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
- Enjoy and store: These cookies are better after they have cooled slightly and the interior has set. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Tips
These recipes were developed and tested using grams for precise measurements. To increase your chances of success, I recommend investing in a kitchen scale. I've included rough volume estimates (in tablespoons and cups), but they might not be totally accurate.
Remember all ovens are unique, these recipes were tested in my oven which runs cooler than others. You might need to lower the temperature if your bake appears to be browning too quickly. Monitor your bake closely and make adjustments if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist or dietitian, any nutrition information provided is an estimate.
Rebecca Bart says
The absolute easiest and best tasting sourdough chocolate chip cookies ever.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
High praise indeed! Thank you so much!
Thomas says
So glad I found this recipe.. I've been making chocochip cookies for years w/ great results (basic recipe, using Kenji as a guide.. only caveats I tell ppl if they ask me is BROWN the butter and age it atleast 24 hours)...
I just started playing with bread and my own sourdough starters & figured sourdough might interact with cookies in a similar way as the resting period acts (bacteria, yeasts, enzymes etc... because that rest period I'm the fridge really MAKES the cookie)...
I also am about to try using milk powder for the first time (just seems to make sense given how browning your butter adds so much depth)...
I didn't expect to find a recipe that would incorporate ALL of these variables but this one does... plus more lol (oil and miso)...
I haven't tried this yet but I'm certain it's going to be incredible... I was just going to follow my own ideas but since this incorporates everything I'm thinking of (and more) I'm just going to follow this more or less to the T (minus the miso because I don't have.. and I'm unemployed)...
I can't wait to take a look at some of the other recipes here too because just a cursory look over this one says this lady knows what she's doing..
Thanks; cheers
Elise McNeill says
And dont leave out the miso!
Elise McNeill says
Made this for my husband as I am gluten free and he says they are one of my best ever bakes!. I was looking for ways to use my sourdough discard and am so glad I found you! I will have to try them with GF flour next time.
Heyhal says
Can I just use the miso and not the powdered milk? Or should they be used together (or not at all)?
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Hi! So excited that you want to try the miso. You can use just the miso without the powdered milk and it will still taste great.
Hannah