Chocolate Sourdough Cookies are one of my favorite ways to bake with sourdough discard. Instead of tossing out excess starter, you can turn it into a rich, chocolatey treat. The starter adds a gentle tang that balances the intensity of three types of chocolate, making each cookie taste complex without being overly sweet.
Cookies were actually where my baking started-the very first recipe I ever made was oatmeal cookies. Since then I've shared everything from classics like sourdough chocolate chip cookies to iced red velvet sourdough cookies, and these chocolate-loaded cookies have quickly become a staple right alongside them.
This recipe is simple to put together, no stand mixer, no chilling, and just 30 minutes from start to finish. Readers have called these some of the best cookies they've baked, and if you're craving more chocolate bakes, try my sourdough crinkles or sourdough chocolate biscotti next.
5-Star Review ★
These cookies are absolutely fantastic 😋 Triple chocolate, espresso and sourdough! Are you kidding me, so amazing! Thank you for a great recipe!
Jen
Ingredients and Substitutions
Espresso or strong brewed coffee: brings out the flavor of chocolate, if you don't like coffee, water, Earl Gray or black tea instead.
Sourdough discard: Since you are not using it to make bread, your sourdough starter does not need to be activated or fed for it to work in this cookie recipe. Feel free to use your discard directly from the fridge. If you don't have sourdough, simply add 28 g water and 28 g all-purpose flour into your recipe.
All purpose flour: Don't substitute whole wheat flour or your cookies will be dry and crumbly.
Cocoa powder: Use Dutch-processed cocoa powder, not natural cocoa powder which is acidic and will make your cookies too puffy.
See the recipe card for full ingredient details.
Baking with sourdough discard
Sourdough discard adds a great tangy flavor to these cookies.
Older discard will have a tangier, acidic flavor than freshly-fed sourdough starter. Both will work for this recipe, you'll get a slightly different result but your cookies will still be delicious!
Love cookies made with sourdough discard? Check out my recipes for Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies and Sourdough Sugar Cookies. Need more ideas? Check out my Top Sourdough Cookie Recipes.
Step-by-step Instructions
Make the cookie dough
STEP 1. Melt chocolate in hot melted butter and strong brewed coffee
STEP 2. Whisk sugars into cooled chocolate, butter mixture
STEP 3. Fold in the sourdough discard, egg, vanilla, flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa powder
STEP 4. Stir in the chocolate chips until well distributed throughout the dough
Bake the cookies
STEP 5. Portion out the dough and arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet with room to spread
STEP 6. Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes
Notes from Hannah's Test Kitchen
- These Sourdough Chocolate Cookies are all about chocolate so make sure you invest in the best quality you can find, I usually reach for Lindt, Ghirardelli or Guittard.
- Let the melted butter cool completely. Hot butter will melt sugars and may cause your cookies to spread as they bake.
- Don't crowd your baking sheet. The cookie dough will spread a bit as they bake, arrange them at least 2 inches apart.
- Use a light-colored baking sheet. A dark colored baking sheet will absorb too much heat and burn the bottoms of your cookies.
- Don't over bake your cookies! They will turn out bland, chalky and dry.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. These cookies depend on residual heat for gentle baking, keeping them soft and delicious.
Make ahead instructions
Letting this dough rest in the fridge isn't just convenient, it also works like a long ferment. The dough has more time to develop, which brings out a deeper chocolate flavor in the baked cookies.
- Mix the cookie dough up to 1 week in advance.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap (or transfer to an airtight container).
- Refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Portion and bake straight from the fridge-no need to bring the dough to room temperature.
Note: This dough does not freeze well, so refrigeration is the best option for making it ahead.
Did this recipe rise to the occasion?
★★★★★
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Sourdough Chocolate Cookie Recipe
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Ingredients
- 113 grams unsalted butter
- 28 grams espresso or strong brewed coffee
- 50 grams dark chocolate chopped
- 150 grams brown sugar
- 50 grams white sugar
- 56 grams sourdough discard
- 1 egg
- 14 grams vanilla
- 180 grams all purpose flour
- 10 grams baking powder
- 6 grams salt
- 25 grams cocoa powder
- 172 grams chocolate chips
Click US Customary to view volume measurements
Instructions
- Melt the butter and chocolate: Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Place chopped dark chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Pour hot butter and espresso (or strong brewed coffee) over the chocolate, stir using a spatula until completely melted. Set aside and let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.113 grams unsalted butter, 28 grams espresso, 50 grams dark chocolate
- Whisk in sugars: Whisk the brown sugar and granulated sugar into the cooled chocolate and butter until the sugars are dissolved and the mixture looks smooth and thickened.150 grams brown sugar, 50 grams white sugar
- Make the dough:Add the sourdough discard, egg, vanilla, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder in that order into the mixing bowl. Stir until no traces of discard or egg and no dry bits of flour remain.56 grams sourdough discard, 1 egg, 14 grams vanilla, 180 grams all purpose flour, 10 grams baking powder, 6 grams salt, 25 grams cocoa powder
- Stir in chocolate chips: Stir the chocolate chips in until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes to allow the dough to firm up and become a little less sticky.172 grams chocolate chips
- Prep: While your dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 375 F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Portion out cookie dough: Take the cookie dough out of the refrigerator and portion them out using a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoon or 50 gram portions). Roll the dough out into rounds and flatten the top lightly. Arrange the cookie dough on your prepared baking sheets at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cookies have flattened out, the tops look dry and the edges look set. Take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool completely on the baking sheets. Your cookies will not be completely set at this point, so do not move them.
- Enjoy and store: These cookies are best enjoyed once they have completely cooled and set, they are even better the next day! Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 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.
Joy says
Hannah ~ this cookie recipe is absolutely fantastic as written! It's such a user-friendly recipe, and can be simply made with minimal fuss, resulting in maximum satisfaction. Thank you so much for sharing it with us! I've baked these cookies a couple of times now, and shared it with family & friends for various occasions. No question, these cookies have become a new favorite in our circle! Love, love them!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Hi Joy! Your comment brought me so much joy 😉. Thank you so much for making these cookies and for sharing them with your family and friends. I'm so glad you were able to find something you love here on my blog.
Sarabeth says
These turned out beautifully and taste delicious! Almost like a brownie but in cookie form. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
So glad you loved this one, Sarabeth! Thank you for your feedback.
Windy says
I was nervous to make these because of ONE comment saying this recipe wasn’t accurate…let me tell you…do NOT hesitate to make these. They are perfect and delicious! They are gooey and hold their shape wonderfully. They did not overspread in the oven. I followed the grams instructions. Turned out perfect- cannot wait to share these with family and friends.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Hi Windy - Thank you so much for looking beyond the one negative comment and trying the recipe anyway. I am so happy you loved the recipe and it worked out for you. Thank you for sharing it with your friends!
Elle says
I've made these twice now, and they are incredible! The espresso gives the chocolate more punch without tasting like coffee, and the sourdough gives it complexity and depth. The texture is a little crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. This is my family's favorite cookie!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Hi Elle, it warms my heart so much that your family loved this. I think that's the perfect description for these cookies. Happy you found a favorite!
Cheri says
Loved these! I used a chocolate sourdough starter which added a whole different chocolate dimension. I also found that they froze wonderfully. thank you for such an amazing recipe!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Hi Cheri! Thank you for your feedback. I'm so thrilled that you loved them.
Erin says
The BEST cookies ever
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Thank you, Erin! I am so happy you loved them.
Jack Power says
I followed this recipe very closely. I used a scale to measure all my ingredients. I baked them for 10 minutes, and they were completely spread out. I used a cookie cutter to roll them back into shape, but after they cooled, they were still practically liquid. I think you need to be honest in your recipe. Did you use a cookie shaper after baking? Did you chill for longer? You clearly added sea salt to make them pop in photos, which wasn't in the instructions. I have my suspicions that you wrote this to get engagement, but the recipe was mostly guesswork. It is also eerily similar to the King Arthur recipe by the same name.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
I’m sorry the cookies didn’t turn out the way you expected — I know how frustrating that can be. I test my recipes carefully, and in this case I did not use a shaper to round the cookies after baking. Excess spreading can be caused by several factors, including butter temperature. Do you happen to remember how long the butter cooled before you mixed in the sugars?
I also want to note that this recipe was originally published on my site well before the one you mentioned. My intention is always to share recipes that readers can trust, not to chase trends or create engagement. If you look through my recipe catalog, you’ll see that most of what I share isn’t based on what’s “trending,” but on what I genuinely enjoy baking and developing.
I appreciate you taking the time to try the recipe and to share your experience. I truly value constructive feedback, but accusations about my intent aren’t fair.