Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
These brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies are rich, chewy, and packed with deep caramel flavor. Browning the butter adds a nutty warmth, while sourdough discard gives a subtle tang that balances the sweetness perfectly. They’re the kind of cookie that tastes bakery-worthy but comes together easily at home.
Servings: 24
Calories: 328kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup 226 g unsalted butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3/4 cup sourdough discard unfed or active
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips or chunks
- Optional: flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
1. Brown the Butter
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the butter foams and golden brown bits form on the bottom and it smells nutty. Remove from heat and immediately pour into a large heat-safe bowl. Let cool for 10–15 minutes.
2. Mix the Sugars
- Whisk the brown sugar and granulated sugar into the cooled brown butter until smooth and glossy.
3. Add Wet Ingredients
- Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract until fully combined and slightly thickened.
4. Add Dry Ingredients
- Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt over the dough. Use a spatula to gently fold everything together just until no dry flour remains. Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Chill the Dough
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour (or up to 24 hours for deeper flavor).
6. Bake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop dough into 2-tablespoon balls and place 2–3 inches apart. - Bake for 10–12 minutes, until edges are set and centers still look slightly underbaked.
7. Finish & Cool
- Remove from oven, sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt if desired, and allow cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
This recipe works with unfed, fed, or slightly active sourdough discard. Discard straight from the fridge is fine.
Remove cookies when the centers look slightly underbaked. They’ll finish setting as they cool.
Chocolate chunks, chopped bars, or a mix of dark and semi-sweet chocolate all work well.
Scoop dough into balls and freeze solid. Store frozen dough for up to 3 months and bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.
Sprinkle warm cookies with flaky sea salt or add ½ teaspoon espresso powder to the dough for deeper chocolate flavor.