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Chewy Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you thought the classic chocolate chip cookie left nothing to be desired, think again. By adding sourdough discard and nutty-caramelized butter, these brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies are infused with out-of-this-world flavor. An accompanying how-to video is included.

A batch of baked sourdough chocolate chip cookies on a wire rack sprinkled with flaky salt.

This recipe may be the most controversial cookie recipe on the internet. For peanut butter lovers everywhere, it is the cookie to beat all cookies. For die-hard chocolate chip cookie traditionalists, adding a generous scoop of peanut butter is absurd cookie mutiny.

Thankfully, though, the peanut butter is totally optional, and both parties will be wholehearted fans of the ultimate secret ingredient in these sourdough chocolate chip cookies: brown butter.

And yes, let me assure you, it is completely worth the additional time it takes to brown the butter. You will not regret this “fussy” extra step. It dramatically improves the flavor of the cookies. Some things in life are worth fussing over.

A batch of brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies on a wire rack.

Don’t be surprised if you find yourself browning butter for all your favorite cookie recipes after sinking your teeth into these. My sourdough oatmeal cookie recipe is another classic cookie that is vastly enhanced by the addition of brown butter.

Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lots of recipes can be adapted into sourdough recipes by simply adding a bit of sourdough discard, but I wanted truly chewy sourdough chocolate chip cookies that weren’t dense and cake-like, which is what you get if you try adding discard to your regular chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Because sourdough starter discard is made of flour and water, and cookies don’t typically include much liquid, if any at all, I had to figure out how to reduce the liquid content.

In developing this recipe, I opted to brown the butter, which cooks off a bit of the liquid and intensifies the butter’s flavor profile—a win-win for these cookies. Next, I eliminated the egg whites and chose to use only egg yolks.

Lastly, I reduced the standard amount of vanilla extract used in most chocolate chip cookies, and viola—the perfect sourdough chocolate chip cookie emerged from the oven. I like to press a few dark chocolate chips into the still-warm cookies and add a sprinkling of flaky salt to top them off.

A batch of baked brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies on a wire rack.

What You’ll Need

Here are the key ingredients for these brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies:

  • Sourdough discard. I used to think the claims that discard really improved the flavor of baked goods was a bit overblown. I was wrong. It utterly does, and my sourdough chocolate cupcakes are a prime example of this phenomenon. You can make them with or without discard, and I have done both. The discard version is remarkably tastier.
  • Brown butter. This step is crucial but very easy to do; it only takes about 7 extra minutes, and it is incredible how much the flavor is improved with this simple trick. It’s also very important for these cookies because it helps to reduce the liquid content, which is important for achieving that great chewy texture.
  • Egg yolks. Eggs also play an important role in producing a chewy and puffy cookie with the right texture. Again, because we are adding the discard, which contains water, we have to reduce the liquid from somewhere else. I do that here by eliminating the egg whites.
  • Peanut butter. Though optional, I love the extra bit of flavor peanut butter adds to these cookies. The salty notes in the peanut butter complement and offset the sweetness of the sugars. Just ask my entire team of T-ball players (and their parents) what they think of this subtle little ingredient, and they’ll back my claims; PB for the win!
  • Pure vanilla extract. I always recommend using a high-quality pure vanilla extract in baked goods. A little goes a long way here.
  • Chocolate chips. These are classic chocolate chip cookies, and they taste fantastic with semi-sweet chocolate chips folded into the dough. However, my little hint to set these cookies apart from the crowd is to press a few dark chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies while they are cooling on the cookie sheet. It makes them taste and look amazing.
  • Flaky salt. It is incredible how a few flecks of flaky salt on each cookie totally transforms these age-old cookies into something remarkably better.

How to make sourdough chocolate chip cookies.

Step 1. Brown the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Keep a close eye on it the entire time. It will sizzle and pop for a while. Stir frequently and continue cooking until bits on the bottom of the pan begin to turn brown. This took me about 7 minutes.

Once the butter starts turning brown let it deepen in color for a few seconds and then immediately remove from heat and pour into a large heatproof bowl to cool until no longer warm. You’ll notice a fragrant, nutty smell when the butter starts to brown.

Step 2. Once the butter has cooled, add the sugars, egg yolks, vanilla extract, sourdough discard, and peanut butter. Mix until well incorporated.

A bowl filled with the unmixed wet ingredients for sourdough cookies.

Step 3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

A bowl filled with the dry ingredients for sourdough chocolate chip cookies with a whisk.

Step 4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring until just combined.

A large bowl filled with the wet mixture and dry mixture for brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies.

Step 5. Use a spatula to fold in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed.

A batch of sourdough cookie dough in a large glass bowl with a few cups of chocolate chip cookies dumped on top.

Step 6. Cover the bowl of cookie dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour, or even overnight. It’s important to chill this pliable dough so that it will hold its shape during the baking.

A bowl of brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookie dough in a large glass bowl covered with plastic wrap in a refrigerator.

Step 7. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (The best tool for baking cookies.) Set aside.

Step 8. Use a cookie scoop or your hands to roll cookie dough balls into 2 Tablespoon-sized balls. Place 8 balls onto prepared cookie sheets. Gently press down on each ball to slightly flatten each one (just a slight press).

A woman pressing a sourdough brown butter cookie dough ball down on top of a cookie sheet.

Step 9. Bake each batch for 10-13 minutes or until the edges appear set and lightly browned on the sides. I baked mine for about 13 minutes on my light-colored aluminum sheets, and 10½ on my dark-colored sheets.

A parchment lined baking sheet with eight sourdough chocolate chip cookie dough balls placed on it.

Step 10. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes. While they are cooling on the sheet, you can press a few more chocolate chips into the tops of the warm cookies and sprinkle them with flaky salt. After 10 minutes, transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

A baked batch of sourdough chocolate chip cookies on a wire rack.

Alicia’s Tip

Make sure you place cookie dough balls onto completely cool cookie sheets. If you set your dough balls on a hot baking sheet, it will mess up your cookies, usually causing them to spread flat. I like to keep my cookie dough covered in the fridge between cooking each batch.

Storage

After cooling completely, place cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this cookie dough ahead of time?

This sourdough cookie dough is great for mixing up the day before, or even up to 4 days in advance. Mix up the dough, fold in the chocolate chips, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to scoop out your dough balls and bake. If the dough has chilled for more than an hour, it may be difficult to scoop out. That’s okay; just let it sit at room temperature until it is easier to work with.

Can I freeze the cookie dough balls or the baked cookies?

Yes, these cookies are great for making ahead of time and freezing the cookie dough balls. I like to flash-freeze the cookie dough balls first and then pop them into a freezer bag until I’m ready to bake them. You can bake them straight from the freezer; no thawing is needed. Just add a minute to the baking time.

Baked and cooled cookies can also be frozen, but we usually devour all of ours too quickly to bother our heads about saving them for later.

Chewy Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

Alicia Pyle
These brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies are elevated and infused with out-of-this-world flavor by adding the complex flavors of sourdough discard and nutty-caramelized butter.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Servings 35 cookies
Calories 189 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted browned butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter something like JIF (don't use natural peanut butter with oil separation)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup sourdough discard
  • 1 and 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • dark chocolate chips for pressing into the tops after baking
  • flaky salt to sprinkle over baked cookies

Instructions
 

  • Brown the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Keep a close eye on it the entire time. It will sizzle and pop for a while. Stir frequently and continue cooking until bits on the bottom of the pan begin to turn brown. Immediately remove from heat and pour into a large heatproof bowl to cool until no longer warm. You'll notice a fragrant, nutty smell when the butter starts to brown.
    1 cup unsalted browned butter
  • Once the butter has cooled, add the sugars, egg yolks, vanilla extract, sourdough discard, and peanut butter. Mix until well incorporated.
    1 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 2 large egg yolks 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/3 cup sourdough discard
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
    2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring until just combined.
  • Use a spatula to fold in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed.
    1 and 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Cover the bowl of cookie dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour, or even overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (The best tool for baking cookies.) Set aside.
  • Use a cookie scoop or your hands to roll cookie dough balls into 2 Tablespoon-sized balls. Place 8 balls onto prepared cookie sheets. Gently press down on each ball to slightly flatten (just a slight press).
  • Bake each batch for 10-13 minutes or until the edges appear set and lightly browned on the sides.
  • Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes. If desired, you can press a few more chocolate chips into the tops of the warm cookies while cooling on the sheet and sprinkle with flaky salt. After 10 mintues transfer baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Cover leftover cookies in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Video

Notes

Make ahead and freezing steps: You can prepare the dough ahead of time and let it chill in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to bake allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes and the proceed with step 7.
Baked cookies can be frozen once completely cooled for up to 3 months.
Unbaked cookie dough balls also freeze well. Bake the frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute; there is no need to thaw.

Nutrition

Calories: 189kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 2gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 96mgPotassium: 83mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 181IUCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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