If you keep a jar of sourdough discard in the fridge, these sourdough chocolate chip cookies are such a good way to use it. They bake up soft in the centre with crisp edges, chewy middles and melty chocolate throughout. The discard adds a lovely depth without making them taste sour, and the dough is very forgiving.

A stack of chocolate chip cookies sits on a tray, with the top cookie broken in half to reveal a gooey, melty chocolate center. More cookies and a glass of milk are blurred in the background.

Sourdough discard cookies

Sourdough discard adds moisture, flavour and a little acidity to the dough. That acidity helps the baking soda do its job and improves the texture, giving then a really soft centre. Using discard in cookies is also a handy way to reduce waste, especially if you bake bread often or refresh your starter more than once a week.

If you are still building your starter or want to learn more about how it, see my sourdough starter guides, or my collection of sourdough discard recipes.

Just a few ingredients

Butter: this can be salted butter or unsalted butter. The butter is melted which makes a chewier cookie.
Sugar: both granulated sugar and soft brown sugar. The soft brown sugar adds chew and white sugar adds crisp.
All-purpose flour and baking soda
Sourdough starter: an acidic discard starter is best, but you can also use a more active sourdough starter.
Chocolate chips: I use a mix of dark and milk chocolate chips. You can also chop up a chocolate bar into chocolate chunks and use that instead.
Egg and vanilla

How to make sourdough chocolate chip cookies

Whisk the melted butter and sugars until smooth and glossy.

A hand uses a metal whisk to mix a thick, yellow-orange batter in a clear glass bowl on a wooden surface.

Add the sourdough discard, egg and vanilla and mix well.

A hand stirs chocolate chip cookie dough in a clear glass bowl with a blue spatula on a wooden surface.

Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate.

Chill the dough for at least two hours, or overnight for the best results.

A hand holds a cookie scoop over a glass bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough on a wooden surface, with a baking sheet lined with parchment paper nearby.

Scoop the dough onto a lined tray and bake until the edges are set.

A hand holds up a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie above a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, with more cookies visible in the background on a wooden surface.

Let the cookies cool on the tray before moving them to a rack.

Variations

Salted chocolate: Sprinkle flaky salt on top after baking.
Nuts: Fold in chopped pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts
Coffee: Add a teaspoon of instant espresso for a deeper flavour.
Brown butter: I’ve got a brown butter cookie version on my baking with butter blog.

Storing

Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The baked cookies can also be frozen for up to three months. The unbaked cookie dough balls can be made in advance and frozen for up to three months.

FAQs

Yup. Up to 48 hours in the fridge is fine.

Yes but sometimes this can give just a slightly yeasty flavour to the dough rather than with a discard starter which is more acid-forward.

No, the starter brings a bit of depth and texture, not tang.

A close-up of a sourdough chocolate chip cookie with a bite taken out, revealing a gooey chocolate center. Other cookies are stacked and scattered in the background on parchment paper.

More sourdough discard recipes