Description
These Brown Butter Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies are a decadent twist on classic cookies, featuring nutty browned butter, tangy sourdough discard, and rich chocolate chips. After chilling the dough for deeper flavor and thicker texture, they bake into perfectly soft-centered, golden-edged treats topped with melty chocolate and an optional sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
- ½ cup sourdough discard, unfed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Mix-ins and Garnish
- 1-1/2 cups dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, plus extra for topping
- Flaky sea salt, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Brown the Butter: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir and swirl occasionally until it foams, then turns golden brown and emits a nutty aroma. Scrape all the browned bits into a large mixing bowl and let cool for 10–15 minutes.
- Add Sugars and Mix: Add the light brown sugar and granulated sugar to the browned butter. Whisk thoroughly to combine until smooth.
- Incorporate Eggs and Vanilla: Add the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
- Add Sourdough Discard: Stir in the unfed sourdough discard until fully incorporated and the mixture is uniform.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon.
- Mix Dry into Wet: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Fold in the 1-1/2 cups of dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate evenly throughout the dough.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 72 hours. Chilling is essential for thicker cookies and enhanced flavor.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Shape Cookies: Scoop dough into 2-tablespoon-sized balls and place them on the baking sheet, spacing each ball about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers appear slightly soft but set.
- Finish Cookies: Immediately after baking, press extra chocolate chips on top of each cookie. Optionally, use a large round cookie cutter or glass to gently “scoot” the cookies into perfect circular shapes.
- Cool Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired and let cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Adding a slice of sandwich bread to the container helps keep cookies soft.
- Reheating: Warm cookies in a 300°F oven for 3–5 minutes or microwave individual cookies for 8–10 seconds. Using an air fryer at 300°F for 2–3 minutes produces a slightly crisp edge.
- Freezing: Freeze baked cookies in a zip-top bag for up to 2 months after cooling completely. Freeze cookie dough balls on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake dough balls from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to baking time.
- Tips: Chill dough for at least 2 hours for shape and flavor. Use room-temperature sourdough discard. Carefully brown the butter to include all browned bits. Press extra chocolate chips on top for a bakery look. Scoot cookies into neat circles right after baking for an attractive finish.
- Alternate Cooking Methods: None. This recipe requires baking in a conventional oven.
- Leftovers: Store at room temperature for snacking. Crumble over ice cream or yogurt. Use leftover dough in brownies, milkshakes, or skillet cookies.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 130mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
