Browned Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you’ve been looking for the perfect sourdough chocolate chip cookies, this recipe combines rich browned butter with sourdough discard (or active starter) to create soft, chewy cookies with incredible flavor. It’s an easy way to use discard while making a bakery-quality treat at home.

They’re rich, soft, slightly chewy, and have that deep flavor from browned butter that just takes them to another level.

And the best part?

👉 Letting the dough rest overnight makes a huge difference.

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💛 Why You’ll Love These

• Uses sourdough discard or active starter
• Deep flavor from browned butter
• Soft, chewy texture
• Easy to make ahead
• Even better the next day

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🔥 Step 1: Brown the Butter

This is what gives these cookies their signature flavor.

You can do it on the stovetop or in the toaster oven (my personal favorite because it’s hands-off).

You’ll know it’s ready when:

• It’s bubbly
• You see brown flecks
• It smells rich and nutty

Let it cool before using—this step is important so you don’t cook the eggs.

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🥣 Building the Dough

Once your butter is cooled, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, you’ll mix it together with the sugars.

At first, it might look a little dry and crumbly or like wet sand—this is normal.

After adding the egg yolks and using the mixer for a few minutes, it transforms into a lighter, fluffier mixture.

Then comes the sourdough discard.

At this stage, the dough will look more like cake batter—but don’t worry, it comes together once you add the dry ingredients.

Add Remaining Ingredients

Mix in:

• Salt
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Vanilla

Then add:

👉 Mix until fully combined and there are no dry flour spots

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❄️ The Overnight Rest (Don’t Skip This)

This is one of the most important steps in this recipe.

Letting the dough rest overnight:

• Deepens the flavor
• Improves texture
• Allows light fermentation

You can bake them the same day—but they won’t be quite the same.

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🍪 Shaping & Baking

When you’re ready to bake:

• Preheat your oven to 350°F
• Line your baking sheet

Shape the dough into slightly flattened balls (like small hockey pucks).

This helps them bake evenly and gives that perfect cookie shape.

Bake for:

• 12 minutes
• Rotate pan (if necessary, my oven cooks uneven)
• 6 more minutes

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💡 Final Thoughts

These cookies are one of my favorite ways to use sourdough discard.

They’re simple, but the flavor is anything but.

If you’ve never tried browned butter in cookies before—this is your sign.

Continue Your Sourdough Journey

👉Simple Farmhouse Sourdough Bread Recipe (Beginner-Friendly + Digestible)
Learn the full beginner-friendly process for mixing, fermenting, shaping, and baking sourdough bread.

👉How to Fix Sticky Sourdough (7 Secrets for Soft, Airy Bread)
If you’ve struggled with sticky dough or flat loaves, I’m going to walk you through exactly how to fix it

👉Browse All Blog Posts

If you try this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a rating below ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐— it helps others and supports my small bakery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use sourdough discard straight from the fridge?
Yes, cold discard works fine for this recipe.

Do I have to chill the dough overnight?
You can bake the same day, but overnight chilling improves flavor and texture.

Why use browned butter?
Browned butter adds a deep, nutty flavor that makes these cookies richer.

Can I freeze the dough?
Yes, you can freeze shaped cookie dough and bake later.

💛 Let’s Chat

Have you tried baking with sourdough discard yet?

I’d love to hear what you’re making—or if you try these cookies!