🍪 Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies 🍪
Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 20–25 cookies
❤️🔥Ingredients❤️🔥
• 1 cup (226 g) salted butter
• 1 cup (220 g) brown sugar
• 1 cup (210 g) granulated sugar
• 1 whole egg + 2 egg yolks, room temp
• 1 cup (250 g) sourdough discard, room temp
• 2 tbsp heavy cream (or milk / half & half)
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2½ cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1½ cups (300 g) chocolate chips
• Flaky sea salt (for topping)
🚨Instructions (Simplified)🚨
1. Brown the butter
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Let it foam and turn lightly golden (about 5 minutes).
Pour into a large bowl and let cool slightly (warm, not hot).
2. Mix dry ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Mix sugars & eggs
Add brown sugar and white sugar to the brown butter. Whisk well.
Add the egg and egg yolks and whisk 2–3 minutes until smooth and slightly lighter.
4. Add wet ingredients
Whisk in sourdough discard, cream, and vanilla until smooth.
5. Combine
Gently fold dry ingredients into wet just until combined.
Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Chill the dough
Cover and refrigerate at least 2–4 hours (overnight is best for flavor).
7. Bake
• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Line baking sheets with parchment
• Let dough sit at room temp 20–25 minutes so it’s easier to scoop
• Scoop large balls (about 3 tbsp each) and space 2 inches apart
• Bake 10–12 minutes, until edges are lightly golden and centers look soft
✨Pro Tips ✨
• Longer chill = stronger sourdough flavor
• Underbake slightly for gooey centers
• These freeze well as dough balls
Baking with sourdough discard is a fantastic way to reduce waste and add a unique depth of flavor to your baked goods. When using sourdough discard in chocolate chip cookies, it brings a subtle tanginess that balances beautifully with the sweetness of the brown sugar and chocolate chips. I find that the longer you chill the dough, the more pronounced the sourdough flavor becomes, which adds a delightful complexity that’s hard to achieve with regular cookies. Brown butter itself is a game-changer—its nutty aroma and rich taste elevate the cookies to a gourmet level. When browning butter, it’s important to watch it carefully and remove it from heat just as it reaches a golden brown color to avoid bitterness. Pouring it into a bowl to cool slightly—warm but not hot—ensures it blends smoothly with sugars and eggs. One personal tip is to slightly underbake the cookies to keep the centers soft and gooey, which contrasts nicely with the crisp edges. I also love sprinkling a bit of flaky sea salt on top before baking; it enhances the chocolate's sweetness and creates a perfect sweet-salty combination. If you’re short on time, you can freeze the dough balls and bake fresh cookies whenever you want, which is incredibly convenient and preserves the flavor and texture. Overall, this recipe strikes the right balance between the rich, toasty notes of brown butter and the subtle sourdough tang, resulting in irresistibly delicious cookies that make a great treat for family and friends.
