Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe for Crispy-Edge Soft-Center Treats

Sourdough chocolate chip cookies that are soft, chewy, full of chocolate with a subtle sourdough tang. If you’re fed up with cakey sourdough cookies, this recipe delivers the chewy, gooey texture you’re after.

I’ve been baking with sourdough since 2019 and one challenge was finding a chocolate chip cookie that retained chewiness when made with starter discard.

After more than two years and dozens of batches, I finally landed on a method that yields a super-chewy cookie using sourdough discard.

Sourdough can add extra air and acidity to doughs, which often produces a cakey cookie if over-mixed. This recipe avoids that by minimizing aeration and using a few targeted techniques to keep the cookies dense, tender and chewy.

If you love sourdough cookies, try my other recipes for more variety: sourdough oatmeal cookies, sourdough peanut butter cookies and additional sourdough cookie recipes available on the site.

🍪Ingredients

Sourdough discard: This recipe is designed for discard. You can use active starter, but it may produce a lighter, less chewy texture. I like using discard that was fed about 24 hours before baking for best flavor.

All-purpose flour: The recipe uses AP flour. Using bread flour can make the cookies denser.

Soft butter: Bring butter to room temperature so it creams easily without becoming greasy.

Eggs: The recipe uses one whole egg plus one yolk. Using two whole eggs tends to produce a cakier cookie.

See the recipe card below for exact quantities and full ingredient details.

⭐️Tips for Making Chewy Sourdough Cookies

• Use soft butter: Remove butter from the fridge about 30 minutes before mixing. It should be soft but still slightly firm so it creams with sugar without over-aerating.
• Don’t over-mix: Mix just until ingredients are combined. Excess mixing incorporates air and makes cookies fluffy instead of chewy.
• Skip chilling: Unlike many cookie recipes, this dough can be baked right away. Chilling tends to produce taller, fluffier cookies rather than the desired chewy texture.
• Measure flour correctly: Fluff the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup and level with a knife. Scooping directly with the cup adds too much flour and dries the dough.

🥣How to Make

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9″x13″ baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2: In a small bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

Step 3: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. Do not over-whip.

Step 4: Add the brown and granulated sugars and mix until fully incorporated into the butter. Be careful not to over-mix these steps to avoid adding excess air.

💡Pro Tip: Mix just until everything is combined; too much mixing introduces air that leads to cakey cookies.

Step 5: Add the sourdough discard, whole egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Mix just until combined.

Step 6: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until the flour is incorporated.

Step 7: Fold in the chocolate chips.

Step 8: Using a cookie scoop (about 1.5–2 tablespoons), portion the dough into balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet, spaced a couple inches apart.

Step 9: Bake 10–12 minutes, until edges are lightly golden and centers are set. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top if desired.

💡Pro Tip: If the cookies aren’t flattening, remove the pan with about two minutes left and gently tap it on a hard surface to settle the cookies, then return to the oven to finish baking.

Step 10: Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve slightly warm for best texture.

❓Recipe FAQs

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Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies