Easy Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Last Updated on October 10, 2025 by Jamie Saechao

These soft and chewy sourdough discard chocolate chip cookies hit the sweet spot and are the perfect holiday Christmas cookie.

Dripping with gooey chocolate chips, these decadent cookies are flaked with sea salt and enriched with that complex sourdough tang.

These soft and chewy cookies have all the essential ingredients in a classic chocolate chip cookie- but the added sourdough discard offers a deeper dimension to the texture and flavor. *Insert chef’s kiss!*

After numerous attempts and much taste testing, we’ve cracked the code to the perfect cookies. My four young chefs in training and neighborly taste testers all give the stamp of approval.

These sourdough cookies are so easy to make, and with crispy edges, chocolate chunks, and soft centers, I truly think they are the best cookies.

There are no special steps or unique ingredients for this recipe. You’ll need basic pantry ingredients for these cookies, as well as sourdough starter discard.  

Looking for more sourdough discard recipes? Try these granola bars, brownies, or pumpkin muffins.

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Ingredients

Remember that high-quality, fresh ingredients always perform best when baking cookies.  Here are the highlights from this recipe:

• All Purpose flour– I love to use high-quality organic flour when possible.
• Salt- The sweetness of chocolate chip cookies must be offset by salt.
• Sourdough Discard– Sourdough discard is the secret ingredient that adds unique flavor and depth to this treat. For these cookies I used sourdough starter that is no longer active. In this case, I fed the starter the evening before, and by mid-afternoon the next day, the starter was flat.
• Brown Sugar + White Sugar
• Chocolate Chips I like to use mini and full size semi sweet chocolate chips for extra flavor.
• Vanilla Extract–  Use a high-quality vanilla extract to compliment the chocolate.

See below for the full ingredient list.

If you love sourdough discard cookies try my sourdough snickerdoodles and double chocolate cookies.

Variations

You can always add more or less chocolate chips or sub them with unique ingredients. My mom’s favorite thing to do is add miniature chocolate chips to her recipe. 

Feel free to change this recipe up with white or milk chocolate chips, pecans, mini peanut butter cups, or dark chocolate chips.

Supplies

You’ll need a few basic supplies for this recipe:

• Kitchen scale (optional, for measuring sourdough discard)
• 1.5 tbs cookie scoop (I use this one)
• Two large bowls
• Hand or stand mixer
• Measuring spoons + cups
• Baking tray
• Parchment paper

For more easy sourdough discard recipes try my cheesy rolls or crackers.

How To Make

First, combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk very well, making sure all the ingredients are combined.

Next, blend the brown and white sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs, and discard in a large mixing bowl. Use a hand or stand mixer and blend on medium low speed until the ingredients are fully incorporated. The batter will be creamy.

Slowly add the flour mix to the wet ingredients. I add about one-third of the flour at a time. Make sure the batter is fully incorporated. 

Now, add the chocolate chips to the batter and fold in with a wooden spoon. You should have a beautiful soft dough chock full of chocolate chips.  

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Grab your cookie scoop and drop dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes. For chewy sourdough cookies, they should look slightly underdone when you pull them from the oven. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool!

Let cool on the pan for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

As soon as the cookies are done baking, sprinkle with flaky salt. Though optional, that little sprinkle of flaky sea salt takes these cookies to the gourmet level!

Storage 

• Store your cookies on the countertop in an airtight container for 7-10 days. 
• These cookies freeze well: wrap them in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer-safe bag  up to three months.

Fermenting

If you’d like to long ferment these delicious cookies, cover the dough and leave in the fridge for up to 48 hours.  

Tips

• When chilled, the cookie dough is a little stiffer to shape and form, and you may have to use both hands to form the cookie dough balls.
• You may be wondering when sourdough discard is ready to use. The truth is, you can use your sourdough at any time for this recipe. Bubbly, active sourdough will give you a puffier cookie. Most people use discard from their sourdough. This is when the starter is inactive and runny (this is what I used in my recipe). 
• The amount of cookies depends on the type of cookie scoop you use, as the scoop affects size. I use this KitchenAid cookie scoop, which gives around 44 cookies.
• Oven temperatures can vary! Keep an eye on your cookies and pull them from the oven when they are almost done but still look a little bit gooey. Removing the cookies just a tad early will give that irresistibly soft and chewy texture.