These Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies are so easy to make and simply delicious. The cookie dough comes together in only a few minutes are is loaded with dark chocolate chips, yet free of refined sugar. The addition of sourdough discard makes these cookies soft, chewy, and irresistible.
If you have an active sourdough starter, then you likely have more Sourdough Discard than you know what to do with—And you don’t want to waste it! When maintaining a sourdough starter, discard is the portion you get rid of (hence the name) when you feed your starter. The addition of sourdough discard makes for wonderfully chewy cookies that you are going to love!
If you are looking for more sourdough discard recipes check out my Sourdough Brownies, Mixed Berry Sourdough Galette, or Heirloom Tomato Galette.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy To Make: These cookies only require a handful of real food ingredients and are so easy to make. The dough comes together in minutes, and you will have freshly baked chewy chocolate chip cookies in about 30 minutes!
- Great Way To Use Up Sourdough Discard: Instead of discarding the excess sourdough starter during the feeding process, you can repurpose it into a tasty dessert.
- Improved Texture: The acidity in the discard interacts with other ingredients and creates a super chewy texture in cookies.
Ingredients
- Almond Flour: I prefer Bob's Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour, but any fine Almond Flour will be great. I’ve used both the super fine and regular almond flour which made the cookie a bit grainy, but still delicious.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These will help the cookies rise.
- Sea Salt: Any sea salt will work, however, something like Redmond Real Salt is a great option, as it includes trace minerals.
- Sourdough Starter Discard: You can either use discard or active starter.
- Ghee: Ghee can be a great option for those who do not handle dairy, but you can also use coconut oil or butter if you like.
- Almond Butter: You will want to use plain-creamy almond butter that is well mixed. I like to use my Homemade Almond Butter, or you can use peanut butter instead.
- Egg: Room temperature, if time permits.
- Maple Syrup: If possible, organic maple syrup with no additives is best.
- Cinnamon: The cinnamon adds warmth and flavor to the cookie.
- Vanilla Extract: If you don't have vanilla extract you can also use vanilla bean paste.
- Chocolate Chips or Chocolate Bar chopped into Chunks: To keep this recipe refined sugar-free, you will want to use chocolate chips or a chocolate bar like Hu. Their chocolate has no dairy, no GMOs, no emulsifiers, no lecithins, no gluten, no refined sugar, no cane sugar, AND no sugar alcohols. YAY! I love these Hu Gems.
- Finishing Salt: I like a little flaky sea salt on top. Maldon's Sea Salt is my favorite.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions And Variations
- Almond Flour: If you can't use almond flour you can substitute with 1:1 gluten-free baking flour or oat flour. If gluten-free cooking is not a priority, you can also make these cookies with all-purpose flour or bread flour.
- Ghee: If you don’t like ghee, you can use unsalted butter or coconut oil (coconut oil will yield a slightly sweeter cookie).
- Chocolate Chips: If you don't have good quality refined sugar-free chocolate chips like Hu's. You can also chop up your favorite chocolate bar and make your own chocolate chunks.
- Sweetener: To keep this recipe refined sugar-free, I use maple syrup, but you could also use coconut sugar. If refined sugar is not an issue for you, feel free to use brown sugar or regular white sugar.
How To Make Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step 1. In a medium-sized bowl add the almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Step 2. In a large bowl add almond butter, melted ghee, 1 egg, and sourdough discard. Mix with a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment for about 1 minute or until everything is combined and smooth.
Step 3. Add in maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Mix again for about 30 seconds. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a spatula to combine.
Step 4. Fold in ¾ cup chocolate chips. Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and put the dough in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to set.
Step 5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Using a cookie scoop, measure the dough into 12 balls and place each ball on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently press down on the dough to slightly flatten and top each cookie with a few extra chocolate chunks.
Step 6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden brown, then top them with a little bit of flaky salt. For best results let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. For crispy edges, bake for 12-14 minutes.
Expert Tips And Notes
- Chill Your Dough: This dough can be pretty sticky, so chilling the dough will help when it comes to shaping.
- Flaky Sea Salt: Right when the cookies come out of the oven, top them with a little finishing salt. The sweet and salty combo is delicious!
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Serving Suggestions For Sourdough Discard Cookies
- Pumpkin Spice Vanilla Latte
- Peppermint Matcha Latte
- Iced Maple Latte
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Hot Tea
- Homemade Cashew Milk
Storage and Reheating
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To keep them fresh longer, you can store them in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezing: You can also freeze the cookies by placing them in a freezer-safe bag and then storing them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Reheating: To warm them, pop the cookies in the oven at 250 degrees for 3-5 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use freshly fed sourdough starter instead of discard in the sourdough chocolate chip cookie recipe?
Yes, you can use freshly fed sourdough starter in place of discard.
No, you can use sourdough discard straight from the fridge, you don't need to let it come to room temperature if you don't want to.
Other Related Sourdough Recipes
If you tried this Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
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Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Hand or Stand Mixer
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper or Silpat
- Spatula
- Ice Cream Scoop (optional)
- Measuring Cups & Spoons
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup Almond Flour Extra Fine
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ⅛ teaspoon Sea Salt
Wet Ingredients
- 55 grams Sourdough Discard
- 1 Egg
- ⅓ cup Almond Butter
- ¼ cup Ghee, melted
Other Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon Maple Syrup
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¾ cup Chocolate Chips
- ½ teaspoon Finishing Salt
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl add almond flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
- In a larger bowl add almond butter, melted ghee, 1 egg, and sourdough discard. Mix with a hand- or stand-mixer for about 1 minute or until everything is combined and smooth.
- Add in maple syrup, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Mix again for about 30 seconds.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet and stir with a spatula to combine.
- Fold in ¾ cup chocolate chips and put dough in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to set.
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Using an ice cream scoop, measure dough into 12 balls and place each ball on the parchment lined baking sheet. Gently press down on dough to slightly flatten and top each cookie with a few extra chocolate chips and a pinch of flakey sea salt.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Let cool and enjoy.
Notes
- Chill Your Dough: This dough can be pretty sticky, so chilling the dough will help when it comes to shaping.
- Flaky Sea Salt: Right when the cookies come out of the oven, top them with a little finishing salt. The sweet and salty combo is delicious!
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