If you're a fan of deep, rich chocolate flavour and bakery-style chewy cookies, these triple chocolate chip sourdough cookies are about to become a firm favourite. With browned butter, cocoa powder and three types of chocolate folded through the dough, these chocolate sourdough cookies strike the perfect balance between crisp edges and a soft, chewy centre.
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In our house, cookies disappear faster than anything else I bake. Seb rarely shows much enthusiasm for cake, muffins or cupcakes - but when I bake cookies, I have to move quickly if I want to taste one myself. I've genuinely started calling him the Cookie Monster.
My golden retriever is probably even more enthusiastic, but unfortunately for him, these cookies are strictly for humans. Seb, however, is my most eager taste tester whenever I experiment with new sourdough cookie recipes.
Sourdough Discard in Cookies
Using sourdough discard in cookies is one of my favourite ways to reduce waste and add flavour to everyday baking. If you maintain your own sourdough starter, you'll quickly find yourself with extra discard in the fridge - and cookies are a fantastic use for it.
However, sourdough discard contains equal parts flour and water, meaning it introduces extra moisture to cookie dough. Traditional cookie recipes rarely include liquid ingredients, so we need to adjust the formula slightly to keep the texture right.
In this cookie recipe, we balance that moisture in two ways:
- First, we use only an egg yolk instead of a whole egg. Egg whites contain a lot of water, and removing them prevents the dough from becoming too loose.
- Second, we brown the butter. When unsalted butter is heated in a small saucepan, some of its water evaporates as the milk solids toast and develop that incredible nutty flavour. This both deepens the chocolate taste and removes excess moisture from the dough.
The result? Chewy chocolate chip cookies with a decadent texture, crisp edges and just the right amount of spread - never cakey cookies. We use this method for anything from our Chewy Sourdough Sugar Cookies to Matcha Sourdough Cookies and more.
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter. We brown the butter first. This adds nutty flavour and concentrates the fat, giving the cookies their signature richness.
- Plain flour (all-purpose flour). Provides structure. You don't need bread flour here - regular plain flour works perfectly.
- Cocoa powder. Adds colour and chocolate depth to the dough itself, turning these into true chocolate sourdough cookies rather than regular cookies with chocolate chips.
- Baking soda. Provides lift and encourages that slightly crinkled surface.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavour.
- Granulated sugar and light or dark brown sugar. Using two sugars gives the best texture: crisp edges from white sugar and chewy center from brown sugar.
- Egg yolk. Adds richness without excess moisture.
- Sourdough discard. Use a 100% hydration starter. Active starter or discard both work.
- Chocolate mix-ins. The magic of triple chocolate comes from combining several types of chocolate. I like using a mixture of white chocolate, milk chocolate and dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bars. But you can try adding peanut butter chips or cream cheese chips, too. Or simply try our Sourdough Turtle Cookies, loaded with caramel, pecans and chocolate chips!
Find the ingredient quantities, detailed instructions, and nutritional information in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-By-Step Method
1. Brown the butter. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it foams and turns golden brown with a nutty aroma. Allow it to cool slightly.
2. Cream sugars and butter. In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Pour in the brown butter and beat for 2-3 minutes using a hand mixer.
3. Add the egg yolk. Mix in the egg yolk until the mixture looks glossy and slightly thickened.
4. Stir in sourdough discard. Add the sourdough discard and mix gently until combined.
5. Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
6. Make the cookie dough. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Cocoa powder will make it difficult to combine, but keep going.
7. Fold in chocolate chunks. Add white chocolate, milk chocolate and dark chocolate chips. Fold until evenly distributed.
8. Chill the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours. Cold dough helps create thicker cookies with the perfect balance of chew and spread.
9. Prepare for baking. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or use a parchment-lined baking sheet.
10. Shape the cookies. Use a cookie scoop to divide the dough into 8 cookie dough balls. Place them well spaced on the baking sheet.
11. Bake. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are golden brown, but the centres still look slightly soft.
12. Create crackly tops. Drop the baking tray gently on the counter to create those bakery-style crinkles.
13. Cool. Let the sourdough chocolate cookies sit on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Recipe Tips For Best Results
Here are a few tips to help you make the best cookies even if you're making these for the first time:
- Brown the butter properly. Watch closely as it cooks. The milk solids should turn golden, not burnt.
- Don't skip the chill time. Cold dough controls spread and improves flavour.
- Avoid overmixing. Once dry ingredients go in, mix only until combined to prevent tough cookies.
- Bake until just set. Cookies continue cooking from residual heat once removed from the oven.
- Add flaky salt (optional). A tiny sprinkle of flaky salt before baking enhances the chocolate flavour.
Storage
Store baked sourdough discard cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. They stay soft and chewy thanks to the sourdough discard.
To freeze:
- Freeze baked cookies in a freezer bag for up to three months.
- Or freeze unbaked cookie dough balls and bake straight from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
More Sourdough Cookie Recipes
If you enjoy these triple chocolate chip sourdough cookies, you might also like exploring other sourdough discard recipes next time - from standard sourdough chocolate chip cookies to creative ways of baking with your own sourdough starter.
Triple Chocolate Sourdough Cookies
Equipment
- Small Saucepan
- Large Bowl
- Rubber Spatula
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 75 g butter unsalted
- 110 g plain flour a.k.a. all-purpose flour
- 15 g cocoa powder unsweetened
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda a.k.a. bicarbonate of soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 75 g granulated sugar
- 70 g light brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk large
- 80 g sourdough discard 100% hydration
- 50 g white chocolate chips
- 50 g milk chocolate chips
- 50 g dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place the butter in a small pan and heat it over medium heat. The butter will melt, then foam, and finally turn golden brown with a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and allow it to cool slightly.
- Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl. Pour the browned butter over the sugar.
- Using a handheld electric mixer, beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes until the sugars begin dissolving (it will still feel slightly grainy, which is perfectly fine).
- Add the egg yolk and whisk again for about 2 minutes until the mixture looks glossy and slightly thickened.
- Add the sourdough discard and mix with a balloon whisk until fully combined.
- Avoid using an electric mixer here - overmixing can develop gluten and make the cookies cakey.
- In a separate bowl, mix together: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix gently until just combined. Cocoa powder will make it difficult to mix, but keep going. The dough will be thick and chocolatey.
- Fold in the white, milk and dark chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough.
- Cover the dough and place it in the fridge for 4 hours.
- This step is important - chilling allows the flour and cocoa to hydrate and prevents the cookies from spreading too much.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and shape each into a ball.
- Place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving plenty of space between each cookie.
- Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes.
- The cookies should have crisp edges and slightly soft, puffy centres.
- As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, drop the tray from about 20 cm height onto your kitchen worktop. This helps create those beautiful crackly tops.
- Leave the cookies on the tray for 10 minutes so they can firm up. Then transfer them onto a cooling rack.
Nutrition
Leigh says
As a chocoholic, these cookies are my dream come true. So delicious!
Ieva Greber says
Thank you so much, Leigh! A fellow chocoholic is exactly who these cookies were made for. 😄 I’m so happy they hit the spot!
Lathiya says
This triple chocolate sourdough cookies became a new family favorite. The cookies were soft and chewy, perfect as we love.
Lulu says
Made these for a bake sale and they sold out first. So soft and the sourdough gives them a nice depth. My family couldn't stop sneaking them from the counter. New favorite cookie recipe.
Kim says
We made these for a party and everyone devoured them!
Ieva Greber says
Thanks, Kim — devoured is exactly the reaction triple chocolate cookies deserve. Glad they were a hit at the party!