Name: Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 4 h 40 min
Yield: 20
Cuisine: Cookies
Ingredients: 230 grams Butter, unsalted (16 Tbs); 210 grams Cane Sugar; 205 grams Brown Sugar; 3 Egg Yolks, room temperature; 250 grams Sourdough Starter; 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla; 380 grams Unbleached All-Purpose Flour; 1 tsp Sea Salt; 1 tsp Baking Soda; 1 tsp Baking Powder; 230 grams Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (or Dark Chocolate); 100 grams Chopped Pecans (optional); Flaked Sea Salt (for topping)

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Chewy in the center, crispy on the edges, these brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies with flaked sea salt on the top are so delicious and better-than-bakery quality. These are so simple to make and are the perfect treat for any occasion.

Chewy in the center, crispy on the edges, these brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies are so delicious and better-than-bakery quality. These are so simple to make and are the perfect treat for any occasion. — *This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.* *See my full disclosure here.*

Whenever I need a quick treat to whip up, these brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies are my go to recipe. They are simple to make but are so delicious and make the house smell so cozy and inviting. I usually try to have a batch of these cookie dough balls in my freezer. That way I can throw them in the oven at a moment’s notice.

Browning the butter may seem like an extra unnecessary step, and you certainly can make delicious cookies without browning butter, but I really believe the browned butter adds the most delicious caramel depth of flavor to these cookies. They turn out crispy on the outside and gooey in the center, which is just how I love fresh baked cookies! The flaked sea salt on top really make these cookies stand out.

Better than a bakery, these brown butter chocolate chip cookies are going to be a hit and a staple you can return to for any occasion!

flaked sea salt on chocolate chip cookies

How to ferment cookie dough?

To enjoy the benefits of sourdough fermentation in cookie dough, simply place your sourdough cookie dough covered in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. This will allow the flour in the dough to ferment which makes the sourdough cookies more easily digestible, especially to those sensitive to gluten.

Can sourdough cookie dough be frozen?

Yes! Sourdough cookie dough can definitely be frozen. I recommend rolling the cookie dough into dough balls and them laying them flat on parchment paper on a small baking sheet or platter. Place in the freezer for an hour or two. Once they have hardened, transfer the sourdough cookie dough balls into a gallon freezer Ziploc bag. Label with cookie name and bake temperature and time. When you are ready to bake the frozen cookie dough, simply preheat the oven and bake the cookie dough balls from frozen.

sourdough brown butter chocolate chip cookies on cooling rack

Ingredients for Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

Unsalted Butter
Cane Sugar
Brown Sugar
Egg Yolks
Sourdough Starter (active or discard)
Vanilla
Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
Sea Salt
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (or Dark Chocolate, your preference)
Chopped Pecans (optional)
Flaked Sea Salt (for sprinkling)

ingredients for sourdough chocolate chip cookies

Tools you may need:

Small Saucepan
Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer/Mixing Bowl
Kitchen Scale
Measuring Spoons
Cookie Scoop (or Ice Cream Scoop will do)
Baking Sheets
Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat

freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on parchment paper

How to make Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

Start by browning your butter in a saucepan. On low heat setting, melt the butter and then allow it to gently simmer on low for about 20 minutes or so. You will know the butter has browned when it has a nutty smell and has turned to a caramel color. Once it has browned, take the saucepan off of the burner and allow the butter to cool for about 30 minutes.

In a mixing bowl (not your stand mixing bowl), combine the dry ingredients, including the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Once the browned butter has cooled, add it to your stand mixing bowl along with the cane sugar and brown sugar. Mix with the paddle attachment (or hand mixer) on medium-high speed till combined. It will not cream since the butter is liquid. Once combined, add the egg yolks, sourdough starter and vanilla. Mix on medium-high speed till combined and it has a creamy smooth texture.

Set the speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients. Allow to mix until everything comes together. Add the chocolate chips and chopped pecans and slowly mix until just combined. Do not overmix.

chocolate chip cookie dough batter in mixing bowl

Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for 4-24 hours. 24 hours will allow your dough to ferment completely, but you want the dough to be chilled for a minimum of 4 hours before baking.

When you are ready to bake, pull the dough out of the fridge and preheat the oven to 350℉. Scoop the dough out with a cookie scoop and place on lined baking sheet. I like to weigh the cookie dough balls to ensure they are uniform. For about 20 cookies, they should weigh around 75 grams. For more cookies, just decrease the size of the dough balls.

cookie dough balls on parchment paper lined baking sheet

Space the cookies out on the baking sheet with about 3 inches in between. Bake for 15-18 minutes in the oven until just golden on the top. It may look undercooked, but that is okay. Once the cookies are done baking, pull them out of the oven and sprinkle flaked sea salt on immediately. Let them cool for several minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm or place on a platter to serve once cooled. Store cookies in airtight container for up to 4 days.

Chewy in the center, crispy on the edges, these brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies with flaked sea salt on the top are so delicious and better-than-bakery quality.

Freeze Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

Since this recipe makes a large amount of dough, I like to freeze about half or more of the dough to be able to make fresh at another time. To freeze, simply place the dough balls on a lined baking sheet or plate. Cover with plastic wrap and place flat in the freezer. Let the dough balls freeze for about 2 hours before transferring them to a gallon freezer ziploc bag. Label the bag with the name of the cookies, the bake temperature of 350℉ and the bake time. I recommend baking for 15 minutes directly from frozen.

Other Sourdough Recipes to Try

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If you try this recipe and love it, I would love to know! Come back and leave a review! Tag me on Instagram @oursimplegraces

Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: 20 cookies

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

230 grams Butter, unsalted (16 Tbs)
210 grams Cane Sugar
205 grams Brown Sugar
3 Egg Yolks, room temperature
250 grams Sourdough Starter
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
380 grams Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
230 grams Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (or Dark Chocolate)
100 grams Chopped Pecans (optional)
Flaked Sea Salt (for topping)

Instructions

Start by browning your butter in a saucepan. On low heat setting, melt the butter and gently simmer on low for about 20 minutes. You will know the butter has browned when it has a nutty smell and has turned to a caramel color. Once it has browned, take the saucepan off of the burner and allow the butter to cool for about 30 minutes.
In a mixing bowl (not your stand mixing bowl), combine the dry ingredients, including the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
Add the cooled browned butter to your stand mixing bowl along with the cane sugar and brown sugar. Mix with the paddle attachment (or hand mixer) on medium-high speed till combined. It will not cream since the butter is liquid.
Once combined, add the egg yolks, sourdough starter and vanilla. Mix on medium-high speed till combined and it has a creamy smooth texture.
Set the speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients. Allow to mix until everything comes together.
Add the chocolate chips and chopped pecans and slowly mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for 4-24 hours. 24 hours will allow your dough to ferment completely, but you want the dough to be chilled for a minimum of 4 hours before baking.
Preheat the oven to 350℉ and pull the dough out of the fridge. Scoop the dough out with a large cookie scoop and place on lined baking sheet. I like to weigh the cookie dough balls to ensure they are uniform. For about 20 cookies, they should weigh around 75 grams. For more cookies, just decrease the size of the dough balls. Space the cookies out on the baking sheet with about 3 inches in between.
Bake for 15-18 minutes in the oven until just golden on the top. The cookies may look undercooked, but that is okay. Sprinkle flaked sea salt on immediately and let cool for several minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Enjoy warm or place on a platter to serve once cooled. Store cookies in airtight container for up to 4 days.

Notes

To Freeze:

Place the dough balls on a lined baking sheet or plate. Cover with plastic wrap and place flat in the freezer and allow to freeze for about 2 hours before transferring to a gallon freezer ziploc bag. Label the bag with the name of the cookies, the bake temperature of 350℉ and the bake time. I recommend baking for 15 minutes directly from frozen.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 379Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 249mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 3gSugar: 21gProtein: 5g