Decadent Sourdough Blondies

Full of chocolate chips and a great use for your sourdough discard, these Sourdough Blondies are so easy and so decadent!

A close up of the stacked sourdough blondies.

Baking with sourdough discard is one of my favorite things to do! You can make baked sourdough donuts, sourdough scones, and even sourdough crackers with herbs and olive oil crackers!

These blondies are kind of like chocolate chip cookies, except in a bar form. You don't have to worry about scooping out dough and making even cookies. Add all the batter to a baking dish and bake until perfectly browned! Brown Butter Peppermint Bark Blondies and Brown Butter Blondies are delicious as well!

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Why You'll Love This Recipe
What Is Sourdough Discard?
Ingredients For Sourdough Blondies
Equipment You'll Need
Step By Step Instructions
Tips and Tricks
Frequently Asked Questions About Sourdough Blondies
Other Recipes To Try!
📖 Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

It's a great use for sourdough discard! Don't throw out that extra sourdough when you are feeding your starter. Bake with it instead!
They are easy to make! These blondies are so easy to make and so decadent! Just like sourdough brownies, you only need one bowl!
They are a great change from brownies! I love brownies just as much as the next person, but sometimes you want a change from the standard brownie mix.
They can be made ahead of time! If you are using these on a dessert bar with lemon cheesecake bars, Nutella cheesecake bars, and Oreo cheesecake bars, make these blondies a day ahead of time so you don't have to stress about them the day of! The longer they sit the better they are!

The sourdough blondies are spread out on a parchment paper.

What Is Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough discard is the portion of your sourdough starter that you are not feeding. When you are "feeding" your starter to make bread with, you add equal parts flour, water, and starter to a mason jar and let it rise. If you are new to sourdough, you can make your own sourdough starter from scratch, buy one, or get one from a fellow sourdough friend.

You can't feed your entire starter, as it doubles and sometimes triples in size, and that's a lot of starter to have on hand! If you are new to sourdough, be sure to check out how to keep a sourdough starter post all about how to keep your sourdough starter happy.

Ingredients For Sourdough Blondies

Butter. One stick, softened to be incorporate it into the batter.
Brown sugar. Granulated sugar can be used instead of brown sugar, but brown sugar adds a depth of flavor that granulated sugar misses out on.
Egg. Just one, to keep the blondies together.
Vanilla. Pure vanilla extract is best.
Sourdough Discard. Just ½ cup of unfed, inactive discard.
Baking powder. Even though there is sourdough starter in the blondies, the baking powder does the hard work of making the blondies rise.
Flour. All-purpose flour.
Chocolate Chips. I like a mix of dark chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chunks.

Equipment You'll Need

Step By Step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder. Set that aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl, add the butter and brown sugar. Mix well until combined and the mixture is light and fluffy.

The brown sugar and butter is being mixed together. — The flour is added to the bowl.

Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix again until combined.

Add the sourdough discard and mix until fully combined.

Pour the flour mixture into the bowl and mix until all the ingredients are combined. Do not over mix the batter.

The egg and vanilla is added to the bowl. — The vanilla and eggs are added to the bowl.

The sourdough discard is added to the bowl. — The vanilla and eggs are added to the bowl.

With a wooden spoon or a spatula, fold the chocolate chips into the batter.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

The chocolate chips are added to the bowl.

The batter is added to the baking dish. — The chocolate chips are added to the bowl.

Hot Tip! To get the parchment paper into the baking dish properly, crumple the parchment paper into a ball and then place the parchment into the baking sheet.

Tips and Tricks

Do not overmix the batter. Once the flour is added to the mixture, do not overmix. Mix the batter until it is just combined. Overmixing the batter will cause the blondies to be tough.
Do not overbake the blondies. After 30 minutes, check the blondies to see if they are done. If they overbake, they will be dry.
Change up the mix-ins! Use white chocolate, craisins, walnuts, pecans, or peanut butter cups in the blondies. You can even search them plain without any add-ins!

Frequently Asked Questions About Sourdough Blondies

Do these blondies taste sour?

No! Because we are using sourdough discard and baking them immediately, they do not taste sour. If you would like to up the sour flavor, make the batter and place it in the refrigerator for a few hours. This will give a nice tang to the blondies to counteract the sweetness of the sugar.

How long do sourdough blondies last?

Allow them to cool completely and then place blondies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Can I use active starter instead of inactive starter?

Yes! You can use active or inactive starter. Active starter will give the blondies a little more rise, but the taste will remain the same.

A stack of sourdough blondies with more blondies in the background.

Other Recipes To Try!

Did you love these Sourdough Blondies? If you did, don't forget to tag me on social media on Instagram or Facebook and share this recipe on Pinterest! Join our Sourdough Facebook group with other Sourdough fanatics sharing their favorite recipes as well as tips and tricks!