Friends and readers keep coming back to this sourdough discard brownie recipe because it’s simple, reliable, and full of flavor, exactly the kind of stress-free treat you can count on. That little sourdough twist gives the brownies extra depth, making them even more special while still being totally doable in your own kitchen!
Make these brownies for dessert any night of the week or for a special occasion! They are made in one bowl and ready in under one hour. The chocoholic in your life will love these recipes, along with my sourdough chocolate cake!
When I first made this recipe I made the mistake of adding baking powder to the recipe. Brownies should be very fudgy with a shiny, crackly top, and when I added baking powder, they were a little too cakey.
I love baking all sourdough recipes! It's so satisfying and so delicious! Whether making a loaf of same day sourdough bread or brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies, sourdough baking is so good!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love These Sourdough Brownies
- What Is Sourdough Discard?
- Sourdough Brownie Recipe Ingredients
- How To Make Sourdough Brownies
- Sourdough Brownie Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Tips and Tricks
- Serving Suggestions for Sourdough Brownies
- How to Store Sourdough Discard Brownies
- Sourdough Brownies Recipe FAQs
- More Delicious Sourdough Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
Why You'll Love These Sourdough Brownies
- It's a great use for your sourdough starter. To prevent waste, once I feed my sourdough starter, I keep the extra discard in a large mason jar in the refrigerator. That way I can use it to make sourdough discard bread and even sourdough Irish soda bread. There's not much you can't bake with sourdough discard!
- It's made in one bowl. No need to break out any crazy kitchen equipment, these fudgy brownies are made with just a few ingredients and mixed all in one bowl.
- Everyone loves brownies! These brownies will shortly become your absolute favorite recipe to make with your sourdough discard. They are chocolatey, easy to make, and perfectly fudgy.
What Is Sourdough Discard?
When working with sourdough starter, people often talk about sourdough discard, but what exactly is sourdough discard? It's the extra sourdough starter that you have left over after you feed your sourdough starter.
Sourdough bread is a bread made from natural yeast, flour, water, and salt. There is no commercial yeast, (those little yeast packets you can get in the store) only naturally occurring yeast from the environment. Sourdough bread requires a "starter" to rise the bread.
A starter is filled with good bacteria and wild yeast that gives the bread that traditional sour taste. You can make your own sourdough starter from scratch or you can get a sourdough starter from a friend.
You can make so many different recipes with sourdough discard, like sourdough discard cinnamon rolls! I've put together a fantastic list of sourdough discard recipes for you!
You can't feed your entire starter, as it doubles and sometimes triples in size, and that's a lot of discard to have on hand! Keep the excess starter in a mason jar right in your refrigerator. If you are new to sourdough, be sure to check out this post all about how to keep your sourdough starter happy.
Sourdough Brownie Recipe Ingredients
- Sourdough discard. You can use it right out of the refrigerator or some that you have kept on your counter after the last feeding of your sourdough starter.
- Butter. I love using salted butter in all of my baking. If you only have unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon of salt to the batter.
- Granulated Sugar. White sugar makes these fudgy brownies perfectly sweet!
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. Use a high quality cocoa powder for these brownies to get the most delicious chocolate flavor.
- Semi sweet chocolate chips. You can cut a semi-sweet chocolate bar into large chunks if that is what you have on hand.
- All Purpose Flour. Only a little bit to help keep the batter together.
See printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Sourdough Brownies
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper. In a small saucepan, add the chocolate chips and butter. Over medium heat, melt them together and then immediately turn off the heat.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, add the all purpose flour, granulated sugar, and cocoa powder. Mix well to combine the ingredients.
Step 3: Pour the melted chocolate into large mixing bowl.
Step 4: Add the eggs and sourdough discard to the mixing bowl. Mix until all the ingredients are combined.
Step 5: Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow the brownies to cool before cutting.
Sourdough Brownie Recipe Substitutions and Variations
Add a swirl! You can add dollops of Nutella or peanut butter to the top of the brownie batter right before baking.
Add more chocolate! For an even more chocolatey flavor, add ½ cup of dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or more semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter.
Add nuts! Chopped walnuts or chopped pecans can be added to the batter for some texture and nuttiness to the brownies.
Add coffee! Coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate. Instead of vanilla extract, add cooled coffee or some instant espresso to the batter.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure the brownies have cooled to room temperature before you cut them. They are super fudgy and will break apart if they are still too hot when you try to cut them.
- Parchment paper makes taking the brownies out of the pan super easy. Crinkle the parchment paper first and then press it into the pan.
- If there is hooch (the brown liquid that can settle on the sourdough discard container in the refrigerator) on your sourdough discard, pour the hooch out before using the sourdough discard. Hooch is one of the many terms in my sourdough glossary that will help you on your sourdough journey.
- Make sure to mix the batter well before placing it in the baking dish. The sourdough discard should be incorporated fully in the batter so there are not clumps of sourdough discard in the baked brownies.
- Serve these brownies with homemade ice cream, whipped cream, or on their own!
Serving Suggestions for Sourdough Brownies
My family absolutely loves sourdough discard brownies with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and some homemade whipped cream. The ice cream melts right into those fudgy brownies and makes it feel like dessert at a fancy restaurant. If you want something lighter, fresh berries like raspberries or strawberries balance the richness perfectly. And honestly, a little dollop of whipped cream never hurts either. It never hurts to enjoy these brownies with a cold glass of milk, because nothing beats brownies and milk.
How to Store Sourdough Discard Brownies
This batter can be long fermented to give the brownies more of a tang. To do so, mix the batter completely and then cover it with plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator overnight and in the morning, line the baking pan with parchment paper and bake for up to 45 minutes.
Keep cut these easy sourdough brownies in an airtight container on the counter. You can place them in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
They are also great to freeze! Freeze the brownies for up to 3 months. Let them defrost on the counter before enjoying them.
Sourdough Brownies Recipe FAQs
Yes! If you only have active starter you can use that in this recipe. The brownies will be just a little cakier than using inactive starter, but they will do just as delicious.
You can use a toothpick to test if the brownies are done. The edges of the brownies will be dark and crisp and the top of the brownies will be shiny and have a classic smooth crust.
Yes! You can easily double the recipe and use a 9x13 inch baking dish instead of an 8x8 baking dish.
Sourdough discard brownies are super fudgy and chocolatey, but with just a tiny tang that keeps them from being too sweet. That little sourdough twist makes them taste extra rich and a bit more special than regular brownies.
More Delicious Sourdough Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Fudgy Sourdough Discard Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter
- 1 ¼ cup Chocolate Chips
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- ½ cup Flour
- ½ cup Sourdough Discard Unfed
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper. In a small saucepan, add the chocolate chips and butter. Over medium heat, melt them together and then immediately turn off the heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the all purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cocoa powder. Mix well to combine the ingredients.
- Pour the melted chocolate and butter into large mixing bowl.
- Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and sourdough discard to the mixing bowl. Mix until all the ingredients are combined.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow the brownies to cool before cutting.
Notes
- Make sure the brownies have cooled to room temperature before you cut them. They are super fudgy and will break apart if they are still too hot when you try to cut them.
- Parchment paper makes taking the brownies out of the pan super easy. Crinkle the parchment paper first and then press it into the pan.
- If there is hooch (the brown liquid that can settle on the sourdough discard container in the refrigerator) on your sourdough discard, pour the hooch out before using the sourdough discard. Hooch is one of the many terms in my sourdough glossary that will help you on your sourdough journey.
- Make sure to mix the batter well before placing it in the baking dish. The sourdough discard should be incorporated fully in the batter so there are not clumps of sourdough discard in the baked brownies.
- Serve these brownies with homemade ice cream, whipped cream, or on their own!
Kristine says
Rating this with 1cup flour. Otherwise way too runny.
Jennifer says
I so wanted this to be good. Very bitter (I may try again with more sugar) they were dry on the exterior and wouldn't cook on the inside. My starter may have been a bit tangy for these as well. I'll use immediate discard on my next try.
Lynn Polito says
Did you use a different type of chocolate? I haven't had the experience of them being bitter with 1 cup of sugar. May have been the starter for sure.
Aubrey says
Can I substitute the sugar for honey or coconut sugar or date sugar?
Lynn Polito says
I haven't tried honey yet, but I don't see why you wouldn't be able to use coconut sugar or date sugar. Let me know how it goes!