These rich, fudgy Sourdough Discard Brownies are the perfect way to use up leftover starter. With deep chocolate flavor and a tender crumb, they’re a no-waste dessert everyone will love.
Sourdough Discard. . .in Brownies?
“Is this a thing?” I asked myself, while looking for sourdough recipes online. I had stumbled across this brownie recipe at Farmhouse on Boone but couldn’t imagine placing sourdough starter in something as sweet as Brownies.
I looked over the recipe and found it almost mirrored my own homemade brownie recipe ingredients. The process was a bit different (and the addition of half a cup of discard was certainly unique) but the rest was very familiar.
So, I decided I’d give them a try to see what I thought. And now I’m sharing that recipe and process with you.
Why Add Sourdough to Brownies (or Other Sweet Treats)?
Good question, friends. And it’s a question I asked, myself. After a bit of research, I discovered the following benefits to adding discard to your sweet treats:
1. Texture Boost:
Sourdough discard adds moisture and tenderness, making brownies fudgier with a melt-in-your-mouth crumb — especially when paired with rich chocolate. And hey, who doesn’t love a fudgy brownie? (Yum!)
2. Subtle Tang = Flavor Depth:
The slight tang from sourdough enhances the sweetness and makes the chocolate flavor taste deeper and more complex, kind of like adding espresso or sea salt to chocolate desserts. (By the way, adding espresso powder is certainly an option with this recipe. Just melt it into the butter before starting.)
3. No Waste!
If you’re feeding a starter regularly, discard recipes keep you from tossing perfectly usable ingredients. Why throw it away when you can turn it into dessert? (I always keep discard in my fridge. What about you?)
4. Better Structure:
The natural gluten development in discard helps hold everything together without needing extra flour — great for chewy edges and soft centers. (I’m learning a lot about how starter works as a binder.)
5. Fermentation Perks:
If you let the batter rest before baking, you can get some of the gut-friendly benefits of fermentation, even in dessert! (With that in mind, let’s just call these our “healthy” brownies, shall we?)
Sourdough Brownie Ingredients
You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a peek at what you’ll need for these simple brownies. These are simple ingredients you might already have on hand in your kitchen right now.
- 1 stick salted butter, melted
- 1 cup chocolate chips (You can use semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or even a mixture of semi-sweet and mint chocolate.)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cup sugar (If you prefer, you can use a cup of white sugar and ¼ cup of brown) - ½ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large room temperature eggs
- ½ cup sourdough discard (active or inactive, your choice)
- ¾ cup chopped pecans (optional)
How to Make Sourdough Discard Brownies from Scratch
These come together so easily. I didn’t even use a mixer. I just whipped them up by hand.
Place all dry ingredients (sugar, flour, salt, and cocoa powder) into a medium bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prep a 9x9-inch pan by spraying with non-stick spray and adding a piece of parchment paper.
Place the butter in a microwave safe bowl and melt. You need to be butter to be fully melted and hot when it comes out of the microwave.
Add chocolate chips and stir until completely melted.
Allow to cool slightly, then add dry ingredients, eggs, and sourdough discard.
Mix well. You will have a thick batter.
I added pecans to mine (totally optional) but this is the time to add them, if you’re going that route.
Transfer batter to the prepared baking pan.
Place in preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes or until set.
Remove and place pan on a wire rack to cool.
Once they are completely cooled, slice and serve.
Enjoy by themselves or with ice cream or whipped cream.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. You can freeze them to eat later, if you like.
What to Expect from these Brownies
They’re fudgy, they’re rich with flavor, they’re so easy to make! Truly, a lovely recipe. If you like the “twang” of sourdough starter in your baked goods, this is really going to get you excited. I took these over to the grandkids. I’m sure they swallowed them down in no time at all!
Variations to this Recipe
I’ve already made a couple of suggestions (espresso powder and pecans) but here are some other options:
Peanut Butter Chips. If you like, you can stir in a cup of peanut butter chips once the batter is ready to go in the pan.
Toffee Bits: These are a delicious add-in for brownies!
Dehydrated cherries: Cherries and Chocolate? Yes, please!
Use your imagination and add whatever makes sense to you!
Other Sweet Desserts from Out of the Box Baking
That’s it for this post, friends!
I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe.
If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you're at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!
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About the Author
Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 165 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.
Simple Sourdough Brownies
These rich, fudgy Sourdough Discard Brownies are the perfect way to use up leftover starter. With deep chocolate flavor and a tender crumb, they’re a no-waste dessert everyone will love.
Ingredients
- 1 stick salted butter, melted
- 1 cup chocolate chips (You can use semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or even a mixture of semi-sweet and mint chocolate.)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract ¾ cup all-purpose flour 1 ¼ cup sugar (If you prefer, you can use a cup of white sugar and ¼ cup of brown)
- ½ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large room temperature eggs
- ½ cup sourdough discard (active or inactive, your choice)
- ¾ cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- These come together so easily. I didn’t even use a mixer. I just whipped them up by hand.
- Place all dry ingredients (sugar, flour, salt, and cocoa powder) into a medium bowl.
- Whisk together and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prep a 9x9-inch pan by spraying with non-stick spray and adding a piece of parchment paper.
- Place the butter in a microwave safe bowl and melt. You need to be butter to be fully melted and hot when it comes out of the microwave.
- Add chocolate chips and stir until completely melted.
- Allow to cool slightly, then add dry ingredients, eggs, and sourdough discard.
- Mix well. You will have a thick batter.
- I added pecans to mine (totally optional) but this is the time to add them, if you’re going that route.
- Transfer batter to the prepared baking pan.
- Place in preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes or until set.
- Remove and place pan on a wire rack to cool.
- Once they are completely cooled, slice and serve.
- Enjoy by themselves or with ice cream or whipped cream.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. You can freeze them to eat later, if you like.