Sourdough brownies are chocolatey and fudgy, with a signature sourdough kick. Whip them up in an afternoon or long ferment them overnight!
Every day I receive countless messages about sourdough. From making and caring for starters, to more recipes for using up the abundance of starter from all that feeding and discarding.
I take that back – there is no discarding in our house. We will always find a way to use our starter (like these discard recipes). I’m not the type to waste perfectly good food.
On a recent podcast episode, we go into this a little more as we discuss how to be a naturally frugal person.
One frugal tip is not to waste food, but also make simple dishes. So, instead of throwing away your starter, use it to make crepes, pizza crust, flat bread, and so much more (find more ideas here).
While these sourdough dishes may be simple, they are really good.
There is nothing like a fudgy sourdough brownie. And topped with some homemade ice cream…seriously delicious.
We’re talking high up on the list with cookies or cake. It’s a tough call.
Why you will love this recipe:
Delicious: Classic sweet and fudgy brownies with the slight tang from sourdough. There is really no beating the flavor.
Healthier: It can also be made with whole grain flour. Long ferment it to help break down the phytic acid, reduce the gluten content, and make the nutrients more bioavailable. If you want to use unrefined sugar, swap out the sugar for coconut sugar.
Fudgy: As every good brownie should be… they are incredibly fudgy on the inside with that classic crackle top.
Tips
- My sourdough starter is at 100% hydration, meaning I feed it with equal parts flour and water.
- Make sure your eggs are room temperature. If you forgot to take your eggs out of the fridge ahead of time, you can bring them up to room temperature by placing them in a bowl of hot water for 5-10 minutes.
- Allow the brownies to cool totally before cutting. Once they are completely cooled, the flavor will have developed, and the brownies will hold together.
- Long ferment the dough overnight to add more delicious tang from the fermentation of the grains.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
Sourdough Brownies Ingredients:
Butter – Unsalted. You want to be able to control the amount of salt in the recipe.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips – This gives it a nice balance without making the brownies too sweet.
Vanilla – Store-bought or homemade.
Flour – Whole grain, spelt, or all-purpose will work
Sugar – Could also substitute with coconut sugar if desired.
Cocoa powder
Salt
Eggs
Sourdough discard – This is sourdough starter that hasn’t been fed. You could also use active starter, but it won’t have as much of that sourdough tang.
Tools you may need:
Measuring cups and spoons
Saucepan
Silicone spatula
How To Make Sourdough Brownies
Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare a 9×9 pan by lining with parchment paper.
In a medium saucepan over low/medium heat, melt butter.
Take off heat and add chocolate chips and vanilla.
Stir until all melted together.
In a medium or large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
Pour chocolate butter mixture into the dry ingredients.
Add in eggs and sourdough discard.
Stir well until there are no clumps.
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake 40 minutes in prepared 9 X9 pan or until a toothpick comes out clean and the middle is set.
Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving. This will help it set up and also develop the flavors.
Storage:
Store in an air-tight container for up to two or three days. You can also store them in the refrigerator for three to five days, or freeze for up to three months.
FAQ
Can you make these sourdough brownies long fermented?
Yes. Combine the flour, sourdough starter, sugar, and half a cup of melted butter the night before. Cover and leave overnight up to 24 hours. The next day, add the rest of the ingredients.
What can I do with a lot of sourdough starter?
There are so many recipes you can make with sourdough starter or discard. Brownies, crepes, dutch baby pancakes, waffles, the easiest pizza crust ever, sourdough crackers, and more. You can find those recipes here.
How do I make my brownies more fudgy?
Fudgy brownies have more fat in them than flour, while cake like brownies have more flour than fat.
Can I freeze fresh baked brownies?
It is best to wait until they have completely cooled before freezing. Wrap in plastic wrap or foil and then place in a freezer safe zip-lock bag and try to remove as much as as possible. This can be done as a slab or cut into pieces. Freeze up to 3 months.
To thaw, simply place the brownies on a plate and place them at room temperature until thawed.
How do you make a sourdough starter?
You can find the directions and all the tips and tricks to make your own sourdough starter here.
Find More Delicious Sourdough Dessert Recipes:
- Sourdough Cream Cheese Cobbler
- Banana Bread
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Sourdough Chocolate Rolls
- Blueberry Cobbler
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars!
Sourdough Brownies
These sourdough brownies are absolutely delicious, Fudgy on the inside with that typical crakly tops and a slight sourdough tang. The perfect chocolate dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare a 9×9 pan by lining with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan over low/medium heat, melt butter. Take off heat and add chocolate chips and vanilla. Stir until all melted together.
- In a medium or large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Pour chocolate butter mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Add in eggs and sourdough discard.
- Stir well until there are no clumps.
- Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake 40 minutes in prepared 9 X9 pan or until a toothpick comes out clean and the middle is set.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving. This will help it set up and also develop the flavors.
Notes
Make sure your eggs are room temperature. If you forgot to take your eggs out of the fridge ahead of time, you can bring them up to room temperature by placing them in a bowl of hot water for 5-10 minutes.
Allow the brownies to cool totally before cutting. Once they are completely cooled, the flavor will have developed, and the brownies will hold together.
Long ferment the dough overnight to add more delicious tang from the fermentation of the grains.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 400Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 172mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 3gSugar: 37gProtein: 7g
Lindsey Hume says
Just popped this in the oven and licked the tahini-maple bowl clean! Very much anticipating the result. Thank you for another stellar sourdough-based recipe!
Lisa says
you’re so welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it
Anonymous says
Did you add tahini and maple flavoring or syrup? Just curious as it is not listed in this recipe.
Sydney says
I would highly recommend these to anyone who has been looking for a healthier brownie recipe! I think I have FINALLY found a winner! 😋
Lisa says
ahh yay! so happy to hear that
Maurya says
Would there be any reason that the nut butter swirl could not be omitted? I’m just not a fan of chocolate and nut butter but the recipe sounds excellent otherwise. 🙂
Lisa says
Yes! You can omit it.
Anonymous says
Hi – my recipe above does not mention a nut butter swirl. Where is that found?
Thanks-
Pam
Lisa says
This was in the old recipe that has since been updated.
Elpida says
Hello and thank you for the amazing recipe!
In case of long fermenting, does the mixture need to go in the fridge due to the addition of butter?
Making it now, excited to taste😋
Shannon says
Hello! Can this be made with sourdough discard? Or does it have to be fed starter?
Cathy York says
What’s your recommendation for mixing instructions for the long fermented version? I had trouble getting rid of starter/flour/butter lumps.
Lori Mcinnis says
Can I use monk fruit sweetener instead of coconut sugar?
Kyla says
Wondering the same thing. Did you try the monk fruit?
Cathy says
Hi Lisa, can these be made using Trader Joe’s Pound Plus dark chocolate instead of bakers chocolate?
Vanessa says
I hope I’m not the only one but, when it says coffee… is it brewed coffee that has cooled down? Or coffee grounds? And if coffee grounds, super fine coffee grounds? LOL
Katie Williams says
I’m not sure but I’m assumed ground coffee 🤔
Jane says
On the basis the coffee is added into the other liquid ingredients, I would say the coffee is 2tbs brewed coffee.
Anonymous says
Where do you all see coffee in the above recipe? Wondering what I am missing! lol
Lisa says
This was in the old recipe that has since been updated. Sorry for the confusion.
Morgan K says
Unless the adds are somehow covering it up, there is no flour listed in the ingredients. The first one I see is cocoa powder. How much flour does the recipe call for?
Morgan says
Oddly, it just showed up. The page must have loaded wrong before 🤷🏼♀️
Kirsten says
These are amazing! I didn’t have time for the swirl so I just sprinkled a few chocolate chips on top. And I left out the 2/3 cup of chips mixed in because I was too lazy to go downstairs to get more. I tried the long ferment but only from 9am to 3pm because that’s what time allowed. I didn’t notice any change in the mixture, it was just a pretty thick blob the whole time but it mixed in well. I will definitely make these again but try to follow the exact recipe next time. We love all things sourdough and I haven’t met a recipe yet that I don’t like from this blog. Thanks for all the sourdough recipes!
Amy says
Who doesn’t love brownies? And adding sourdough is brilliant. Can’t wait to try this recipe! Thanks for so many great sourdough recipes, Lisa!
Brett says
What happened to the recipe with the tahini?
Lisa says
I updated the recipe. Here is the original: 1⁄2 cup flour- whole grain, spelt, or all purpose
1⁄2 tsp sea salt
1⁄3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2⁄3 cup chocolate chips
1 and 1/4 cup melted butter
8 ounces semi sweet baker’s chocolate
2 large eggs plus one yolk (room temperature)
1 cup coconut sugar
1⁄4 cup maple syrup
1⁄2 cup sourdough starter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tbsp coffee
Tahini Swirl (optional)
6 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp maple syrup
Pinch of salt
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare a 9×13 pan by lining with parchment paper.
Stir together flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, and salt.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter and baker’s chocolate together. After it has melted, place it on the side to cool.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together. Once combined, stir in maple syrup, sourdough starter, vanilla extract, coffee, and add in the melted butter (slightly cooled) and chocolate.
Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients; stir until no dry clumps remain, then gently stir in chocolate chips.
Pour brownie batter into the prepared 9×13 pan.
(Optional) In a small bowl, stir together tahini, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt.
Drop six equally-placed dollops of the tahini mixture on the brownie batter, and use a chopstick or thin utensil to create a beautiful swirl pattern.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the middle is set.
Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving. This will help it set up and also develop the flavors.
Sharon G says
I love this brownie, I made this twice already. The problem I had (which I totally forgot to adjust) it became cake’y. I think because of too much flour, mind that there’s flour in the sourdough discard/starter. So next time I make this, again, I will adjust the flour measurement to maybe just 1/3c….still a delicious treat…thank you, Lisa for all your wonderful recipes.
Lisa says
Let me know how that works for you! Glad you enjoy the recipe.
Amy Lowe says
Thank you for ALL your sourdough recipes!!!
Lisa says
So glad you enjoy them!
mikey says
It would be helpful if you gave weight measurements either along with, or in place of your volume measures. A cup (or fraction of) of any flour is the most inefficient way of measure. I have a tendency to bypass recipes with only volume measures. Thanks for reading my rant.
Lisa says
Very true, I’ve been trying to add more weight measurements to my recipes, especially breads. I do have a post on measurement conversions that work for my recipes.
Tara says
Hi. I was wondering why you have been changing some of your “healthier” recipes to adding more sugar. I noticed you also changed the banana bread recipe ro using sugar. Im so glad i printed the original. I was delicious and better in my opinion with the maple syrup. Just curious though why the changes. It was something i liked about your website.
Catia says
Thank you for the amazing recipe! I love your sourdough recipes.
Lisa says
So happy you enjoy them!
Deborah Rebuck says
I honestly wasn’t expecting to love these brownies but I do! They came out so light and chocolatey that it was love at first bite. I was looking for recipes to use up my discarded sourdough starter, what a pleasant surprise. Thank you!
Lisa says
How wonderful! Happy you enjoyed them so much.
Kelly says
Lisa , first THANK you for helping me become successful in creating an active starter!!! I now always have starter to work with and have been able to share with friends. I have incorporated sour dough into my recipes and am enjoying it. BUT these sourdough brownies are amazing. They are thick and a tittle chewy and the fudge flavor is big. I am going to make another batch. 👍
J says
I tried the long ferment instructions but the outcome was really dry, crumbly, almost inedible! I was confused because the long ferment instructions said to use half a cup of melted butter, then add the remaining butter the next day. But, since the recipe only calls for 1/2 a cup, I did not add any more. Did I mess something up? Are you supposed to add more butter if you long ferment? Appreciate the clarification since the photos look way better than my batch!
Lisa says
Hmm! I am not sure why they would have turned out really dry. I have not had this issue. There are so many factors that go into it! As far as the butter, there is no extra butter, so it sounds like you did the right thing!
LeAnne says
I’m a little confused by the long ferment directions. Do I add a half cup of melted butter to the batter and then the next day melt another half cup butter along with the chocolate & vanilla?
Lisa says
Sorry about that! There is no additional butter to add.
Michaela says
Just got done making this, I didn’t do a long ferment on it and I didn’t have chocolate chips on hand but still turned out really good. I think next time I will try to mix in the sourdough starter in the cooled butter because it didn’t mix well in the batter, so it looks like I’ve got marbled brownies in some spots. But this recipe will be in my rotation of sweets.
Lisa says
Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Monica says
My brownies came out cakey even though I didn’t let the batter ferment whatsoever and followed the recipe to a T. I will not make this again. I’m unsure how yours came out so fudgy?
Lisa says
Hmm. Sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you.
Daniel says
Love them (said this before baking)
Lisa says
Wonderful
Kari says
I made these today with gluten free starter discard, gluten free flour and plant based butter. They are fudgy and delicious! Can all if these discard recipes be made with gluten free starter discard and gluten free flour?
Lisa says
That is wonderful to hear that it worked with all those swaps. I think it really depends on the recipe. Breads are a lot harder to use gf flour than other recipes
Joyce Roman says
Thank you for sharing some of your sourdough discard recipe. I’ve been using few of them like the banana muffin, blueberry muffin and the chocolate Bundt cake. So far the feedback from my son and the family are good. Your recipes are very useful. Thank you again. Keep up your good work..
Lisa says
So glad you and your family enjoy the recipes! Have a great weekend!
Alice says
I allowed the dough to ferment overnight in the refrigerator. Though it was extremely hardened, I finally scooped it out into the parchment prepared pan with an ice cream scoop. It baked into a kind of pull-apart brownie mass. A lot of fun, and tasted equally delicious to flat, square cut brownies.
Lisa says
I’m so glad it still worked out and you enjoyed it.