These chocolate sourdough discard brownie bites are the fudgy, crackly brownies of your dreams and will satisfy any chocolate craving. Made in mini muffin pans, they require no parchment paper and yield bite-sized brownies with shiny crinkled tops and chewy edges. This recipe uses 120 g of sourdough starter and is perfect for sharing at potlucks, barbecues, or anytime you want an indulgent, easily portioned treat.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Bite-sized perfection – Serving brownies in small portions makes them perfect for sharing, easy to eat, and impossible to resist. These brownie bites are ideal for potlucks, parties, or a simple dessert platter.
Crackly tops and fudgy centers – The texture is everything: crackly, shiny tops with a gooey, fudgy interior and slightly crisp, chewy edges on every bite.
Great use for sourdough starter – This recipe calls for 120 g of sourdough starter (active or discard). Using discard is a delicious way to reduce waste and add subtle depth to your brownies; if using discard make sure it isn’t overly sour.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour – 150 g
- Granulated sugar – 380 g (or swap some for dark brown sugar for extra fudginess and deeper flavor)
- Cocoa powder – 65 g
- Salt – 3 g
- Baking soda – 3 g
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – 100 g (melts well and adds pockets of gooey chocolate)
- Butter – 120 g, salted and melted (use unsalted if preferred)
- Eggs – 2 large eggs (add an extra egg if using smaller eggs)
- Vanilla extract – 5 g
- Sourdough starter – 120 g (active or discard; if using discard, ensure it’s fresh and not overly sour)
How to Make Chocolate Sourdough Brownie Bites
This recipe is adapted from a full-size sourdough brownie recipe and adjusted for mini portions to give intense chocolate flavor in every bite. Follow these steps for consistent results.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160ºC / 320ºF. Grease two 24-hole mini muffin pans with butter or nonstick spray and set them aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips so they’re coated with the dry mixture—this prevents them from sinking.
- Pour the melted butter over the dry ingredients, then add the eggs, vanilla extract, and sourdough starter. Gently fold with a spatula until the wet and dry ingredients are combined. The batter will be thick; that’s intended for fudgy bites.
- Portion the batter into the mini muffin pans. A disposable piping bag, small cookie scoop, or spoon works well. Fill each cup about half to three-quarters full.
- Bake for 15 minutes. The tops should look set and slightly glossy, while the centers remain gooey. Avoid overbaking—these firm up as they cool.
- Allow the bites to cool in the pan for roughly 10 minutes before removing them carefully. As they cool, the tops become crackly and the edges gain that desirable chew.
- Serve plain, dusted with icing sugar, or topped with a dollop of whipped cream. These are irresistible warm or chilled.
How to Store and Freeze
Store the brownie bites in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. If you plan to store them at room temperature, do not add whipped cream or other perishables.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week; some people prefer the slightly firmer texture straight from the fridge, and it’s also a safe option if you plan to pipe cream on top later.
These freeze well: place cooled bites in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature when ready to eat; briefly warming in the microwave (a few seconds) restores gooeyness.
Simple Recipe Card
Chocolate Sourdough Brownie Bites
By Kate Freebairn | Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 15 mins | Total: 35 mins | Servings: 48 bites
Ingredients
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- 380 g granulated sugar
- 65 g cocoa powder
- 3 g salt
- 3 g baking soda
- 100 g semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 120 g butter, melted (salted)
- 2 large eggs
- 5 g vanilla extract
- 120 g sourdough starter (active or discard)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160ºC / 320ºF. Grease two 24-hole mini muffin pans.
- Whisk dry ingredients together, coat chocolate chips in the mixture.
- Add melted butter, eggs, vanilla and starter; fold into a thick batter.
- Divide into pans, filling each cup half to 3/4 full.
- Bake 15 minutes until tops are set but centers remain gooey. Cool 10 minutes before removing.
- Serve plain, with icing sugar, or topped with whipped cream.
Nutrition (approx.)
Per bite: Calories 80 kcal; Carbohydrates 13 g; Protein 1 g; Fat 3 g; Saturated Fat 2 g; Sugar 9 g. Nutrition values are estimates and should be used as a guideline only.
If you enjoy these brownie bites and have extra sourdough starter to use, try other sourdough-chocolate recipes to make the most of your discard. These mini brownies are a quick, crowd-pleasing way to transform starter into something irresistibly chocolatey.