Gluten-Free Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies are a classic cookie made with mature sourdough starter discard. They’re thick, soft, and melt in your mouth.

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Gluten Free Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

You guys, I made the most amazing Gluten-Free Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies and they immediately earned a permanent spot on my must-bake list. These are thick, tender cookies with a dense-yet-soft texture that practically melts on the tongue. They’re not cakey, but they’re not thin and crispy either — they sit happily in that perfect, chewy center ground.

The dough benefits from chilling. I chilled mine for six hours and it was ideal: still soft enough to scoop, but chilled enough to hold its shape and not spread into thin disks. I used a large cookie scoop and dropped the dough onto baking sheets — no rolling required.

Because these cookies are thick, their edges stay soft rather than becoming crispy like some bakery-style cookies. The texture reminds me a lot of richer cookie recipes such as pumpkin or other dense chocolate chip variations. Best of all, this recipe is a delicious way to use the discard from your mature sourdough starter.

Key Ingredients for Sourdough Cookies

• Sourdough Starter – use discard from a mature, active starter that is bubbly and has a pleasant yeasty-sour aroma.
• Gluten-Free Flour – a reliable all-purpose gluten-free blend works best. If your blend already includes xanthan gum, omit additional xanthan gum in the recipe.
• Butter – unsalted butter at cool room temperature gives flavor and richness; European-style butter (higher fat) works nicely.
• Shortening – a small amount adds structure and helps achieve a tender crumb while preserving flavor from the butter.
• Sugar – a mix of granulated and light brown sugar balances sweetness and moisture.
• Chocolate – semi-sweet chips or chopped chocolate work well; feel free to use dark or milk chocolate to suit your taste.

Can I make these dairy-free?

Yes. Replace the butter with a solid, stick-style vegan butter such as a plant-based alternative and use dairy-free chocolate chips. The texture will be slightly different but still delicious.

Equipment You’ll Find Helpful

• Stand mixer or hand mixer (you can mix by hand but a mixer is faster)
• Half sheet pans for baking cookies
• Silicone baking mats or parchment paper
• Large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons) for even cookies
• Digital kitchen scale for accurate measurements

How to Make Sourdough Cookies

1. Dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, sorghum flour (or extra gluten-free flour), xanthan gum (if needed), fine sea salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
2. Cream fats and sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, shortening, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar on medium-low until combined. Scrape down the bowl.
3. Combine wet ingredients: Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing to combine. Add the mature sourdough starter discard and mix until evenly incorporated.
4. Add dry ingredients: With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Turn off the mixer and fold in the chocolate chips or chunks by hand.
5. Chill: Form the dough into a single large ball, cover, and chill for at least 6 hours and up to 72 hours. This rest enhances flavor and texture.
6. Shape: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Scoop the dough into about 24 even balls (a large scoop yields cookies that bake up thick and satisfying). Arrange 6–8 per baking sheet, leaving space to spread slightly.
7. Bake: Bake on the center rack 8–12 minutes, depending on oven and cookie size. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes so they can set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips for Best Results

• Use discard from a mature starter. Avoid using discard from a brand-new starter; you want mature, active discard for the best flavor and structure.
• Starter hydration: This recipe assumes a 100% hydration starter (equal parts flour and water by weight). If your starter has a different hydration, you may need to adjust liquid/flour slightly.
• Measure flour correctly: Over-measuring flour can make cookies dry. A kitchen scale yields the most consistent results.
• Chill the dough: Don’t skip chilling. Cookies baked from unchilled dough will lack the developed flavor and may spread too much.
• Extra chocolate: Press a few extra chips into the tops of cookies as they come out of the oven for a nicer presentation and more melty pockets of chocolate.
• Cooling: Let cookies rest on the pan for 10 minutes so they set up before moving to a rack.
• Freezing: Baked cookies freeze well. You can also freeze scooped dough and bake from frozen; add a few minutes to the bake time when baking from frozen.

Ingredients (yields about 2 dozen cookies)

• 2 cups (about 280 g) gluten-free flour blend (use one you trust)
• 1/4 cup (32 g) sorghum flour (or substitute with extra gluten-free flour)
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, cool room temperature
• 1/4 cup (46 g) shortening
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (about 265 g) mature sourdough starter discard, unfed
• 2 cups (about 361 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks

Notes

1. Omit xanthan gum if using a flour blend that already has it included.
2. Using mature discard (just before feeding) gives the best flavor; do not use discard from an immature starter.
3. Keep cookie dough chilled between batches for consistent results.
4. Frozen scooped dough can be baked straight from the freezer; expect 10–14 minutes baking time depending on your oven and dough size.

If you enjoy sourdough discard recipes, try making Sourdough Discard Banana Bread, Sourdough Pancakes, or a simple Sourdough Discard Cornbread — all great ways to reduce waste and enjoy extra flavor.