Sourdough brownies are chocolatey and fudgy, with a signature sourdough kick. Whip them up in an afternoon or long ferment them overnight!
![overhead photo of sourdough brownies cut into squares on parchment paper](https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/sourdough-brownies-18-1024x683.jpg)
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). Iโm 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 creamโฆseriously delicious.
We’re talking high up on the list with cookies or cake. Itโs 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.
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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 9ร9 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
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 9ร9 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.
Shevawn says
Thoroughly enjoyed these brownies!!!
Sarah Doughty says
Turned out great!
Kayla Fry says
They are great!!!!!!
Claire says
Lovely ! I did tweak it as I had run our of cocoa powder. Added a few drops of wild orange essential oil to the battery, divided it and added the melted choc chips to half. Poured the chocolate mixture in first and then the plain mixture on top and swirled a fork around to mix the two a bit !
Claire says
Meant to add that I long fermented it too !
Aleesha says
So fudgy and delicious!!!
Lisa Bass says
Wonderful!
Darby Bemrose says
These brownies are amazing! I added a little bit of espresso granules, wow! I do wish your recipes had weights and measurements
Jessica Minervini says
I loved this recipe! The only thing I did differently was put them in a 9×12 glass pan instead and cooked them for half the time so I had more of them. Theyโre rich so the smaller size is better in my opinion. But either way they are delicious!
Jenn says
After reading the reviews by those who long-fermented without great results, I was determined to make it work… ๐ Here’s what I did:
Since only flour actually needs to ferment, I added the flour to the discard and then added enough water to make it stir-able. (My starter is super thick, so I added about 2 Tbs additional water.) I let the mixture ferment overnight (12-13 hrs). In the morning I added the remaining ingredients and combined it all together with a hand mixer. I think that the stickiness of the flour/starter mixture would’ve made it difficult to blend throughly by hand.
The result was a brownie with a very nice texture. Still fudgy, not too cakey. The only downside was that to me it had a bit too much tang, but that may have been at least in part because I used dark chocolate chips and did not compensate with additional sugar. I’ll try again in the future with semi-sweet chips and maybe ferment the flour for a shorter period of time until I get the taste exactly to my liking. That said, my husband thought they were great, and they did all get eaten up at a potluck I took them to!
Valerie says
Hi I’m not a fan of chocolate chips. Do you think I could reverse it and add 1 cup of cocoa powder and only 1/2 cup of chips and would still be good? Thanks!
Lisa Bass says
That should be fine!
Camille says
These brownies were so delicious! This brownie provided the best of both worlds in terms of texture. You get a crisp edge and a fudgy center without the brownie falling apart. On its own, this brownie recipe is incredible, but I suggest adding a little bit of coffee or espresso powder to the batter if you want to enhance and deepen the chocolate flavor. Also love the mild tanginess from the sourdough discard. Thank you for the easy and delicious recipe Lisa!