Easy Sourdough Brownies Recipe (With Step By Step Pictures)
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These Sourdough Brownies are chocolatey, moist, and fudgy. They are so simple to make, with just one bowl and no special equipment needed, and come together quickly. It is bound to be your new go-to dessert recipe!

I have a confession to make. Up until this recipe I never really liked homemade brownies. They just never measured up to a box-mix brownie. It was what I grew up on, and for the most part, the homemade brownies I tried were too cakey or dry. So I went on the hunt to make the best homemade brownie, with sourdough discard of course. And I finally found one that I can confidently say I would choose over a box mix.
This brownie recipe is made with real chocolate instead of cocoa powder, and has chocolate chips for added bursts of melt-in-your-mouth rich chocolate flavor! These fudgy brownies are dense, chocolatey, and moist: the perfect combo for the best brownies to satisfy your chocolate cravings!
What is sourdough discard?
To describe sourdough discard, first, a sourdough starter needs to be defined. A sourdough starter is a live fermented culture of flour and water. It is used to naturally leaven bread and other baked goods. It is made from live good bacteria and yeast in the surrounding area and as the microorganisms eat the flour, they release carbon dioxide, which produces the bubbles.
Sourdough discard is what remains after the starter doubles in size and begins to fall back down. You can use these “leftovers” to make yummy sourdough discard recipes, like these sourdough brownies, sourdough pancakes, sourdough banana bread, or my sourdough chocolate chip cookies!
If you want to learn how to make your own sourdough starter, all you need is water and flour. Yup, that’s it! Find my Easy Sourdough Starter Recipe here. When your sourdough starter is active and doubling in size, then you’ll be ready to make naturally leavened recipes such as this Sourdough Chocolate Bread!
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What does sourdough discard do in baking?
There are many benefits to using sourdough discard in baking! Sourdough discard can help create a tender and moist baked good because the acidity in the discard helps prevent tough gluten strands from forming. It can also enhance the flavor with the tang of the sourdough and balance out sweetness. You can also get fermentation benefits when using sourdough discard if you let the batter sit overnight. This can help aid in digestion and help the nutrients be more bioavailable. You can find everything you need to know about sourdough discard here.

Recommended tools for brownies
This sourdough brownie recipe does not require any special equipment and is even made in one bowl! The only thing you will need to make the best brownies is a 9×9 metal pan. Trust me when I say that a metal pan makes a huge difference! When I was first recipe testing, I was using a glass pan and I could not figure out why the brownies were always raw in the middle! The metal pan cooks more evenly and yields better brownies!

Ingredients for Sourdough Discard Brownies
- 3 oz unsweetened baking chocolate bar – An unsweetened bar is good to use in baking to help control the sweetness level.
- Unsalted butter – You will need to cut it in cubes so it melts easily.
- Sugars – This recipe uses half granulated sugar and half brown sugar. The brown sugar adds moisture to this recipe creating a dense, chewy brownie. The white sugar makes the edges crisp for the ultimate combination of crispy and chewy.
- Large eggs – This recipe does not use baking soda or powder so the eggs act as the leavener in this recipe.
- Vanilla extract – Enhances the flavor of the brownies.
- Sourdough discard – Discard can be straight from the fridge. This recipe used 100% hydration sourdough discard, meaning the starter was fed equal parts flour and water.
- Salt – I like to use coarse sea salt in this recipe for a subtle salty crunch but any type will work.
- All-purpose flour – This is the best type of flour to use to yield a fudgy brownie.
- Chocolate chips- you don’t have to if you don’t have any on hand but it is delicious! I recommend using milk chocolate chips for an extra rich chocolate flavor.
- Powdered sugar – for sprinkling on top. This is optional but it makes it look pretty and adds a little extra sweetness.
Step-by-step instructions to make sourdough brownies
First, preheat your oven to 350F.
Chop up the chocolate bar into small pieces and cube a stick of butter.

To melt the butter and chocolate, place butter cubes and chopped chocolate in a medium-sized microwavable bowl and microwave at 30-second intervals. Stir and return to the microwave for another 30 seconds until melted. I find 1 minute and 15 seconds is just right for me. You could also do this step in a saucepan but I like the simplicity of the microwave!

Add in the sugars, eggs, vanilla, and sourdough discard to the melted chocolate mixture. Using a spatula or danish dough whisk, mix until combined.

Then, add in the salt and flour and mix until just combined. The batter does not have to be completely smooth.

If you would like additional fermentation benefits from the sourdough discard, you can store the batter in the fridge overnight before baking.
If you are adding additional chocolate chips, fold them into the batter (it’s not necessary but adds extra bursts of chocolate.

Line a 9×9 metal baking pan with parchment paper or spray lightly with non-stick spray. Pour the brownie batter in the pan and spread it evenly.

Bake for 27-30 minutes until set and toothpick comes out with just a light streaking and a few crumbs.

Sprinkle powdered sugar on top and enjoy!

How to store sourdough brownies
Store the brownies in an airtight container, or covered with plastic wrap. They can stay on the counter for up to 7 days, or if you want to store in the fridge they may last even longer.
To store in the freezer I recommend wrapping each brownie in plastic wrap and then storing in a large freezer bag. To defrost, add the brownie to the microwave in 15-second increments until it is defrosted and warm.

Tips for making sourdough discard brownies
- Do not over bake! In my opinion, there is nothing worse than a burnt, dry brownie. It is better to slightly undercook these versus over baking.
- Don’t over mix the batter. This will add more air into the recipe resulting in more of a cake texture.
- Give the brownies a little time to cool. They don’t have to be completely cooled (because who doesn’t like warm brownies?!) but do give it a little time. Bonus tip: use a plastic knife to cut your brownies. It will give you clean cuts every time!
- Use a metal baking dish. Trust me the first few times I made this recipe I used a glass baking dish and every time the middles were completely raw. The glass is thick and causes the brownies to bake unevenly. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong and then I switched to a metal pan and it fixed all my problems.
More Sourdough Treats
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies – This is the best chocolate chip recipe! Chewy, soft, and melt-in-your-mouth chocolate in every bite!
Cookies and Cream Sourdough Chocolate Rolls – Irresistibly soft chocolate rolls, a gooey, buttery Oreo filling, and a cream cheese frosting sprinkled with Oreos—the dream team.
Sourdough Banana Muffins – Everything you love about banana bread but in muffin form!

Sourdough Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 oz unsweetened baking chocolate bar
- 114 grams unsalted butter ½ cup
- 150 grams granulated sugar ¾ cup
- 165 grams brown sugar ¾ cup
- 2 large eggs 100 grams
- 4 grams vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
- 75 grams sourdough discard ⅓ cup
- 4 grams salt ½ teaspoon
- 140 grams all-purpose flour 1 cup
- 84 grams chocolate chips ½ cup
- Powdered sugar for sprinkling on top optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉
- Chop up chocolate into small pieces and cube a stick of butter. 3 oz unsweetened baking chocolate bar, 114 grams unsalted butter
- Place butter and chocolate in a medium sized microwavable bowl and microwave in 30 seconds intervals. Stir and return to the microwave for another 30 seconds until melted. I find 1 minute and 15 seconds is just right for me.
- Add in the sugars, eggs, vanilla and sourdough discard. Mix until combined.150 grams granulated sugar, 165 grams brown sugar, 4 grams vanilla extract, 2 large eggs, 75 grams sourdough discard
- Add in the salt and flour and mix until just combined. Does not have to be completely smooth.4 grams salt, 140 grams all-purpose flour
- Fold in chocolate chips.84 grams chocolate chips
- Line a 9×9 metal baking pan with parchment paper or spray lightly with non-stick spray. Pour the brownie batter in the pan and spread it evenly.
- Bake for about 27 minutes until set and toothpick comes out with just a light streaking and a few crumbs.
- Sprinkle powdered sugar on top and enjoy!
Notes
- Do not overbake or these brownies will become dry.
- Overmixing will make these brownies more cake-like. Mix until just combined.
These are fudgey and moist. They rival Starbucks brownies!! Can’t believe these haven’t gone viral!
Truly, these brownies are so delicious! They make you want to close your eyes and savor each bite. Everyone who has had them says they are the best brownies ever.
I have made this recipe 4x now and I can absolutely confirm that it’s a winner! I have to keep myself from eating them all in a single sitting. I’ve found that mine are nowhere close to done after 30 minutes though. I usually have to bake mine for nearly double that amount of time. I live in Idaho, so maybe that impacts it.
I would love to make this recipe! How do I switch this recipe to grams?
I will work on converting this recipe to grams. In the meantime you can google the conversions. For example 3/4 cup sugar to grams and it will pop up the grams.