These vegan sourdough chocolate chip cookies are about to up your cookie standards. They're tender and chewy with a subtle sourdough tang that'll have everyone asking, "What's the secret ingredient?"
½cupvegan butter112g, softened to room temperature
½cuporganic sugar100g
½cupbrown sugar100g
½cupsourdough discard100g, room temperature
1teaspoonvanilla extract5ml
1 ¾cupsall-purpose flour210g, sifted
1tablespooncornstarch or tapioca starch or rice flour8g
1teaspoonbaking soda5g
¾teaspoonsea salt4g
8ounceschopped vegan chocolate chips or chunks227g, plus more for topping
Flaky sea saltfor topping
Instructions
Using a hand mixer or a whisk, cream together the vegan butter and sugar for 5–7 minutes on medium speed, until completely creamed together.
Add the sourdough starter and vanilla extract and mix together until fully incorporated, around 1–2 minutes.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and sea salt.
Pour the dry mixture into the wet ingredients. Using a spatula, gently mix until fully combined, about 1 minute.
Fold in the chocolate chips and stir until just combined.
Cover the cookie dough tightly or transfer to a sealed zipped bag. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but I highly recommend letting it chill for 24 hours for the best flavour if possible. You can chill the cookie dough for up to 5 days.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.
Scoop out the cookies, about 2 tablespoons each, forming or rolling them into round balls and placing them onto the lined baking sheet. Allow 3 inches (8cm) for each cookie. You may need two baking sheets or bake them in batches. Keep the dough cold while doing this; don't let it get warm to prevent too much spreading. Very lightly and gently press down the tops of the cookies just a little bit before placing them into the oven. Top with a few additional chocolate chips for the prettiest cookies.
Place the cookies on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove immediately from the oven and top with some extra flaky sea salt if desired. I also like to use a round bowl or a glass and use it to round out the edges of the cookies to make them perfectly circular.
Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Room temperature vegan butter. Let the vegan butter come to room temperature before you begin. It won't cream properly with the sugars if it's too cold or melted.
Don't skimp on creaming time. Cream together the butter and sugars for at least 5 minutes. This will help create tender cookies that aren't overly dense.
Don't overmix. When mixing together the wet and dry ingredients, and then when folding in the chocolate chips, do so just until everything is combined. Mixing too much will result in tough cookies.
Chill. Chill for at least 2 hours (ideally 24 hours) for the best "sourdough-y" flavour. Longer chill times will also yield more tender, chewy cookies.
Storage. Seal fully cooled leftover cookies in an airtight container. They'll keep in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. You can also freeze cookie dough balls for up to 3 months and bake from frozen.