Sourdough Brownies

These gooey, double-chocolate sourdough brownies come together quickly to create a decadent dessert everyone will love! With sourdough, chocolate chips, and a hint of coffee, these brownies are sure to satisfy your chocolate dreams.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve loved doing ballet, and I’ve always looked forward to performing in the Nutcracker. During rehearsals one year, I had a teacher who wanted to help me remember to breathe while I was dancing. (It seems weird, but dancers often hold their breath when concentrating. Not a helpful habit, but it inevitably happens.)

Before I practiced my variation, she would tell me to “Smell the brownies.” By this she meant to take a deep breath, imagine I could smell a pan of brownies, and dance as if I was enjoying myself (even if my feet begged to differ). Smelling the imaginary brownies became one of her favorite corrections to give every week (straightening my legs and traveling my turns were also reoccurring corrections, but they weren’t as memorable. 🙂 ) Now, whenever I think of brownies, I think of my teacher. So in honor of her love for brownies, both imaginary and real, I’m excited to share this sourdough brownie recipe with you.

It actually took me a few tries to perfect this brownie recipe, but the result is absolutely worth the effort. Filled with baking chocolate and chocolate chips, these brownies will melt in your mouth and delight your taste buds! You’ll definitely “smell the brownies” as they bake in your oven.

Sourdough discard, coffee, and a hint of vanilla give these treats enhance the chocolate, giving these brownies a sophisticated flavor profile that you’re sure to enjoy. Additionally, they only bake for 20 minutes, making them an easy dessert for impromptu gatherings or parties. They’re also great when you just really want a chocolatey treat. So grab your sourdough discard, mix up the batter, and prepare to “Smell the brownies!”

Does coffee make brownies better?

Yes! Adding 1 tbsp of coffee to your brownie mix will give them a richer flavor. You won’t taste much of the coffee, but you will notice the flavor of the chocolate is enhanced by the coffee. Even if you don’t like coffee, try out this trick – you might be surprised at how delicious your brownies will turn out!

Tips for making Sourdough Brownies

• To make these dairy-free, you can substitute coconut oil for the butter. Make sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips too!
• Brownies are really easy to over-bake, so check them with a toothpick a few minutes before the timer goes off. If the toothpick comes out clean, take them out even if they haven’t been in the oven the full 20 minutes.
• You can enjoy these brownies by themselves, but they also pair well with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and raspberries. 🙂
• These brownies will stay fresh for 3 days at room temperature. Cover them with plastic wrap or a towel or store them in an air-tight container.

Tools you will need

You’ll need two mixing bowls and an 8′ x 8′ pan for the brownies.

Ingredients you will need

Just your typical brownie ingredients, plus a few special additions:

• 1/2 cup sourdough discard
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup butter (you can also use coconut oil to make these dairy-free)
• 4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp coffee
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup chocolate chips (again, you can use dairy-free if you prefer)

How to make Sourdough Brownies

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have the convection setting on your oven, make sure to use it. This setting uses a fan to evenly distribute the air throughout the oven while it’s on, which helps your food bake properly.

Into a medium bowl, break the unsweetened chocolate. Add in the butter. Microwave the chocolate and butter in 15 second increments, stirring with a spatula in between, until the chocolate is completely melted.

Alternatively, if you don’t have a microwave, you can melt your chocolate in a double boiler over the stove: Fill a small pot with water and place on the stove at medium heat. Place a glass bowl over the pot and fill with the unsweetened chocolate and butter. Stir the chocolate and butter until it is all melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

In another bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla, coffee, honey, flour, sourdough discard, and baking soda. Make sure to mix well so that there are no lumps of sourdough discard in the batter.

Add in the melted chocolate and stir to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Grease an 8′ x 8′ pan with baking spray. Pour the brownie batter into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the middle of the pan comes out clean.

Hungry for more chocolatey recipes?

If so, head over to the Kitchen Counter for more yummy treats! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Sourdough Chocolate Babka
• Sourdough Chocolate Bread