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These sourdough chocolate snickerdoodle cookies are what happens when a fudgy brownie meets a classic snickerdoodle. They’re rich, soft, and chewy with plenty of chocolate flavor, a warm cinnamon sugar coating, and the subtle tang of sourdough discard. I love pulling them from the oven while the centers are still just a little soft so every bite is perfectly fudgy.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Brownie Meets Snickerdoodle – These cookies have all the soft, chewy goodness of a classic snickerdoodle with a rich chocolate flavor that’s almost brownie-like. I actually prefer them slightly underbaked so the centers stay nice and fudgy.
- Great Sourdough Flavor – I love the tanginess of these cookies, from both the characteristic cream of tartar and 100 grams of sourdough discard. It’s a great twist on a snickerdoodle! If you already love my sourdough snickerdoodle cookies, I have a feeling these chocolatey cousins are going to become a new favorite.
- Perfect for Sharing – This recipe makes a nice big batch, which is great because they disappear quickly! My boys love these cookies, and I always try to set a few aside for sharing with friends or popping into lunchboxes.
Ingredients
- Granulated Sugar – You’ll use some in the cookie dough and some to roll the cookies right before baking.
- Brown sugar – I’ve added in some brown sugar for a bit of warm caramelly flavor.
- Butter – You can use unsalted butter if you like, but I always use salted. You’ll want softened butter here, so take it out of the fridge a bit before you start baking.
- Egg – I’ve used two medium eggs.
- Sourdough Starter or Sourdough Discard – Either one will work to add that lovely depth of flavor to these snickerdoodles.
- Vanilla Extract
- All Purpose Flour
- Cocoa Powder – Gives these cookies their fudgy, almost brownie-like flavor.
- Cream of Tartar – Don’t leave this out! The cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodle cookies that classic tangy flavor. There is cream of tartar in baking powder, however, it also contains baking soda, so you’d then need to adjust this ingredient too. My advice is to wait until you have cream of tartar, instead of trying to substitute this ingredients.
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Ground Cinnamon – You’ll use some in the cookie dough and some to roll the cookies right before baking.
How To Make Sourdough Chocolate Snickerdoodle Cookies
I generally make this sourdough chocolate snickerdoodle cookie recipe with a stand mixer and paddle attachment, but you can use a Thermomix, an electric hand mixer, or just do it by hand (just use a whisk and elbow grease).
You’ll start by adding the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter together to the bowl of your stand mixer and beat on high speed until creamy and uniform, about 3 minutes.
Kate’s Pro Tip
Texture Tip
Make sure you cream the butter and sugar together well. You want the sugar to have dissolved into the butter and not be gritty at all. I recommend using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer or hand mixer for the best results.
Next, you add the eggs, sourdough starter, and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.
Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. It helps to do this slowly so it’s easier to mix the dough. Continue to mix until the cookie dough is uniform.
If you’re baking the cookies right away, preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Since this dough is a bit soft, I recommend chilling the dough in the refrigerator for two hours to let the flavors develop and make it easier to scoop. You can even refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days for a more complex sourdough flavor.
Kate’s Pro Tip
Chilling Time Tip
The cookie dough should be tacky, but not too sticky. This dough is a little softer than my regular sourdough snickerdoodle cookies, so I recommend refrigerating the dough if you have time. Even just a few hours will create a more complex flavor profile (and easier to handle dough!). Plus it gives your sourdough starter a chance to work its magic!
When you’re ready to bake, mix together the sugar and ground cinnamon for topping in a small bowl and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Roll the sourdough chocolate snickerdoodle dough into small balls (I like to use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to ensure the cookies are all about the same size). Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar and place on the cookie sheets with plenty of surrounding space for the cookies to spread.
Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. I like to take them out when the edges are set but the centers are still soft. If you prefer a crispier snickerdoodle, leave the cookies in the oven for another minute or two. If your cookies are quite puffy, use the back of a large spoon to pat the cookie down into a flat shape. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Kate’s Pro Tip
Why Are My Snickerdoodles Hard?
Having your oven temperature too low or using too much sugar can result in hard snickerdoodle cookies. Ensure your oven is at the right temperature by using an oven thermometer and always weigh your ingredients using a digital scale. I recommend pulling the cookies from the oven while they still look a bit underdone. This will result in a nice soft cookie once they cool.
How To Store + Freeze
Like most of my sourdough cookie recipes, these cookies are perfect for freezing and making ahead. Their soft texture also means that they will last a bit longer than regular cookies.
Store at Room Temperature
These sourdough cookies keep beautifully thanks to the sourdough discard. Store them in a cookie tin or glass jar for up to 1 week. I find the texture is better in a glass or tin than in a plastic container.
Freeze
I like keeping a batch of these in the freezer alongside my sourdough chocolate chip cookies so there’s always a homemade treat on hand.
For unbaked cookies, scoop the dough into balls (don’t roll them in the cinnamon sugar), then freeze on a baking tray until firm. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 4 months. When you’re ready to bake, thaw slightly, roll in the cinnamon sugar, and bake as directed.
For baked cookies, allow them to cool completely before freezing in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container for up to 4 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Make Ahead
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that the dough can be made ahead. Cover and refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days before baking. The extra chilling time develops an even deeper sourdough flavor and makes the dough easier to scoop.
Recipe Note From Kate
Chocolate recipes never seem to last long in our house! Between these cookies, my sourdough protein chocolate chip cookies, and sourdough cosmic brownies, I’m usually baking at least one batch every week.
These chocolate snickerdoodles have quickly become one of my boys’ most requested cookies. And I love that they make a big batch and freeze perfectly!
Sourdough Chocolate Snickerdoodle Cookies
Equipment
- Stand Mixer optional
- Cookie Scoop optional
- Cookie Sheets
Ingredients
Snickerdoodle Dough
- 200 g Granulated Sugar
- 100 g Brown Sugar
- 230 g Butter, softened
- 2 Eggs, medium
- 100 g Sourdough Starter, or discard
- 8 g Vanilla Extract
- 300 g All Purpose Flour
- 40 g Cocoa Powder
- 9 g Cream of Tartar
- 5 g Baking Soda
- 5 g Salt
- 3 g Ground Cinnamon
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 50 g Sugar
- 5 g Ground Cinnamon
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), beat the sugar and butter together on high speed until creamy and uniform, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs, sourdough starter, and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Combine the flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (it helps to do this slowly so it’s easier to mix) and mix until the cookie dough is uniform.
- If you’re baking the cookies right away, preheat the oven to 350℉/180℃. I recommend chilling the dough in the refrigerator for at least two hours to let the flavors develop and make it easier to scoop, as this is a fairly soft dough. You can even refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days for a more complex sourdough flavor.
- When you’re ready to bake, mix together the sugar and ground cinnamon for topping in a small bowl and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Roll the sourdough snickerdoodle dough into small balls (I like to use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to ensure the cookies are all about the same size). Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar and place on the cookie sheets with plenty of surrounding space for the cookies to spread.
- Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. I like to take them out when the edges are set but the centers are still soft. If you prefer a crispier snickerdoodle, leave the cookies in the oven for another minute or two. If your cookies are quite puffy, use the back of a large spoon to pat the cookie down into a flat shape. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Make sure you cream the butter and sugar together well. You want the sugar to have dissolved into the butter and not be gritty at all. I recommend using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer or hand mixer for the best results.
- The cookie dough should be tacky, but not too sticky. This dough is a little softer than my regular sourdough snickerdoodle cookies, so I recommend refrigerating the dough if you have time. Even just a few hours will create a more complex flavor profile (and easier to handle dough!). Plus it gives your sourdough starter a chance to work its magic!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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