Sourdough Brownies (With Cocoa Powder)

These sourdough brownies are rich and fudgy. Made with sourdough discard, cocoa powder, and chocolate pudding, they’re the best easy chocolate sourdough treat.

You can whip up a batch of these melt-in-your-mouth sourdough brownies in under an hour. No long fermentation or melting chocolate required!

If you love this recipe, you’ll love my sourdough double chocolate chip cookies. Also known as my sourdough brownie cookies. They’re my top favorite cookie EVER.

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I love brownies that are dense and fudgy, not cake-like texture. These are IT! They’re the perfect easy sourdough brownies made with cocoa powder!

Sourdough Brownies Recipe (With Cocoa Powder)

Sourdough Brownies (With Cocoa Powder)

Hello Honeycomb

These sourdough brownies are rich and fudgy. Made with sourdough discard, cocoa powder, and chocolate pudding mix, these brownies are thick and gooey. Perfect for every sourdough chocolate lover!

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 15

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup salted butter 2 sticks, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup sourdough discard
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 1 package instant chocolate pudding mix 3.9 ounce package
• 2½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips for topping

Instructions

 

Sourdough Brownie Batter

• In a large bowl, combine softened butter and sugars until creamed together.
• Add eggs, sourdough discard, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt to bowl and mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is mixed evenly.
• Add cocoa powder and instant chocolate pudding mix to the batter. Mix to combine.
• Add flour slowly by adding ½ cup at a time and mixing each time. This ensures the flour gets mixed evenly. The dough will be very thick, not runny like typical brownie batter.

Baking Sourdough Brownies

• Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃). Line a 9×13" baking dish with parchment paper. Drop the batter into the dish. It will be very thick.
• Cut a piece of plastic wrap the size of the baking dish and lay it over the batter. Using your hands press the batter evenly to the edges of the pan.
• Once batter is evenly pressed, sprinkle 1 cup of dark chocolate chips over the batter and press them in lightly.
• Bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 22-25 minutes until the edges of the brownies are slightly firm to the touch and the center still looks slightly under-baked. Allow to fully cool before slicing.

Notes

• Batter – This batter will be thick, almost like cookie batter. This results in dense, thick sourdough brownies.
• Press into pan – Use plastic wrap to press the batter into the pan to avoid sticky fingers.
• Chocolate pudding – This is the secret ingredient to these fudgy sourdough brownies–chocolate pudding mix! Don’t skip this, believe me.
• Checking doneness – Look for firm edges and a slightly under-baked center. The center will firm up as the brownies cool. You can always insert a toothpick into the center and if it comes out with lots of batter, bake a few minutes longer. 

Why you’ll love this recipe

• This recipe uses cocoa powder and chocolate pudding mix to create the rich, chocolatey flavor. No melting chocolate required!
• It makes a large batch of sourdough brownies. Many other recipes make an 8×8″ pan. This recipe makes a 9×13″ pan that yields large, thick brownie squares.
• It’s an easy and quick sourdough brownie recipe. No long fermentation or chilling of the batter is needed. From bowl to table in under an hour!

I’m picky about the texture of brownies. I don’t like a thin, cake-like brownie. Anyone else with me? The thicker the better for me. I created this recipe to be rich and dense.

The texture reminds me of a cosmic brownie but better. And these sourdough brownies are made with much better ingredients!

Important Ingredients

This recipe uses mostly pantry staples, but take note for:

• Sourdough discard – You can use sourdough discard OR active sourdough starter for this sourdough brownie recipe. Either one is fine!
• Instant chocolate pudding mix – This is the secret ingredient to gooey, rich brownies. Use a packet of dry instant chocolate pudding mix (standard 3.9 ounce package). Just add the dry mix straight into the batter.
• Dark chocolate chips – They provide that melty chocolate topping.
• Unbleached flour – My favorite unbleached flour is the organic King Arthur flour. You can use the King Arthur regular unbleached all purpose flour or the bread flour here. Either is fine.
• Vanilla extract – Maybe I’m biased, but there is nothing like the flavor of homemade vanilla extract. I think it levels up any sweet treat recipe. Any kind of vanilla extract will do, but if you want to kick it up a notch, use homemade. I like this recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen.

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card above.

How to Make Sourdough Brownies with Cocoa Powder

While making the sourdough brownie batter, set your oven to 350℉ (180℃) to preheat.

Step 1: In a large bowl combine softened butter and sugars until creamed together. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, sourdough discard (or starter), baking soda, and salt. Mix to combine

Step 2: Add the cocoa powder and chocolate pudding to the batter and mix. Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time and mix each time. The batter will be very thick. It will not pour like regular brownie batter; you will have to scoop it into the baking pan.

Step 3: Line a 9×13″ baking pan with parchment paper. Scoop the brownie batter into it. Using a piece of plastic wrap to keep your fingers from getting sticky, press the batter evenly to the edges. Sprinkle with 1 cup of dark chocolate chips and gently press them in.

Step 4: Bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 22-25 minutes until the edges of the brownies are firm to the touch and the center is slightly under-baked.

Batter Tip

Having a thick batter is the key to keeping these sourdough brownies thick and fudgy. The batter doesn’t spread out much while baking so making sure it is spread evenly to the edges on parchment paper is important.

Baking Tip

Because the batter is thick and not runny, these brownies are best slightly underbaked, similar to a chewy cookie.

You can insert a toothpick into the center to test doneness. If the toothpick comes out with a lot of batter on it, keep baking for a few more minutes. If the toothpick comes out with just a little batter and the brownie edges are firm to the tough, it’s done.

Let it completely cool and allow the center to firm up before slicing and serving.

How to Serve

Serve these sourdough brownies as an afternoon snack with a glass of milk or coffee. Enjoy as an after-dinner dessert to treat your family or dinner guests. Or pop some popcorn and enjoy these sourdough brownies as a movie-night treat for a sweet and salty pairing!

I love this recipe for an easy party dessert. It makes enough sourdough brownies for a crowd. It’s perfect for a holiday party or cookout. They’re easy to transport, store, and serve.

How to Store

Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Frequently Asked Questions