Vegan Sourdough Discard Brownies (Easy One-Bowl Recipe)

These delicious one-bowl sourdough discard brownies are ultra fudgy and gooey, studded with dark chocolate chunks and very easy to make. The combination of the sour tang from the sourdough discard with the chocolate flavor is unique and addictive! Makes for a decadent dessert and such a great way to use up your extra sourdough discard! Plus, this recipe is completely vegan, dairy-free and egg-free!

If you make sourdough bread and maintain your own sourdough starter at home, then you probably have lots of sourdough discard meant to be wasted. BUT, there is such a wide array of recipes you can make using your sourdough discard, and this fudgy brownies recipe is an wonderful way to repurpose your starter into a delicious treat.

By the way, if you don't have a sourdough starter to make this recipe, then check out this healthy kidney bean brownies, they are super easy and delicious!

I'm serious, they are absolutely amazing and one of our favorite ways to use up the extra sourdough discard. They are very chocolatey, dense and ultra-fudgy, filled with a gooey texture and studded with melty dark chocolate. Plus, they have a nice crackly crust. 

The addition of sourdough starter makes for tender brownies and adds a nice tangy taste that seems to round up perfectly the deep chocolate flavor. We just cannot get enough of it. A must-try if you are a chocolate lover!

You will love how easy and quick it is to whip up a batch! All you need is one bowl and 10 minutes to bring the brownie batter together. 

They feel like an indulgent treat, although they are secretly healthier. As a side note, this is an egg-free, dairy-free and completely vegan recipe, although you won't be able to tell. I promise. They are so good!

Hope you give them a try! ❤️

Why you will love this recipe

• Quick and easy sourdough brownies recipe perfect for your chocolate cravings
• Requires simple pantry ingredients
• An amazing way to use up your excess sourdough starter and will help you cut down on food waste
• Gooey, fudgy, perfectly sweet and packed with a yummy dark chocolate flavor
• Delicious melt-in-your-mouth texture
• These brownies are naturally nut-free, making them a nice treat to add to your kids's lunch boxes!
• Healthier brownies also made vegan, dairy-free and egg-free

Ingredients you will need

(See below in the recipe card for the measurements)

• Sourdough discard: you will need a 100% hydration starter. You can either use a 6-day-old sourdough discard from the fridge or, a freshly fed sourdough that's bubbly and lively. Both work just as well, so feel free to go with what's easier for you. As a side note, an older sourdough starter tends to be more sour or acidic than a freshly fed and newer starter. See the FAQs section below to make this recipe if you don't have a starter.
• Milk: I used full-fat oat milk, although you can use almond milk or soy milk to make them. 
• Flour: I recommend using regular all-purpose flour (ideally unbleached). Bread flour or cake flour aren't working well for making brownies and might interfere with the final texture. I haven't tried it yet, but you should be able to make it with a 1:1 gluten-free flour as well.
• Raw cacao powder: or regular cocoa powder, if that's what you have. Make sure to choose unsweetened. I like raw cacao powder better than cocoa powder since it is less processed, meaning that it keeps all of its amazing nutrients during the preparation (such as antioxidants). It also gives these brownies an amazing dark chocolate flavor!
• Coconut oil: feel free to use either refined coconut oil (no coconut flavor) or unrefined coconut oil (with coconut flavor). 
• Ground flax seeds: ground flax when combined with water makes for an amazing egg-replacement for baking, although you can also use regular eggs.
• Maple syrup: do not swap for regular granulated sugar for this recipe.
• Vanilla extract: omit if you don't have it, but I recommend including it to add a deeper flavor to the brownies.
• Chocolate chips: I used the dark chocolate mega chunks from the brand Enjoy Life (they are vegan and nut-free). Mini chocolate chips would also be great. Semni-sweet chocolate is great for this recipe.
• Sea salt: helps balance the sweet and chocolate flavor.

How to make a fudgy sourdough brownie recipe

(See below in the recipe card for the full recipe)

Preheat the oven to 350º and line an 8 x 8-inch dish with parchment paper.

Make the flax eggs

I made this recipe vegan, so I use flax eggs instead of regular eggs. That being said, regular eggs would work too if you are not vegan.

To make the flax eggs, simply whisk together the ground flax with water in a small bowl, then set aside for 5-10 minutes. A loose gel will slowly form that's similar in texture to whisked eggs.

Combine the wet ingredients

In a large bowl, add the milk, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, flax eggs, vanilla extract and the sourdough starter discard. Whisk well until well combined. 

Depending on how old your starter discard is and if it comes straight from the fridge, the starter can have a slimy texture that takes a little work to dissolve with the other liquids. So keep stirring and whisking until it is very smooth and uniform and you don't see any clumps of discard. This step is important so you don't end up with clusters of gummy starter in the brownies!

Add the dry and combine the batter

Using a colander, sift the flour and raw cacao powder into the wet ingredients. Then stir to combine and stop stirring when the batter comes together (you want to avoid overmixing).

If you don't have a colander, then simply stir in the dry ingredients without sifting, just make sure you break all the clumps while mixing the batter (the raw cacao tend to clump easily).

When the batter is done, then stir in the chocolate chips and use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of your bowl so there are no dry pockets left.

Bake

Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish and then use the back of a spoon or a spatula to even out the top part.

Bake for 30 minutes, then let the brownies cool down before slicing. Enjoy!

Helpful tips

• You will need an 8 x 8-inch dish for this recipe. If you use a 9 x 9-inch, I recommend baking the brownies for less longer so it does not end up overcooked.
• Try removing most bubbles on your sourdough discard by stirring it well before measuring, especially if is pretty lively and active, since you are looking for ½ cup of packed discard.
• Adjust baking time and make sure not to overcook these brownies, they are best when soft and gooey! Since every oven is different, then you might want to watch yours while baking. The brownies are done when the edges look done but the center is still looking slightly underdone. You can do the toothpick test: you should have some moist crumbles sticking to it. It will keep baking for a few more minutes at room temperature once out, so if in doubt, then take it out a little earlier!
• I highly recommend covering your baking dish with parchment paper before pouring the brownie batter, otherwise you won't be able to take it all out at once and slice it into squares. If you skip on the parchment paper, then you will have to keep it in there and scoop the brownies as you go (it will stick to the dish), which is fine too.
• Don't skip on cooling down the brownies before slicing and enjoying. While they cool down, they will finish up cooking, become more fudgy and the flavor will be better, too.

Modifications and serving suggestions

As mentioned above, these brownies are made healthier, vegan and dairy-free. That being said, if you are not vegan and if that's easier for you, then you can also use regular eggs and whole milk. 

Here are other ways you can customize your brownies:

• sprinkle some coarse salt over the brownies when just out of the oven, perfect if you like sweet and salty treats!
• instead of dark chocolate chips, you can toss in white chocolate or peanut butter chips instead.
• if you enjoy brownies with nuts, then be sure to add a handful of chopped walnuts, almonds or peanuts.
• for a beautiful finish and a nice refreshing twist, press a few raspberries or sliced strawberries into the brownie batter just before baking.
• you can also dust with powdered white sugar before serving for a sweeter treat.

These brownies make for a nice treat enjoyed with a cup of coffee or cold milk for kids. 

Also, we love to slice the leftover cold brownies into tiny cubes, then use them as a garnish over a bowl of ice cream.

Storage tips

These brownies keep well at room temperature for about 24 hours (covered with plastic wrap).

After this, I recommend to transfer them in the fridge well covered for another 2-3 days. We love them cold straight from the fridge, but if you want to revive their gooey texture, then simply warm them up briefly in the microwave.

You can also freeze them for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Be sure to slice them in individual portions, then separate them with a small piece of parchment paper before freezing. That way, you will be able to grab one square at a time. Let them thaw at room temperature for about an hour before enjoying or speed up the process by using the microwave.

FAQs

Can I use regular granulated sugar instead of maple syrup?

No, you will need maple syrup to make them. Agave nectar might work too.

Can I make this recipe with an active sourdough starter instead of discard?

Yes! Both will give you a slightly different flavor: an older discard will give you a more sour result while a fresh and active starter will be milder in sour flavor. Also, as mentioned above, if using a bubbly and more active starter, then you might want to stir well first to break the larger bubbles to allow a more accurate measurement.

I don't have any sourdough discard at the moment. How can I make this recipe without discard?

You need a 100% hydration sourdough starter or discard for making this recipe. So, if you don't have any, then combine same weight of flour and water (be sure to weigh the ingredients and not just measure using cups, you want equal part flour and water just the same way you feed your starter). Simply combine enough until you have ½ cup, then use this instead of discard.

Do I need to feed the discard before using it for this recipe?

No! Just use the unfed discard straight from the fridge. The starter isn't used as a leaving agent here, which is why you don't need an active and bubbly starter, but is meant to add more depth in flavor to these brownies.

More sourdough discard dessert recipes you might like

• Sourdough peanut butter cookies
• Sourdough chocolate bread
• Sourdough discard chocolate chip muffins
• Sourdough discard carrot muffins
• Sourdough oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

I hope you like this sourdough discard brownies recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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