Sourdough Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

These gluten-free Sourdough Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies have crisp edges, chewy centers, and rich flavor using sourdough discard and pools of chocolate.

The flavorful cookies have a nutty flavor from the buckwheat flour, which adds an earthy, robust twist to your favorite sourdough cookies.

They’re naturally gluten-free if you use a gluten-free sourdough starter and chopped chocolate gives you puddles of chocolate with gooey centers.

Follow my detailed instructions with photos and tips below to get the best gluten-free sourdough buckwheat chocolate chip cookies.

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👍 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• A hearty, earthy twist on these popular Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies featuring beautiful buckwheat flour.
• The cookies are naturally gluten-free if you use a gluten-free sourdough starter. They’re 100% buckwheat flour!
• Perfect balance of sweetness with the robust buckwheat flour and topped with flaky salt so they’re not too sweet.
• Big, gooey pools of chocolate chunks or chips in the cookies.
• Easy sourdough cookie recipe that uses melted butter and minimal tools with no special equipment needed.
• The dough freezes exceptionally well!

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🔍 Expert Baking Tips

• Use chopped chocolate for the best results. You’ll get puddles of large chocolate and smaller bits throughout in every bite.
• Tap the pans a couple of minutes before they’re done cooking to flatten them.
• Weigh your cookie dough balls so you get equal-sized cookies.
• For perfectly circular cookies, swirl hot cookies in a cookie cutter to round the edges.
• Rest the cookie dough for an hour for better flavor and easier shaping.

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🛠 Tools Needed

• Baking scale
  • Flour and sourdough starter can vary in weight from person to person, so weighing your ingredients is the best option! Measuring your ingredients by weight will make your baking more consistent and accurate.
• Sheet Pan, lined with parchment paper
• Spatula and Whisk, for mixing the cookie ingredients

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🛒 Ingredients Needed

See below for my ingredient recommendations and possible substitutions.

• Buckwheat Flour
  • One of my favorite ancient grains, buckwheat flour is naturally gluten-free. It has a grayish-purple hue with dark specks throughout. Buckwheat has an earthy, nutty flavor that complements chocolate exceptionally well.
  • I use Bob’s Red Mill Buckwheat Flour in this recipe.
  • Other favorite ancient grain recipes include my Soft Sourdough Rye Sandwich Bread, Beginner’s Einkorn Sourdough Bread, Spelt Sourdough Bread, and Emmer Sourdough Bread.
• Salt
• Baking Soda creates a chewy texture and helps the cookies spread.
• Melted Unsalted Butter
  • You can use softened butter and cream it with the sugars for thicker, chewier cookies. However, in my recipe testing I prefer the ease and texture of melted butter.
• Vanilla Extract enhances the flavor and adds warmth and sweetness perception.
• Light brown sugar
  • Brown sugar has molasses, which adds a little more richness to the cookies.
• Granulated sugar
  • Adds structure and sweetness to the cookies.
• Egg
  • Adds structure to help bind the ingredients together.
  • To make egg-free, substitute with an egg replacer or flax egg.
• Sourdough Discard
  • If you don’t have an active sourdough starter, learn how to make one in a week following my how-to guide. See my top sourdough starter tips and other sourdough discard recipes.
  • To make 100% gluten-free, use a gluten-free or buckwheat sourdough starter.
• Semisweet Chocolate
  • Chop real chocolate bars for the best flavor and texture in chocolate chip cookies! Brands I like include Baker’s, Guittard, Valrhona, or more commonly found Lindt or Ghirardelli.
  • You can also use bittersweet chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or chocolate chips in you prefer.
  • Other favorite chocolate recipes include my Chocolate Sourdough Bread with Coffee, Sourdough Chocolate Muffins, and Sourdough Chocolate Brioche.

Variations

• Add ½ cup of toasted walnuts or pecans for crunch.
• Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, cardamom, or a mix of spices.
• For more brightness, zest an orange into the dough.
• Shredded coconut is an excellent, tropical addition.
• Substitute some of the sugar with maple syrup.

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🍪 How to Make Sourdough Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Follow this detailed recipe guide with step-by-step images as you make the best sourdough buckwheat chocolate chip cookies.

1. Mix the Dry Ingredients

Whisk the buckwheat flour, salt, and baking soda together in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Mix the Wet Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the melted butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, and sourdough discard.

3. Mix the Cookie Dough and Rest

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until mostly incorporated.

Then, fold in the chopped chocolate chunks with a spatula.

Cover and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least an hour to infuse the flavors and make shaping easier.

4. Bake

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Scoop out 2 TBS of cookie dough, or about 43g each. Roll into balls and place a few inches apart on the prepared pans.

For large pools of chocolate, chop large chunks of chocolate and stick on top. Sprinkle with optional flaky salt.

Bake for 13 minutes or until the cookies are just set around the edges. Give the pan a light tap on the counter a couple of minutes before they’re done baking and after they’re baking to help flatten them.

Cool for at least 15 minutes on a wire rack.

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How to Store and Serve

• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3–4 days
• For longer storage, freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months.
• Freeze cookie dough balls and bake fresh as needed. They may need a couple of more minutes in the oven.
• Let cookies cool completely before storing to keep edges crisp.
• Warm slightly before serving for gooey chocolate and best texture
• Pair with coffee, tea, or a glass of milk for a cozy treat.

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions