The Best Nutella-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies (With Sourdough Discard)

If you’ve ever typed “sourdough discard chocolate chip cookies” into Pinterest hoping for that perfect bakery-style result… you know the disappointment of pulling out something that looks promising — only to bite in and discover it’s cakey.

I’ve been on a full-blown quest to create the perfect sourdough cookie. And when I say quest, I mean flour-dusted kitchen, late-night taste tests, and a husband who very willingly volunteered as chief cookie critic.

Here’s the thing: I detest cakey cookies. I want crunchy, deeply golden edges and a centre that’s soft — but not fluffy, not muffin-like, not spongey. Every sourdough discard recipe I tried leaned too far into soft and puffy territory.

Then one day, my husband and I treated ourselves to a giant Nutella-stuffed cookie. It was everything I had been craving — crisp edges, caramelised flavour, a slightly softer centre without being cakey. It was perfect. And it reignited my determination to crack the code.

So I researched everything: browned butter cookies, levain-style cookies, bakery-style spreads. The common denominator? Eggs. Every single recipe insisted the egg was essential for gooey texture and spread. Without it, they warned, the cookie would be brittle.

But they also said brown sugar creates softness.

And that’s when the little experiment began.

What if I skipped the egg… but kept the brown sugar?

Friends. It worked.

I give you the perfect sourdough discard cookie — crunchy but not brittle, soft in the centre but not cakey, and absolutely loaded with dark chocolate and molten Nutella.

Let’s bake.

Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies have deeply caramelised, crunchy edges from browned butter, giving you that bakery-style snap you crave without a single cakey bite in sight.

The frozen Nutella centre melts into a rich, gooey core that feels indulgent and dramatic, turning an everyday chocolate chip cookie into something truly unforgettable.

This is the ultimate sourdough discard recipe, transforming leftover starter into bold, chocolate-loaded cookies with perfect texture, balanced sweetness, and irresistible homemade charm.

Ingredient Breakdown (And Why It Matters)

225g Butter
We brown it. This is non-negotiable. Browning transforms the flavour into something nutty, deep, and almost caramel-like. It’s the backbone of this recipe.

200g Light Brown Sugar
Adds moisture and chew without needing eggs. It prevents brittleness and gives that gorgeous caramel undertone.

100g White Sugar
Balances texture and helps create those crispy edges we’re after.

100g Sourdough Discard
Adds subtle tang, complexity, and structure. It replaces the egg while keeping the cookie rich.

300g Flour
Provides structure. Enough to hold that Nutella centre without turning cakey.

1 tsp Baking Soda
Gives just enough lift so they’re not dense bricks.

300g Dark Chocolate, chopped
Big shards melt better than chips. You want pools, not dots.

18 teaspoons Nutella
Frozen first — so you get that molten centre without it disappearing into the dough.

How To Make Nutella-Stuffed Sourdough Discard Cookies

Step 1: Freeze the Nutella

Line a chopping board (one that fits in your freezer) with baking paper. Spoon 18 teaspoons of Nutella onto it in an even grid. Freeze until solid.

This ensures a true molten centre later.

Step 2: Brown the Butter

Place butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow it to melt, bubble, and deepen into a rich golden brown. It should smell nutty and slightly caramelised, with tiny brown specks forming.

Do not skip this. This is where the magic lives.

Set aside to cool slightly.

Step 3: Whip the Sugars and Discard

In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar, white sugar, and sourdough discard until fluffy and fully combined.

Slowly pour in the browned butter while beating continuously. Adding it gradually ensures it incorporates smoothly without overheating the discard.

Beat until smooth and glossy.

Step 4: Add Dry Ingredients

Beat in the baking soda.

Fold in the flour gently until no white streaks remain. We don’t want overmixing — just fully incorporated dough.

Fold through the chopped dark chocolate.

Chill in the fridge for 30–60 minutes before shaping.

Step 5: Shape and Stuff

Remove dough and frozen Nutella from the fridge/freezer.

Flatten a generous tablespoon of dough in your palm. Place one frozen Nutella portion in the centre. Cover with another small portion of dough and seal completely.

Roll into a ball and place on a plate or in a storage container.

Repeat — you should get 18 large cookie balls.

Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. This deepens flavour and improves texture. Shaping first makes life much easier.

Step 6: Bake

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Arrange cookies about 2cm apart (they don’t spread excessively).

Bake in the centre of the oven for 10–15 minutes until edges are golden and centres look just set.

They will firm up as they cool but stay beautifully soft inside.

Cookie Tips & Tricks for Perfect Results

1. Don’t Skip the 24-Hour Chill
Chilling the shaped dough for 24 hours deepens flavour, hydrates the flour properly, and creates thicker cookies with crisp edges and a more complex caramelised finish.

2. Use Chopped Chocolate, Not Chips
Chopped dark chocolate melts into luscious pools throughout the dough, creating bakery-style texture and visual appeal that standard chocolate chips simply cannot replicate.

3. Slightly Underbake for Gooey Centres
Remove the cookies when the edges are golden but centres look slightly soft, as they will continue setting while cooling yet remain beautifully tender inside.

4. Freeze the Nutella Properly
Freezing the Nutella portions completely solid ensures a defined molten centre after baking instead of blending invisibly into the surrounding cookie dough.

5. Measure Flour Correctly
Spoon and level your flour carefully rather than scooping directly, preventing excess flour that can make the cookies dry, dense, and less perfectly textured.

The Best Nutella-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies (With Sourdough Discard)

Makes: 18 large cookies
Chill Time: 24 hours
Bake Temp: 200°C
Bake Time: 10–15 minutes

Ingredients

• 225g butter
• 200g light brown sugar
• 100g white sugar
• 100g sourdough discard
• 300g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 300g dark chocolate, chopped
• 18 teaspoons Nutella

Method

1. Freeze Nutella:
   Line a board with baking paper. Spoon 18 teaspoons of Nutella onto it and freeze until solid.
2. Brown the Butter:
   Melt butter over medium heat until deeply golden brown and nutty. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Mix Wet Ingredients:
   Beat brown sugar, white sugar, and sourdough discard until fluffy. Slowly stream in browned butter while beating continuously until smooth and glossy.
4. Add Dry Ingredients:
   Beat in baking soda. Fold in flour until fully incorporated, then stir through chopped chocolate. Chill dough 30–60 minutes.
5. Shape Cookies:
   Flatten a generous tablespoon of dough. Place one frozen Nutella portion in the centre. Seal with a little extra dough and roll into a ball. Repeat to make 18 cookies.
6. Chill:
   Cover and refrigerate shaped dough balls for 24 hours.
7. Bake:
   Preheat oven to 200°C. Arrange cookies 2cm apart on a lined baking tray. Bake 10–15 minutes until edges are golden.
8. Cool:
   Allow to cool on tray. Cookies will firm up but remain soft and gooey in the centre.

Optional: Sprinkle with flaky sea salt before baking for an extra flavour boost.

Enjoy your perfectly crisp-edged, Nutella-filled sourdough discard chocolate chip cookies. 🍪