Last updated on April 14th, 2026 at 03:01 am
Cookies that fill your kitchen with the warm, buttery scent of home baking and a hint of garden-fresh mint. These sourdough chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy with crisp, golden edges and a subtle mint flavor from homemade mint infused butter.
Each bite has that nostalgic feel of summer baking, with just enough richness to make them stand out from a classic cookie. I’ll walk you through exactly how to get the perfect texture every time, along with simple tips for storing and using sourdough discard in this recipe.
Why You Can Trust This Recipe
Hi, I’m Amber, a busy mom cooking from scratch and building a modern homestead on one acre. I’ve spent years working with fresh milled flour, sourdough, gardening, and food preservation, testing what actually works in a real, busy kitchen.
This recipe comes straight from that experience, including using herbs from our garden like the fresh mint in this butter. Every recipe I share is tested in my own kitchen, often multiple times, so you can count on it turning out the way it should.
If you’re new to baking with fresh milled flour, start with my guide to getting consistent results so your recipes turn out soft, balanced, and easy to work with
{This post contains affiliate links. Please see my full Disclosure Page for details}
Jump to:
- Why You Can Trust This Recipe
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fresh Mint Infused Butter
- Why the Dough Rests
- Equipment You’ll Need
- Ingredients
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Mix-ins:
- Tips for Perfect Results
- Storage Instructions
- Variations & Substitutions
- Troubleshooting Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Fresh Milled Flour Recipes to Try Next
- Mint Infused Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you’ve been baking sourdough, you know that keeping an active starter means regular feedings and plenty of discard. Instead of tossing it, this sourdough chocolate chip cookie recipe puts that discard to good use.
The sourdough adds a subtle tang that balances the sweetness and gives these cookies a deeper, more complex flavor than classic chocolate chip cookies. Paired with fresh milled flour, you get a soft, chewy texture and a richer, more wholesome flavor that makes these cookies stand out.
Fresh Mint Infused Butter
Instead of using peppermint extract, which can taste artificial or overpowering, this recipe uses fresh mint steeped directly into melted butter. This simple infusion gives you a smooth, natural mint flavor that complements the chocolate without taking over.
It’s an easy way to use fresh herbs in baking, and it creates a more balanced, homemade flavor than traditional mint chocolate chip cookies.
Why the Dough Rests
Chilling the dough for 24 to 48 hours is what takes these cookies from good to incredible. This rest time allows the flour to fully hydrate and gives the sourdough time to develop deeper flavor.
The result is cookies with crisp, golden edges and soft, chewy centers, plus a richer, more developed taste you won’t get from baking right away.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Large bowl for dry ingredients
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Baking sheet or multiple baking trays
- Parchment paper or a parchment lined baking sheet
- Wire rack for cooling
- Beeswax bread bag or airtight container for storage
Ingredients
Mint Infused Butter
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves (or ⅓ cup dried mint)
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups freshly milled soft white wheat (400g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup sourdough discard
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Create the Mint-Infused Butter. Melt the butter on low heat in a sauce pot.
2. Add your fresh chopped mint to the melted butter. Let it steep for 5-10 minutes. The butter will absorb all those fresh mint flavors.
3. After steeping, strain the butter through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the mint leaves. Let it cool slightly.
4. While your butter steeps, mill your flour, In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
5. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the cooled mint-infused butter, dark brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
6. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Mix in the chocolate chips gently.
7. Remove the cookie dough to a large bowl with a lid and refrigerate for 24-48 hours.
8. The next day, roll the cookie dough out into 1 ½ inch balls and bake at 350° for X minutes.
Mix-ins:
- 1½ to 2 cups chocolate chips
I love using dark chocolate chunks or a mix of regular and mint chocolate chips for a little extra mint flavor. You can also fold in chopped Andes mints or crushed candy canes for a fun holiday version.
Tips for Perfect Results
Use Room Temperature Ingredients
Make sure your eggs and sourdough discard are at room temperature so everything mixes smoothly and evenly.
Don’t Overbake
The centers should look slightly underdone when you pull them from the oven. They’ll continue to set as they cool, giving you soft, chewy cookies instead of dry ones.
Watch the Butter Temperature
After straining the mint, let the butter cool to room temperature but keep it liquid. If it solidifies, it won’t cream properly with the sugars.
Flour Options
Fresh milled soft white wheat gives the best texture, but hard white wheat or einkorn will also work.
Freeze for Later
Scoop the dough, freeze on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, just add a couple extra minutes.
Starter or Discard Both Work
You can use active starter or sourdough discard. No need to feed it first, this is a great way to use it up.
Storage Instructions
Storage InstructionsStore cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Layer parchment paper between cookies to keep them from sticking.
For longer storage, freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. You can also freeze unbaked dough balls and bake as needed for fresh cookies anytime.
Variations & Substitutions
Chocolate Options
Use milk chocolate, dark chocolate chunks, or white chocolate. For a stronger mint flavor, use mint chocolate chips throughout.
No Fresh Mint
Use dried mint instead. Start with 1 to 2 teaspoons added to the wet ingredients. The flavor will be slightly different but still works well.
Flour Substitutions
All-purpose flour works as a 1 to 1 swap. You can also add a small amount of rye flour for extra depth.
Holiday Version
Top with crushed candy canes or mix in chopped Andes mints for a festive twist.
Troubleshooting Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Why Are My Sourdough Cookies Dry?
This usually comes down to overbaking. Pull the cookies when the centers still look slightly underdone, they will continue to set as they cool and stay soft and chewy.
Why Didn’t My Cookies Spread?
If your cookies stayed thick, the dough may have been too cold or too dry. Let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes before baking, and make sure your butter was fully liquid when mixing.
Why Are My Cookies Too Flat?
Flat cookies are often caused by butter that is too warm or too much sugar. Make sure your dough is properly chilled before baking to help control spread.
Can I Use Sourdough Discard in Cookies?
Yes, sourdough discard works perfectly in cookies and does not need to be freshly fed. It adds a subtle tang and helps create a softer, more flavorful texture.
Can I Use Fresh Milled Flour for Cookies?
Yes, fresh milled flour works beautifully in cookies. Soft white wheat gives the best texture, creating cookies that are soft, tender, and slightly more flavorful than those made with all-purpose flour.
Can I Skip the Overnight Rest?
You can bake them right away, but the 24 to 48 hour rest is what develops the deeper flavor and gives you that perfect chewy texture. If you have the time, it’s worth it.
Fresh Milled Flour Recipes to Try Next
If you’re building a from-scratch kitchen, fresh milled flour recipes are a great place to start. If you’re new, don’t miss my guide to getting started with fresh milled flour so your baked goods turn out soft, balanced, and easy to work with.
For everyday baking, my easy fresh milled flour sandwich bread is a staple, and if you’re in the mood for something sweet, these fresh milled flour sugar cookies are another favorite that bake up soft and full of flavor.
Mint Infused Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Mint-Infused Butter:
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves or ⅓ cup dried mint, lightly packed
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups freshly milled soft white wheat 400g - You can substitute with hard white wheat, einkorn, or an equal amounts all-purpose flour.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons salt optional flaked sea salt for topping
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature is best
- ¾ cup sourdough discard at room temperature from your hydration starter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Step 1: Create the Mint-Infused Brown Butter
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter. You can take this to the next level by continuing to cook it until you see those brown flecks forming, this creates brown butter, which adds incredible depth.
- Add your fresh chopped mint to the melted butter (or browned butter if you went that route), stir well, and cover. Let it steep for 5-10 minutes. The butter will absorb all those fresh mint flavors. After steeping, strain the butter through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the mint leaves. Let it cool to room temperature but still liquid.
Step 2: Prepare Your Flour Mixture
- While your butter steeps, mill your flour if you're using fresh-milled wheat. In a large bowl, combine 3 cups of flour with 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and 1½ teaspoons salt. Whisk together and set aside. Using the right amount, not too much flour and not less flour than specified, is crucial for the perfect texture.
Step 3: Cream the Butter and Sugars
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cooled mint-infused butter, dark brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. This sugar mixture should look pale and airy.
Step 4: Add Wet Ingredients
- Add the eggs (make sure they're at room temperature), sourdough discard, and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until everything is incorporated, then increase speed and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Don't worry if the mixture looks a bit curdled from the eggs and egg yolks—it'll come together.
Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry
- Slowly add your flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix just until combined—you don't want to overwork the dough, as too much mixing can lead to a cake-like cookie rather than chewy cookies with those crispy edges we're after.
Step 6: Add the Chocolate
- Fold in your chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, dark chocolate, or whatever sweet chocolate you're using. This is also where you might add milk chocolate, mint chocolate chips, or even a small amount of chopped Andes mints.
Step 7: The Crucial Chill
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24-48 hours. I know it's hard to wait, but this important step allows the flour to fully hydrate, flavors to develop, and helps create that chewier cookie texture with perfectly crispy edges.
Step 8: Baking Day
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop, portion the dough into 1½-2-inch balls. You can roll them into smooth balls or leave them slightly rough for more texture on top of each cookie.
- Place scoops of dough on your parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between each one. If you want, sprinkle a little flaked sea salt on top of each cookie before baking.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden but centers still look slightly underdone. They'll continue cooking on the cookie sheet after you remove them. Let them rest for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Leave a Reply