Sourdough Discard Brownies Peanut (Printable Version)

Fudgy chocolate brownies with sourdough discard and a luscious peanut butter swirl for extra moisture.

# Ingredient List:

→ Chocolate & Butter

01 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter
02 - 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

→ Wet Ingredients

03 - 1/2 cup sourdough discard (unfed)
04 - 1 cup granulated sugar
05 - 2 large eggs
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

07 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
08 - 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Swirl

10 - 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
11 - 1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
02 - Combine butter and chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in 30-second intervals, stirring between each burst until completely smooth. Allow to cool for 3 minutes.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sourdough discard, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
04 - Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the wet ingredients bowl and whisk until the mixture achieves a smooth, uniform consistency.
05 - Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt directly into the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula, gently fold ingredients together until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain fudgy texture.
06 - Pour brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the surface with a spatula.
07 - In a small bowl, blend peanut butter with powdered sugar if desired. Drop spoonfuls of peanut butter mixture across the brownie batter surface. Using a skewer or knife, gently swirl the peanut butter throughout the batter in a decorative pattern.
08 - Bake for 28 to 32 minutes until the center is just set. A toothpick inserted into the brownie should emerge with moist crumbs, not batter.
09 - Allow brownies to cool completely in the pan before cutting into 16 equal squares.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get to use up sourdough discard guilt-free, turning something destined for the compost into pure chocolate bliss.
  • The peanut butter swirl feels fancy and indulgent but requires zero special skills—just a skewer and good intentions.
  • They're fudgy in the center, crispy at the edges, and stay moist for days if you can resist eating them all at once.
02 -
  • Don't use a metal skewer or knife straight from your dishwasher to swirl—warm metal will melt the peanut butter into an uncontrollable mess, so grab a room-temperature skewer or quickly wipe it dry if needed.
  • The sourdough discard makes these brownies stay moist longer than typical brownies, but this also means they're denser and more substantial—one square is legitimately satisfying, which surprised me the first time.
03 -
  • Measure your flour by weight if you possibly can—it's the difference between brownies that spread too thin and ones with that perfect dense-but-fudgy texture you're after.
  • Room-temperature ingredients mix more smoothly together, so pull your sourdough discard and eggs out of the fridge 30 minutes before baking for noticeably better texture in the finished brownies.
Go Back