The Best Sourdough Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies 

These sourdough chocolate peanut butter swirl cookies are going to blow you away! The rich, chewy cookies are perfectly sweet and salty with a generous dusting of sugar on top.

I also have an inverted version of this cookie! Try my sourdough chocolate-stuffed peanut butter cookies. If you love a good sourdough discard cookie, you'll also love my sourdough malted chai chocolate chip cookies and my sourdough peanut butter blossom cookies.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Sweet, salty, and chewy: Rich chocolate cookie dough with peanut butter streaks and a sugared top — the best of both worlds.
• A great way to use discard: The discard ties everything together and keeps the cookies from tasting overly rich, just like it does in my fudgy sourdough discard brownies.
• Those peanut butter swirls: Folding the peanut butter in at the end leaves ribbons throughout, so every bite is a little different.
• Quick and easy: Whipped up in about 25 minutes — as fuss-free as my sourdough chocolate chip muffins.
• Deeply chocolatey: Cocoa plus chocolate chips make these a chocolate lover's dream, like my sourdough double chocolate banana muffins.

Ingredients You'll Need

• softened butter + cane and brown sugars: Creamed for a rich, chewy base.
• eggs + vanilla: Bind the dough and round out the flavor.
• sourdough discard: Ties the flavors together and keeps the cookies from tasting overly rich.
• all-purpose flour + cacao powder: The chocolatey structure.
• salt + baking soda: For balance and a good spread.
• chocolate chips: Extra melty chocolate throughout.
• peanut butter: Runny, organic peanut butter is best for swirling — folded in at the end for ribbons.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Easy Substitutions & Variations

• No sourdough: Use 2 ¼ cups of flour total to replace the discard.
• Flour: You can substitute, though results vary depending on how much liquid your flour absorbs.
• Butter: Use a non-dairy butter — I recommend half plant butter and half shortening so the cookies hold their shape.
• Peanut butter: A runny, natural peanut butter swirls best; other nut butters work too.
• Extra chocolate: Fold in chopped chocolate or extra chips for an even richer cookie, like my brownie crumb bars.

How to Make Sourdough Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies

Note: I bake by weight for accuracy. Cup measurements are approximate and may vary depending on how you scoop.

Step 1: Cream the butter and sugars: Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a stand mixer or bowl, cream the butter, cane sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Step 2: Make the dough: Mix in the eggs, vanilla, and sourdough discard until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cacao powder, salt, and baking soda, then stir into the wet ingredients. Mix in the chocolate chips until just combined.

Step 3: Swirl the peanut butter: Pour the peanut butter over the dough and gently fold it in — distribute it throughout but leave plenty of streaks. Don't overmix!

Step 4: Scoop and bake: Place scoops of dough 2 inches apart on a lined baking sheet and top with a dusting of sugar. Bake 8–10 minutes (closer to 10 works best) — they're done when the tops look just set and are no longer shiny. Cool on a rack.

Weigh your ingredients! Using a kitchen scale ensures your measurements are accurate, which is key for getting consistent results in baking. It takes the guesswork out of measuring and helps your recipes turn out exactly as intended every time.

Expert Tips

• Sugar the tops. A dusting of sugar before baking gives that sweet, slightly crackly finish.
• Don't overmix the peanut butter. Fold it in just enough to distribute it while leaving distinct streaks — that's what makes the swirls.
• Pull them at just-set. They're done when the tops look set and no longer shiny; they firm up as they cool.
• Chill for chewier cookies. Refrigerate the dough 30 minutes to an hour for an even chewier texture.
• Use runny peanut butter. A natural, drippy peanut butter swirls far better than a thick, stiff one.

What Makes This Recipe Special?

The magic here is the contrast — deep, rich chocolate cookie against sweet-salty peanut butter ribbons, with the sourdough discard rounding everything out so it never tastes cloying. Folding the peanut butter in at the very end keeps those distinct swirls, so no two bites are quite the same. It's the same discard-balances-richness trick behind my chocolate sheet cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting.

They're also quick, freezer-friendly, and crowd-pleasing — a great addition to a cookie box or dessert table alongside my sourdough chocolate cupcakes, a sourdough discard funfetti layer cake, or a loaf of chocolate chunk banana bread.

Sourdough Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies FAQs

Sourdough Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies Troubleshooting Guide

Storage

• Store on the counter in an airtight container for 3–5 days.
• Freeze for up to 6 months — they're delicious straight from the freezer!

Other Sourdough Discard Recipes to Consider

Sourdough Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies

Audrey Grubb

These rich and chewy cookies are perfectly sweet and salty with a generous dusting of sugar on top. The peanut butter swirls throughout make each bite its own unique experience with some being sweeter than others. The use of sourdough discard ties all the flavors together and prevents the flavors from being overly rich.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 24 Cookies

Calories 231 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Stand mixer or mixing bowl
• ▢
  Cookie scoop (these are a bit messy! - a 3-inch scoop makes 24 cookies)
• ▢
  Cookie sheet
• ▢
  Silicone baking mat or parchment paper

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 226 grams unsalted butter softened (1 cup)
• ▢ 100 grams cane sugar ½ cup
• ▢ 200 grams brown sugar 1 cup
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 120 grams sourdough discard ½ cup
• ▢ 240 grams all-purpose flour 2 cups
• ▢ 50 grams unsweetened cacao powder ½ cup
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 170 grams chocolate chips 1 cup
• ▢ 130 grams peanut butter ½ cup; runny/natural is best for swirling

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a stand mixer or mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
  226 grams unsalted butter, 100 grams cane sugar, 200 grams brown sugar
• Mix in the eggs, vanilla, and sourdough discard until combined.
  2 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 120 grams sourdough discard
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cacao powder, salt, and baking soda. Add to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
  240 grams all-purpose flour, 50 grams unsweetened cacao powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Mix in the chocolate chips until just combined.
  170 grams chocolate chips
• Remove the bowl from the mixer. Pour the peanut butter over the dough and gently fold it in — distribute it throughout but leave plenty of streaks. Don't overmix!
  130 grams peanut butter
• Place scoops of dough 2 inches apart on a prepared baking sheet and top with a dusting of sugar.
• Bake 8–10 minutes (closer to 10 works best). They're done when the tops look just set and are no longer shiny.
• Cool on a rack and enjoy!

Notes

For chewier cookies: Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour before baking.

Storage: Store on the counter for 3–5 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 231kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 160mgPotassium: 94mgFiber: 1gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 256IUCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg

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