Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies
I first wondered about putting miso in cookies when a close friend mentioned trying some miso on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It turns out that the salty, umami flavors of miso pair perfectly with the rich sweetness of things like jam, jelly, and chocolate. You’re going to love these miso chocolate chip cookies!
These cookies are one of those situations where salt, fat, acid, and sweetness combine to form the most decadent and satisfying flavor profile.
Since miso is so salty, these cookies do not need any salt added. Once you try these cookies, you’ll be amazed at how delicious all the flavors are together. The miso, sourdough starter, and combination of chocolate chips make the perfect cookie.
This is an adaption of my sourdough cookie master recipe. Here are some other versions of this cookie you may enjoy:
- Sourdough Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
- Sourdough Fermented Gingerbread Cookies
- Soft and Chewy Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies
- Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pumpkin and Pecans
Sourdough Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies
Making cookies with a sourdough starter is all about how you mix the ingredients. The order in which you mix your ingredients is the most crucial part.
You need to mix the sourdough starter with the wet ingredients and sugar first before you add any dry ingredients. Also, I want to note that the miso is a wet ingredient too, so that needs to be mixed in with the sourdough starter.
Just follow the directions on the recipe card below, and you won’t have any problems.
As for storing the cookie dough, you can ferment the cookie dough in the fridge overnight before forming the cookie dough balls and baking.
When I make a batch of these cookies, I ferment them overnight in the fridge, then shape the dough into balls the next day. This recipe at 1x makes 20 cookies, so usually bake six, then freeze the rest of the cookie dough balls.
To bake the frozen cookie dough, you just put the frozen cookie dough ball on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then bake as usual.
Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies with Brown Butter
Since we use sourdough starter and miso in this recipe, no eggs are needed. My cookie recipe also calls for browned butter (cooked butter).
The most important part to remember when using browned butter is to allow it to cool to just above room temperature before you use it. If you dip a finger in the butter, it should not feel warm at all. You want the butter to still be liquid, but not warm to the touch.
Miso Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Okay, let’s discuss the delicious miso I used in this recipe. I used some of my homemade, one-year fermented miso that I teach students to make in my online course. I make it from lentils.
You do not have to use homemade miso, however. Store-bought miso works great in this recipe. Almost any kind of miso will do, just make sure it is plain and not flavored with anything like garlic or pepper.
Miso Cookies with Dark Chocolate Chunks
These cookies are fantastic with dark chocolate chunks and mini milk chocolate chips. However, you can change up the ingredients a bit to suit you.
If you really enjoy nuts in your cookies, for instance, you can add some pecans or walnuts. White chocolate chips are also great in this recipe. If you like crunchy texture, add in some crushed pretzels. All of these ingredients work well in these miso chocolate chip cookies.
Sourdough Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies with Brown Butter
The absolute best miso chocolate chip cookies! These sourdough miso chocolate chip cookies are made with homemade miso, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and brown butter for the most fantastic texture and flavor.
- Prep: 15 minutes
- Cook: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 340 g all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 230 g butter*
- 300 g sugar
- 140 g miso
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 120 g sourdough starter (active or discard, hydrated)
- 1/2 cup mini milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup dark chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Please read the notes before you begin.
- Brown the butter in a small saucepan until bubbly, and dark golden. Stir it continuously, careful to not burn it.
- Remove from heat and allow the butter to cool completely to room temperature.
- In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder).
- Once the butter has cooled completely but is still liquid, to a large bowl add the brown butter, sugar, vanilla extract, sourdough starter, and miso.
- Combine with a whisk or hand mixer until even.
- Fold the combined dry ingredients into the wet ingredient butter mixture. Stir until well combined.
- Add your chocolate chunks and chips.
- Place the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours or refrigerate overnight.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of your chilled cookie dough and shape into balls.
- Preheat the oven to 375° and place the cookie dough balls about two inches apart on the lined cookie sheet.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the cookies and let them sit on the cookie sheet until completely cool.
Notes
- This recipe is for people with a refined palette and a love for miso.
- These cookies are like salted chocolate chip cookies but with more umami flavors from the miso. If you don’t like salty and sweet baked goods, this may not be the recipe for you… and if you don’t love miso, you probably won’t love these cookies.
- You can use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. The miso already adds a good bit of salt, so salted butter will be even more salty.
I’ve eaten half this dough before even baking these guys, WOW! Question, is there a trick to working with the dough before shaping it into balls? I chilled mine overnight, and it’s super rock hard… very challenging to bust apart and form nicely.
After refrigerating, you can let the dough come back to room temp before working with it! The refrigeration just helps with the fermentation and getting the flour to absorb the butter properly.
Well, that was delicious! Definitely going to making these again 👌🏼
The miso flavour in this cookie really didn’t work for me. I didn’t use home made miso, so that could have been the issue. I really thought I would love these, but they are possibly the only bake, I couldn’t even force myself to eat (would have taken them to other people, but I live pretty remotely).
These are so delicious! They’re the perfect combo of sweet and salty and have a really lovely texture. My whole family is hooked, these are definitely becoming a baking staple for me 🙂
I think I made a mistake using normal (salted) butter, because the dough came out too salty and not pleasant to eat. I had to throw it away. I wish the recipe specified unsalted butter was needed if this was the issue. Could have been the miso as well, I’m not really sure what went wrong.
so you threw it away and gave this recipe a low rating after only tasting the… raw dough? Interesting. You cannot taste the full flavor of a cookie until it is baked, because the sugars won’t fully come through until they caramelize with the fat in the oven.
I’ve made these miso cookies over 10 times, and shared these cookies with 12 different people and they were loved by all. I live in Louisiana though, where the food is well seasoned, and your opinion of too salty is probably very different from mine.
Can these cookies be made without the miso or at least a substitute for it? Thanks!
You can substitute with more sourdough starter if you have a mild and not too sour starter.
Try a nut butter if you don’t enjoy miso
I love this recipe! I substitute peanut butter for the butter and it’s the most and flavors!
Thank you, pure genius
Love them!
Hi, this recipe is great!. I’m making my cookie larger around 150gm and chilling them overnight. Can I bake it straight out of the fridge the next day? And how long more should I add to baking time?
the baking time is the same straight from the fridge. If you freeze the dough, I like to add 2-3 more minutes when baking from frozen.
I have collected several sourdough discard cookie recipes that do not list any eggs in the ingredients list. I am scared to make them! What’s the science of the exclusion of eggs in this (other cookie ) recipe?
sourdough discard is glutenous and acts as an egg replacement.
These cookies are seriously some of the best I’ve ever had. Refined palette or no- my husband, brother, and friends loved them immediately. I’m also overjoyed to find the rest of their content?? Everything is so incredible and thought out. Truly became a Cultured Guru follower overnight. How inspiring. Bravo you guys