If you love sourdough cookies, you're in the right place! I've put together 20 delicious sourdough cookie recipes for you to try. Not only do they use some of your sourdough starter (or discard), they make fantastic sweet treats, snacks or even the perfect gift for friends and family.
Adding sourdough discard to cookies can sometimes be tricky due to the high moisture content in sourdough discard. Cookie dough is not usually associated with adding water. But these sourdough cookie recipes are all tried and tested in The Pantry Mama kitchen and by over 185,000 members in my Facebook Group.
Can I Add Sourdough Starter or Discard To Any Cookie Recipe?
While you can add sourdough starter or discard to a lot of different things (I've even written a guide on how to add sourdough discard to almost any recipe), adding sourdough discard to cookies can be problematic.
Cookie dough is generally a drier or firmer dough than say a muffin or cake recipe. With muffins and cakes, you can remove some of the flour and liquid and replace it with sourdough discard. There often isn't enough moisture to remove with cookie dough.
This means that you have to be careful not to add too much sourdough discard and overwhelm the dough with moisture.
The good news is that I've done all the hard work for you and experimented with adding discard to oh so many different cookie recipes. So you don't have to waste time and ingredients wondering if they will turn out.
Should I Use Sourdough Starter or Sourdough Discard in Cookie Recipes?
You can use either sourdough starter or sourdough discard in any of these sourdough cookie recipes. If you've got some excess sourdough starter after making a loaf of sourdough bread, then you can use that.
Similarly discard is perfectly ok. However, you want to make sure that you are using fresh sourdough discard that hasn't been sitting around for too long. If it is too sour, it can overpower the flavor of the cookies and make them taste quite strange. You can read more about sourdough discard here.
Cookies with lots of add ins like Sourdough Cowboy Cookies and Sourdough Gingerbread can take a more sour flavor. Simple cookies like sourdough shortbread will be overpowered by really old discard.
16+ Sourdough Cookie Recipes
So let's get down to it ... grab your sourdough starter and let's bake some sourdough cookie recipes!
Soft Sourdough Pumpkin Spice Cookies
These soft, slightly spiced pumpkin sourdough cookies feature a delicious maple glaze that brings just a little bit extra! Whether you make these to gift or just enjoy in those quiet moments, you are going to absolutely love these!
Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Spice Cookies [with a maple glaze]
Deliciously soft sourdough discard pumpkin spice cookies drizzled with a maple glaze. These soft cookies are full of pumpkin flavor with a hint of sourdough tang.
Check out this recipe
Sourdough Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies
A delightful twist on sourdough gingerbread cookies, these sourdough crinkle cookies are full of warm gingerbread spices with soft interiors and a crackly, crunchy outside.
Sourdough Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies
Sourdough gingerbread crinkle cookies are a delectable fusion of tangy sourdough starter and warm, spicy gingerbread. These cookies boast a delightful crackled surface, offering a soft and chewy indulgence with every bite.
Check out this recipe
Sourdough Discard Cowboy Cookies
Sourdough discard cowboy cookies are full of pecans, chocolate chips and coconut flakes. They are such a fun and delicious cookie and perfect for snacks on the go or for filling your cookie jar.
Sourdough Discard Cowboy Cookies
Sourdough discard cowboy cookies are crunchy on the outside, with a chewy inside - bursting with chocolate chips, pecans, coconut and rolled oats, they are the perfect, anytime snack that will keep you coming back for more!
Check out this recipe
Sourdough Thumbprint Cookies
Sweet sourdough cookies with a jammy centre, these sourdough thumbprint cookies are perfect to fill with your favorite jam. They are a lovely cookie to make at any time of year, but make lovely Christmas gifts too.
Sourdough Thumbprint Cookies
Sweet sourdough cookies with a jammy centre - perfect to fill the cookie jar with or gift at Christmas time. Use whatever jam you prefer - strawberry is my favorite!
Check out this recipe
Sourdough Skillet Cookie
This giant sourdough skillet chocolate chip cookie is an absolute sourdough dessert delight! With crispy edges and a gooey centre, you could say it's the perfect sourdough cookie!
Sourdough Skillet Cookie
Indulge yourself in this Sourdough Cookie Skillet Recipe! A rich symphony of flavors as a gooey, perfectly baked sourdough cookie meets the rustic charm of a cast iron skillet – creating an irresistible treat that's crispy at the edges and delightfully chewy at the center.
Check out this recipe
Sourdough Pfeffernusse Cookies
Sourdough Pfeffernusse Cookies
Elevate your holiday baking with these delightful Sourdough Pfeffernusse Cookies, where the rich, tangy notes of sourdough starter meld seamlessly with the aromatic blend of spices. These bite-sized gems promise a perfect balance of sweetness and warmth in every festive bite.
Check out this recipe
Sourdough Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
These delightful sourdough chocolate crinkle cookies have a crackly, crispy exterior and a velvety soft centre. Their striking appearance makes them the perfect cookies for any occasion.
Sourdough Choclate Crinkle Cookies
Sourdough chocolate crinkle cookies have a velvety, soft centre surrounded by crinkly, crackly chocolate shell decorated in white powdered sugar.
Check out this recipe
Sourdough Hot Cross Cookies
These delicious sourdough hot cross cookies are just perfect for Easter, but really you could enjoy them anytime! If you don't want to pipe the crosses on you could leave them iced or even just drizzle the icing on top. So easy!
Sourdough Hot Cross Easter Cookies
An easy alternative to traditional sourdough hot cross buns, these fragrant sourdough hot cross cookies have all the flavor and spices you want, without the rise time!
Check out this recipe
Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies
The ultimate cinnamon sugar coated cookie, sourdough snickerdoodles are soft, velvety and oh so delicious. Slightly brown and chewy on the outside and soft in the middle ... just the way we like them!
Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe
A sourdough version of your favorite snickerdoodle cookie. These are a little tangy, crispy on the edges and soft in the middle. You've just got to try them - they are so good, you'll need to make a double batch!!
Check out this recipe
Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies
Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies are a unique sourdough cookie recipe because the dough can be fermented for a few days before you cut and bake them. This gives them a really lovely sourdough tang. They are the perfect festive cookie when decorated.
Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies
These lovely gingerbread cookies are made with sourdough discard and can be decorated or left plain. They are perfect for Christmas gifting and are great to make with the kids.
Check out this recipe
Sourdough Shortbread Cookies
These delicate sourdough shortbread cookies are a sweet treat with a crumbly, melt in your mouth texture - just like the real Scottish shortbread they are based on. You can add rice flour for an extra crumbly, short texture.
Sourdough Shortbread Cookies
Simple shortbread cookies made with sourdough discard. These cookies are everything you want in a shortbread cookie, with the added tang of sourdough. You'll also find 20+ flavor variations so you'll never get bored!
Check out this recipe
Sourdough Carrot Cake Cookies
Sourdough Carrot Cake Cookies
Delightfully fermented sourdough carrot cake cookies are full of carrot cake flavor in a convenient cookie! Topped with a sweet vanilla cream cheese glaze, you're going to wish you discovered these sooner!
Check out this recipe
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Soft and chewy sourdough chocolate chip cookies with crispy edges? Yes please! Filled to the brim with chocolate chip goodness, these sourdough chocolate chip cookies are one of the most popular cookie recipes on The Pantry Mama website!
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
These are the soft + chewy Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies of your dreams! Use your sourdough starter to create these tangy sourdough cookies!
Check out this recipe
Sourdough Breakfast Cookies
Hearty sourdough breakfast cookies full of nuts, seeds and dried fruits. These sourdough cookies are a creative way to use your sourdough starter and get you organised for busy weekday mornings!
Sourdough Breakfast Cookies
Giant sized sourdough breakfast cookies filled with the goodness of seeds, nuts and dried fruits. They are perfect for a grab and go breakfast on those busy mornings. These cookies use 100g of sourdough discard.
Check out this recipe
Sourdough Discard Peanut Butter Cookies
Who can resist a good peanut butter cookie? These ones are super simple to make - perfect for getting the kids in the kitchen! You don't need any special equipment for these, you can mix them in a bowl with a fork.
Sourdough Discard Peanut Butter Coookies
These sourdough discard peanut butter cookies are quick to mix and bake, have crispy edges with soft, chewy centres - the perfect peanut butter cookie - only better because they're made with sourdough starter!
Check out this recipe
Sourdough Anzac Biscuits
Sourdough Anzac Biscuits are a unique sourdough recipe, based on the classic Aussie Anzac Biscuit. We do not call these cookies - they are always biscuits (you can read more about why this is here). Filled with the goodness of rolled oats, coconut and golden syrup, these truly are a delicious snack.
Sourdough Anzac Biscuit Recipe
Anzac Biscuits are a staple in many Australian households. Made with pantry staples like rolled oats, coconut and golden syrup, I've given these Aussie biscuits a sourdough twist!
Check out this recipe
Sourdough Sugar Cookies
Perfect for decorating at any time of year, sourdough sugar cookies are a blank canvas, waiting for your imagination to take over! Chill the dough to make them easier to work with and then let your decorating skills go wild!
Sourdough Sugar Coookies
Easy recipe for sourdough sugar cookies that can be iced or decorated. Use up your sourdough discard to create these special sourdough sugar cookies that are perfect for holiday gifting.
Check out this recipe
Sourdough Biscotti
Is there anything more lovely than a good biscotti? Filled with nuts, spices and loads of love, this sourdough biscotti recipe will be one you treasure. Not only are they a great cookie to have on hand, they also make a lovely gift for family and friends.
Sourdough Biscotti Recipe
Simple sourdough biscotti using sourdough discard to create crunchy, Italian coffee biscuits.
Check out this recipe
Sourdough Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
These sourdough oatmeal raisin cookies have crispy edges and soft, chewy centres. They pair perfectly with a glass of cold milk or even a hot cocoa!
Sourdough Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
The best sourdough oatmeal raisin cookies you'll ever taste! With crispy edges and soft, chewy centres, these are going to be your go to cookie recipe! Grab that sourdough starter and let's get baking!
Check out this recipe
Sweet Sourdough Crackers with Cinnamon Sugar
Now these sweet sourdough crackers aren't technically a cookie, but let me tell you they are lovely served with tea and coffee. Dusted with cinnamon sugar, these sweet morsels are definitely in the cookie family!
Sweet Sourdough Crackers with Cinnamon Sugar
Sweet Sourdough Crackers with Cinnamon Sugar are a unique way to use your discard - delicious with a cup of tea or even better served with vanilla ice cream!
Check out this recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
Do cookies made with sourdough starter taste sour?
Cookies made with sourdough starter won't necessarily taste sour. As long as you're using active sourdough starter or sourdough discard that isn't too old, your cookies will just have a slight sourdough tang, rather than full on sourdough flavor.
If you use old, sour discard, this can overpower the flavor of your cookies and make them quite unpleasant.
Some recipe allow you to ferment the dough. This will give you more of a sourdough tang, but shouldn't be overwhelming.
Why did my sourdough cookies spread?
Cookies will spread if the fat content in your cookies melts too fast in the oven. The way to avoid this is to make sure your cookie dough is cold when it hits the oven. This stops the dough from melting as soon as it hits the heat. This is really important when making sourdough chocolate chip cookies.
Will adding sourdough discard to my cookies make them soft?
Adding sourdough discard to cookies won't necessarily make them soft. It will add moisture which needs to be balanced out by other ingredients, particularly if you want those crispy edges. Ingredients like corn starch can be added to cookies for a softer, chewier flavor.
Will adding sourdough starter to a cookie recipe make the cookies stay fresher for longer?
In some instances, adding sourdough starter to cookie dough will help to keep the cookies fresher for longer. This is more true for cookies with a softer texture like snickerdoodles and soft & chewy chocolate chip cookies.
