Sourdough cookies are a great way to use leftover sourdough starter. These discard recipes are easy and delicious! Your sourdough starter can make way more than just bread!
Sourdough starter is a great addition to cookies! It helps makes cookies ultra soft and cake like, and it also helps to bring extra depth to the flavors.

What will these cookies taste like?
The sourness level of these recipes will depend on your starter and how long it has been since you fed it last.
- Starters that have been recently fed will have a milder sourdough flavor.
- Starters that have not been fed for a while and have been sitting in the fridge in an inactive state for a week or so will have a more pronounced sourdough tang.
The activity level of your sourdough starter also impacts how the texture of the cookie recipesMore recently fed starter will bring out a more subtle sourdough tang and
What kind of sourdough starter do I need for these recipes?
These recipes all use 100% hydration sourdough starter discard, or a starter that is fed equal amounts of flour and water by weight.
Read up on feeding your sourdough starter the easy way, and then get baking!
My sourdough starter is new – can I still make these?
Yes! These are great recipes to use when you are just building a sourdough starter. Do make sure your starter is older than a week old before you start to use the discard in recipes. I go into more details about why in my post on how to make a sourdough starter, but essentially in that first week you are still building the good yeasts and working on getting rid of any bad bacteria that might be present.
Each of these recipes uses unfed sourdough discard. Because these recipes don’t have fermentation time, they still rely on either baking soda or baking powder (or both!) to get their rising power. These recipes are just a fun way to not waste your sourdough starter, and to add some great sourdough flavor to more baked goods.
These recipes are also a fun way to use a starter that goes beyond a loaf of bread!
New to sourdough? Read my Ultimate Guide to Sourdough for Beginners to answer all the questions you have!
Love using your sourdough starter for more than bread? Make sure you also check out my collection of sourdough discard recipes, and my collection of sourdough dessert recipes.
Sourdough Cookie Recipes
Don't toss that discard! These sourdough discard cookie recipes are easy, and a perfectly delicious way to use your leftover sourdough starter.
Cherry Almond Sourdough Biscotti
This sourdough biscotti recipe is a fun way to use your sourdough discard. Crunchy but still slightly chewy, these sourdough biscotti cookies are loaded with dried cherries and almond slices and then dipped in white chocolate. These easy cookies are a great sourdough recipe!
Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies
These peanut butter sourdough cookies are a fun and delicious recipe to use up your sourdough starter discard! These easy cookies don’t have a big sourdough flavor but do add to the depth of flavor of the overall cookie.
Sourdough Kolaches
Sourdough Kolaches are a yeasted thumbprint pastry made with a sweet enriched dough and topped with a fruit jam and streusel. This sweet treat is a great recipe to use with your sourdough starter!
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies are a delicious and simple recipe that uses sourdough starter discard. Loaded with chocolate chips and just a hint of sourdough flavor, these soft and cake like cookies will become your new favorite recipe.
Perfect Sourdough Sugar Cookies
Sourdough sugar cookies is a great way to use your sourdough starter! These sugar cookies are simple to make, perfect for cut outs and decorating, and don’t need to be chilled before baking. A fantastic recipe to use your sourdough starter discard!
Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies
Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies are an easy discard recipe you will want to make again and again! Soft and cakey oatmeal cookies iced with a thick icing.
Sourdough Cinnamon Spice Biscotti
Cinnamon Chip Biscotti is a crisp and crunchy biscotti cookie made with your sourdough starter! Flavored with cinnamon chips, tons of cinnamon, and drizzled some white chocolate on top. These are an easy and fun way to use your sourdough starter.
Sourdough Molasses Cookies
Sourdough molasses cookies are a fun way to use your sourdough discard. Soft and tender cookies filled with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. These flavorful cookies are a perfect excuse to make some extra sourdough starter!
Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread cookies made with sourdough discard are an easy and delicious holiday cookie!
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