Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies

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Gingerbread cookies made with sourdough discard are an easy and delicious holiday cookie!

Using sourdough discard in cookies is one of my favorite things! The discard makes the cookies extra soft, and gives them a depth of flavor that is subtle but great! When added with the awesome spices of cinnamon and clove in gingerbread, its a match made in heaven!

You can use any shape cookie cutter for this recipe. We used gingerbread men shape, but you can use stars, hearts, trees, anything you want! We decorated them simply with just white frosting, but you can use any royal icing, buttercream frosting, or a powdered sugar glaze, too!

How to make gingerbead cookies with sourdough discard

For the full set of directions, make sure you scroll down to the recipe card below.

Mix the dough

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice, cloves, and cardamom.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the combine the brown sugar and butter until soft and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add in the discard, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until combined well.
4. Add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. The dough should be smooth and pliable.

Chill the dough

1. Divide the dough into two equal portions and form each portion into a disc.
2. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Roll and Bake

1. When ready to bake, place the dough on the counter to warm and preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet (affiliate link) with silicone baking mats or pachment paper.
2. Use a silicone rolling mat with a tiny sprinkle of flour to roll out one disc at a time until it is a bout 1/4″ thick.
3. Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes. Place the cookies 1″ apart on the prepared baking pans.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies. The cookies should just barely look done and not be too browned on the edges.
5. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.
6. Decorate as desired.

New to sourdough? Read my Ultimate Guide to Sourdough for Beginners to answer all the questions you have!

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

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Yield: 24 cookies

Sourdough Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

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These gingerbread cookies are a great use of sourdough discard.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Chill Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sourdough discard, 100% hydration
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice, cloves, and cardamom.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the combine the brown sugar and butter until soft and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add in the discard, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until combined well.
4. Add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. The dough should be smooth and pliable.
5. Divide the dough into two equal portions and form each portion into a disc.
6. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
7. When ready to bake, place the dough on the counter to warm and preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with silicone baking mats or pachment paper.
8. Use a silicone rolling mat with a tiny sprinkle of flour to roll out one disc at a time until it is a bout 1/4" thick.
9. Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes. Place the cookies 1" apart on the prepared baking pans.
10. Bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies. The cookies should just barely look done and not be too browned on the edges.
11. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.

Notes

Cooled cookies can be kept in an air tight container on the counter for up to 1 week.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  KitchenAid KSM150PSOB Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer
• 
  Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet, 2-Pack, Silver
• 
  AmazonBasics Silicone, Non-Stick, Food Safe Baking Mat - Pack of 2

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 137Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 157mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 2g

Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided for informational purposes only. For the most accurate information, please calculate using your specific brands and exact measurements.

Did you make this recipe?

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