Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies
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!
Want more recipes to use your discard in? Check out these other sourdough discard cookie recipes!
For the full set of directions, make sure you scroll down to the recipe card below.
Mix the dough
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice, cloves, and cardamom.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the combine the brown sugar and butter until soft and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the discard, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until combined well.
- Add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. The dough should be smooth and pliable.
Chill the dough
- Divide the dough into two equal portions and form each portion into a disc.
- Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Roll and Bake
- 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.
- 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.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes. Place the cookies 1″ apart on the prepared baking pans.
- 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.
- Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.
- Decorate as desired.
New to sourdough? Read my Ultimate Guide to Sourdough for Beginners to answer all the questions you have!
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of sourdough starter do I need for this recipe?
This recipe uses a 100% hydration starter, or a starter that is fed with equal parts flour and water. You can use either fed and active starter, or inactive discard. Starters that are fed with all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and rye flour all work well in this recipe.
Read “Feeding your sourdough starter” to get information on hydration rates and how to properly feed and maintain your sourdough starter.
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 have a milder sourdough flavor.
- Starters that have not been fed for a week or more will have a more pronounced sourdough tang.
These cookies store best in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days!
These cookies also freeze really well! Once they are totally cooled, place them in a sealed freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Make sure to label them so you don’t forget what they are!
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.
Food tastes better when its shared! If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and rate below! Love and links are always appreciated! If you’d like to share this post, please link to this post directly for the recipe, please do not copy and paste or screenshot. Thanks so much for supporting me! xoxo
Sourdough Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup sourdough discard 100% hydration
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice, cloves, and cardamom.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the combine the brown sugar and butter until soft and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the discard, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until combined well.
- Add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. The dough should be smooth and pliable.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions and form each portion into a disc.
- Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- 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.
- 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.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes. Place the cookies 1" apart on the prepared baking pans.
- 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.
- Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.
Great gingerbread recipe and tips. I have it saved for Christmas. Thanks!
This was amazing and such a treat! Thank you! Everyone in my family loved it.
Very tasty, cookies came out soft and fluffy. The ginger flavor wasn’t overpowering, and I think the discard adds some complexity. The family loved them