Healthy Sourdough Discard Gingerbread Cookies

Here’s my favorite way to use up sourdough discard – soft, chewy gingerbread cookies with all the classic holiday spices, molasses, and that subtle tangy flavor that only sourdough can bring.

These cookies have become my go-to recipe whenever I’m feeding my starter. My kids always know when there’s a fresh batch coming because the whole house fills with the warm smell of ginger and cinnamon. Plus, they’re the perfect way to avoid wasting that extra discard!

What Kind of Molasses Should I Use?

For gingerbread cookies, unsulphured molasses is your best bet – it’s the most common type you’ll find at the grocery store and has a milder, cleaner taste than its sulphured counterpart. Regular or “light” molasses works great here, while blackstrap molasses might be too intense and bitter for these cookies. If you’re at the store, look for brands like Grandma’s Original Molasses or Brer Rabbit – both are perfect for baking. Just make sure to avoid blackstrap unless you’re specifically looking for that strong, slightly bitter flavor that some folks love in their gingerbread.

Options for Substitutions

Let’s talk about what you can swap in this cookie recipe, though keep in mind some ingredients are key players:

• Sourdough discard: This is pretty important for the recipe’s texture and flavor, but if you’re in a pinch, you can use 1/2 cup of plain yogurt or sour cream instead. The taste won’t be exactly the same, but you’ll still get nice, soft cookies.
• Molasses: If you’re out of molasses, try dark corn syrup or honey mixed with a tablespoon of brown sugar. The cookies won’t have that classic gingerbread flavor, but they’ll still be tasty.
• Spices: Feel free to adjust the spice amounts to your taste. You can also use pumpkin pie spice mix as a substitute for the individual spices – use about 3 1/2 teaspoons total.
• Plain flour: All-purpose flour works perfectly here, but you can use pastry flour for softer cookies. Just avoid bread flour as it will make them too tough.
• White sugar for dusting: You can skip this, use powdered sugar instead, or try rolling the cookies in turbinado sugar for a nice crunch.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest challenge when making sourdough gingerbread cookies is getting the right texture – using warm or melted butter instead of room temperature butter will make your cookies spread too much and lose their chewy center. Another common mistake is not chilling the dough before baking; give it at least 2 hours in the fridge (or overnight) to let the flour hydrate properly and allow the sourdough flavors to develop. When measuring your sourdough discard, make sure it’s at room temperature and well-stirred before adding it to the mixture, as cold discard can cause the butter to seize up and create a lumpy dough. For the perfect balance of spices, avoid the temptation to pack your measuring spoons too tightly – a light, level spoonful will give you the right amount of warmth without overwhelming the subtle tang from the sourdough.

What to Serve With Gingerbread Cookies?

These spiced cookies are perfect for serving alongside warm drinks during the holiday season or cozy afternoons. A hot cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa makes the perfect companion – I especially love them with a chai latte since the spices complement each other so nicely. For the kids (or kids at heart), try serving these cookies with a cold glass of milk for dunking, or go all out with a holiday cookie plate by pairing them with other seasonal favorites like sugar cookies or snickerdoodles. If you’re feeling extra festive, serve them with some homemade eggnog or spiced apple cider for the full winter treat experience.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These gingerbread cookies stay good at room temperature for up to a week when stored in an airtight container. Pro tip: toss a piece of bread in the container – it helps keep the cookies soft and chewy, just like when they first came out of the oven!

Freeze: Got extras? These cookies freeze really well for up to 3 months. Just place them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking. You can even freeze the raw cookie dough balls – just add an extra minute to the baking time when you’re ready to bake them.

Make Ahead: The cookie dough can be made up to 24 hours in advance and kept in the fridge. Just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before rolling and baking. This actually helps the flavors develop even more!

Preparation Time	15-20 minutes
Cooking Time	9-15 minutes
Total Time	24-35 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2200-2400
• Protein: 30-35 g
• Fat: 80-90 g
• Carbohydrates: 360-380 g

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar (240g)
• 8 tablespoons room-temperature unsalted butter (113g)
• 1/4 cup molasses (90g)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (5g)
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 cup sourdough starter discard (125g)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (6g)
• 2 teaspoons powdered ginger (6g)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (3g)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (1g)
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves powder (1g)
• 2 1/2 cups plain flour (325g)
• 1/4 cup white sugar for dusting

Step 1: Preheat the Oven

Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (180°C) to ensure it’s ready when your cookies are prepared for baking.

Preparing the oven in advance helps achieve the best baking results.

Step 2: Prepare the Wet Ingredients

Using either a hand mixer or a stand mixer, blend the softened butter, sugar, and molasses together until thoroughly mixed.

This should create a smooth, creamy mixture.

Next, add the salt, egg, and egg yolk to this bowl.

Beat the mixture until it becomes creamy and well combined, which should take about a minute.

Step 3: Incorporate the Sourdough Starter

Gradually stir the sourdough starter into the butter mixture.

Gently blend it until the starter is fully integrated into the wet ingredients, ensuring everything is well mixed.

Step 4: Mix in the Dry Ingredients

Sift the baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and all-purpose flour directly into the wet mixture.

Stir until all the ingredients come together to form a tacky dough.

Be thorough to ensure even distribution of the spices for consistent flavor.

Step 5: Shape the Cookie Dough

Scoop and roll the cookie dough into 2-inch balls.

For uniform cookies, you might want to weigh each portion of cookie dough to 55 grams.

The dough will be quite soft, so flouring your hands and working quickly will help prevent sticking.

Once shaped, generously coat each cookie dough ball by rolling it in granulated sugar.

Step 6: Bake the Cookies

Place the sugar-coated cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 3 inches apart to allow room for spreading.

Bake the cookies in batches on the center rack of your preheated oven for 9-11 minutes.

The cookies may appear slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven, but that’s normal.

Step 7: Cool and Set

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes.

This cooling period will help set the cookies, achieving a perfectly soft and chewy texture.

Once cooled, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

Enjoy these comforting, flavorful cookies!