Easy and oh so soft sourdough peanut butter cookies. Try this easy homemade recipe today!
I am very happy to introduce you a sourdough discard recipe to make soft and fluffy sourdough peanut butter cookies.
Experimenting with different sourdough discard recipes is something I love! I created this by blending an old family peanut butter cookie recipe with some other discard cookie recipes I have tried and loved the texture of. These turned out so soft with just the right amount of salty and sweet.
The Ingredients
Butter
Make sure your butter is soft enough to blend well with the sugar. Use unsalted or your cookies will taste too salty.
Sugar and Brown Sugar
Granulated or Organic cane sugar works well for this recipe. It also calls for brown sugar so make sure to put the right amount of each kind in for the best results. The brown sugar must be packed into the measuring cup.
Egg
A cold egg from the fridge is fine for this recipe as you will be chilling the dough anyways.
Vanilla Extract
I use vanilla extract from Mexico and I love it because it isn’t the imitation vanilla extract. It is pure and gives a wonderfully rich flavor. However, any vanilla extract will do the trick in this recipe.
Flour
This recipe needs all purpose flour for the best results. I love trying recipes with different flours and seeing how they turn out. However this is one of those recipes that requires simple all purpose flour for the soft texture.
Baking Soda
This ingredient gives a nice rise to these cookies.
Salt
Any salt will do. Course kosher salt or sea salt gives these cookies a nice flavor because the salt is larger. However, any salt will work with this recipe.
Sourdough Discard
This recipe uses unfed sourdough starter (also known as sourdough discard). You can feed your starter after taking some out for this recipe if you have plans for making something with your starter that requires an active starter. Just don’t feed it before taking out the discard.
*Sourdough discard benefits:
- rich in probiotics
- promotes feelings of fullness
- contains a range of vitamins and minerals
Peanut Butter
I use any brand of creamy, all natural peanut butter for this recipe. Just make sure the only ingredients are peanuts and salt to achieve the right consistency for these cookies. Be sure to give your peanut butter a good stir before measuring it out so there isn’t too much oil (or not enough oil) in the cookies.
How to Avoid Flat Peanut Butter Cookies
Make sure you chill the cookie dough for 1 hour before shaping them. . The butter needs to be the correct texture to make the dough work well. This stage also allows for a longer fermentation time for the cookies which is good for your gut health.
Another tip to avoid flat cookies is to ensure you use the correct amount of brown sugar. Too much regular sugar will make these very flat.
Lastly, don’t squish them too much with the fork! Just light pressure will create the correct shape and look.
TIP: I often freeze this dough for super quick cookies in the future. The dough freezes well for up to 6 months.
Final Thoughts and Tips
- Once you have baked these cookies you can keep them in an air tight container for 3 days.
- You can freeze them for 4 months. Just put them on the counter to thaw and they will be ready to eat in about 20 mins.
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Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies
These are a delicious alternative to traditional peanut butter cookies. These are so soft and have the perfect balance of salty and sweet taste. They are also easy and fast to make.
Yield: 30 Cookies
Prep Time:
1 hour 10 Minutes
Cook Time:
11 Minutes
Total Time:
1 hour 21 Minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) salt
- ¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup (100 grams) brown sugar
- ½ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large (50 grams) egg
- ¾ cup (192 grams) creamy natural peanut butter
- ½ cup (100 grams) sourdough starter discard (not active)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Equipment
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Kitchen scale (optional, but recommended)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl (in your stand mixer), cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the egg and beat until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract, and mix until very well combined.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix well until cookie dough forms.
- Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour or until firm enough to roll into balls.
- Place onto the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart and flatten with a fork.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or freeze them for up to 4 months.
Like this recipe? Share it with others!
Thank you so much for taking the time to try this recipe. Please leave a comment and let me know how your cookies turned out. I would also love to know if you came up with any tips and tricks to make them even better!
*Please note that any nutritional or medical information posted here is based on things I have read, heard or experienced and is not medical advice. Please use your best judgment and talk to your doctor about any concerns you may have.
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