Soft and Chewy Sourdough Discard Gingerbread Cookies 

Gingerbread sourdough discard cookies have the delicious combination of sourdough along with the ingredients from the classic cookies, resulting in a chewy texture with a slight crisp on the edges, making each bite wonderfully satisfying. These sourdough cookies are packed full of warm spices that are perfect for the holiday season! And let's not forget, baking cookies is the easiest way to get some help from little ones!

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Should gingerbread cookies be soft or crunchy?

It really depends on personal preference! Soft gingerbread cookies tend to be chewy and moist, which most people love. Crunchy gingerbread cookies, on the other hand, have a satisfying snap and can be great for dunking into raw milk. This recipe will even give you a nice balance between the two textures, which we prefer!

Why are my gingerbread cookies cracking?

There are a few reasons why gingerbread cookies will crack. Keep in mind that some cracking is normal, but here are a few tips to help you "crack" that case:

1. If you've added too much flour, the dough can become dry which will cause cracking.
2. Over mixing the dough too much can develop the gluten, leading to a tougher cookie that cracks when baking.
3. As hard as it is to be patient, if the dough isn’t chilled enough before rolling out, it can expand too much in the oven, causing it to crack.
4. The cookies can rise too quickly and crack, if your oven is too hot.
5. If the cookies are overbaked, they can become too dry and will crack as they cool.

Equipment for Sourdough Ginger Molasses Cookies

baking sheet/cookie sheet

stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer

large bowl

cooling rack

rolling pin

cookie cutters (such as gingerbread men and christmas trees)

Ingredients for the Gingerbread Recipe

• Dry Ingredients:
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (445g)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
• Wet Ingredients:
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (113g)
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed (256g)
  • ½ cup sourdough discard (or active starter)
  • ½ cup molasses (or blackstrap molasses) (175g)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Try these delicious cookies with this icing recipe: Best Royal Icing Recipe Without Meringue Powder

Looking for a delicious sourdough sugar cookie recipe for this holiday season? Try this one! Perfect Soft Sourdough Discard Sugar Cookie Recipe

Instructions for Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

1. Prepare the Dough:
   • In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the sourdough active starter or discard starter, molasses, vanilla, and egg. Mix until combined.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until a dough forms.

1. Chill the Dough:
   • Divide the dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour if doing the discard recipe and using an unfed sourdough starter. You can choose to use an active sourdough starter. For best results, chill overnight for a long ferment which will not only deliver more health benefits but a deeper flavor.

1. Preheat Oven:
   • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

1. Roll and Cut:
   • On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to about ¼ inch thick. Using cookie cutter to cut dough into desired shapes.

Place cookies on the baking tray, spacing them about 1 inch apart.

Bake:

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set and the cookies are slightly puffed. They will firm up as they cool.

Cool and Decorate:

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate with icing or enjoy as is!

Try these delicious cookies with this icing recipe: Best Royal Icing Recipe Without Meringue Powder

Looking for a delicious sourdough sugar cookie recipe for this holiday season? Try this one! Perfect Soft Sourdough Discard Sugar Cookie Recipe

1. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to a week. They can also be frozen for longer storage.

Happy baking!

More Sourdough Starter Discard Recipes

Cinnamon Apple Crumble Sourdough Quick Bread Recipe

The Best Sourdough Banana Nut Bread Discard Recipe

The Best Sourdough Zucchini Bread Discard Recipe

Sourdough Discard Lemon Blueberry Quick Bread Recipe

Sourdough Discard Double Chocolate Chip Quick Bread  

Soft and Chewy Sourdough Discard Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread sourdough discard cookies have the delicious combination of sourdough along with the ingredients from the classic cookies, resulting in a chewy texture with a slight crisp on the edges, making each bite wonderfully satisfying.

Print Pin

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Active Sourdough Starter, baking, bowl, butter, cookie, flour, gingerbread, Sourdough, starter, time

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

8 hours hours

Total Time: 8 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 0

Author: Stephanie

Equipment

• baking sheet/cookie sheet
• stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer
• Large bowl
• cooling rack
• Rolling Pin
• cookie cutters (such as gingerbread men and christmas trees)

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour 445g
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:

• ½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
• 1 cup brown sugar packed (256g)
• ½ cup sourdough discard or active starter
• ½ cup molasses or blackstrap molasses (175g)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Prepare the Dough:

• In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the sourdough active starter or discard starter, molasses, vanilla, and egg. Mix until combined.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until a dough forms.

Chill the Dough:

• Divide the dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour if doing the discard recipe and using an unfed sourdough starter. You can choose to use an active sourdough starter. For best results, chill overnight for a long ferment which will not only deliver more health benefits but a deeper flavor.
• Preheat Oven:
• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll and Cut:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to about ¼ inch thick. Using cookie cutter to cut dough into desired shapes.
• Place cookies on the baking tray, spacing them about 1 inch apart.

Bake:

• Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set and the cookies are slightly puffed. They will firm up as they cool.

Cool and Decorate:

• Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate with icing or enjoy as is!
• Store cookies in an airtight container for up to a week. They can also be frozen for longer storage.

Try these delicious cookies with this icing recipe: Best Royal Icing Recipe Without Meringue Powder.

• Happy baking!
• Looking for a delicious sourdough sugar cookie recipe for this holiday season? Try this one! Perfect Soft Sourdough Discard Sugar Cookie Recipe