Chewy Sourdough Brown Sugar Cookies (Discard)
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Sourdough Brown Sugar Cookies – the perfect harmony of tangy and sweet. Crafted from sourdough discard and rich dark brown sugar, these cookies boast a delightfully chewy center, a crispy edge, and a captivating finish rolled in glistening white sugar.
Savor the irresistible charm of Sourdough Brown Sugar Cookies. Prepared with sourdough discard and the warmth of dark brown sugar, these cookies strike a perfect balance between a chewy, melt-in-your-mouth center and delicately crisp edges.
Seriously, cookies made with sourdough discard are knock-out cookies! From Chewy Sourdough Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies, Sourdough Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie, or Easy Sourdough Thumbprint Cookies, I just can’t get enough of the slight tang in a sweet cookie. The best!
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This straightforward recipe involves chilling the cookie dough, shaping it into delectable dough balls, and finishing them with a delicate roll in sparkling white sugar. It’s a quick and easy delight made with pantry essentials.
Sourdough Brown Sugar cookies elevate the classic sugar cookie experience with their robust flavor. These cookies are a delightful addition to your holiday spread without overwhelming spice notes.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Flavor
Everyone loves a good sugar cookie, but have you tried a brown sugar cookie? These Sourdough Brown Sugar Cookies are seriously the best cookies! What a depth of flavor that dark brown sugar gives to this cookie recipe. A must-try!
Texture
These cookies are the perfect balance! The center has a moist, chewy texture, while crisp edges give your first bite just the right amount of crunch. I’m pretty positive you won’t be able to just have one.
Easy
You really can’t get a more simple recipe than this one! It’s made with the most basic ingredients, some extra sourdough starter, and you are given a delectable cookie that isn’t lacking whatsoever in flavor!
Ingredients
Flour – All-purpose flour is just fine for this delicious recipe.
Baking Soda – Make sure your baking soda is fresh and active, otherwise, the cookies won’t rise properly.
Salt – Any unrefined salt will do, but my favorite is Redmond’s unrefined salt for some extra minerals!
Unsalted Butter – Softened butter will be best.
Dark Brown Sugar – Dark brown sugar gives these cookies the perfect flavor and texture. If you don’t have it in your pantry, add 2 Tablespoons of molasses to 1 cup of granulated white sugar or 1 Tablespoon to 1 cup of light brown sugar.
Eggs – You will need one egg + another egg yolk for this recipe. The extra egg yolk helps to bake super chewy cookies. Save those egg whites for yummy recipes like angel food cake, macaroons, Souflees, and Meriguies.
Sourdough Starter Discard – You can use active sourdough starter or discarded sourdough starter. If you use leftover sourdough starter, it is best to use discard that is no older than a week for sweet treats.
Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract, rather than imitation vanilla, for the best flavor!
White Sugar – Rolling the unbaked cookies in sugar before baking not only gives these cookies an extra bit of sweetness but a hint of crunch and a beautiful finish.
Supplies
Plastic Wrap
Parchment Paper
Cookie Scoop
Wire Rack
How to Make Chewy Sourdough Brown Sugar Cookies
Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, gently whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set to the side.
Wet Ingredients:
In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and the dark brown sugar together, for about 1 minute, at medium speed.
Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl when necessary. Mix for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is soft and fluffy.
Stir in the sourdough discard and vanilla extract until combined.
Combine
Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture while the mixer is stirring at low speed. Stop mixing when the flour is just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix, otherwise, the cookies will be dense.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the cookie dough for at least 2 hours or overnight in the fridge.
Bake
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees f and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. These cookies spread while they bake, so I like to bake them in batches of 5.
Each cookie dough ball will be about 2 Tablespoons or 45g. Roll the portioned dough into a rounded ball shape, then roll the cookie dough balls in the white sugar.
Place them at least 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
Bake the cookies for 14-16 minutes, or until the edges are crispy and the center is just soft and golden brown.
Helpful Hint: While baking, the cookies will puff up. Once they cool, the cookies will flatten.
Keep the Sourdough Brown Sugar Cookies on the parchment-lined baking sheet for an extra 5 minutes. Prepare the next batch of cookies during this time. Then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
How to Store
Leftover Sourdough Brown Sugar Cookies can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
FAQs:
What do Sourdough Brown Sugar Cookies Taste Like?
Sourdough Brown Sugar Cookies are my new favorite cookies. Perfectly baked until the edges are just slightly crispy, but the center is delightfully chewy. Baking with dark brown sugar is a total game-changer. The extra molasses in the sugar keeps these cookies extra moist, but slightly smokey flavor. From the texture to the flavor, it’s a win-win all around.
Can you make Sourdough Brown Sugar Cookies with Light Brown Sugar?
These cookies can be made with light brown sugar, but the flavor and texture won’t be exactly the same. The added molasses to the sugar gives these cookies extra moisture and smokiness. If you only have light brown sugar, add 2 Tablespoons of molasses to 1 cup of granulated white sugar or 1 Tablespoon to 1 cup of light brown sugar.
Why do you have to chill the cookie dough before baking?
Chilling the cookie dough is an important step in this recipe. First, before chilling, the dough is sticky and hard to work with. Chilling the dough allows the butter to firm, making it an easier process. The chilled butter also stops the cookies from spreading out too much. I recommend chilling the dough at least for 2 hours.
Happy baking!
More Sourdough Discard Cookies Like This:
Chewy Sourdough Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
Easy Sourdough Thumbprint Cookies
Sourdough Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe
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Ingredients
- 280 grams all-purpose flour 2 cups
- 5 grams baking soda 3/4 teaspoon
- 3 grams salt 1/2 teaspoon
- 170 grams unsalted butter, room temperature 12 Tablespoons
- 440 grams dark brown sugar 2 cups
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 120 grams sourdough discard 1/2 cup
- 6 grams vanilla extract 1 1/2 teaspoons
- 100 grams white sugar, for rolling 1/2 cup
Instructions
Dry Ingredients
- In a large bowl, gently whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set to the side.280 grams all-purpose flour, 5 grams baking soda, 3 grams salt
Wet Ingredients:
- In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter, and dark brown sugar together, for about 1 minute, at medium speed.This can also be done with a hand mixer.170 grams unsalted butter, room temperature, 440 grams dark brown sugar
- Add the egg + extra egg yolk, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl when necessary. Mix for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is soft and fluffy.1 large egg, 1 egg yolk
- Stir in the sourdough discard and 1 vanilla extract until combined.120 grams sourdough discard, 6 grams vanilla extract
Combine
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture while the mixer is stirring at low speed. Stop mixing when the flour is just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix, otherwise, the cookies will be dense.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the cookie dough for at least 2 hours or overnight in the fridge.
Bake
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. These cookies spread while they bake, so I like to bake them in batches of 5.
- Each cookie dough ball will be about 45 grams or 2 Tablespoons. Roll the portioned dough into a rounded ball shape, then roll the cookie dough balls in the white sugar.100 grams white sugar, for rolling
- Place them at least 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 14-16 minutes, or until the edges are crispy and the center is just soft and golden brown. Helpful Hint: While baking, the cookies will puff up. Once they cool, the cookies will flatten.
- Keep the Sourdough Brown Sugar Cookies on the parchment-lined baking sheet for an extra 5 minutes. Prepare the next batch of cookies during this time. Then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Can I freeze the dough?
Absolutely! I like to scoop the cookie dough and flash freeze them on a baking sheet. Once frozen, store them in a freezer-safe bag.
Love these cookies but they flatten so much. I even tried going down to 40g per cookies and they are huge and they run into each other on the pan. I’m down to cookies 3 or 4 at a time. Am I doing anything wrong or is this expected? It’s hard to tell from the photo how big these are supposed to be.
Hi Amber! I’m so glad you love the cookies! They are definitely meant to be on the bigger side. A few things you could try: make sure your butter isn’t too soft or melted when you start (that’s a big one!), and chill the dough for at least 2 hours before baking — even longer if your kitchen is warm. Also, using parchment instead of a greased pan can help them hold their shape better.
It sounds like you’re doing great by spacing them out and adjusting the size — you’re not doing anything wrong at all!
I want to make these for tomorrow and am wondering if I can prep the dough the night before?
Hi Amber! You sure can! I would pre-shape the dough balls before storing them in the fridge. Hope you love this recipe!
I baked these cookies yesterday, but they didn’t spread well. They didn’t flatten after cooling. The flavor was good but dense. I didn’t overmix them; any advice?
Hi Jennifer! One of the most common reasons for a cookie not spreading out while baking is there was too much flour. For the best results, I always recommend using a kitchen scale! If you don’t have a kitchen scale, then be sure to fluff the flour and spoon it into your measuring cup for a more precise measurement. I hope you give this recipe another try! It’s so delicious.
These cookies are tremendous!! My husband’s new fave :0)
I’m so glad you both loved them! Thank you for sharing!
I’ve baked these over and over again, SO YUMMY! Crisp edge, always chewy center. They’re a big crowd pleaser with friends and family. Working with dough is indeed sticky, so I definitely echo the tip about making sure it’s chilled. I bake in bulk and freeze cookies until needed.
Love this! Thank you so much for sharing!
Oh my deliciousness. Made this cookies this weekend and it turned out great despite not having a mixer and making it in my Vitamix. Thank you so much for sharing. My son loves it and it was such a hit at work.
Thank you so much for sharing, Joy! They never last long whenever we bake them!
I’m trying these now! But I’m about to put the cookies in the oven and I realized that I don’t see a temperature anywhere? Maybe I’m missing it. Hopefully it’s 350! That’s what I’ll do.
Hi Kayleigh! Thank you so much for pointing out my mistake. It has been corrected, and you were right – 350 🙂