Thick and Chewy Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies (No Chill!)
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These Chewy Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies are everything you want in a peanut butter cookie – thick and chewy in the center, lightly crisp around the edges, and packed with rich peanut butter flavor. Even better, there’s no chilling required, so you can mix up the dough and have warm cookies coming out of the oven whenever the craving hits!
The sourdough discard adds a little extra depth of flavor while keeping the cookies wonderfully soft and chewy. And if you’re a fellow peanut butter lover, my Sourdough Peanut Butter Blossoms have that same thick, chewy texture with a classic Hershey’s Kiss tucked right on top.
Quick Look: Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10–12 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Servings: 20 cookies
- Calories: ~172kcals per serving (based on nutritional panel)
- Cook Method: Baked
- Flavor Profile: Thick, chewy, and rich with bold peanut butter flavor, lightly crisp edges, and a soft center. No chill time needed — ready whenever the craving hits!
- Difficulty: Easy — Simple to mix, no chill time required, and ready in about 30 minutes!
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Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
- Thick and chewy, not cakey and dry—The brown sugar and extra egg yolk give these cookies thick, chewy centers that stay soft even after they’ve cooled. My Sourdough Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Cookies are just as chewy but they’re also sandwiched together with creamy peanut butter and your favorite jam.
- No chill time-You don’t have to wait for the dough to chill before baking. Mix the dough, scoop it, roll it in sugar, and pop it in the oven. My Sourdough Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie is just as easy when you want a warm dessert without the extra wait.
- You can long-ferment the dough—Roll the dough into balls, cover them, and refrigerate them for up to 3 days. Bake them whenever you’re ready, or bake them the same day if that’s easier. These Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies are another great make-ahead recipe when you want fresh cookies without doing all the work at once.
- Rich peanut butter flavor that’s even better with chocolate—These cookies don’t need chocolate, but they sure welcome it. Fold in chocolate chips, or make Sourdough Granola Bars the next time you’re craving peanut butter and chocolate together.
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
- Peanut butter – I only tested this recipe with creamy peanut butter. If you try natural peanut butter or another nut butter, let me know how it turns out in the comments!
- Unsalted butter – Your butter needs to be at room temperature before you start. Press it with your finger and it should leave a clean indent without feeling greasy or oily. Cold butter won’t cream properly and will affect the texture of the finished cookie.
- Eggs – Make sure your eggs are at room temperature so they blend into the batter easily. Since the sourdough discard adds extra moisture, I use one whole egg and one egg yolk to compensate. If you forgot to pull them out ahead of time, place them in warm water for about 5 minutes.
- Sugar—I use a combination of granulated sugar (white sugar) and brown sugar. The granulated sugar helps the cookies spread just enough and gives them lightly crisp edges, while the brown sugar adds moisture for thick, chewy centers. You’ll also need a little extra granulated sugar for rolling the cookie dough before baking.
- All-purpose flour – Regular all-purpose flour gives these delicious sourdough peanut butter cookies the right structure.
- Leaveners – A small amount of baking powder and baking soda helps these cookies lift and spread properly. Make sure both are fresh or they won’t work the way they should.
- Sourdough discard—For sweet recipes like these peanut butter sourdough cookies, I prefer fresh sourdough starter discard no older than 1-2 days. Older discard will give the cookies a tangier flavor. You can also use the same amount by weight of an active sourdough starter.
- Vanilla extract – Go with pure vanilla extract over imitation for the best flavor.
How to Make Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- On low speed, mix in the egg and egg yolk, one at a time. Then add the sourdough discard and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until no streaks of flour remain.
- Scoop 45 gram portions of peanut butter cookie dough, roll them into smooth balls, then coat each one in granulated sugar.
- Place 8 cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers have puffed up.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
McKenna’s Helpful Tips
- Don’t overbake the cookies. They’ll keep baking for a few minutes on the hot pan after they come out of the oven, which is how they get those soft, chewy centers. I do the same thing with Sourdough Thumbprint Cookies to keep them nice and soft.
- Roll the dough in sugar before baking. It gives the cookies a lightly crisp outside with just a little extra sweetness. I use a similar trick for my Sourdough Brown Sugar Cookies.
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Softened butter, room-temperature eggs, and peanut butter mix together much more smoothly and give the cookies the best texture.
- Long-ferment the dough if you have time. Roll the dough into balls, cover them, and refrigerate them for up to 3 days. Bake them straight from the fridge with a few extra minutes in the oven, or let them come to room temperature first and bake as directed.
How to Store
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies or unbaked cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Thaw the baked cookies at room temperature before serving, or bake the frozen cookie dough with a few extra minutes of baking time. If you’d like to long-ferment the dough, refrigerate the cookie dough balls for up to 3 days, then bake them straight from the refrigerator with a few extra minutes or let them come to room temperature and bake as directed.
Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies FAQs
Can I add chocolate chips to these sourdough peanut butter cookies?
Absolutely! I’d add 170 grams (1 cup) of chocolate chips to the dough before baking. You can also melt chocolate, place about 1 tablespoon on a piece of parchment paper, and gently press the bottom of each baked cookie into the chocolate. Repeat with the remaining cookies, then place them in the refrigerator or freezer until the chocolate hardens. Once set, the chocolate will stick to the bottom of the cookies.
What kind of peanut butter works best for these homemade cookies?
I recommend creamy peanut butter since that’s what I tested for this recipe. I haven’t tried natural peanut butter or other nut butters, so I can’t guarantee the same results. If you give one a try, I’d love to hear how it turns out! I also use creamy peanut butter in Sourdough Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, where it adds the same rich peanut butter flavor.
Can I make these delicious cookies with active sourdough starter?
Yes, you can use active sourdough starter in place of sourdough discard. Simply substitute it with the same amount by weight. My Sourdough Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies use the same swap, so they’re another great way to use your starter.
If you tried this Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Chewy Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
Yield: 20 cookies
These Chewy Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies are thick and soft in the center with crisp edges and plenty of rich peanut butter flavor. Made with sourdough discard and no chilling required, they’re an easy peanut butter cookie recipe you can mix and bake whenever the craving hits.
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Ingredients
- 175 grams all-purpose flour 1 1/4 cups
- 1 gram baking powder 1/4 teaspoon
- 4 grams baking soda 3/4 teaspoon
- 3 grams salt 1/2 teaspoon
- 57 grams unsalted butter, softened 1/4 cup
- 190 grams creamy peanut butter 3/4 cup
- 220 grams brown sugar 1 cup
- 50 grams granulated sugar, plus more for rolling 1/4 cup
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 100 grams sourdough discard, 100% hydration 1/3 cup
- 8 grams vanilla 2 teaspoons
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set to the side.175 grams all-purpose flour, 4 grams baking soda, 1 gram baking powder, 3 grams salt
- In a bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or with a handheld mixer, cream together the butter, peanut butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.57 grams unsalted butter, softened, 190 grams creamy peanut butter, 50 grams granulated sugar, plus more for rolling, 220 grams brown sugar
- On low, mix in the egg and egg yolk one at a time. Scrape down the sides when necessary.1 large egg, 1 egg yolk
- Add the sourdough discard and vanilla extract and mix on low until smooth.100 grams sourdough discard, 100% hydration, 8 grams vanilla
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until there are no more streaks of flour.
- Scoop 45 gram portions of cookie dough, roll them until smooth and then roll them in some sugar. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
- Place 8 cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers have puffed up.
- Keep the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then cool completely on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
- As the cookies cool they will crack. Serve with milk and enjoy!
Notes
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Peanut butter – I only tested this recipe with creamy peanut butter. If you try natural peanut butter or another nut butter, let me know how it turns out in the comments!
- Unsalted butter – Your butter needs to be at room temperature before you start. Press it with your finger and it should leave a clean indent without feeling greasy or oily. Cold butter won’t cream properly and will affect the texture of the finished cookie.
- Eggs – Make sure your eggs are at room temperature so they blend into the batter easily. Since the sourdough discard adds extra moisture, I use one whole egg and one egg yolk to compensate. If you forgot to pull them out ahead of time, place them in warm water for about 5 minutes.
- Sugar—I use a combination of granulated sugar (white sugar) and brown sugar. The granulated sugar helps the cookies spread just enough and gives them lightly crisp edges, while the brown sugar adds moisture for thick, chewy centers. You’ll also need a little extra granulated sugar for rolling the cookie dough before baking.
- All-purpose flour – Regular all-purpose flour gives these delicious sourdough peanut butter cookies the right structure.
- Leaveners – A small amount of baking powder and baking soda helps these cookies lift and spread properly. Make sure both are fresh or they won’t work the way they should.
- Sourdough discard—For sweet recipes like these peanut butter sourdough cookies, I prefer fresh sourdough starter discard no older than 1-2 days. Older discard will give the cookies a tangier flavor. You can also use the same amount by weight of an active sourdough starter/ripe starter.
- Vanilla extract – Go with pure vanilla extract over imitation for the best flavor.
Helpful Tip:
Want to add chocolate? Absolutely! I’d add 170 grams (1 cup) of chocolate chips to the dough before baking. You can also melt chocolate, place about 1 tablespoon on a piece of parchment paper, and gently press the bottom of each baked cookie into the chocolate. Repeat with the remaining cookies, then place them in the refrigerator or freezer until the chocolate hardens. Once set, the chocolate will stick to the bottom of the cookies. Want to long-ferment the dough? Roll the dough into balls, cover them, and refrigerate them for up to 3 days. Bake them whenever you’re ready, or bake them the same day if that’s easier. These Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies are another great make-ahead recipe when you want fresh cookies without doing all the work at once.Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 96IU | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
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This recipe made me a peanut butter cookie fan! So chewy, not dry and no-chill time – these didn’t last long!
Wonderful cookie! Cooked beautifully and was delicious.
I’m so thrilled to hear that you loved them! Thank you for taking the time to try my newest recipe and leave a kind review!