With crispy edges and soft centers, these Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies are irresistible! Perfectly spiced and with vegan alternatives, they’re great for gifting, making a gingerbread house, and will make your holidays even sweeter.
Like my discard sourdough rolls, these cookies only need one try to become your next favorite. The dough comes together easily without a mixer, and the recipe is simple to make vegan—no eggs required for these gingerbread cookies! But don’t worry: even without eggs, these cookies are rich and hold their shape perfectly.
Looking for more egg-free sourdough cookies? My famous sourdough chocolate cookies are chewy, easy and ready in 30 minutes!
Ingredients
Let’s go over the ingredients and their possible substitutions.
Sourdough Discard. This recipe is perfect for using up leftover sourdough starter—we’re using 220g of it! You can also use an active sourdough starter, but I don’t think it will make much of a difference. Once the dough comes together, it goes straight into the fridge, so there’s no extended fermentation time. In fact, I don’t recommend letting these cookies ferment on the counter, as that would develop gluten—and we don’t want that! (Tough cookies, anyone?)
As with most of my sourdough discard recipes, you’ll need sourdough discard at 100% hydration, meaning it comes from a starter fed with equal parts water and flour. That’s really important! Using a different hydration level could throw off the recipe, adding too much or too little liquid.
Butter. We’re using melted, unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter, that’s fine—just skip the added salt.
For a vegan alternative, use vegan butter. I don’t recommend using oils like avocado or olive oil as substitutes in this recipe. When I tried using oil, the cookies spread too much.
Molasses. Use 100% fancy molasses. If you don’t like molasses or need a substitution, honey or vegan honey works just as well.
Sugar. Granulated sugar works perfectly—no need for brown sugar since the molasses already adds that rich, caramelized flavor.
Flour. Use all-purpose white flour for this recipe.
Baking Soda. Don’t skip this ingredient! Baking soda is essential both for neutralizing the tangy sourdough flavor and for helping the cookies rise. Without it, you’ll end up with tough cookies. And no, baking powder isn’t a good substitute here.
How to make them
Step 01. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, sourdough discard, molasses, sugar, and spices, mixing until fully incorporated.
Step 02. Add the flour and baking soda, and mix until combined. The cookie dough will be thick and slightly sticky, but don’t worry—it will firm up once chilled. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours up to 2 days.
Step 03. Remove one dough disc from the refrigerator and roll it out to about ¼-inch thickness. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut the dough into shapes. Re-roll any scraps and repeat until all the dough is used.
Step 04. Bake the cookies for 9–12 minutes, depending on their size.
Step 05. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, decorate as desired.
Expert Tips
- Roll the dough evenly. Avoid rolling the dough out too thick, as this will result in oversized cookies when baked. Aim for a consistent thickness for even baking.
- Don’t overcrowd the baking sheet! While the cookies won’t expand much during baking, leave some space between them to prevent them from merging together.
- Remove the cookies from the oven while they’re still soft. As they cool, they will firm up and develop a crunchier texture.
- Gingerbread house dough: This dough is perfect for making gingerbread houses! It sets firm enough to create a stable structure. If you're baking pieces for a gingerbread house, add 1–2 extra minutes to the bake time.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. This prevents sticking and helps avoid over-browning on the bottom of the cookies.
- If you plan to decorate with royal icing, make sure the cookies are completely cooled to prevent the icing from melting or sliding off.
Storing and Freenzing
Store cookies in an airtight container, on the counter away from sunlight, for up to 2 weeks.
You can freeze these cookies. After cooled, place them in a sealed freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months.
Have you tried these Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies? Please leave a 🌟 star rating in the recipe card below, I'd love to know how it went!
📖 Recipe
Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 226 g butter unsalted and melted
- 200 g sugar
- 220 g sourdough discard
- 175 g molasses
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 420 g all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, sourdough discard, molasses, sugar, and spices, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Add the flour and baking soda, and mix until combined. The cookie dough will be thick and slightly sticky, but don’t worry—it will firm up once chilled.
- Divide the dough in half. Place each portion onto a large piece of plastic wrap, wrap tightly, and pat down into a disc shape. This disc shape makes it easier to roll out the dough after chilling. Alternatively, you can cover the dough in the mixing bowl and chill it as is, but shaping it into discs now might make it easier to roll it later.
- Chill the wrapped dough discs in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. don't skip this step! Chilled dough is easier to work with, holds its shape better, and ensures your cookies bake perfectly. Skipping it will give you flat cookies and a hard to work with dough.
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- Flour a clean work surface, as well as your hands and rolling pin. Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to about ¼-inch thickness. If you divided the dough into disks, start with one disk until finished. Don’t be afraid to use extra flour as needed—the dough can become sticky while working with it. Any flour spots on the dough will bake off.
- Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut the dough into shapes. Re-roll any scraps and repeat until all the dough is used. Place the cut-out shapes onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. These cookies won’t spread much during baking, but they still need a little breathing room.
- Bake the cookies for 9–12 minutes, depending on their size. For cookie cutters smaller than 4 inches, bake for about 9 minutes. For larger cookies, bake for about 12 minutes. If your oven has hot spots, rotate the baking sheet halfway through to ensure even baking.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once fully cooled, decorate as desired.
Notes
- Sourdough Discard: You’ll need sourdough discard at 100% hydration, meaning it comes from a starter fed with equal parts water and flour.
- Vegan Cookies. Use vegan butter instead of dairy butter. I don’t recommend using oils like avocado or olive oil as substitutes in this recipe. When I tried using oil, the cookies spread too much.
- Molasses. Use 100% fancy molasses. If you don’t like molasses or need a substitution, honey or vegan honey works just as well.
- Avoid rolling the dough out too thick, as this will result in oversized cookies when baked.
- Remove the cookies from the oven while they’re still soft. As they cool, they will firm up and develop a crunchier texture.
- Gingerbread house dough: This dough is perfect for making gingerbread houses! It sets firm enough to create a stable structure. If you're baking pieces for a gingerbread house, add 1–2 extra minutes to the bake time for additional sturdiness.
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