Easy Sourdough Discard Snickerdoodles

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: how to use sourdough discard for cookies, sourdough discard cookies, sourdough discard dessert ideas, sourdough discard snickerdoodles, sourdough snickerdoodles easy, thick sourdough snickerdoodles

Prep Time: 10

Total Time: 25

Servings: Cookies

Calories: 171kcal

Soft, chewy, and coated in cinnamon sugar — the perfect way to use up sourdough discard.

Print Recipe

Equipment

1 Kitchen Scale or measuring cups/spoons
1 Stand mixer or hand mixer
1 Mixing bowls (one large, one medium)
1 rubber spatula or wooden spoon
1 Parchment-lined baking sheet
1 Cookie scoop (2 Tbsp size) or use kitchen scale
1 Wire cooling rack

Ingredients

113 g softened unsalted butter ½ cup
150 g granulated sugar ¾ cup
50 g brown sugar ¼ cup
60 g sourdough discard (thick and unfed) ¼ cup
1 large egg room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
220 g all-purpose flour 1 ¾ cups
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt

For the cinnamon-sugar coating:

3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C)
Cream the Butter and Sugars: Use a hand or stand mixer to beat 113 g (½ cup) softened unsalted butter, 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar, and 50 g (¼ cup) brown sugar together for 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Add 60 g (¼ cup) thick sourdough discard, 1 large egg (room temp), and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and creamy
Mix the Dough: In a separate bowl, whisk together 220 g (1 ¾ cups) all-purpose flour, ½ tsp baking soda, 2 tsp cream of tartar, ½ tsp salt, and 1 tsp ground cinnamon.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir just until a soft, scoopable dough forms. Avoid overmixing — you want a smooth, scoopable thick dough that holds its shape.
If your discard is thin, add 1–2 tablespoons of extra flour until the dough feels thick and holds together well.
Roll in Cinnamon Sugar: In a small bowl, combine 3 Tbsp granulated sugar and 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon for the coating.
Scoop 40 g (2 Tbsp) portions of dough, roll into balls, and coat well in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. You’ll get about 16 cookies at this size.
Bake: Place dough balls 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 11–13 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft.
Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

I always recommend using a kitchen scale for accuracy when measuring ingredients. The cup measurements are approximate and may yield inconsistent results.

Nutrition