Soft Sourdough Snickerdoodles (with Sourdough Discard!)

Soft and full of cinnamon and sugar, these Sourdough Snickerdoodles are they perfect way to use some of your sourdough discard. No need to chill the dough either, these cookies are ready in less than an hour!

Snickerdoodles might be the perfect cookie! They are soft, just sweet enough, and full of cinnamon. When you aren't in the mood for chocolate, a snickerdoodle is the best option!

Baking with sourdough discard is one of my favorite things to do! You can make baked sourdough donuts and even sourdough crackers with herbs and olive oil crackers!

I'd love to have you join our Sourdough Facebook group with other Sourdough fanatics sharing their favorite recipes as well as tips and tricks! Let's all learn together!

Can You Make Snickerdoodles with Sourdough Discard?

Yes! Don't throw out your extra sourdough discard. Bake with it! It adds a slight tang to the cookies that can't be beat! Mix up the dough and bake it right away. They are full cinnamon and sugar! If you need a change from a chocolate filled recipe, these cookies are the way to go!

Adding sourdough starter to your cookies is a great idea! You can make these easy snickerdoodle cookies, but you can also make peanut butter cookies and sugar cookies with sourdough discard.

Ingredients for Sourdough Discard Snickerdoodle Cookies

• Granulated sugar. Some will be used in the cookies, and some will be used to roll the dough in.
• Cinnamon. To add to the sugar and roll the dough in.
• Flour. All purpose flour is best in cookies.
• Baking soda. This will help give the cookies their chewy texture.
• Salt.
• Sourdough starter. Inactive, meaning that you just take it out of the refrigerator, and it has not been fed. If you are new to sourdough, you can make your own sourdough starter from scratch, buy one, or get one from a friend. If you want, you can use active sourdough starter instead of inactive sourdough starter. My sourdough starter is 100% hydration, meaning when I feed it, I use equal parts water, flour, and leftover starter. If you have a sourdough starter will lower hydration, you may need to add some more liquid into the cookie dough.
• Eggs.
• Butter. One stick, or ½ cup of room temperature butter.

See printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.

What is Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough discard is the portion of your sourdough starter that you are not feeding. When you are "feeding" your starter to make bread with, you add equal parts flour, water, and starter to a mason jar and let it rise.

You can't feed your entire starter, as it doubles and sometimes triples in size, and that's a lot of starter to have on hand! If you are new to sourdough, be sure to check out this post all about how to keep your sourdough starter happy. It also is perfect to bake with! Check out all these amazing sourdough discard recipes!

What is a Snickerdoodle?

Snickerdoodles are similar to sugar cookies, except snickerdoodles have cinnamon in them as well. They are usually rolled in a cinnamon and sugar mixture and then baked to perfection.

Usually, snickerdoodles have cream of tartar in them. This recipe does not. I found that you do not need the cream of tartar and the sourdough discard gives the cookie the perfect soft, chewy texture.

How To Make Sourdough Snickerdoodles

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set that aside.

In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of cinnamon with ¼ cup of sugar. Mix well and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the rest of the sugar and one stick of room temperature butter. Mix well until the butter and sugar are well combined.

Add the sourdough starter and eggs to the stand mixer. Mix again until fully combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary.

Add the flour to the stand mixer and mix until fully combined.

With an ice cream scoop, scoop a dough ball into the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Roll the dough in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place the dough ball on the prepared baking sheet. Continue until the baking sheet is full.

Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are slightly brown and soft. Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack

Step By Step Photos

Make Ahead Tips

Once baked, these cookies will last for 4-5 days in an airtight container or in a gallon Ziploc bag.

To make the dough ahead, make the dough completely and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. The dough will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. This will also increase the tangy, sourdough flavor of the cookie.

To freeze these cookies, bake them completely and allow them to cool. Place the cookies in a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. The cookies should defrost on the counter and enjoy once defrosted.

Are These Cookies Sour?

No! Since we are only using the sourdough discard and we are not allowing the dough to ferment at all, the sourdough discard adds to the texture more than the flavor. To increase the sour flavor, make the dough completely and then cover it with plastic wrap. Allow it to hang out in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours and the dough will be slightly sour to combat the sweetness of the cookie.