These Sourdough Discard Oatmeal Cookies are soft and chewy with hints of cinnamon and molasses. This is a CLASSIC oatmeal cookie recipe with sourdough discard made with simple ingredients that you’ll love. Add chocolate chips or raisins to the dough to get sourdough oatmeal raisin cookies or old-fashioned sourdough chocolate chip cookies.
Oatmeal Cookie with a Sourdough twist
If you love a good chewy oatmeal cookie, you’ll be a big fan of this oatmeal cookie with a sourdough twist. I find the sourdough discard gives this cookie the perfect texture. This recipe can be made like an old-fashioned oatmeal cookie or add chocolate chips, raisins, or nuts to the dough. Our favorite is chocolate chips but my kids also love it when I add juicy raisins and walnuts. Both are so good so pick your favorite and add it in!
Using up Sourdough Discard
As sourdough bakers, we most likely have some excess sourdough starter or discard hanging around in the fridge. This is such a great way to use up that leftover discard. And why not include it in cookies? It is also a great way to add some gut-friendly ingredients to a treat like oatmeal cookies. Your kids won’t know the difference! They’ll just know that the cookies are extra chewy and have more flavor! The sourdough helps the cookies not be overly sweet and blends the flavors well.
This recipe was created to be used with sourdough discard. If you have an active sourdough starter that you want to use up, it can be used as well.
Looking for more sweet sourdough discard recipes? Try out my Sourdough Rhubarb Muffin. Or something savory like Quick Sourdough Cheesy Breadsticks or a simple Sourdough Flatbread Recipe.
Long-fermented Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies
If you want to long ferment these sourdough cookies, simply make the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid, and let ferment in the refrigerator for up to a week.
What kind of oats make the best chewy Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies?
For the best sourdough oatmeal cookie, I love to use rolled oats or old-fashioned oats. Rolled oats make chewy cookies and the flavor is better than quick oats (instant oats). I don’t recommend using quick oats because they tend to absorb more moisture and dry out the cookie sooner.
Sourdough Oatmeal Cookie Ingredients
How to make Chewy Sourdough Discard Oatmeal Cookies
- This dough is made with a stand mixer. Take out your stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
(If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer. But make sure you cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy)
- Position the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F. The oven will preheat while you prepare the cookie dough.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease a baking sheet.
Make the dough
- Start by adding the room-temperature butter, white sugar, and brown sugar to the stand mixer. Cream until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, sourdough discard, vanilla extract, and molasses to the bowl. Beat until combined and smooth.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and rolled oats. (Add chocolate chips or raisins if desired)
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
(You can chill the dough for a few hours in the fridge or bake right away.)
Scoop the cookie dough
- Using a cookie scoop, drop the dough on a greased baking sheet with at least 2 inches in between each cookie. I prefer to make smaller cookies, around 2 tablespoons per cookie.
Step 3: Time to bake!
- Bake the cookies in the middle rack for 10-12 minutes at 350 F. The cookies should have a light golden brown color and will look a bit wet in the middle. This is ok. They will continue to bake for a few minutes after leaving the oven. It is better to underbake slightly than to overbake the cookies. Let the cookies rest for 10 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Helpful Tips
Don’t overbake these cookies. They are much more delicious and chewy when they are not overbaked.
Chilling the dough before portioning them out will prevent them from spreading too much.
How to freeze and store cookie dough
If you want to make ahead the cookie dough and freeze it until you are ready to use it, this is a simple way.
- Make the cookie dough.
- Scoop the dough onto a baking sheet and freeze it.
- Once frozen, put the dough balls in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Bake frozen cookie dough at 350 F for 15 to 18 minutes. It will take a bit longer for them to bake. Just remember to keep an eye on them so you don’t overbake the cookies.
If you love this recipe, follow Homemaker In Me on Pinterest for more sourdough baking and healthy wholesome recipes!
Chewy Sourdough Discard Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup cane sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup sourdough discard
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp molasses
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips or raisins optional
Instructions
- Take out your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. (If you don't have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer. But make sure you cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy)
- Position the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F. The oven will preheat while you prepare the cookie dough.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease a baking sheet.
Make the dough
- Start by adding the room temperature butter, white sugar, and brown sugar to the stand mixer. Cream until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, sourdough discard, vanilla extract, and molasses to the bowl. Beat until just combined and smooth.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and rolled oats. (Add chocolate chips or raisins if using)
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- (You can chill the dough for a few hours in the fridge or bake right away.)
Scoop the cookie dough
- Using a cookie scoop, drop the dough on a baking sheet with at least 2 inches in between each cookie. I prefer to make smaller cookies, around 2 tablespoons per cookie.
Time to bake
- Bake the cookies in the middle rack for 10-12 minutes at 350 F. The cookies should have a light golden brown color and will look a bit wet in the middle. This is ok. They will continue to bake for a few minutes after leaving the oven. It is better to underbake slightly than to overbake the cookies. Let the cookies rest for 10 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Pin for later!
Super yummy and easy to make!