Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.It’s no secret that I love cookies. And lately I’ve been really into cookies made with sourdough discard because I love finding creative ways to use up my discard, and because they just taste delicious. This is very true for these sourdough discard snickerdoodle cookies. Unassuming, they will catch you off guard with how delicious they are. A soft and tangy dough rolled in sweet cinnamon and sugar and baked to perfection. No mix-ins, no extras. Just a perfectly baked sourdough snickerdoodle cookie.
Why You’ll Love Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies
Are you a snickerdoodle fan? I get comments all the time from women telling me that snickerdoodles are their husband’s favorite cookie! I think it’s so interesting. But maybe that’s why you’re here looking at this recipe. If it’s your husband’s favorite cookie (or yours!) then you’ve come to the right place. You will love these sourdough snickerdoodle cookies because they’re easy to whip up – no chilling. The cookies have sweet cinnamon flavor with crunchy edges and a soft middle. Basically, it’s a cookie that is going to please everyone, unless you want chocolate – then you need this chocolate crinkle sourdough cookie recipe.
Important Ingredients in Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Sourdough Discard: In order to avoid a stronger sourdough flavor, use sourdough discard that is fresh or no more than a day or two old. If you want to play up the tang in these snickerdoodle cookies, use discard that is a couple days old. I always use 100% hydration sourdough discard. If your discard is very runny, you may need a little extra flour in this recipe.
- Unsalted Butter: I bake a lot of cookies and always use unsalted butter. You can control the flavor much better when you use unsalted butter. Salt content varies between brands of salted butter, and your baked goods may come out too salty using salted butter. If you choose to use salted butter, decrease the salt a little bit in the recipe. Use softened butter for best results.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is the only sugar used in this recipe, keeping the cookie sweet and allowing it to take on the tangy flavor of the sourdough and the cream of tartar
- Egg: An egg adds richness and structure to the cookie dough
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour: These cookies are perfect with all-purpose flour. Use flour with an 11.5% protein content, not bread flour.
- Cream of Tartar: This is an ingredient that is unique to snickerdoodle cookies and gives a tangy flavor that pairs well with the sourdough discard. It’s not really a snickerdoodle if it doesn’t have cream of tartar.
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon/Sugar: Snickerdoodle cookie dough is rolled in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar before baking. This gives a little bit of texture, crunch and cinnamon flavor to the cookies.
How to Make Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies
Mix Together Ingredients
- Wet Ingredients: Use a hand mixer to whip up the softened butter. It should lighten a little in color as you mix. Add the sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Then add in the eggs, sourdough discard and vanilla extract. Whip again until fluffy.
- Dry Ingredients: To a separate bowl add the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon and salt. Fluff together with a fork.
- Mix Together: Add the dry ingredients on top of the sugar mixture and mix until combined.
Scoop and Roll Cookie Dough Balls
Pour cinnamon and sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop the dough into small balls, about 2 Tablespoons each. Roll each cookie dough ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. The cinnamon sugar coating is what give these sourdough snickerdoodles their classic look.
Bake Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies
One of the secrets to a cookie with a delicious crispy edge and a gooey or chewy middle is convection bake. If you have the convection bake feature on your oven, use it! Bake these cookies in a pre-heated, 375ºF convection oven for 7-8 minutes until puffed up with crispy edges. If you don’t have convection, you have a couple of options:
- Increase the temperature by 25 degrees (400ºF for this recipe) and preheat your oven for 15-20 minutes to get it really hot before baking the cookies.
- Bake the cookies at the convection temperature (375ºF for this recipe) and add some extra time to the bake, usually 2-3 minutes.
Whatever you do, the key to baking these cookies is to avoid over-baking them. Take the cookies out when they are still a little gooey in the center. They will keep baking and set up to be nice and chewy as they cool. Enjoy!
Amy’s Recipe Tips
- If the dough feels too sticky, add a little extra flour. The dough should be able to roll into a ball in your hand without getting dough all over you. Sourdough discard can often be a little less or more runny so you may need to add a little extra flour.
Long Fermented Option: Some people like to long-ferment this cookie dough to get the health benefits from the fermentation process of sourdough. To do this, mix up your cookie dough. Shape it into balls, roll it in the cinnamon sugar and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight or up to a few days. The longer you ferment the dough, the more benefit.
How to Store Leftover Snickerdoodle Cookies
Leftover cookies should be cooled completely and then stored in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the FREEZER. Frozen cookies are good for up to a couple of months. When you want to eat one, take it out of the freezer and defrost it. Enjoy!
If you liked these sourdough snickerdoodle cookies, you’ll also like…
- Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Sourdough Crinkle Cookies
- Oatmeal Sourdough Cinnamon Chip Cookies
- Fudgy Sourdough Brownies
- Peanut Butter Cookies with Sourdough Discard
- Sourdough Blondies
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can make the cookie dough balls, roll them in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and then freeze the dough balls to bake at a later time. Dough can be made and frozen up to a month ahead of time. When you go to bake the cookie dough, put it in the fridge the night before baking or let thaw a little bit. You can also bake immediately and add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
Yes. This recipe can be cut in half. I would use one egg yolk in place of the egg in the recipe if you choose to do this.
I love baking with freshly-milled flour. These cookies are best with soft white wheat. I purchase these soft white wheat berries and mill them in my Nutrimill Harvest Grain Mill.
Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
Sourdough Discard Snickerdoodle Dough
- 227 grams unsalted butter, softened about 1 cup
- 300 grams granulated sugar about 1 1/4 cup
- 100 grams sourdough discard about 1/3 cup, 100% hydration – see recipe note
- 1 large egg about 50 grams
- 8 grams vanilla extract about 2 teaspoons
- 365 grams all-purpose flour about 2.5 cups
- 6 grams baking soda about 1 teaspoon
- 12 grams cream of tartar about 2 teaspoons
- 6 grams salt about 1 teaspoon
- 2 grams ground cinnamon optional, about 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
- 50 grams granulated sugar about 1/4 cup
- 6 grams ground cinnamon about 1 Tablespoon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F convection. See recipe notes for non-convection.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the softened butter until light and fluffy for about a minute. Add granulated sugar. Cream together until fluffy and smooth.
- Crack the egg and add to the butter/sugar mixture. Whip together with the beaters until the eggs are fully incorporated. Add the sourdough discard and vanilla extract. Mix again with the mixer until smooth and combined.
- To a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon and salt. Whisk together to combine.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until the wet and dry ingredients are incorporated.
- Prepare a shallow bowl with 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 3 Tablespoons cinnamon. Scoop the cookie dough into small, 2 Tablespoon sized, balls. Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar mixture and stick on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake cookies in a preheated, 375ºF oven on convection bake for about 7-8 minutes. After 7-8 minutes, the cookies should be puffy with the edges just a little crispy. Let the cookies cool on a baking sheet for 5-10 minutes until they set up completely. If you don't have convection bake, bake the cookies at 375°F for about 8-10 minutes. Enjoy!
I love snickerdoodles, and this recipe takes it up a notch! Thank you thank you! 👩🏼🍳😋
These are perfect! I actually used ripe starter because I didn’t have any discard and it still worked great.
Thanks for sharing! So glad you loved these.
These are perfection! I made them yesterday and put a few in the freezer to take to my dad. My family has eaten all the rest and suggested that maybe Grandpa doesn’t really need any… I’ll be making more and doubling the recipe!! So good!!
So glad you loved them! Thanks for sharing!
These are super easy and delicious!!
Thanks for sharing!
When you use fresh soft white wheat flour do you change anything else about the recipe?
Not usually. It depends on the flour you use (and its protein content). Sometimes it needs a little extra flour. The dough should still be sticky but can easily form a ball.
Wowwww! Amazing recipe. These are the best snickerdoodles! Love the outcome using the convection setting. Perfect!
So glad you loved these!
Everything you could want in a snickerdoodle cookie! The taste, texture, everything- perfection! I loved how easy they were to make.
So glad you enjoyed these!