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stacked sourdough gingerbread cookies

Soft Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

by Sylvia Hofer
Soft, tender sourdough gingerbread cookies made with discard—easy, festive, and full of warm holiday flavor. Try this cozy Christmas recipe today.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 12 minutes
Long Ferment 2 days
Total Time 2 days 1 hour 12 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 people
Calories 369 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Hand mixer or stand mixer
  • 1 Medium bowl
  • 1 cookie scoop
  • 1 Baking sheet
  • 1 Parchment paper

Ingredients
  

Wet Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 Egg
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup molasses
  • ½ cup sourdough starter/discard

Dry Ingredients:

  • 3 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¾ teaspoon cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Optional:

  • Granulated sugar for rolling
  • Royal icing for decorating not necessary, but fun

Instructions
 

Cream the butter and sugars.

  • Use a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the softened butter, dark brown sugar, and molasses until smooth and fluffy on medium speed.

Add the wet ingredients.

  • Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and sourdough discard.

Whisk the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

  • Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and warm spices.

Combine wet and dry.

  • Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture on low speed until a sticky dough forms.

Choose your fermentation option:

  • Rest 1 hour minimum (quick bake)
  • Short ferment: Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest 4-6 hours at room temperature
  • Long ferment: Refrigerate covered 12–48 hours for best flavor and thickest cookies

Bake.

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Scoop dough using a cookie scoop onto a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment. Roll in sugar if desired. Bake cookies 10–12 minutes until edges are set. Transfer to a cooling rack.

Notes

Storage, Freezing, and Make-Ahead Tips

  • Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
  • Freeze baked cookies: Freeze in a sealed bag with pieces of parchment between layers.
  • Freeze dough: Scoop dough balls and freeze, then bake from frozen, add 1–2 minutes bake time.
  • Leftover cookies: Perfect for gifting to family members or adding to cookie boxes.

Nutrition

Calories: 369kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 4gFat: 16gSodium: 469mgFiber: 1gSugar: 28g
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