Published: by Hannah Dela Cruz · This post may contain affiliate links
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These Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside with a great nutty flavor thanks to the addition of browned butter. Sourdough discard adds a delicious tang to these oatmeal cookies.
Marie says:
These are actually better than the recipe on the box lid. Came out wonderful! Hubs ate 3 of them before I could even put them away. Crispy on the edges with a soft chewy center!
Worth the effort! Make them!
Sponsored by Imperial Sugar
These Sourdough Discard Oatmeal Cookies are close to my heart because the very first thing that I ever baked in my life were oatmeal raisin cookies. I don’t think I’d ever eaten anything made in my home oven before it was such a revelation to me that I could create something so delicious from scratch. I’ve been in love with baking ever since.
Jump to:
- Recipe Box Series
- What is sourdough discard?
- Will these cookies taste sour?
- What You Need
- Variations
- Step-by-step instructions
- Baker's Tips
- Make ahead instructions
- Recipe FAQs
- Other sourdough cookie recipes you may like
- Sourdough Discard Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
Recipe Box Series
This is the fifth in my Recipe Box Series with Imperial Sugar. Each month, I’ll be releasing recipes for classic bakes made with a sourdough twist! You can look forward to comforting classics like Easy One Bowl Sourdough Discard Brownie Recipe , Apple Pie with Sourdough Crust, Sourdough Pumpkin Bundt Cake and Sourdough Monkey Bread.
Sugar is a vital part of every dessert, it imparts flavor, texture, moisture, and without it, it would be impossible to make our favorite bakes. I’m grateful to Imperial Sugar for making the Recipe Box Series possible and so proud to be partnering with a company with such a long tradition of producing such high-quality products. Imperial Sugar products are 100% pure cane sugar, non-GMO and provide consistently delicious results.
What is sourdough discard?
Sourdough discard is any portion of your sourdough starter that's not used to make bread. You can use it to make cakes, biscuits, scones and cookies!
Love sourdough cookie recipes? Check out my Top Sourdough Cookie Recipes.
Will these cookies taste sour?
Sourdough discard adds a great tangy flavor to these cookies. That little bit of acidity cuts through the sugary sweetness of these oatmeal cookies. You can bake these Sourdough Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with discard directly from the fridge. Since you are not using it to make bread, your sourdough starter does not need to be activated or fed for it to work in this cookie recipe.
What You Need
Unsalted butter: You'll be browning the butter so you don't need to soften it before using it to make these cookies
Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar & Imperial Sugar Dark Brown Sugar: A mix of white and brown sugar imparts moisture and structure to this cookie. Dark brown sugar also adds a rich molasses flavor, if you're in a pinch, feel free to use light brown sugar.
Sourdough discard: Both active starter and sourdough discard will work in this recipe. If you don't keep a sourdough starter simply add 35 grams of water and 35 grams of flour to your dough.
All-purpose flour: Do not substitute whole wheat flour to this recipe.
Old-fashioned oats: Don't use instant oats or steel-cut oats for this recipe or it will change the texture of the cookies
See recipe card for detailed ingredient information.
Variations
These cookies are endlessly adaptable! Try adding these mix-ins to your cookies to suit your tastes.
- Nuts: walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, peanuts, almonds, pistachios
- Dried fruits: raisins, cranberries, apricots, dried cherries, dried blueberries
- Chocolate: white chocolate. milk chocolate, butterscotch chips, chopped candy bars
Step-by-step instructions
STEP 1: Bloom spices in browned butter.
STEP 2: Whisk the sugar and eggs into the butter.
Tip
Let the butter cool completely before whisking the sugars in. This will prevent the sugars from melting and your cookies from spreading too much as they bake.
STEP 3: Fold in the dry ingredients.
STEP 4: Add the mix-ins.
Tip
Make sure your baking soda is not expired before you attempt this recipe. Baking soda has a shelf life, if your's has been in the pantry for some time, combine a pinch with a drop of vinegar, if the mixture fizzes it will work for this recipe.
STEP 5: Portion out cookie dough using a large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoon portions).
STEP 6: Bake at 375 F for 10 to 12 minutes.
Tip
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack. Moving the cookies too soon will cause them to break apart.
The cookies will look a bit wet on top when you pull them out of the oven, this is totally normal. They will continue baking on the hot cookie sheet. This is how these cookies maintain their delicious chewy texture without becoming dried and crunchy.
Baker's Tips
- Weigh your ingredients instead of measuring with tablespoons and cups.
- Invest in high quality chocolate. My favorite brands are Ghirardelli and Guittard.
- Don't crowd your baking sheet, arrange the cookie dough balls at least 2 inches apart as they will spread a bit as they bake.
- Use a light-colored baking sheet, a dark colored baking sheet will absorb too much heat and burn the bottoms of your cookies.
- Do not over bake these cookies or they will turn out crunchy and dry.
Make ahead instructions
To make the dough up to a week in advance:
1. Make the cookie dough
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap
3. Refrigerate the dough and portion out when ready to use
To freeze your cookie dough for up to 6 months:
1. Portion your dough out using a cookie scoop
2. Freeze your cookies in a single layer on a small baking sheet
3. Once fully frozen, transfer cookie dough balls into zip lock back
4. Cookies should last in your freezer for up to 1 month
5. Bake frozen cookie dough at 375 F for 15 to 18 minutes
Recipe FAQs
Why did my cookies spread?
Your butter was probably too warm which caused your sugars to melt. Try letting your butter cool completely before mixing it with the rest of your ingredients or chilling your cookie dough before portioning them out.
How to long ferment these sourdough oatmeal cookies
Long fermentation allows the yeast in sourdough discard predigest the starches and sugars in flour, unlocking nutrients that makes these cookies easier to digest. To long ferment these cookies, simply make the cookie dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to a week.
Other sourdough cookie recipes you may like
- Sourdough Discard Peanut Butter Cookies
- Homemade Peppermint Sourdough Biscotti
- Chewy Cranberry Oatmeal Sourdough Cookies
- Cranberry Orange Sourdough Discard Biscotti
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Sourdough Discard Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
Hannah Dela Cruz
These Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside with a great flavor thanks to browned butter and sourdough discard.
4.94 from 15 votes
Print Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour hr
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 20 cookies
Calories 259 kcal
Equipment
large cookie scoop 3 tablespoon scoop
This section may contain affiliate links
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 56 g unsalted butter
- 4 g ground cinnamon
- 120 g all-purpose flour
- 4 g baking soda
- 7 g salt
- 85 g vegetable oil
- 107 g Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 176 g Imperial Sugar Dark Brown Sugar
- 70 g sourdough discard
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 4 g vanilla extract
- 283 g old-fashioned rolled oats
Add-ins
- 100 g walnuts, optional
- 100 g semisweet chocolate chips
Click US Customary to view volume measurements
Instructions
Prep: Preheat oven to 375 F/190 C. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Brown butter: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, swirl pan occasionally to loosen the milk solids from the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat when the milk solids are golden brown and the butter has a nutty aroma, about 1 to 3 minutes. Bloom ground cinnamon in warm butter.
Make the cookie dough: Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda together in a mixing bowl until no lumps remain. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, and oil to browned butter and whisk until combined. Stir in sourdough discard, egg, egg yolk, vanilla until the mixture is smooth. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in flour mixture until fully combined, about 1 minute.
Add mix-ins: Stir in oats, and mix-ins and stir until evenly distributed (your mixture will be thick and stiff).
Shape: Use a large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons) to portion out your cookie dough. Arrange cookie dough balls 2 inches apart on prepared sheets, 10 dough balls per sheet. Use your fingers to flatten each one slightly before baking. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, and refrigerate the other cookie sheet as the cookies bake.
Bake: Bake until cookie edges are slightly browned and crisp with centers soft but not wet, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack, the cookies will appear slightly wet on top.
Enjoy and store: These cookies are better after they have cooled slightly and the interior has set. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Tips
These recipes were developed and tested using grams for precise measurements. To increase your chances of success, I recommend investing in a kitchen scale. I've included rough volume estimates (in tablespoons and cups), but they might not be totally accurate.
Remember all ovens are unique, these recipes were tested in my oven which runs cooler than others. You might need to lower the temperature if your bake appears to be browning too quickly. Monitor your bake closely and make adjustments if needed.
Notes
- To prevent your cookies from spreading, let melted butter cool to room temperature before folding in the sugars and chill cookie dough for at least 30 minutes before baking
- It’s best to err on the side of under-baking these cookies or they will turn out hard and crispy instead of soft and chewy
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. The cookies should appear slightly wet on top when you pull them out of the oven.
- To make the cookie dough in advance, portion out the cookie dough and freeze in a single layer. Once completely frozen, store the cookie dough portions in a ziplock bag.
Nutrition
Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 198mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 99IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
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