Soft and chewy, these Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies are delicious and easy to make. Sourdough adds moisture that will keep these cookies tasting fresh for longer and a delightful tang that complements the rich flavor of peanut butter. Have fresh-baked cookies from start to finish in less than 30 minutes.
Kayla Says
These are the best peanut butter cookies I have ever had- like ever! So delicious and I love a great sourdough discard recipe that's so easy to come together!
Love sourdough cookies? Try my recipes for Sourdough Sugar Cookies, Sourdough Chocolate Cookies and Sourdough Banana Cookies.
Jump to:
Why I love this recipe
- Makes chewy peanut butter cookies that won’t be crumbly.
- Sourdough complements the rich flavor of these peanut butter cookies.
- Sourdough adds moisture keeping these cookies tasting fresh for longer.
What you need
Smooth peanut butter: Do not use natural or chunky peanut butter or they will make your cookies too crumbly.
All-purpose flour: the low protein content of all-purpose gives these cookies their chewy, tender texture, don’t substitute another type of flour, such as whole wheat in this recipe as it would affect the texture of the cookies.
Sourdough discard: feel free to use your sourdough discard directly from the fridge, if you don’t have any discard add 28 grams of flour and 28 grams of water to the recipe.
See recipe card for detailed ingredient information.
Baking with Sourdough Discard
Sourdough discard adds a great tangy flavor to these sourdough peanut butter cookies. Conveniently, you can use your discard straight from the fridge without the need to activate or feed your sourdough starter since it won't be used for bread-making.
You can use older discard with a more pronounced acidity or use a freshly-fed sourdough starter. Both will yield delicious cookies, but offer a slightly distinct flavor.
Step-by-step Instructions
STEP 1. Cream butter, sugars, peanut butter and vanilla.
STEP 2. Beat egg and discard into the mixture.
Tip
Set butter out the night before to soften it for making these cookies.
STEP 3. Blend the dry ingredients in. Portion out cookies using a cookie scoop
STEP 4. Roll the cookie dough balls in cane sugar.
Tip
Using a cookie scoop will make evenly-sized portions that will bake evenly.
STEP 5. Arrange cookies on a baking sheet and flatten with a fork.
STEP 6. Bake at 325 F for 10 to 12 minutes.
Tip
Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes. The cookies will not be fully set after you pull them out of the oven, and will continue to bake due to residual heat. This step is just as important to the process as baking and is what gives them their soft and chewy texture.
Baker's Tips
Weigh your ingredients: For the best results, use a kitchen scale to measure out your ingredients instead of using cups and tablespoons. It’s much more accurate and will increase your chances of success.
Test your leaveners for freshness: Baking powder and baking soda have a limited shelf life and will eventually lose their effectiveness. To see if yours still work, combine a pinch of baking powder with a drop of vinegar. If the mixture fizzes, then your leaveners will work.
Don’t overcrowd your baking sheet: These cookies will spread and flatten during baking, so be sure to leave space between the dough to prevent them from sticking together.
Use a light-colored baking sheet: Dark baking sheets retain more heat and may cause your cookies to overbake or even burn.
Don't over bake your cookies: When you remove the cookies from the oven, they might seem underbaked, and that's perfectly normal. No need to fret; the residual heat from the hot baking sheet will keep baking the cookies. Be cautious not to overbake them, as doing so could result in a hard and dry texture instead of the desired soft and chewy consistency.
Make ahead instructions
This cookie dough can be made up to 3 days in advance, and will continue to develop flavors as they chill. After making the cookie dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. When it's time to bake, roll out the cookies and follow the provided baking instructions.
To freeze these cookies, portion out the cookie dough balls and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet (they don't have to be spaced apart). Freeze the cookie sheet uncovered for an hour or until the cookie dough is completely frozen. Transfer to an airlock container or ziptop bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 month.
- To bake frozen cookie dough: Bake frozen cookie dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 350F for 15 to 18 mins.
Recipe FAQs
The flavor of discard depends on your unique starter. Older discard will have a tangier, acidic flavor than freshly-fed sourdough starter. In my experience sourdough added a delicious tang that doesn’t the taste of these cookies.
Absolutely! You can make the cookie dough up to 3 days in advance. Portion out your cookie dough and refrigerate them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet covered with plastic wrap.
Absolutely! Simply use the same proportion of freshly fed sourdough starter in the recipe. Your starter won’t add a strong tangy flavor to your cookies, but will still work.
If you don’t have a starter, but still want to try out this recipe, simply add 28 grams of all-purpose flour and 28 grams of water to your cookie dough.
These cookies last about 7 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
You may also like
Did this recipe rise to the occasion?
★★★★★
Please leave a star rating and a comment. Your feedback helps me create more delicious sourdough recipes. I read and truly appreciate every message.
Don't forget to PIN this recipe on Pinterest to save it for later!
Thank you for your support!
Sourdough Discard Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
Equipment
- hand mixer or stand mixer
This section may contain affiliate links
Ingredients
Dough
- 113 grams unsalted butter softened
- 100 grams cane sugar
- 150 grams brown sugar
- 170 grams smooth peanut butter
- 8 grams vanilla
- 56 grams sourdough discard
- 1 egg
- 240 grams all-purpose flour
- 3 grams baking soda
- 4 grams salt
Topping
- 50 grams cane sugar
Click US Customary to view volume measurements
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 325 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Make the dough: Cream the butter, sugars, peanut butter and vanilla.113 grams unsalted butter, 100 grams cane sugar, 150 grams brown sugar, 170 grams smooth peanut butter, 8 grams vanilla
- Add in the sourdough discard and egg until no traces of yolk or sourdough remain.56 grams sourdough discard, 1 egg
- Fold the dry ingredients in until no dry bits of flour remain.240 grams all-purpose flour, 3 grams baking soda, 4 grams salt
- Portion out the dough: Using a medium-sized (1 ½-tablespoon) cookie scoop, portion out the dough and place them on the prepared baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart to allow them to spread.
- Fill a small bowl with cane sugar. Dip and coat the cookie dough balls in cane sugar.50 grams cane sugar
- Flatten the cookies using a fork, creating a grid pattern.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet, for about 5 minutes. Don’t move your cookies too soon or they will break apart.
- Enjoy and store: Enjoy the cookies warm, once they have set completely. These cookies get even better once they have cooled completely and their flavor has fully developed. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
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
- Do not use natural or chunky peanut butter for this recipe or they will break apart.
- Do not over bake these cookies or they will turn out hard and dry instead of soft and chewy.
- Your cookies won’t be fully set after you take them out of the oven, let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
- If you don’t have a sourdough discard, but still want to try out this recipe, simply add 28 grams of all-purpose flour and 28 grams of water to your cookie dough.
Nutrition
Nutrition info provided are estimates.
Shelly Babb
These were the best peanut butter cookies I have ever made!! I would give them 10 stars if I could !!
Hannah Dela Cruz
This makes me so happy! Thank you!
Candice
I see you say to not use natural peanut butter. I only use organic, I’m assuming if I make these they’re going to fall apart?
MJ
This was a fantastic recipe. I doubled it and it made 44 cookies. My husband is in heaven!
Hannah Dela Cruz
So thrilled that you loved these and that hubby is happy too!
Cathy
Great cookies, just the right amount of sweetness.
I love the way you write the recipes. awesome tips and notes.
Hannah Dela Cruz
Thank you so much, Cathy! I'm so thrilled that you loved them.
Heather Banks
5 stars!! I made them very large and was mindful of not over baking so they would remain chewy and soft. My husband likes crispy cookies so his stayed in the oven a little longer. Everyone was very happy! Has become my go-to peanut butter cookie! Delicious!!
Hannah Dela Cruz
Thank you so much for your feedback! Glad you and the hubby loved them!
Danette
This is a good way to use up the discard. Made these for my dad who is a peanut butter cookie freak! He loved them.. the only recommendation is if you want a “crispier” cookie, then decrease the size of the cookie from 1-1/2 T scoop to a 1T scoop. They came out a bit less soft.
Hannah Dela Cruz
Ooh thank you for the tip! Glad you and dad loved them!
Kayla
These are the best peanut butter cookies I have ever had- like ever! So delicious and I love a great sourdough discard recipe that's so easy to come together!