These sourdough discard peanut butter cookies bake up soft and chewy with a rich peanut butter flavor. Brown sugar adds depth and warmth, while sourdough discard adds a subtle tang and added moisture that keeps these cookies tasting fresh for days. You can make this recipe all in one bowl and have cookies your friends and family will love in less than 1 hour!
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5-Star Review ★
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!
Kayla
Love sourdough cookies? Try my recipes for Sourdough Sugar Cookies, Sourdough Chocolate Cookies and Sourdough Banana Cookies.
Ingredients and substitutions
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 (with photos)
Step 1: Make the dough
Cream butter, sugars, peanut butter and vanilla. Beat egg and discard into the mixture. Whisk the dry ingredients in until no traces of dry flour remain.
Step 2: Assemble the cookies
Portion out cookies using a cookie scoop. Roll the cookie dough balls in cane sugar.
Step 3: Bake the cookies
Arrange cookies on a baking sheet and flatten with a fork to create a grid pattern on top of the dough. Bake at 325 F for 10 to 12 minutes.
Tip
Let the cookies cool on the baking 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.
Tips from Hannah's Test Kitchen
Use a cookie scoop: Evenly-sized cookies will bake evenly.
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. It will ferment and continue to develop flavors as it chills. 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.
Did this recipe rise to the occasion?
★★★★★
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Sourdough 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 or creamy peanut butter do not use not chunky or natural
- 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 or creamy 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 be crumbly and fall 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
I am not a nutritionist or dietitian, any nutrition information provided is an estimate.
Marcia says
Does the sour dough starter need to be active or can I take it right out of the refrigerator and use it?
Hannah Dela Cruz says
No, you can use your starter straight from the fridge without feeding it in this recipe.
Lauren Smythe says
Just made these and they are delicious and easy! I did freeze the extra dough balls and I do have a question; do they need thawed before baking or can I just flatten the frozen balls with a fork right before baking? 🙂
Hannah Dela Cruz says
I'm so glad you loved the recipe! I think the best thing to do would be bake them from frozen and flatten with the fork halfway through baking.
Julie says
YUMMY!! This is, by far, the best peanut butter cookie I have ever had! Very easy to make! I will definitely pass this recipe on to others! Thank you!!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
I am so happy you loved these, Julie!