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.
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
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.
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!
- Marie
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
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.
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
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 Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
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
I am not a nutritionist or dietitian, any nutrition information provided is an estimate.
Dawn says
These are very nice. Soft and chewy.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Thank you for your feedback!
Debra Carral says
Oh my goodness!! Finally, I found a cookie recipe that I absolutely love! Made them today and they baked up perfect! I used avacado oil instead of vegetable oil and a bit less white sugar. I used chopped dark chocolate and pecans. Next time, I’m going to add in some unsweetened coconut flakes.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
I'm so happy you found this recipe and loved it! Coconuts sound like a great addition.
Tianne says
I was really excited about this recipe bit mine turned out more like oat clusters rather than cookies. I will try again weighing everything, and maybe I overbaked too.
any other tips?
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Definitely try under baking the cookies slightly and flattening them out a little before they go into the oven.
Ashlee says
Do you know if an avocado oil would be good 1:1 sub gram wise for vegetable oil?
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Absolutely! Any neutral flavored-oil would work as a substitute for this recipe.
Becca says
These were AMAZING! I stumbled across them because I had some extra sourdough discard to use up. My son said these were the best cookies I've ever made and our friends that came over cleaned the tray. I made them without the add-ins and they were perfection.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Thank you so much! I'm glad you loved the recipe and so so thrilled that everyone you shared the cookies with loved them as well.
Emme says
Your oatmeal cookie recipe has replaced our old fave. I used instant oat for today's batch and the cookies still turned out wonderful.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
These are a fave in our house so I'm glad your family loved them too!
Gary Truitt says
very good. crunchy on the outside and sift inside. Great taste
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Thanks for the feedback Gary!
Jackie says
Amazing!! I accidentally used large flake oats as I didn’t realize that’s all I had but these still came out delicious. So chewy with a crispy edge - my husband and I can’t stop eating them.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Yay! I'm so thrilled that you and your husband loved them!
Dena says
Would this work subbing melted butter for oil?
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Butter has a little bit of water in it but oil is 100% fat so they keep these cookies chewier! It will work but your cookies may be crispier.
Megan says
Making these for the 4th time in two months! My husband especially loves them! Followed the recipe each time and it never fails.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
So happy you loved them!
Rose Leonard says
Sooo delishious, I did change them just a bit: i used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil, i also only used 100g of dark brown sugar and i used honey instead of the white sugar. They were the best oatmeal cookies. Oh and i used raisins instead of chocolate chips and i use the walnuts. Thank you so much!!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Oo honey is an interesting choice! I'm glad it worked!
Linda Bernasconi says
Love the cookie! Nice flavor! I used walnuts.
Sundip Banipal says
I make these all the time to help reduce my sourdough discard waste. The cookie dough freezes so well, I pre-portion with an ice cream scoop and freeze them in a ziploc. They bake perfectly from frozen.
kari says
Made these today. Seriously the best oatmeal cookies ever. I love, love the cinnamon bloom in brown butter. My husband and kids love them too! I added walnuts, cranberries and chopped dark chocolate. Will make again!
Marie says
These are actually better than the recipe on the box lid.
I didn't brown the butter, but added a splash of vanilla.
Came out wonderful! Hubs ate 3 of them before I could even put them away.
He also took some to work to share.
I was a bit concerned about how stiff the dough was, but don't worry. They come out better than expected. Minimal spread. Crispy on the edges with a soft chewy center!
Worth the effort!
Make them!
Jaime says
Is the flour to oats ratio correct?
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Yes!
Sandra says
I love the recipes you're created. I made these last night they turned out great as were the waffles. my finickiest eater gobbled up every bite
Hannah Dela Cruz says
So happy you loved them! This is one of our favorites.
Aly says
I’ve made these so many times now and they are fabulous! Definitely a go-to cookie recipe that anyone will love. I always use dark chocolate chips, but have also done raisin. Somehow I always mess up the order of ingredients and it still turns out perfect. Thank you!!!