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.
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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
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Sourdough Discard Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
Equipment
- large cookie scoop 3 tablespoon scoop
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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.
Sarah says
So delicious! It's my new favourite discard recipe! I found the 1/4 cup dough balls a little too big... So I cut that in half (woohoo more cookies!)... I also noticed that when you put the mix-ins in, the cookies take a minute or two longer to cook than when there's no mix-ins (our favourite mix-ins are walnut pieces and chocolate chips!)! Delicious cookies with or without mix-ins! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Make It Dough says
So happy to hear that you enjoyed them! I've never tried these without mix-ins. I'll have to make these again to try your alterations
barbara culbert says
Can I use a substitute for the sugar like palm sugar, honey and/or maple syrup?
Make It Dough says
The type of sugar used here is essential to the texture. You can certainly try, but as I've never done this before, I can't confirm the results!
Barb says
Can I use Einkorn sourdough discard?
Make It Dough says
I think einkorn discard and flour would work beautifully here but I haven't used it myself so I can't confirm. Please do let me know if it works!
Julie says
I have made this recipe 3 times now and it is perfect every time! I especially appreciate that amounts are given in weight. It makes the recipe quicker and simpler to prepare. Thus will be my go-to cookie from now on, and it's a bonus that it uses up discard. I do need to bake a little longer in my oven.
Make It Dough says
Thank you for the wonderfully kind words. I'm so glad you love these cookies as much as I do!
Yuri says
These taste good, and you might even think they were healthy if you didn't know the amount of fat and sugar that goes into them 😄. I do think the recipe should say to chill the dough because mine also spread out A LOT. I'm guessing it is because the browned butter is liquid and warm.
Make It Dough says
That would definitely be a good addition to the recipe! Chilling for even 30 minutes would make a huge difference 😁
Mom, JD says
These are fabulous! I’ve been instructed by my family to never lose this recipe! ☺️ Thank you so much! And thanks for the clear instructions on browning the butter—that’s not a technique I’ve tried before but your instructions were so clear & precise it went swimmingly!
Make It Dough says
I'm so glad your family loved this recipe!!! ❤️
Maria says
Cookies went flat my cookies went flat, I used vegetable oil, they taste really good but would like to know if I should increase the flour to make them firmer and stay together.
Make It Dough says
Try chilling the dough before baking!
Make It Dough says
That could be it! Try chilling the cookie dough before baking next time!
skylarksadventures says
I made this with toasted rolled oats, not instant, and they totally melted in the oven! They spread really far out. Next time I'll try with the instant oats like what's in the recipe. Maybe my cookie dough was too warm to begin with?
Sheri says
I made a double batch of these today for the first time and believe me it won't be the last!! They are so yummy! I added a little flaked sea salt to the top of each cookie before baking and I really liked what it added! Thanks for a great recipe!
Make It Dough says
Yay so glad you liked these!
Sheri Nix says
I'm making them for the 5th time right now! This time, along with the chocolate chips, I added chopped roasted almonds!
Make It Dough says
That sounds amazing!!
Rex Aronhime says
looks really interesting!!
Do you think it is possible to reduce the amount of oil/fat? substitute with something else?
Make It Dough says
I've never tried substituting the fat in this recipe for any other ingredients. Fat is very important for tenderizing the gluten in baked goods, so I wouldn't skip it.
Chloe Dillon says
Love your website, Hannah! I see a lot of sourdough discard recipes that use another type of leavening like baking soda. Do you think you could increase the amount of starter and lessen or eliminate the baking soda? I’m new to this and that is something that has struck me about discard recipes. It seems like the discard is more a substitute for flour and liquid than leavening, but it is a kind of leavening.
Make It Dough says
Thanks Chloe! I totally understand what you're saying, but yeast and baking soda/powder are two totally different leaveners that react completely differently with flour and have opposite effects on gluten. Baking soda increases the pH of dough it is added to, this creates thickness, while weakening the gluten, which creates tender baked goods, while the biological processes involved in leavening through yeast helps strengthen the gluten and elasticity of the dough. This gluten development is the enemy of soft cookies and cakes so that's why most of these types of discard recipes use baking soda/powder instead.
Chloe Dillon says
So smart and helpful. Thanks!
Chloe Dillon says
Just wanted to confirm that you meant 10 grams of chocolate chips?
Also, I wanted to let you know that I tried it with coconut oil, not knowing that coconut oil is known to react differently in the oven, and I did not get the texture that you did at all. Still tasty.
Jennifer says
You mention oil when you added the sugars but I don’t see oil in the list of ingredients
Make It Dough says
Thank you for catching that! I added the oil amount in the ingredient list, it's 86 grams.
cdngrrl says
Hi,
I don’t see how much discard to use in this recipe only in the instructions.
Thanks,
Kelly
Sent from Kelly's iPhone
Make It Dough says
Hi Kelly,
It says 70 grams in the table with the ingredients. Do let me know if you still can’t see it. It’s a little worrisome that 2 people have mentioned this.
Best,
Hannah
Carol says
How much discard do you use for these oatmeal cookies?
Make It Dough says
70 Grams 😁
Carol says
Thanks.
Ana says
This recipe looks great! Do you think I could use all browned butter instead of half butter and half oil?
Make It Dough says
Yes! Although it may affect the texture of the cookies since oil helps keep these cookies chewy. You can always try is and report back!