This sourdough sugar cookie recipe is perfect for holiday baking. These cut out cookies can easily be decorated and are soft, buttery, and sweet.

close up of a snowflake shaped sourdough sugar cookie with icing around the edges with another tree sugar cookie with white icing in the background. Both cookies lay on parchment paper

I’m in full on Christmas mood. We had Thanksgiving early with my family and then I went straight into decorating mode. It felt so nice to deep clean the house and then pull out al the beautiful decor.

There is something about all the greenery, pops of red everywhere mixed with the dark cozy nights with the fire going, candles and lamps that gets me ready for winter season.

And what is Christmas without sugar cookies? And this sourdough version is so yummy. It can be long fermented for more health benefits and easier digestion or whip them up to bake the same day. It is a great way to use up sourdough discard.

Soft and thick with crisp edges make these cut out sourdough discard sugar cookies perfect for any occasion.

sourdough sugar cookies cut out as snowflakes and trees decorated with white frosting and gold balls. on a wire rack on parchment paper

Why You Will Love This Recipe:

Delicious: Everything you love in a typical sugar cookie: thick, soft, with crispy edges, but with a sourdough twist. The amount of tanginess will depend on when your sourdough starter was fed last, and how long you allow the dough to ferment in the fridge.

Easy: This is a basic and super simple sugar cookie recipe. No complicated steps.

Option to long ferment: These can be whipped up and baked in one day or if you have a hard time digesting unfermented grains, do not fret! These cookies can also be long fermented. Plus, the long fermentation adds a more tangy flavor to them. Sweet plus tangy is seriously delicious.

Great way to use discard: Don’t just toss out that sourdough discard! There are so many delicious ways to use it.

hands with an icing bag decorating sourdough sugar cookies on parchment paper

Tips For Making Sourdough Discard Sugar Cookies:

  • Don’t over mix the dough. Add in the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
  • Refrigerate dough to help keep the cookie shape during baking.
  • This recipe can be made the same day, or long ferment in the fridge for 3 days. Make it according to the directions below and then just keep it in the fridge for 3 days (up to 4 days) before rolling out and baking.

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overhead photo of flour in a boll with a wooden spoon next to a stand mixer bowl of whipped butter and sugar with the paddle attachment in the bowl
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Ingredients:

Unsalted butter – Cookies are just not cookies without butter, and for baking it is best to choose unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt added to recipes.

Granulated sugar

Eggs

Sourdough discard – This is unfed sourdough starter or starter that has passed its peak. Honestly, active sourdough starter will also work, but if you need a recipe for all that sourdough discard you have, this is a fantastic one.

Vanilla extractHomemade or store-bought.

All purpose flour

Baking soda

Salt

Tools you may need:

Stand mixer

Measuring cups and spoons

Plastic wrap

Cookie sheets

Rolling pin

Cookie cutters (optional)

overhead photo of sourdough sugar cookies cut out in snowflakes and trees with white icing and gold balls on parchment paper

How To Make Sourdough Sugar Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 F.

butter and sugar whipped together until light and fluffy in a stand mixer with paddle attachment

In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and granulated sugar together for a few minutes until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs in one at a time and mix until well incorporated.

butter and sugar whipped together and topped with vanilla and sourdough starter in a stand mixer bowl with a paddle attachment

Add vanilla and sourdough discard and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides a few times.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.

sourdough sugar cookie dough in a stack mixer bowl with a paddle attachment in the dough

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients about 1/3 at a time, and mix until just incorporated.

two disks of sourdough sugar cookie dough wrapped in plastic wrap on a white countertop

Divide the dough into two discs, and wrap with plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour or for 3 days for long fermentation.

sourdough sugar cookie dough rolled out on a quartz countertop with snowflake cookie cutter shapes cut out in the dough. The cookie cutter and a rolling pin are to the left of dough

On a lightly floured surface, roll out to 1/4” inch thickness between two pieces of parchment paper.

Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place on parchment lined baking sheet..

round sugar cookies cut and layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. The dough with more cookies cut out in the dough.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges start to golden.

Allow to cool completely before icing.

How To Make Royal Icing:

In a stand mixer or large bowl add the ingredients. Using a whisk attachment, (or a hand held mixer) whip together until peaks form.

If the icing is too thick, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until the right consistency is reached. If it is too thin, add powdered sugar a tablespoon or two at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

Add to a a piping bag with a tip (or just a ziplock bag with a small corner cut) and decorate the cookies.

Storage:

Store in an air-tight container for 3-4 days at room temperature. Freeze in a ziplock bag for up to 3 months.

FAQ:

two round sourdough sugar cookies with white icing topped with rainbow sprinkles. The cookies sit on a white countertop with an icing bag in the background

What makes sugar cookies soft or hard?

Over mixing and over baking are the two biggest culprits to hard cookies. Make sure to just add in the flour until just combined, avoiding over mixing. Properly rolling out the cookies to 1/4″ thick and baking until just turning golden around the edges will also ensure a soft cookie.

How thick should dough be for sugar cookies?

They should be 1/4″ thick. This is the perfect thickness to get soft cookies that are easy to transfer without being puffy.

What type of sourdough starter should I use for this recipe?

Sourdough starter that hasn’t been fed (aka sourdough discard) will offer the most flavor and tanginess to this recipe. Active sourdough starter can also be used, but it will not give you as much of a depth of flavor.

round sourdough sugar cookies freshly baked and place on a wire cooking rack

Why do you chill sugar cookie dough before cutting out?

This helps keep the shape of the sugar cookies.

What is sourdough discard?

It is sourdough starter that hasn’t been fed in 12 hours. It is the portion that would normally be removed and thrown out before the sourdough starter is fed again.

overhead photo of round sourdough cookies on a wire rack over parchment paper

Can you long ferment this recipe?

Yes. After creating the dough, shape into discs and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to refrigerate for 3 days. This gives the optimal time for the break down of the grains. It takes this long because refrigerations slows down the fermentation process. You can get away with a shorter time, but a friend of mine tried this and 3 days was the shortest amount of time for someone in her family that has gluten sensitivity.

Find More Cookie Recipes:

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars! 

Sourdough Sugar Cookies

4.57 from 130 votes
Soft, buttery, and sweet with a hint of tangy. This sourdough sugar cookie recipe is perfect for holiday baking. These cut out cookies can easily be decorated and are so delicious.
Prep: 1 hour
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 48 cookies
sourdough sugar cookies cut out as snowflakes and trees decorated with white frosting and gold balls. on a wire rack on parchment paper
Save this recipe!
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!
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Ingredients 

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup sourdough discard
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Royal icing

  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 6 tablespoons room temp water
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 F (unless long fermenting.)
  • In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and granulated sugar together for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs in one at a time and mix until well incorporated.
  • Add vanilla and sourdough discard and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides a few times.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients about 1/3 at a time, and mix until just incorporated.
  • Divide the dough into two discs, and wrap with plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour or for 3 days for long fermentation.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll out to 1/4” inch thickness between two pieces of parchment paper.
  • Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges start to golden.
  • Allow to cool completely before icing.

How To Make Royal Icing:

  • In a stand mixer or large bowl add the ingredients. Using a whisk attachment (or a hand held mixer) whip together until peaks form.
  • If the icing is too thick, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until the right consistency is reached. If it is too thin, add powdered sugar a tablespoon or two at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
  • Add to a a piping bag with a tip (or just a ziplock bag with a small corner cut) and decorate the cookies.

Notes

  • Don’t over mix the dough. Add in the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
  • Refrigerate dough to help keep the cookie shape during baking.
  • This recipe can be made the same day, or long ferment in the fridge for 3 days. Make it according to the directions below and then just keep it in the fridge for 3 days (up to 4 days) before rolling out and baking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 129IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.57 from 130 votes (122 ratings without comment)

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84 Comments

  1. Anna Done says:

    5 stars
    These are my absolute favorite cookies to make. I make them every year and put a simple thin buttercream frosting on top. It’s perfection! I’ve had several people who typically dislike sugar cookies tell me they love these sugar cookies and never want a different kind! I usually make the dough the day before, let them sit in seran wrap overnight and then bake the following day. I follow the instructions as written but I’ve noticed that the texture of the cookie very much so depends on the thickness of the raw dough and time it bakes. So I try to just make sure my cookies are all the same thickness and then pay attention to how it looks around the 8min mark vs just setting a timer.