During my hiatus, my sourdough starter stayed mostly in the fridge. Although I took it out weekly to feed it, I didn’t have as much time to experiment with sourdough recipes as I would have liked. Now that I’m finding my groove, my starter has resumed its normal position on my countertop.

As my starter became more active with the higher temperatures, I had a lot more discard I needed to decide what to do with. This week, I tossed my sourdough discard into some cookies, and I absolutely loved the result.

Sourdough oatmeal cookies have a fun mix of warm and tangy flavors. The sourdough also makes the cookies softer, more cakelike, while the oatmeal gives the cookies a pleasant chew.

Mix and Match Flavors

These sourdough oatmeal cookies serve as a great base for a variety of flavor combinations. Just because I opted for milk chocolate this time around doesn’t mean I have to stick to the same flavor for my next batch. My husband personally enjoys these cookies with butterscotch chips, while my daughter loves white chocolate.

Don’t have any chocolate chips on hand? The cookie is plenty sweet and the cinnamon gives enough warmth on its own to make for a delightful dessert. If you still feel like you need a little something else, try dried cranberries or raisins.

I provide a basic vanilla-based glaze at the bottom of the recipe, but you don’t have to limit yourself to vanilla. Toss in some cocoa powder and make a chocolate glaze instead. Or a little syrup in the glaze could lend a fun maple flavor for a fall-themed cookie. How you mix and match your flavors is entirely up to you!

Sourdough Discard Oatmeal Cookies

Need to use up some sourdough starter? These oatmeal cookies are soft and tangy. Warm and cozy. Feel free to swap out the chips for a different flavor or dip them in glaze.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 48 Cookies

Calories 98 kcal

Ingredients

113 Grams Sourdough Starter, Fed, Unfed, or Discard (1/2 Cup)
240 Grams Butter, Room Temperature (1 Cup)
200 Grams Brown Sugar (1 Cup)
100 Grams White Granulated Sugar (1/2 Cup)
2 Large Eggs, Room Temperature
4.2 Grams Vanilla Extract (1 Teaspoon)
170 Grams Quick Oats (2 Cups)
240 Grams All-Purpose Flour (2 Cups)
6 Grams Baking Soda (1 Teaspoon)
6 Grams Salt (1 Teaspoon)
4 Grams Ground Cinnamon (1 1/2 Teaspoon)
1 Grams Ground Nutmeg (1/2 Teaspoon)
170 Grams Butterscotch, Milk, or White Chocolate Chips (1 Cup)

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, cream together brown sugar, white sugar, and butter until light and fluffy.
Mix in eggs one at a time.
Add the sourdough starter and the vanilla extract and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
In a smaller mixing bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Stir until just combine.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Cover and chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
Use a cookie scoop and drop cookies about 3 inches apart onto parchment lined or lightly greased baking sheets. Press each cookie slightly to flatten.
Bake 11 to 12 minutes until edges are lightly browned. The centers should still look soft.
Let the cookies cool on the pans for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.

Notes

You can also make this recipe without the chocolate chips and instead make a light icing.

Here’s what you’ll need for the icing:

226 Grams Powdered Confectioner’s Sugar (2 Cups)
4.2 Grams Vanilla Extract (1 Teaspoon)
60 Grams Milk (3 to 4 Tablespoons)

Mix the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and add just enough to make a thick icing. It is not a frosting. You want it to be thin enough to drizzle off the cookie. Dip the tops of the cookies into the icing and then place on a wire rack to set.

Keyword Oatmeal Cookies, Sourdough, Sourdough Discard, Sourdough Discard Cookies

Did You Try It?

I often make these sourdough oatmeal cookies for my family whenever I need to use up some excess discard. I love their texture, flavor, and versatility.

But what did you think of this recipe? Do you prefer them with butterscotch chips? With raisins? Without any chips at all? Did you dip them in the glaze or try something new entirely? Let me know in the comment section below. And if you could, please leave a star rating of this recipe, so others can see and enjoy these cookies, too.

Check Out My Sourdough Bread Recipes

If you liked my sourdough oatmeal cookies, then you might like some of my other sourdough bread recipes as well. Check out breadbythehour.com for a variety of breads, both artisan-style and sandwich loaves. I provide step-by-step instructions with photos on my blog so beginning bakers can follow along.