This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These sourdough gingerbread cookies are classic sourdough cookies for the Christmas season. Made with discard, molasses, brown sugar, and ginger, these sweet cookies are perfect for the holidays or any time you want a deliciously spiced cookie!
Years ago, I shared my favorite Spelt Gingerbread Cookie Recipe that I made all throughout the year. My kids loved decorating the gingerbread men with raisins, and I felt like they were healthy enough for everyday snacks.
That’s still one of my favorite cookie recipes. But if you’re looking for a sourdough gingerbread cookie that’s delicious and beautiful, give this recipe a try!
For more sourdough cookie recipes, be sure to also try these Sourdough Thumbprint Cookies, Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies, and Sourdough Double Chocolate Cookies.
Why You’ll Love Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies
- Warm, nostalgic flavor with a twist – Classic gingerbread spices meet a subtle tang from sourdough discard for deeper, more complex flavor.
- Perfect for cut-outs & decorating – The dough is easy to roll, holds its shape, and bakes into soft, sturdy cookies ideal for icing.
- Great way to use extra discard – A delicious way to use sourdough discard during the holiday season—this recipe makes festive, cozy, spiced cookies.
Ingredients
Find the full list of ingredients, amounts, and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here are some key ingredients you’ll need:
- Butter: Creates a rich, tender cookie base.
- Molasses: You’ll want to use unsulphured light or dark molasses and not blackstrap molasses, which has a more intense, bitter flavor.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds sweetness to these cookies.
- Sourdough Discard: Brings a light tang and extra depth of flavor. You can use active sourdough starter in place of sourdough starter discard. Active starter will have a less strong flavor than discard.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer With Paddle Attachment or electric hand mixer
- Parchment Paper
- Rolling Pin
- Baking Sheets
- Cookie Cutters: Use gingerbread people, stars, Christmas trees, or your favorite shapes!
- Piping Bags
How to Make Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies
Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to make these sourdough gingerbread cookies.
Recipe Tip
This recipe calls for cubed and chilled butter that is creamed with a stand mixer. If you don’t have a stand mixer, allow the butter to come to room temperature before using a hand mixer to cream it.
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter until light and fluffy. (about 5 minutes) Scrape down the bowl as needed. *If you don’t have a stand mixer, allow the butter to come to room temperature before creaming with a hand mixer.
2. Add the light brown sugar and mix until just combined with the butter.
3. Add the molasses, eggs, and sourdough discard and mix until fully combined and there are no lumps (Photo 1).
4. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, all spice, ginger, salt, and cornstarch.
5. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a 1/2 cup at a time. Allow the dry ingredients to almost fully mix between each 1/2 cup.
6. When all of the dry ingredients have been fully mixed the dough is done. Do not over mix. The dough is on the stickier side (Photo 2).
7. Divide the dough in half and roll out each half 1/4 “ thick using two sheets of parchment paper. One for under the dough and one for on top so that the rolling pin does not stick to the dough (Photo 3).
8. Place the rolled out dough in the refrigerator (covered with plastic wrap) for at least two hours or overnight.
9. When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
10. Remove one of the chilled dough sheets from the refrigerator and using cookie cutters, cut out your desired gingerbread shapes (Photo 4). Place the cookies on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart (Photo 5).
11. Between batches, put the cookie dough back in the refrigerator to keep cold. You can also cut out all of your desired shapes and then put the cut out raw cookies back in the refrigerator until they are needed.
12. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges look set and the tops are no longer shiny (Photo 6). My cookies were perfectly done in 12 minutes.
13. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack (Photo 7).
14. To make the royal icing, use a medium sized bowl and add the warm water and meringue powder and whisk together. Add the powdered sugar a 1/2 cup at a time, mixing so that there are no lumps (Photo 8).
15. To decorate the cookies, put icing into a piping bag and cut a small hole in the end. Decorate using royal icing and sprinkles if desired.
Recipe Tip
You do not want the icing to be too thin or it will be hard to decorate the cookies. If it is too thin, add powdered sugar 1/2 tablespoon at a time. If it is too thick, add more warm water 1/4 teaspoon at a time.
Once the cookies have cooled and the icing has hardened, these can be stacked and put in cookie boxes or on cookie trays.
These would be so good with Homemade London Fog Tea Lattes or a Homemade Vanilla Latte, or Homemade Hot Cocoa.
You could also package these with a jar of Homemade Chai Spice Mix tied with a ribbon! Include a card with how to use the mix to make a hot chai latte, and you have the perfect gift!
How to Store
To store leftover cookies at room temperature, place completely cooled cookies between pieces of parchment paper in a glass airtight container for up to 7 days.
To freeze, place undecorated cookies in a freezer safe, airtight container or bag for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw at room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Either discard or active starter will work in these sourdough gingerbread cookies.
Using cold butter can help control spread and improve texture—especially in cookies. In this sourdough gingerbread cookie recipe, creaming cold butter helps maintain a sturdy dough that holds its shape for cut-outs, while still incorporating air for a tender bite. See next question for what to do if you don’t have a stand mixer.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, allow the butter to come to room temperature and then use a hand mixer to cream butter in step 1 of the recipe.
Yes! This is a very important step in making these cookies if you want your cookies to hold their shape and not spread. Although tempting, do not skip this step.
More Sourdough Discard Recipes
- Sourdough Thumbprint Cookies
- Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies
- Sourdough Coffee Cake
- Sourdough Brownies
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment with a 5-star recipe rating and let me know! Thank you so much!
Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies
Equipment
- Stand Mixer optional
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cookie Dough
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed (313 grams)
- 1/3 cup molasses, (114 grams)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard, (125 grams)
- 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled (600 grams)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons all spice
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Royal Icing
- 2 1/2 tablespoons warm water
- 1 tablespoon meringue powder
- 2 cups powdered sugar, (230 grams)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Scrape down the bowl as needed. *If you don't have a stand mixer, allow the butter to come to room temperature before creaming with a hand mixer.
- Add the light brown sugar and mix until just combined with the butter.
- Add the molasses, eggs, and sourdough discard and mix until fully combined and there are no lumps.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, all spice, ginger, salt, and cornstarch.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a 1/2 cup at a time. Allow the dry ingredients to almost fully mix between each 1/2 cup.
- When all of the dry ingredients have been fully mixed the dough is done. Do not over mix. This dough is on the stickier side.
- Divide the dough in half and roll out each half 1/4 “ thick using two sheets of parchment paper. One for under the dough and one for on top so that the rolling pin does not stick to the dough.
- Place the rolled out dough in the refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight.
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove one of the chilled dough sheets from the refrigerator and using cookie cutters, cut out your desired gingerbread shapes. Place the cookies on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Between batches, put the cookie dough back in the refrigerator to keep cold. You can also cut out all of your desired shapes and then put the cut out raw cookies back in the refrigerator until they are needed.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges look set and the tops are no longer shiny. My cookies were perfectly done in 12 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack.
- For each new batch of cookies that you bake, use a cold or room temperature baking sheet. Do not use a warm or hot one that has just come out of the oven.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before decorating with icing.
- To make the icing, use a medium sized bowl and add the warm water and meringue powder and whisk together. Add the powdered sugar a 1/2 cup at a time, mixing so that there are no lumps. You do not want your icing to be too thin or it will be hard to decorate the cookies. If it is too thin, add powdered sugar 1/2 tablespoon at a time. If it is too thick, add more warm water 1/4 teaspoon at a time.
- To decorate the cookies, put icing into a piping bag and cut a small hole in the end. Decorate using royal icing and sprinkles if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is such a fun recipe! Perfect for using up my discard!!
Thank you so much for the positive review, Cristy! These are so perfect for the holidays!