Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies (Discard)
Chewy, warmly spiced gingerbread cookies made with sourdough discard. They hold their shape perfectly for rolling and cutting
Servings 36 cookies
Calories 87kcal
Ingredients
For Gingerbread Cookies
- 100 g sourdough discard unfed
- 115 g unsalted butter softened
- 100 g brown sugar
- 60 g molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 300 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp clove powder
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
For Royal Icing
- 120 g powdered sugar (1 cup)
- 1 Tbsp meringue powder or 1 egg white
- 1-2 tbsp water
- drop of vanilla or lemon juice optional
Instructions
For Gingerbread Cookies
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in molasses, egg, vanilla, and discard until smooth.
- In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just combined.
- Wrap dough and chill at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C).
- Roll dough to ¼ inch (6 mm) thick on a floured surface.
- Cut into desired shapes and transfer to parchment-lined sheets.
- Bake 9–11 minutes, until edges are set and centers soft.
- Cool on rack completely before decorating.
For Royal Icing
- Whisk together powdered sugar and meringue powder.
- Add water gradually until thick but pipeable.
- Add flavoring if desired.
- Pipe with a small tip or plastic bag.
- Let dry 2–3 hours until completely set.
Notes
• These cookies bake up soft and chewy thanks to the sourdough discard. If you prefer a crisper texture, roll thinner and bake 1–2 minutes longer.
• Chill the dough at least 1 hour (or overnight) for best shape and flavor.
• Use dark molasses for a deeper flavor, or light for a milder, kid-friendly cookie.
• Dough can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the fridge, tightly wrapped.
• Baked cookies freeze beautifully up to 2 months — thaw at room temperature before decorating.
• Once iced, let cookies dry completely before stacking or packaging.
• Chill the dough at least 1 hour (or overnight) for best shape and flavor.
• Use dark molasses for a deeper flavor, or light for a milder, kid-friendly cookie.
• Dough can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the fridge, tightly wrapped.
• Baked cookies freeze beautifully up to 2 months — thaw at room temperature before decorating.
• Once iced, let cookies dry completely before stacking or packaging.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 87kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 68mg | Potassium: 42mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 87IU | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg
