These cookies are a delightful treat for anyone who loves the rich, nutty flavor of peanut butter. With a soft and chewy texture, they're sure to satisfy your sweet tooth while offering the perfect balance of sweetness and tang.
I have been on a quest, my friends. A quest to conquer sourdough. It has been a lengthy process for me as I have played around with various recipes and techniques. Mastering sourdough can definitely be a challenge given its unique fermentation process, but each attempt teaches you something new.
I've finally found a peanut butter cookie recipe that incorporates my beloved sourdough starter, and let me tell you, it's a game-changer! The tanginess of the sourdough perfectly complements the richness of the peanut butter, creating a flavor profile that's both familiar and excitingly new. These peanut butter cookies, in particular, have become a staple in our household. They're chewy on the inside, soft, and lightly crispy on the outside. And the best part? They're ridiculously easy to make, even for a sourdough newbie like me.
So, if you're feeling adventurous and want to take your baking game to the next level, I highly recommend giving sourdough a try. It may take some trial and error, but trust me, the payoff is well worth it!
What is a Sourdough Discard?
A sourdough discard is the small amount of your sourdough starter that is removed before feeding it. Sourdough discard often has a sour and tangy taste to it, depending on how fresh it is.
For this Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookie recipe, you will need:
Flour
I used organic, unbleached all-purpose flour for this recipe, but you could certainly use a gluten-free option. To ensure accurate flour measurements, use a spoon to add the flour to your measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge, like the back of a butterknife.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda
Not only do they affect both browning and flavor, but baking powder and baking soda help dough to spread up and out. You can read more about using baking powder and baking soda in baking here.
Sourdough Discard
Along with its delicious flavor, sourdough discard helps cookies to have a softer and chewier texture. Sourdough has also been known to add nutrition and assist in digestion.
Creamy Peanut Butter
I highly recommend creamy natural peanut butter for this recipe. Crunchy peanut butter resulted in dry and sandy cookies.
Eggs, Salt, & Sugar
All are completely necessary to flavor and bind our dry ingredients. You’ll find that sugar is listed in the ingredients list twice. You’ll need some for the dough and just a bit more to roll the dough in before baking. I don't really purchase brown sugar anymore. I use regular granulated sugar with a couple of tablespoons of molasses. However, if you have brown sugar on hand, feel free to use that. You'll need 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar.
Butter
We love the richness real butter adds to baked goods. Using high-quality butter helps the cookies to have a moist and soft consistency.
Vanilla Extract
I use my homemade vanilla extract in this cookie recipe because I think it really brings home that vanilla flavor. A good quality store-bought version will work just fine though.
Where to find high-quality and organic baking supplies?
I’m so glad you asked! Check out my friends over at Country Life Natural Foods. Their high-quality products are purchased from farmers and their mission is to offer simple and affordable options that take the guesswork out of eating healthily. I love that they sell in bulk and smaller quantities directly to my door because this Momma is busy!
You can try out Country Life Natural Foods and save even more by using my discount code:
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Helpful Tips and Tricks
Room Temperature Ingredients - I recommend allowing your sourdough discard, butter, and peanut butter to be at room temperature before mixing.
Chill the Dough - The dough should have a thick and creamy consistency. It would be nearly impossible to roll and bake the cookies at this point. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in your refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days for a longer ferment. This is a step that can be easily overlooked but really affects the overall product. Chilling the dough before baking helps the fat in the butter to remain solid which helps the cookies from spreading and becoming thin.
Measure Correctly - Baking is an art and a science. Inaccurate measuring can lead to cookies that have a dry and crumbly texture.
If you enjoy recipes like this, check out these other sweet treat recipes:
How to Make These Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
Yield: Approximately 30 cookies
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup creamy natural peanut butter
¾ cup sourdough discard, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons dark molasses
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Directions
To start, add sourdough discard, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a medium bowl then set aside. To ensure accurate flour measurements, use a spoon to add the flour to your measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge, like the back of a butterknife.
In a large bowl using a mixer on low speed, cream together peanut butter, butter, sugar, and molasses for approximately 1-2 minutes or until the ingredients are mostly incorporated.
Once the sugar and butter have been creamed together, add sourdough discard, peanut butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix well to ensure everything is combined.
Begin adding the flour mixture in small amounts, about ½ cup at a time, and mix until well combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula. The dough should have a thick and creamy consistency.
Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in your refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days for a longer ferment. This is a step that can be easily overlooked but really does affect the overall product. Chilling the dough before baking helps the fat in the butter to remain solid which helps the cookies from spreading and becoming thin.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Using a small cookie scoop, scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough and form cookies into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball into a small amount of sugar. Dip a clean fork into a small amount of flour and with the backside of the fork, gently press down in a crisscross pattern on top of each dough ball.
Place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown and the edges appear lightly firm. Allow the cookies to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing them to a wire cooling rack.
Cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 week in an airtight container.
How to Freeze Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies
Drop cookie dough balls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the baking sheet into the freezer for at least one hour.
When the cookies are frozen, place a piece of parchment paper on top. Carefully, wrap the cookies over so that they are sandwiched between the two pieces of parchment paper. Place the rolled cookies into a gallon-sized freezer-safe storage bag. Label and seal. Cookie dough may be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and remove the cookies from the freezer. Remove the top sheet of the parchment paper. Space the cookies out on the parchment paper to ensure they will not touch during the baking process. Bake cookies for approximately 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow baked cookies to rest on cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
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