Peanut Butter Cookies Sourdough Recipe
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These Peanut Butter Cookies using Sourdough discard are a delicious twist on one of America’s favorite cookies. It is easy to make and provides a great way to use up sourdough discard which gives a delicious depth of flavor that livens up the soft cookies, and balances out the sweet peanut butter.
These scratch made peanut butter cookies use high quality ingredients that yield fluffy, perfectly baked cookies every time. This recipe is one of our favorites and it’s become a staple treat in our home. We know you will love it too!
Sourdough discard dessert recipes are very popular as sourdough adds an intensity of flavor and a touch of tanginess that benefits sweet recipes.
Why put Sourdough Discard in cookies?
Using sourdough starter discard to bake may seem like an unnecessary addition, but it’s actually a very beneficial way to use up your extra sourdough discard. Sourdough discard will help bring more rise and life to your baked goods because of the presence of live yeast that it contain. Many recipes, like pancake, will be fluffier and fuller.
A sourdough discard also brings a scrumptious depth of flavor and slight tanginess that balances out sweet baked goods.
Should the starter be fed or unfed for discard cookies?
When baking with sourdough discard, the recipe you are using will determine if you need the starter to be fed or unfed. Some recipes require a more active discard that isn’t lively enough to bake bread with, but freshly fed and lively enough to give the recipe some structure.
These Peanut Butter Cookies have the advantage of using starter fed or unfed, so you can choose when you want to use the starter discard. The final result may lead to a stronger flavor or a more mild flavor depending where your discard is.
Are Sourdough Cookies better for you?
Sourdough can be digested easier than plain white wheat flour. Sourdough is nutrient rich and can ease digestion and absorption of certain nutrients. The Lactic Acid that is present in sourdough helps aid in the breakdown of bacteria. Here is a great article on health pros and cons of sourdough.
So while sourdough itself is easier to digest, lower in gluten and contains important probiotics; cookies themselves can hardly be considered healthy. Using a sourdough discard can help lower the amount of white flour needed in a recipe, though it won’t usually replace all of it.
Is Levain the same as Sourdough?
Levain is a subset of sourdough. Levain is a French term meaning leaven or yeast. It refers to the active culture of yeasts used in baking, such as bread dough, sourdough starter, and beers. Yeast cultures are made up of live organisms that start fermenting dough, causing it to rise. A leavened loaf of bread contains yeast cells; they help make bread rise.
What can I do with Discarded Sourdough Starter?
Sourdough discard is the leftover starter that remains after feeding the starter. Discard is inevitable when it comes to sourdough baking. Here are a few of our favorite options to use up sourdough discard rather than discarding it. If you want our complete inventory of delicious sourdough recipes, visit our sourdough section here.
- Sourdough Waffles
- Sourdough Pancakes
- Sourdough Banana Bread
- Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Sourdough Molasses Cookies
- Sourdough Pretzels
- Sourdough Bagels
- Sourdough English Muffins
- Sourdough Pie Crust
- Sourdough Muffins
Can you Freeze Sourdough Cookie dough?
Sourdough cookie dough can be frozen. Sourdough freezes really well and can be baked from from a frozen state. Freezing sourdough cookie dough can be accomplished in a few simple steps.
- Portion out dough
- Roll dough into cookie sized balls
- Place dough on parchment paper on a cookie sheet
- Place in freezer and flash freeze for 1-2 hours until frozen solid
- Remove dough balls from the freezer
- Place dough balls in airtight freezer container or bag
- Ensure all air is out of the container
- Label date on container
- Place in freezer and freeze up to 3 months.
- Bake according to baking instructions straight from the freezer
Looking for more sourdough recipe inspiration? Check out all of our Sourdough Breads and Sourdough Discard Recipes here.
Sourdough White Chocolate Cookies are decadent and sure to be a favorite. Our Soft Sourdough Molasses cookies are a flavorful sourdough discard cookie recipe that bring traditional molasses cookies into a new generation. Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Sourdough Discard have a heartier, satisfying texture with that same delicious, deep flavor.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies With Sourdough Recipe
You can use sourdough starter in almost any stage, but keep in mind if your starter is very weak it may affect the flavor of these cookies. They will still be scrumptious, just maybe not as vibrant and strong.
NOTES:
- Fully active starter will puff the cookies up more. If your using starter that’s been unfed in your fridge several weeks don’t expect much puffing up. But you will certainly have a strong tangy flavor in your cookies. So if you want more flavor use an older unfed starter.
- If you want to incorporate chocolate chips, they pair well with a tangy starter.
- Creamy peanut butter will give you a smooth, pleasant texture. You can use chunky peanut butter if you prefer, but be sure it’s a peanut butter with some added sweetener. An all natural peanut butter will likely yield bland cookies that will need extra sugar.
- Use granulated sugar for the dipping of the dough balls and criss cross pattern to give them that iconic peanut butter cookie look.
Tips for evenly baked cookies:
Cookie dough bakes best when it is evenly sized and placed evenly apart on your baking sheet. I recommend these steps to control the size and separation of your cookies.
- Line the baking sheets with parchment paper, or use silicone matts. We really like the ones with the cookie spacing marked on them. Cookies bake evenly and they are snap to use.
- Use the correct sized cookie scoop. Please use a cookie dough scoop to ensure uniform amounts of dough for every cookie every time.
What can I add to my Peanut Butter Cookies?
Add your favorite baking chips to give these cookies even more. We love white chocolate chips, traditional chocolate chips, even butterscotch chips. Peanut butter cookies can definitely hold their own, but they are also a great cookie to build on.
Please let us know how you make this recipe. Comment in the comment section and rate this recipe. How did it go for you? What did you do with it?
Yield: This cookie recipe makes about 50 cookies unless you add baking chips. If you do, add another dozen cookies to the count. If you don’t need that many you can divide the recipe in half.
Stored in an airtight jar these cookies will stay fresh several days to up to a week.
Can I freeze Peanut Butter Cookies?
Cookies usually freeze and store very well when properly packaged. They make great treats that can be enjoyed shortly after bringing them out of the freezer and allowing them to thaw for a short while. Here’s how to freeze your Peanut Butter Cookies
- Allow you cookies to fully cool and gently place them into a heavy duty freezer ziplock bag.
- Remove all of the air from the bag.
- Label the bag with the recipe name and date.
- Freeze for up to two months.
Your Printable Recipe:
Peanut Butter cookies With Sourdough Starter
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are a delicious twist on an old American Favorite cookie. Including sourdough starter adds a deeper flavor with a bit of tang. Bursts of sweet chocolate in these flavorful peanut butter cookies make a good cookie great.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sourdough starter -240 grams
- 1 cup peanut butter - 255 grams
- 1/2 cup organic coconut oil (or butter)-softened - 112 grams
- 1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)- 175 grams
- 2 eggs - 103 grams
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract - 4 grams
- 2 cups flour 256 grams
- 1 tsp. baking powder - 5 grams
- 1 tsp. baking soda- 6 grams
- 1/2 tsp. salt -3 grams
OPTIONAL:
- 1 cup (165 grams)to 2 cups (315 grams) flavored baking chips (optional-choose any kind you like)
Instructions
Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl: Mix together the brown sugar, peanut butter, vanilla and softened coconut oil.
Add in the sourdough starter, and eggs. Mix Gently until combined.
In a smaller mixing bowl Sift together the dry ingredients (except the chips).
Add the dry ingredients into the wet in thirds, mixing after each addition.
Finally add the baking chips (if using) and mix by hand until dispersed into the dough.
Roll the dough into one inch balls.
OPTIONAL: For more sweet roll the cookie balls in sugar now.
Place each ball 2 to three inches apart on your lined baking sheet. They will expand and need room on the sheet.
Using a fork dipped in sugar gently press the fork into the dough balls and criss cross the dough balls as shown.
Bake 9 to 10 minutes until the cookies are LIGHTLY browned. Notice the increase in cookie size when baked. 
Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes.
Remove to cooling racks. Serve.
Notes
The stage of your starter Matters:
- A fully fed and active starter with a mild fruity smell will offer a less intensely flavored cookie that puff more.
- An unfed or tangy starter will enhance the flavor of these cookies but the cookies will not be as cake like.
The AMOUNT of your starter matters too.
I've made this recipe with only half the starter amount called for and the cookies turned out great. They DO have less puff and a bit more peanut butter flavor if that is what your after.
I have yet to make these (and I make them all the time) and turn out what WE think is a bad cookie.
That's why you see so many notes. Sourdough personalizes this and other recipes. Your starter is different than mine. Do what works for you.
For flatter cookies:
Eliminate the baking powder and baking soda. The starter will still give some leavening.
For puffy cookies that are sweeter:
- Use a freshly fed or recently fed starter
- Add 1/4 to 1/2 Cup granulated sugar to taste
- Use a sweetened peanut butter
The chocolate chips are optional.
They may be omitted or replaced with other baking chips you may prefer. Some good choices are white chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.
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Nutrition Information
Yield
50Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 106Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 7mgSodium 99mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 1gSugar 4gProtein 2g
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Completely missed in the recipe header that this recipe makes 50 cookies! I made my cookies 60g each so I got 20 cookies from the recipe. Had to bake them for way longer than 10min! Would’ve been handy if the amount of cookies this recipe makes was also written in the method when rolling them out.
Other than that they were delish!
Hi Daria, Wow! lol. I bet those cookies were super sized. 🙂 We are happy to hear you enjoyed them. I’ll take a look at the recipe and see how it can be made more clear for the future. Thanks so much for the feedback. Happy Baking!
…Made in food processor. It was quicker. Used salted butter, unfed discard and added 60g of pure dark cocao powder Not add baking powder and baking soda or salt. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight for better flavour. Slice and roll into balls. Baked at 200°C for 11 min. Turned out absolutely delicious. This is a keeper. Thank you so much for your recipe
Your welcome! So happy you enjoyed it. 🙂
Made these cookies 3x’s now Excellent results every time. Thank you !
Hi Paula I’m delighted to hear that. Thanks so much for stopping by with your great review. We appreciate the feedback.Happy Baking!
I just finished baking the first batch. They are not completely cool. I had to stop and write this. I made your recipe as written with 1 exception. We are a Skippy super chunk crown here. So I didnt use creamy. I can see chopping extra nuts. So wonderful, so, so wonderful! I might decrease the sugar to 1 and 1/4 and then try 1 cup. They are sweet, but no complaints. Heck, they about didnt make it out of the bowl. The cookie dough was just as yummy. Thank you!
Hi Kristy, Thanks for the feedback. I’m delighted you made it your own and your family enjoys these. Happy Baking!
This recipe is awesome! I put cookies in the oven, realized they were missing flour, baking powder, and baking soda. I pulled them out and mixed those ingredients in and they still turned out delicious!! #mombrain proof!!
Lol, Glad the recipe worked so well for you. Thanks for your great story! 🙂
I made these cookies using unfed starter but had to top up with flour and water as I had about 150 grams of starter. I added a bit of rolled oats, about 60 grams and 200 grams of flour. I used 3/4 parts sugar and 1/4 part stevia. I also added baking powder and soda. They did rise. I baked them for 11 minutes. They are more of a cake cookie than a crisp cooke. BUT they are really good. They don’t have a very strong peanut butter flavour as compared to some other cookies and next time I might add some powdered peanut butter. I didn’t add any chocolate chips as I know the dog will want to sample these cookies with me. I will definitely make these cookies again.
Thanks Louise for the great review and sharing what you did. have a wonderful day!
I tried this recipe last night. It was wonderful! Being new to baking with sourdough starter, I was a bit unsure. I’m so glad I went for it. About halfway through, I added chocolate chips to the batter. My husband is already planning for our Christmas baking.
Hi Tonya, Thanks so much for the great feedback and review. We are so happy you love this sourdough peanut butter cookie recipe. Yes they would make excellent Christmas cookies! Have a wonderful day.
I don’t normally like peanutbutter cookies.. too dry and crumbly. But when I saw this recipe I just had to try it.. and it was delish! Sourdough and peanutbutter just go really well together, and I like that this recipe uses oil instead of butter.
I made a few changes to make it more gooey:
I did 2/3 cup of oil instead of 1/2 cup. (Next time I may do 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp)
I did 2 1/3 cup of flour.
I omitted the baking powder.
Baked for 11 mins.
When warm, they are so soft and gooey they will almost break; when cooled down they are perfectly gooey. Absolutely amazing flavor.
The flavor of these cookies is incredible! Is there any way to make them more chewy! We’re not a huge fan of cakey cookies.
Hi Sydney, To make them less cakey you can omit the baking powder or use a starved starter. (this means a starter not fed at LEAST a week. If it separates just stir the starter and use it. This will also increase the tangy flavor). Also I undebake mine since I also love the flatter chewier cookies. Hope this helps. Thanks for the feedback and question.
These cookies look so yummy! I was wondering how they would hold up doing a 72 hour cold ferment, so all the flour is able to be fermented by the wild yeast. I have not been able to find many recipes that do a do a long ferment with active starter.
Thanks,
Sara
Hi Sara T, I’ve never long cold raised this dough. Sourdough discard recipes don’t usually do that. HOWEVER. I think you can. But reduce the sourdough starter by half. (at least a third) It will more than likely ferment into mini breads if you don’t. 🙂 And use UNFED starter so they don’t get too puffy. Please let me know how it goes.
@Diane,
Hi, Diane. I used bubbly fed starter, 1 cup, and omitted the baking powder and soda. I didn’t add the suggested extra sugar but i did add about a half cup of powdered PB (PBFit). In my experience fermented cookies are puffy and cakey so I pressed them thinner than I would normally.
The way I made this recipe the cookies tasted more like a lightly sweetened PB biscuit to eat with coffee or tea. The PB flavor wasn’t strong.
Because the starter was soo bubbly and I used the full amount. I fermented the dough for 48 hours instead of 72 hours. out of the fridge i cooked them for 17 min.
Thanks!
I’m going to keep experimenting with it.
Thanks for the feedback on this recipe Sarah. Next time try adding half the starter. Or using a starved starter with a tangier flavor. You might also try our Sourdough Peanut butter Oatmeal cookies. They are a really good take on this recipe too. Happy Baking!
I just made these using half the quantum of the recipe and I also replaced half of the flour with medium oatmeal. The cookies turned out great. Chewy and very moorish! Thank you for the recipe!
Your Welcome Franziska, Thanks so much for letting us know how you made it work for you. I just posted my versions of sourdough peanut butter oatmeal cookies. You might enjoy those too. Happy Baking!
That sounds like a great idea- I’m going to try that variation today!
Excellent. Please let us know how it goes for you. 🙂
This looks great! Thank you! Might you have a good sourdough oatmeal peanut butter choc chip cookie recipe?
Well now that you mention it. Not yet. But I’ll get starter on it today. In the meantime try adding 1/2 cup oatmeal and if it’s too dry throw in an extra egg? I’ll try this today and let you know how it goes. Thanks for the great idea. 🙂
HI Diane! I don’t yet feel confident enough with sourdough to experiment. But I am DEFINITELY looking forward to your results!!! I usually make oatmeal peanut butter choc chip cookies with self-rising flour, but now that I am starting on my sourdough journey, I want to find a way to use the sourdough discard and effectively use all the raw material I have, since I am fortunate enough to have it. Thanks so much for having fun with it too!!!! 🙂 (P.S. I love oatmeal – so I usually use a ratio of 2 cups oatmeal to 1 cup flour; I have at times blended the oatmeal to make oat flour but that changes the texture. Another idea (if one is low on eggs): I sometimes use boiling water (after the shortening has been incorporated and before adding eggs) to moisten the mix but then maybe the sourdough starter gives it enough moisture???) Of course, you must do it your way. I am really looking forward to it. Thanks again!!!!!
Oh, it just hit me: can’t use boiling water – it’ll kill the yeast. So maybe warm water?
Hi Dianne! I’ll post them here in case there are other adventurous bakers who can benefit from my comments (I learned about the hot water and oatmeal from a comment too!); I’ll try sending you a PM of my final pics on FB if I can figure that out.
INGREDIENTS
• 4 Cups Old-Fashioned Oatmeal
• 2/3 Cup Boiling Water
• 2 Cups self-rising Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 Cup golden sugar (scant)
• 1 Cup Canola Oil
• 2 heaping spoonfuls of creamy peanut butter – about 1/2 cup
• 2 eggs
• 6 TBS unfed sourdough starter
• 1/2 cup mini-choc chips
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Add water to oats and stir. Let stand 15 minutes so the oats absorb water and the mixture cools down.
2. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda and sugar.
3. In another mixing bowl (I use my 4 cup measuring cup), mix the oil and peanut butter with a whisk.
4. Add eggs and starter. Mix well.
5. Add the softened oats to the flour mixture and mix until blended (can use hands).
6. Add the wet to the dry.
7. Add the chocolate chips if using
8. Shape into balls
9. Preheat an oven to 375 F.
10. Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown. (My oven seems to run cool so they take longer)
11. Oh, and I also divided up the dough because my Mom doesn’t like choc chips as much.
Thanks so much Eva, We are also on instagram if you want to tag us in a pic.
Oh Eva I am so glad you checked back. I have been working on a recipe all morning for you. And I have it done! I put the recipe up on our instagram stories which also play on our FB page. Go check them out. I posted the entire recipe in a brief form. Let me know if you enjoy them I can build them a post of their own if you find them worthy. I think they are VERY good. let us know! And thanks for the great recipe ideas.
Hi Diane! They look AWESOME. I can’t wait to bake them. Didn’t see the recipe on either website (but maybe that’s because I am not sure how to use instagram stories) – I hope you make a blog post about them so that i can see the whole thing. Thank you so much! I love this kind of comfort food and as you said, we need it! 🙂
I know you’ve seen the story by now. I just want to say there are a LOT of online calculators that convert grams to cups for you. So please give that a try. I’ll see about getting this recipe posted in the near future.
Hi Diane! I made these cookies today and they are ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. I made a version that is closer to the type my family likes (i.e. more oatmeal, some water so it’s less dry, less sugar and I used about half the amount of sourdough starter you used.) I am very pleased. Thanks so very much for giving me the confidence to use up my extra starter this way! If you like, I can post my recipe or send you a FB PM if you want to see it. I love your blog and would only feel comfy posting the recipe if invited. Have a great weekend!
Hi Eva, I’m so happy you made this recipe your own. I’m actually going to post the oatmeal version of these cookies pretty soon. How fun that you made your own version. Thanks for asking before you posted your version on our comments. I actually would love to see what you came up with. It sounds pretty close to what I did.
So go ahead and put yours up here in the comments or you can email me if you prefer. I may merge the recipes to create my sourdough oatmeal peanut butter cookie post. After all it was at your request I created them.
I will certainly mention you in that cookie post. Have a great day. I’m so happy you enjoy our blog. A large part of our success is we have a great audience. Bakers Just like you. Thanks again for your input. 🙂
We use less sugar because my Mom was diagnosed borderline diabetic at one point – so we learned to cut back on sugar and our taste buds have obviously adjusted. 🙂
That’s what it’s all about. All the best to you and your mom. Stay healthy!
Was this recipe designed by volume or weight? I’m about to make these, and I need to know which measurements to use- 2 cups flour isn’t 330g…
Hi N, This recipe was originally in volume measurements. The last time I made it (about a week ago) I converted it to weight measurements as I baked from the volumes. It turned out great! So all I can say is I may have made a mistake in the written conversion. So I’ll make them again tonight using my own weights to test it again. In the meantime why don’t you try it with the volumes.
I’ve updated the recipe for you. The weights are now correct. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Happy Baking!
awesome!! i halved the recipe & subbed 3 tbsp. aquafaba for the egg to make it vegan, and it turned out wonderfully!! i think next time ill up the salt a bit, & maybe just use some more sugar on the fork when pressing the cookies (theyre sweet enough, but could use a little boost!) love that i can use my discard in NON savory/bready applications. thanks for a great recipe, im sure ill be making these again!
That’s wonderful to hear Grace. Enjoy!