The combination of flavor and texture in these brown butter sourdough discard cookies is almost indescribably good.
You won't believe how perfectly soft and chewy the sourdough discard keeps these cookies, and tons of delicious browned butter gives them warmth, depth, and out-of-this-world flavor.
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These cookies were inspired by Two Pink Peonies' delicious and simple sourdough discard oatmeal cookies. I wanted a similar cookie, but with browned butter and spiced.
You'll especially love that these cookies only require one small skillet, one mixing bowl, and baking sheets. No hand or stand mixer required!
I loaded these babies up with butterscotch chips and raisins, but chocolate chips and other dried fruits like cranberries would be equally as scrumptious.
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Ingredients
Sourdough starter discard gives these cookies just enough sour to balance out all the warmth of the browned butter, and it keeps them extra, extra soft and chewy.
Rolled oats add flavor, body, and texture.
I love these brown butter sourdough cookies with delicious butterscotch chips and raisins, but feel free to swap them out for your favorite cookie mix-ins (white chocolate cranberry is always a winning combo in my book).
- butter
- flour
- salt
- baking soda
- baking powder
- cinnamon
- allspice
- nutmeg
- rolled oats
- light brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- egg
- vanilla extract
- sourdough discard
- butterscotch chips
- raisins
Instructions
Browning the butter is super simple and only takes a few extra minutes, the added boost of flavor is worth every second.
Just like my pistachio almond and lemon poppyseed cookies, this dough does need to be chilled.
One hour is great, but I typically make the dough the night before I plan to bake the cookies and let it chill in the fridge overnight. Without chilling, the dough will spread and you'll end up with a giant cookie mess.
- Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat, until it begins bubbling. Continue cooking over medium heat for a few minutes.
- Gently swirl the pan or using a silicone spatula to occasionally stir, until the butter smells nutty and fragrant and the bubbling has stopped. Set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg (if using).
- Stir in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oats.
- Pour in the slightly cooled browned butter.
- Gently stir in the browned butter to allow it to cool throughout the flour mixture.
- Gently stir in the egg, vanilla, and sourdough starter, until the dough is just beginning to come together.
- Fold in your mix-ins of choice. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least one hour, up to 24.
- Once the dough has chilled, Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to divide the dough into 12 equal portions, using your hands to form each cookie into a circular ball. Space the cookies a couple inches apart and press the dough down slightly with the palm of your hand, until the cookie dough is about ¾" thick.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven or 8-11 minutes, until the edges are beginning to turn golden brown. The tops of the cookies may appear slightly undercooked. Allow them to cool and finish cooking on the baking sheet for 7-10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Tip: The batter may want to squish apart a little bit when you press it; just use your fingers to reshape the cookie dough into circles.
Substitutions
- Butterscotch - Instead of butterscotch chips, try chocolate or white chocolate chips!
- Raisins - Swap out for sultanas or dried cranberries, or leave them out altogether! The choice is yours.
Storage
Store - These brown butter sourdough discard cookies store great in an airtight container for up to five days at room temp.
Freeze - You can make this dough ahead of time and freeze it for up to three months! Just make sure to wrap it tightly, label and date it.
Related
Looking for more sweets? Try these:
Recipe
Brown Butter Sourdough Discard Cookies
Print RecipeIngredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (113 g)
- 1 + ½ cup all-purpose flour (120 g)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon see notes
- ¼ teaspoon allspice optional
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg optional
- ¾ cup rolled oats not instant or quick (149 g)
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed (100 g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sourdough starter discard stirred down
- ¾ cup butterscotch chips
- ¾ cup raisins
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the butter for a few minutes, gently swirling the pan or using a silicone spatula to occasionally stir, until the butter smells nutty and fragrant and the bubbling has stopped. Set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg (if using). Stir in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oats.
- Gently stir in the slightly cooled browned butter to allow it to finish cooling throughout the flour mixture. Add the egg, vanilla, and sourdough starter, and stir gently until the dough is just beginning to come together. Gently fold in any desired mix-ins. Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, up to 24.
- Once the dough has chilled, Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. Use a medium-size cooke scoop to dive the dough into 12 equal portions, using your hands to form each cookie into a circular ball of dough. Press the dough down slightly with the palm of your hand, until the cookie dough is about ¾" thick.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven or 8-11 minutes, until the edges are beginning to turn golden brown. The tops of the cookies may appear slightly undercooked. Allow them to cool and finish setting up on the baking sheet for 7-10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Notes
kitchenverve.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes on our site. This information is provided as a courtesy from online calculators and should be used only as an estimate. Although we attempt to provide the most accurate nutritional information possible, these figures will vary based on your chosen ingredients and cooking methods.
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