Tangy and sweet sourdough snickerdoodles with a coating of cozy spices.
Snickerdoodles—with their soft, chewy texture and charming cinnamon-sugar coating—are a surefire crowdpleaser. My favorite thing about these unique cookies, however, is the subtle tang that offsets their sweetness.
In a traditional snickerdoodle that bit of tartness comes from cream of tartar (a powdered form of acid) but for these sourdough snickerdoodles the acidity is instead provided by pungent, overripe sourdough discard. This also gives them an all-around deeper and more complex flavor profile.
To make things even more interesting, I like to add some ginger and nutmeg to the cinnamon coating—but that’s entirely optional. In any case, don’t be afraid to make a double batch if you’ve got a big group…these will go fast.
Freezing Sourdough Snickerdoodle Dough
If you would like to make the dough ahead of time and then bake it later, here are some tips:
- Once the dough is made, chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before shaping.
- Shape dough and roll in cinnamon-sugar, then place the dough balls side-by-side (but not touching) on a sheet pan or baking dish.
- Freeze dough balls on the sheet pan or baking dish until solid, at least an hour.
- Once frozen, transfer dough balls to a ziplock bag or freezer-safe container (it’s fine if they are touching at this point).
- Frozen cookie dough will last for up to 3 months.
- When ready to bake, there is no need to thaw the dough. Just bake as instructed, directly from the freezer, but keep in mind they will take a few extra minutes to bake.
- Bake the whole batch or just one if you need a cookie fix–that’s the beauty of having frozen dough on hand.
More Like This:
Looking for more delicious cookies to fill up you cookie jar, platter, or holiday box? Check out my full cookie collection which includes gems like my Sourdough Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies, Sourdough Coconut Macaroons, and even some dog cookies.
Sourdough Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
- 320 grams (2¼ cups) all purpose flour
- 6 grams (1 tsp) baking soda
- 6 grams (1 tsp) fine salt
- 226 grams (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 296 grams (3 cups) granulated sugar plus 50 grams (¼ cup) for coating
- 1 large egg
- 5 grams (1 tsp) vanilla extract
- 120 grams (1/2 cup) sourdough starter 100% hydration, discard/unfed
- 9 grams (1 tbsp) ground cinnamon
- 2 gram (1 tsp) ground ginger optional
- 1 gram (¼ tsp) ground nutmeg optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Add butter and 296 gm (3 cups) sugar to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes.
- On medium-low speed, add egg, then vanilla, then sourdough starter, mixing until incorporated after each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Gradually add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Scrape down sides of bowl again and mix briefly until uniformly combined.
- Cover and chill dough for at least an hour, or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
- In a small bowl whisk together 50 grams (¼ cup) sugar with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough and form into balls. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture and place on lined baking sheets about 2-3 inches apart (I generally fit 12 on a standard sized 13×18-inch half sheet pan).
- Bake 10-12 minutes until cookies appear completely set (but avoid browning). Leave on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
