These sourdough gingerbread cookies are fast to whip up, long ferment in the fridge, and freeze well, so you can keep a stash of dough to pull out anytime this holiday season!
Unpopular opinion: I like soft gingerbread cookies.
A good gingersnap has its time and place but I’ll forever be a soft, gooey dessert kind of girl.
Even more unpopular opinion: I like the center brownie best. I give the crunchy corners to Luke. But I digress.
I was so excited when these soft, sourdough gingerbread cookies came out of the oven holding their shape. While admittedly they didn’t have crisp, pristine lines like some regular cut-out cookies I’ve made in the past, these really held up!
This dough would be perfect for including in a Lucia Basket for friends alongside some cute cookie cutters and icing tubes.
What family wouldn’t love having a batch of healthy cookie dough already made to simply roll out, cut and bake? Even easier than the Pillsbury stuff and much tastier and more nutritious.
Why We Love This Recipe
- I love a soft cookie.
- It’s super easy to make.
- It freezes well, then you just thaw in the fridge and roll out to bake!
- We’re adding fermented grains (your sourdough starter!) in place of some of the flour and adding in a lot of probiotics and nutrition compared to a regular cookie recipe.
- It’s the perfect balance of sweet and spicy.
- All the fun of decorating with a healthier result- and though these cookies are soft, they hold their shape well!
How To Make Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies
- Cream together butter and sugar
- Add egg, starter, molasses and vanilla and beat until smooth
- Add dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt and spices and mix until not sticky
- Shape into discs, wrap and chill for at least 2 hours, up to 3 days for max fermentation- or freeze
- When ready to bake roll out on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin
- Roll about 1/8″ thick and cut out with cookie cutters
- Bake at 350 F on a parchment covered sheet pan for 6-9 minutes, being careful not to overbake
- Cool, ice and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- You might need to add some extra flour, up to 1/4 cup (50g) of flour to get it to be not sticky. After mixing for about 2 minutes, see if you can roll the dough into a ball in your hands without it sticking and making a mess. It’s ok if the dough it slightly sticky.
- You can freeze the dough for later, then just transfer to the fridge the night before, or several hours before you want to make cookies.
- I recommend rolling out the dough straight out of the fridge and not letting it get too warm.
- Use plenty of flour on the counter and rolling pin to keep cookie dough from sticking.
- Once dough is rolled out to about 1/8″ thickness, use cutters all over the surface, getting as close to the edges as possible. Then peel up the excess dough in between shapes and lift cookies onto prepared sheet. Re-roll the scraps and repeat.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before decorating.
Decorating Ideas
I love these ornament cookie cutters. There’s something about an ornament that gets the creative juices flowing. It’s open-ended enough that you can experiment with different color combos and patterns, but simple enough to not be overwhelmed with possibilities.
Who wouldn’t want a gingerbread nativity scene? This would be so cute arranged on a Christmas-y platter.
Pick up some natural, dye-free sprinkles for the cutest healthy accents.
If you need an easy royal icing recipe, try Sally’s from Sally’s Baking Addiction with just 3 ingredients!
As well as classic gingerbread men, we opted for this super fun mini-gingerbread house cookie cutter. You bake the pieces separately then assemble a tiny 3D house with royal icing. So adorable decorated with white icing and powdered sugar.
It seems as though this one is out of production and can only be found secondhand but there are lots of similar, equally as cute options:
Grab My Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies Recipe!
Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies
Soft, spicy and delicious, these gingerbread cookies are fast to whip up, long ferment in the fridge, and freeze well, so you can keep a stash of dough to pull out anytime this holiday season!
Ingredients
- 1 stick (110g) butter, softened
- 1 1/3 cup (250g) brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbs (20g) blackstrap molasses (optional)
- 1 tsp (5 g( vanilla
- 1/2 cup (115g) sourdough starter (active or discard)
- 3 cups (400g) all purpose flour (plus up to 1/4 cup/50g more)
- 1 tsp (10g) baking soda
- 1/2 tsp (5g) salt
- 1.5 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp clove
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until fluffy.
- Add in the egg, sourdough starter, molasses and vanilla and beat on medium speed until shiny and smooth.
- Add in your dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, clove and nutmeg.
- Beat on medium-low until no longer sticky. You might have to add up to 1/4 cup/50g of additional flour. Dough should be smooth and workable, slightly sticky is ok but you should be able to roll it into a ball in your hand.
- Take out dough, divide in two and form each half into a flat disc. Wrap each disc in saran wrap and place in fridge for at least two hours or up to three days to ferment,
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and roll out dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin.
- Cut out desired shapes and place on a parchment-covered sheet pan, being sure not to crowd cookies too closely.
- Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes. Keep a close eye on them and remove as soon as the edges are set and the cookies look firm. Do not let the edges turn dark brown if you want them to stay soft.
- Let the cookies sit on the sheet pan for 2-3 minutes then remove to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes, or cool completely to decorate with icing. Enjoy your festive sourdough cookies!
Notes
For maximum fermentation, I recommend feeding your starter 4-10 hours before making dough so that it is bubbly and active, but feed it slightly more flour so that it is very thick (like a levain). Once the dough is made, ferment in the fridge for the full 3 days.
Because cookies are full of fat and sugar they don't ferment as much as a very hydrated bread so you won't achieve a full breakdown of gluten in this case. However, you will still be adding the benefits or fermentation and making the grains more digestible.
Be careful not to overbake if you want a soft cookie.
So much cuteness.
Have the best time baking and decorating with your friends and fam.
-Tara
P.S. These would go great with a Roasted Dandelion Latte.
One of those mug huggers on on the side of your cup with all that marshmallow-y foam?? Just saying.
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