Discard Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies (Fresh-Milled)
By Kristen on December 11, 2024 – Updated on November 30, 2025
It’s the most wonderful time of year! Add these classic cookies with their hints of sourdough to your holiday season and cookie tray!
This simple sourdough discard recipe made with whole wheat flour (fresh-milled grains) and coconut sugar is a great way to provide your family with a healthy holiday cookie this Christmas season!
Also, you can explore our sourdough thumbprint cookies for more sourdough discard recipes and holiday treats.
What You’ll Need for Your Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies
Dry Ingredients:
- 3 cups of fresh-milled flour
- 1 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 heaping tablespoon of ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 stick of grass-fed softened butter (room temperature)
- ½ cup unfed sourdough starter (discard)
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup blackstrap molasses (or 1/3 cup honey or half molasses, half honey)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
SUBSTITUTES
- Butter – Can be substituted with softened coconut oil.
- Fresh-Milled Wheat – All-purpose flour or bread flour will also work perfectly.
- Molasses – Honey
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
- stand mixer and paddle attachment or hand mixer with a large mixing bowl
- measuring cup and spoons
- prepared baking sheet or cookie sheet
INSTRUCTIONS
- First, mill your wheat berries (or use all-purpose flour if not milling your wheat)
- Whisk fresh flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, ground cloves, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉
- Cream butter and coconut sugar (or brown sugar) in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, sourdough discard, molasses/honey, and vanilla to your butter mixture. Next, mix on low speed to medium speed until combined. Then use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients.
- Once all of your ingredients are combined, you will have a sticky dough.
- Now, take your dough out and begin to bring it together with your hands.
- Divide your dough into two equal parts, shape them like a disk, then wrap them in plastic wrap or parchment paper, and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to a few days for a long chill period.
- I have skipped this part when I’m in a hurry, but you will need to generously flour your work surface and the top of your dough to roll your dough well.
- Take your chilled dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface or even between two lightly floured parchment papers. (I like to start with one disk at a time)
- Roll thin for crispier cookies – the thicker the dough, the more fluffy and chewy cookies you will have.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out your gingerbread men, Christmas trees, snowmen, stockings, and more.
- Place cookies on a lightly greased baking tray or baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Bake cookies at 350℉ for 10-12 minutes. I typically take mine out at 10 min.
- Finally, let cookies cool for just a minute so they aren’t too hot and transfer your sourdough gingerbread cookies to a cooling rack until completely cooled.
Lastly, you can store all leftover cookies in an airtight container or a large glass jar with a lid.
Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies (Fresh-Milled)
It's the most wonderful time of year! Add these classic cookies with their hints of sourdough to your holiday season and cookie tray!
Equipment
- stand mixer and paddle attachment hand mixer with a large bowl
- measuring cup and spoons
- baking tray/cookie sheet
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh-milled wheat use 3 cups for all-purpose or bread flour
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 heaping tablespoon of ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Wet Ingredients
- 1 stick of grass-fed softened butter room temperature
- ½ cup unfed sourdough starter discard
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup blackstrap molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- First, mill your wheat berries (or use all-purpose flour if not milling your wheat)
- Mix fresh flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, ground cloves, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉
- Cream butter and coconut sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, sourdough discard, molasses, and vanilla. Next, mix on low to medium speed until combined. Then use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Slowly begin to add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients.
- Once all of your ingredients are combined you will have a sticky dough and you will want to add more flour. It will come together without adding more flour.
- Now, take your dough out and begin to bring it together with your hands
- Divide your dough into two equal parts, shape them like a disk, then wrap them in plastic wrap or parchment paper, and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to a few days for a long chill period.
- I have skipped this part when I’m in a hurry, but you will need to graciously flour your work surface to roll your dough well.
- Take your chilled dough and roll it out between two lightly floured parchment papers. (I like to start with one disk at a time)
- Roll the dough thin for crispier cookies – the thicker the dough, the fluffier and softer the cookie will be.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out your gingerbread men, Christmas trees, snowmen, stockings, and other holiday shapes.
- Place cookies on a lightly greased baking tray or baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Bake cookies at 350℉ for 10-12 minutes. I typically take mine out at 10 min.
- Finally, let cookies cool for just a minute so they aren’t too hot and transfer your sourdough gingerbread cookies to a cooling wire rack until completely cooled.
Notes
Lastly, you can store all leftovers in an airtight container.
