These cut out sourdough sugar cookies from scratch are perfect for any occasion, especially Christmas. My husband and I love spending a cozy Saturday baking and frosting these cookies together. It’s something I’ve done with my family growing up and now I’ve brought into our marriage! If you’re looking for a new tradition, this cookie recipe will be the perfect place to start!

sheet of cookies on parchment — Source: Plum Branch Home

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I don’t know about you but I’ve always thought there’s something special about baking cookies on a cold winter day. It makes your home not only smell amazing but also makes it feel extra cozy. In our house it brings so much joy, I mean how can you be upset when cookies are in the oven? You’re just minutes away from enjoying them!

If you don’t have a sourdough starter yet and want to whip up these cookies, head over to my sourdough starter recipe for beginners. My process is super simple and takes the overwhelm out of creating your own. P.S. It is 100% worth keeping one in your kitchen. It saves so much money and adds gut health benefits to all kinds of dishes.

Cut Out Sourdough Sugar Cookie Recipe Inspiration

Back in July, I developed this recipe to be the base of mini fruit pizzas for my birthday. I wanted sugar cookies from scratch but I wanted to keep the process simple and add sourdough starter for gut health benefits. So I got busy whipping up the ingredients.

After using this recipe for my birthday I realized these were the perfect cookies to make for Christmas. Little did I know my fruit pizza base would become the perfect cut-out cookie for any occasion. My husband, Tyler, says and I quote, “these are the best cookies I’ve ever had.”

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Easiest from scratch cookie recipe you’ll ever try.
Added gut health from the sourdough starter that helps your body digest the sugar.
Only made with wholesome ingredients like cane sugar instead of refined white sugar.
Taste better than any cookie you’ve ever had.

hand holding a decorated star cookie over a rack of decorated cookies — Source: Plum Branch Home

Tips for Success

Don’t use any extra flour until it’s time to roll and cut the cookies out.
Prevent overmixing the dough for soft cookies.
Be sure to refrigerate for 2 hours minimum for proper dough consistency.
For extra sourdough flavor and added gut health, let ferment in the fridge for 24 hours.
When rolling out the dough, don’t push down super hard to prevent sticking.

Ingredients Needed

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sourdough starter (fed or discard)
1 egg
1/3 cup softened butter (salted or unsalted)
2/3 cup cane sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Helpful Kitchen Tools for This Recipe

Step By Step Instructions

sugar, vanilla, and butter in a glass bowl being mixed with a hand mixer — Source: Plum Branch Home

First, you’ll want to add softened butter, salt, vanilla, and sugar to a bowl and mix with a hand mixer on medium until smooth.

measuring out sourdough starter into a cup — Source: Plum Branch Home

Second, add in sourdough starter and egg and continue mixing until evenly combined.

hand mixer combining flour with cookie dough — Source: Plum Branch Home

Third, add in flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and continue mixing until evenly combined. Prevent overmixing the dough.

Forth, cover bowl with a kitchen towel or lid and refrigerate 2 hours minimum up to 24 hours.

hands rolling out cookie dough on a floured surface — Source: Plum Branch Home

Fifth, once refrigeration is done, lightly flour your work surface and gently roll out dough to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.

hand holding a star shaped piece of cookie dough after cutting it out — Source: Plum Branch Home

Sixth, use cookie cutters or a mason jar to cut out shapes, re-rolling leftover dough after initial cut-outs.

hand cutting cookies and placing them on a sheet pan — Source: Plum Branch Home

Seventh, place cookies on a lightly floured sheet pan about 2 inches apart.

Eighth, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 8-10 minutes (cookies are done just after setting, and will be lightly brown).

Cut Out Shape Ideas

Christmas Trees
Stars
Circles (use a mason jar)
Christmas shapes
Hearts for Valentine’s Day
Balloon shape for birthdays

hand holding up a decorated cookie with a cactus design — Source: Plum Branch Home

Decorating Ideas

Use a simple cookie icing or royal icing for decorating.
Frost with buttercream for bakery styled cookies.
Top with cream cheese frosting and slices of fruit for mini fruit pizzas.
Dip one-half of the cookie in melted chocolate for a unique look.
Use sprinkles, chocolate chips, or crushed nut pieces to decorate.

Storing Leftovers

Store leftover cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to a week.

Recipe FAQ

What is sourdough discard?

Sourdough discard is unfed starter. This hungry starter doesn’t help recipes rise as well as fed starter does but is still good to use in many recipes.

Does sourdough have lots of sugar?

The sourdough starter itself does not have any sugar in it. Sourdough cultures help the body digest sugars more easily when combined in recipes.

What does sugar do to cookie dough?

Sugar sweetens and enriches cookie dough making it taste like a cookie.

What makes a chewy cookie?

Egg yolk makes a chewy cookie as well as rolling out the cookie dough thicker.

What makes sugar cookies soft or hard?

Many things create a soft or hard cookie. For this recipe, the softness or hardness depends on how much you mix the dough. If you overmix or overbake you’ll end up having hard cookies.

How thick should dough be for sugar cookies?

For these sugar cookies, you’ll want to roll the dough out to be 1/4 of an inch to 1/2 of an inch.

What type of sourdough starter should I use for this recipe?

You can use fed sourdough starter or sourdough discard.

Do I have to chill sugar cookie dough before baking?

For this recipe, you have to chill the dough for at least 2 hours. This helps the cookies stay the shape you cut them out to be when baking.

Can you long ferment this recipe?

You can long ferment this cookie dough for up to 24 hours before baking.

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