Sourdough Linzer Cookies
Sourdough Linzer cookies are the perfect holiday treat! They’re made with two soft, buttery sourdough cookies sandwiched with sweet fruit jam and topped with a light dusting of powdered sugar. Made with simple ingredients like butter, sugar, flour, egg, and almond flour, they come together quickly with your leftover sourdough starter discard.
If you're looking for an easy-to-make Valentine's Day treat, these heart-shaped Sourdough Linzer Cookies are the sweetest way to say I love you! Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies are sandwiched with fruity jam and dusted with powdered sugar for that classic finishing touch.
Plus, they’re made with sourdough discard, a tasty and perfect way to reduce food waste!
Whether you fill them with cherry jam, strawberry jam, or even chocolate hazelnut spread, these cookies are a sweet way to share the love! ❤️
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Cookie Dough: To create a rich and flavorful dough, you'll need butter, sugar, egg, vanilla extract, sourdough starter discard, all-purpose flour, and salt.
- Fillings: While Linzer cookies are traditionally filled with raspberry jam, plenty of delicious alternatives exist! Our favorites are strawberry jam, cherry jam, and hazelnut chocolate spread.
- Powdered Sugar: A dusting of powdered sugar is the perfect finishing touch, making these cookies look as pretty as they taste!
- Cookie Cutters: We used a 2.75" and a 1.37" heart-shaped cookie cutter to make 18 cookies. Smaller cutters yield more cookies, while larger cutters make fewer.
How to make sourdough linzer cookies
Step 1
- To make the cookie dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until well combined. Add the egg, vanilla, and sourdough starter discard, and mix until combined.
- Whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, salt, and cinnamon (if using) in a mixing bowl. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, making sure not to overmix, and thoroughly combine the ingredients.
- Separate the dough into two batches and form it into discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least one hour. This will help keep the dough firm so that it can cut out shapes easily and keep their shape while baking.
Step 2
.Remove one dough disc from the refrigerator and lightly dust your work surface. Lightly dust your rolling pin and roll the dough into a ¼"-inch thick sheet (You can also roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper).
Step 3
Stack both sheets of dough on top of each other on a baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. Keeping the dough cold will make it easier to cut out shapes.
Step 4
Use a 2.75-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the dough. Take a small 1.37-inch heart cookie cutter and cut out tiny hearts from half of the large hearts (these will be the "windows").
Gather any scraps, including the small heart cutouts, roll out, and cut out more large hearts, OR bake the tiny hearts as we did.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Transfer the cutouts to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet spaced at least 1.5" apart, and chill for 15 minutes in the fridge while the oven is preheating.
Step 5
Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden brown (do not overbake). Let the cookies cool completely before filling.
Lightly dust the tops of the cookies with the "windows" or small heart cutouts with powdered sugar.
Spoon about two teaspoons to one tablespoon of jam onto each bottom cookie. Lightly spread out the filling, leaving a small border to prevent the filling from spilling out on the sides of the cookie.
Step 6
Gently press a "window" cookie on top of each cookie that has the filling to create a sandwich.
Carmyn's tips
Chill the dough: After mixing the dough, refrigerate it for at least 60 minutes. This firms the dough and makes it easier to roll out.
Chill the cut-outs: After cutting out your cookies, place them on a baking sheet and chill them again for 10–15 minutes before baking. This helps maintain their shape as they bake.
How to Store
You can store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–5 days or in the refrigerator for longer storage.
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Sourdough Linzer Cookies
EQUIPMENT
- Heart-Shaped Cookie Cutters 2.75" and 1.37"
INGREDIENTS
Cookie Dough
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons (270 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (75 g) almond flour
- 16 tablespoons (226 g) butter (1 cup or 2 sticks, softened)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla
- ¾ cup (150 g) white sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) sourdough starter discard (see notes if you don't have sourdough discard on hand)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Filling
- ½-¾ cup strawberry jam, cherry jam, or homemade nutella
Finishing
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar (you may need more)
INSTRUCTIONS
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat 16 tablespoons (226 g) butter and ¾ cup (150 g) white sugar until well combined. Add 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla and ¼ cup (50 g) sourdough starter discard and mix until combined.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups + 2 tablespoons (270 g) all-purpose flour, ⅔ cup (75 g) almond flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon (if using). Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, making sure not to overmix, and the ingredients are fully combined.
- Separate the dough into two batches and form it into discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least one hour. This will help keep the dough firm to cut out shapes easily.
- Remove one dough disc from the refrigerator and lightly dust your work surface. Lightly dust your rolling pin and roll out the dough into a ¼"-inch thick sheet (You can also roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper). Place the sheets of dough back in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to keep the dough firm.
- Use a 2.75-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the dough. Take a small 1.37-inch heart cookie cutter and cut out smaller hearts from half of the large hearts (these will be the "windows"). Gather any scraps, including the small heart cutouts, roll out, and cut out more large hearts. I was able to get 36 large hearts by doing this (18 cookies total) and five small heart cut-outs as extras.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Transfer the cutouts to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet spaced at least 1.5" apart, and chill for 15 minutes in the fridge while the oven is preheating. Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden brown (do not overbake). You may need to bake them in batches. Let the cookies cool completely before filling.
- Lightly dust the tops of the cookies that have the "windows"/small heart cutouts in them with ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar. Spoon about two teaspoons to one tablespoon of jam to each bottom cookie. Lightly spread out the filling, leaving a small border to prevent the filling from spilling out. Gently press a "window" cookie on top to create a sandwich.
Hey! Can you long ferment this recipe by leaving the dough in the fridge 24-36 hours?
Yes you can.
Thank you for responding I had the same question. First time tryjng this recipe. I have the dough In fridge and was afraid to leave it overnight. This was great recipe to follow. Can’t wait to see results. I will update
I've made the Sourdough Crackle Chocolate Cookies twice now and every one has loved them, especially my husband who loves his sweets with coffee in the morning. When I found your discard recipes, I got a sour dough starter from a friend (I just hated throwing that flour mixture away) so I'm back into making bread once a week and something with the discard. Thank you so much for all your help with your videos and recipes and getting me back into bread making. I really am enjoying it.
I made these cookies for Valentine's Day. Instead of the Strawberry Jam/Nutella, I melted chocolate disks and put pink and white Turkish Delight on top. The family loves these cookies. Also, I was naughty and tasted theme when they just got out of the oven, and they taste amazing both hot and cooled. This is a very delicious cookies recipe and it looked very pretty for Valentine's Day.
My kiddos and I made these today for valentines and they were so fun to make and tasted absolutely fantastic. Thank you!
Hi! Can these be made without Almond Flour? We have a nut allergy in our house?
Hi Megan, I haven't tested these without almond flour, but if I were to test them, I would try replacing them with more all-purpose flour. Linzer cookies are traditionally made with some type of nut flour, but the cookie itself is technically a shortbread cookie, and most shortbread cookie recipes I've made only use all-purpose flour. Hope that helps, and please let ,e know how they turn out if you decide to test them! 😊