Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies
Sourdough oatmeal cookies are soft, chewy, and loaded with juicy raisins and cinnamon spice. The dough can be baked right away or chilled in the fridge for fermented sourdough cookies.
Instead of wasting leftover sourdough discard, there are plenty of creative ways to make the most of it. One of my personal favorites is this recipe for sourdough oatmeal raisin cookies!
Just like our sourdough ginger molasses cookies, sourdough snickerdoodles, and sourdough chocolate chip cookies, these oatmeal cookies are easy to make and guaranteed to put a smile on everyone's face.
Delicious, wholesome ingredients are made even better with sourdough fermentation for easier digestibility!
Sourdough Oatmeal Cookie Ingredients
- unfed sourdough starter: This recipe was developed to use sourdough discard but fed, active sourdough starter can be used as well.
- unsalted butter: Let the butter sit out for about 30 minutes before you begin so it softens, making it easier to mix with the sugars.
- brown sugar and white sugar: A combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar adds moisture to the cookies and makes them chewy.
- vanilla extract: We love to use homemade vanilla extract but feel free to use store-bought.
- large egg
- rolled oats: Either quick-cooking or old-fashioned rolled can be used. Because oats contain fiber, we often enjoy these as a quick breakfast cookie when we are short on time.
- all-purpose flour: Other flour that can be used are whole wheat flour, einkorn, or spelt.
- raisins: Adds sweetness and another chewy texture to the cookie.
- ground cinnamon: The perfect warm spice to marry the flavors of oatmeal and raisins together in perfect harmony.
- salt: The addition of salt enhances the flavor of baked goods.
- baking soda: Gives the cookies the right amount of puffiness as they bake.
- optional: You can add chocolate chips for sourdough oatmeal chocolate chip cookies or chopped walnuts to give this dough some extra flavor.
How to make sourdough oatmeal cookies
This dough can be made by hand, with a stand mixer, or with an electric hand mixer.
Position the oven rack in the center slot and set the oven to preheat at 350°F (176°C) while you make the cookie dough.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Step 1: Make the dough
Start by whisking the rolled oats, all-purpose flour, raisins, ground cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. (Add chocolate chips/nuts if using.)
In a separate large bowl, use a spatula or a wooden spoon to cream the room-temperature butter with the brown and granulated sugar. Mix until the sugar starts to dissolve. Add the sourdough starter, egg, vanilla extract and stir until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold them in until just combined.
NOTE: At this point, the dough can chill in the fridge for up to 2 days or be baked right away.
Step 2: Scoop the dough
Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough into 12 per baking sheet leaving about 1 ½ inches of space between each one.
Each portion should be about 2 tablespoons, roughly the size of a golf ball.
TIP: If a cookie scoop is not available, use two spoons to divide the dough. Use one spoon to scoop the dough and the other to push it off of the first spoon onto the baking sheet.
Step 3: Bake
Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are a light golden brown color.
Step 4: Cool
Once the cookies have finished baking remove the cookie sheet from the oven. Leave the cookies on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.
For easier handling, it's a good idea to let them cool completely before serving to allow them to set up.
Make-ahead, storing, and freezing instructions
How to make ahead of time
This dough can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge until you are ready to bake.
The unbaked cookie dough can also be frozen and baked at a later time.
To freeze, portion the cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and place it in the freezer for one hour. Remove the sheet and transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe container. Keep frozen for up to 3 months.
When you are ready to bake, transfer the cookie dough back to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and allow it to thaw while the oven preheats.
The cookies will need to be baked a few minutes longer if they are frozen or partially frozen so we recommend that you keep an eye on them to prevent over browning.
How to store leftovers
Store any leftover baked cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. After that, transfer any remaining to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
More sourdough cookie recipes
- sourdough graham cracker cookies for smores
- sourdough peanut butter cookies
- sourdough sugar cookie bars
- sourdough thumbprint cookies
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Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies
INGREDIENTS
Wet Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) softened unsalted butter (room temperature)
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (100 g) sourdough starter discard
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups (160 g) rolled oats (regular or quick cooking)
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (145 g) raisins
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
INSTRUCTIONS
- Position the oven rack in the center slot and set the oven to preheat at 350°F (176°C) while you make the cookie dough. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Begin by mixing rolled oats, all-purpose flour, raisins, ground cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. (Include chocolate chips or nuts if desired.)
- In a separate large bowl, use a spatula or wooden spoon to combine the softened butter with brown and granulated sugar until the sugar begins to dissolve. Add the sourdough starter, egg, and vanilla extract, and stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ones and gently fold them until just mixed. (You can refrigerate the dough for up to 2 days or proceed with baking immediately.)
- Use a cookie scoop to divide the dough into 12 portions on the baking sheet, ensuring approximately 1 ½ inches of space between each. Each portion should be around 2 tablespoons, roughly the size of a golf ball. (12 cookies fit onto one baking sheet.)
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies turn a light golden brown. Take them out and let the cookies rest on the tray for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool before serving.
NOTES
- This dough can be made by hand, with a stand mixer, or with an electric hand mixer.
- Store any leftover baked cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. After that, transfer any remaining to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- You have the option to freeze unbaked cookie dough for later use. To do this, simply scoop portions of the cookie dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place it in the freezer for about an hour. Afterward, transfer the frozen dough balls to a container suitable for freezing, and they can be stored this way for up to three months. When you're ready to bake, place the frozen cookie dough on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and allow it to thaw while your oven preheats. Keep an eye on them during baking, as they may require a few extra minutes due to being frozen or partially frozen to avoid over-browning.
These are amazing. I used 40 grams less of flour and added that in vanilla protein powder. Instead of raisins, I used shredded coconut, slivered almonds, and sunflower seeds. Turned out amazing!
Love these. Can you make one that’s apple oatmeal? Love your recipes
I've just made this recipe twice within a week. It comes together super quick & is absolutely delicious. First time I made them with walnuts. the second time I used pecans. Pecans for the win! This recipe is a keeper for sure!
These were wonderful. Chewy and chock full of goodness. I added both raisins and chocolate chips and could have easily added walnuts as well. I loved being able to use my sourdough discard in a same-day recipe. I will definitely make these again and look forward to more trying more of your recipes!
Delicious and easy to follow recipes. Added coffee ice cream and made ice cream sandwiches which have become my family's favorite!
Amazing easy tasty cookies which everyone loves and wants the recipe for even if they don’t have sour dough discard
My husband's favorite cookie is oatmeal raisin and he said these were some of the best!
I was craving oatmeal cookies and found this recipe, so glad I did. This is probably the best oatmeal cookie recipe I've ever used. I substituted 25g of chopped pecans and 25 g of chopped walnuts for the raisins. This recipe is definitely going to be one of my favorites.
I'm just beginning to incorporate sourdough discard into my cooking and I also mill my own grains. I made these with freshly milled Emmer berries and they were delicious. I'll be saving this recipe for next time.
Just tried this recipe! Smelled DELICIOUS and filled the whole apartment.
Looking for guidance! Maybe my discard was not wet enough but the cookies came out drier and did not spread, definitely not like the pictures. Should I increase moisture content and/or lessen the amount of flour?
Notes: Added only 100g of craisins and 50g of 60% bittersweet chocolate chips. Also only used 100g of brown sugar (omitted the granulated sugar). I think for next time I will lessen the sugar even more--the chocolate chips and sweetened cranberries might have made it too sweet for us. For reference, I prefer 30% sugar boba drinks.
Hi Angela! The cookies turned out dry likely because the sugar was reduced—sugar contributes to the moisture and texture of cookie. Please note that we can’t guarantee the results if the recipe is modified, as even small changes can affect the outcome.