These Sourdough Discard Halloween Sugar Cookies are as delicious as they are cute (and spooky)! They have a delicious, slightly sour tang from the sourdough discard paired with a sweet buttercream frosting. Choose your frosting colors and sprinkles to make them truly spooky!
Why you'll love this recipe
- You can cut these sugar cookies into any shape you like!
- They're great for decorating with kids. Let them choose the frosting colors, the sprinkles they like best, and decorate their own Halloween monster cookies!
- This recipe is a great way to use up some of your sourdough discard.
- While it's not needed for leavening purposes, you can make this recipe with active sourdough starter instead of discard, if you prefer.
- These cookies are very versatile and can be made in any color, and with any sprinkles (to suit any holiday or ocassion).
- Looking for other Halloween cookies and treats? Try these Sourdough Discard Halloween Kitchen Sink Cookie Bars and these Sourdough Discard Halloween Pretzel Bones.
Jump to:
Ingredients
There are only a few key ingredients you'll need to bring these Halloween sugar cookies together.
- Sourdough discard: The sourdough discard should be unfed and at room temperature for this recipe. This recipe is designed for a sourdough starter with a 1:1 ratio (when you feed your starter, it's with 1 part flour and 1 part water). If your starter uses a different ratio, you may need to adjust some of the ingredients in this recipe.
- Learn more about how to make a sourdough starter.
- Food coloring: The color of the buttercream frosting is half the fun here! Use gel food coloring for more vibrant Halloween colors.
- Halloween sprinkles: The sprinkles really give these cookies their Halloween theme! Edible candy eyeballs make any cookie feel instantly spooky!
See full recipe below for detailed directions.
Substitutions & Variations
This is a very adaptable recipe and below are a few easy substitutions and variations you can try.
- Use active sourdough starter - While it's not needed for leavening purposes, if you'd like to make this recipe with active sourdough starter, you can! To do so, omit the yeast and replace the sourdough discard with active starter (200g). You do not need to make any other changes to the recipe.
- Food coloring and sprinkles - You can easily change the look and feel of these cookies with different food coloring and sprinkles! There are endless Halloween combinations you can make!
- Try a cookie bar - If you don't want to roll and cut cookies, try these Sourdough Discard Sugar Cookie Bars! You can modify the icing and sprinkles to be Halloween-themed.
- Interested in other customizable cookie recipes? You might like these Sourdough Lofthouse Cookies, too.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Halloween Sugar Cookies
There are only a few key steps to bring this recipe together. The full recipe with detailed directions is at the bottom of this post.
- Step 1: Mix together the dry ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Step 2: Cream together the softened butter and the sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Step 3: Add the sourdough discard, egg, and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture. Mix until smooth and combined.
- Step 4: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined and no dry spots remain.
- Step 5: Shape the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Step 6: Generously flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness.
- Step 7: Cut out your cookies in your desired shape.
- Step 8: Transfer the cookies to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, then let cool completely.
- Step 9: Mix together the ingredients for your buttercream frosting. Add food coloring of your choice.
- Step 10: Spread the cookies with buttercream frosting, then top with Halloween sprinkles.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use metric measurements for at least the flour and sourdough discard. These are two ingredients where there can be a huge variation in using cups vs. metric measurements. Using a kitchen scale for metric measurements for at least these two ingredients will set you on the right path!
- Using a rolling pin with thickness rings makes rolling the dough so much easier! Set the ring to your desired thickness, and then you won't have to think about it again!
- Let the cookies cool completely before frosting, otherwise the frosting will melt.
- For the dough and the buttercream frosting, use butter that has been softened to room temperature. Butter that is too cold (or too warm) will not give you the desired texture that you're looking for!
- When making the buttercream frosting, sift your confectioner's sugar, and add it slowly to the creamed butter (not all in one addition). This helps to ensure that the sugar dissolves in the butter correctly for a smooth buttercream.
Storage
Room Temperature Storage: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5-6 days.
Freezer Storage: You can freeze these cookies either before or after baking.
- Freezing before baking: Instead of chilling the dough in the refrigerator, wrap the dough in plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze the dough for up to 3 months. When you're ready to bake, let the dough thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then continue with the recipe as written.
- Freezing after baking: Store the cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Before serving, let the cookies thaw to room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
They're accurate! I use the metric measurements for my own baking, especially with the flour and sourdough discard, so I recommend you do the same! There can be such a huge variation in cups measurements, particularly for those two ingredients.
As you gather the scraps and re-roll the dough to cut more cookies, you are effectively kneading the dough (something that is common with bread, but not needed with cookies). This develops the gluten structure a bit more and gives you a thicker cookie, so you might notice that cookies from the second or third rolling of the dough are slightly thicker than those from the first rolling.
Yes, that will make a difference with this recipe. To get the desired texture (for the cookie dough and the buttercream frosting), you'll want to make sure you're working with room-temperature ingredients. This includes butter that has been softened (but not melted).
Use gel food coloring! Gel food coloring provides a more concentrated color without the added liquid of traditional liquid food coloring. This will help you create a bold color for your frosting, which is often seen for Halloween cookies (think bold orange, green, and purple).
More Sourdough Discard Halloween Recipes
If you tried these Sourdough Discard Halloween Sugar Cookies or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you! Happy Baking!
Sourdough Discard Halloween Sugar Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 2 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 14 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 200 grams (about ¾ cup) sourdough discard unfed, at room temperature
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons milk non-dairy or regular dairy
- Gel food coloring
- Halloween sprinkles
- Edible candy eyeballs
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the sourdough discard, egg, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined and a smooth dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and press it into a disk. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days).
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and divide into two pieces. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness. Press your cookie cutters into the dough to cut your desired shapes, then transfer the cut cookies to the prepared baking sheet. Gather any dough scraps together, re-roll the dough, and cut out additional shapes until all dough has been used. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the cookies are firmed and the bottoms are just starting to brown. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool fully.
- Using a hand-held mixer, cream the butter in a medium-sized bowl on low speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly add in the sifted confectioner's sugar (I like to do this in 3-4 portions, mixing in between each). Add the vanilla extract and milk, mixing until smooth and combined. Add food coloring and mix to reach your desired color.
- Spread the cooled cookies with buttercream frosting, then top with Halloween sprinkles and edible candy eyeballs.
Jessica Vogl says
I've made two batches this week, and it seems like they're all gone within a day or two! So delicious and seriously cute, too!