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A dessert plate filled with thick peanut butter cookies made with sourdough.
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Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies

Thick and chewy sourdough peanut butter cookies made with browned butter, roasted peanuts, and sourdough discard. Soft centers, crisp edges, and big peanut flavor. No chill required, but even better after an overnight rest.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Course: Dessert, Snack, sourdough
Cuisine: American
Keyword: sourdough peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, sourdough peanut butter cookies
Servings: 20 cookies
Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter 113 grams
  • ½ cup brown sugar packed, 100 grams
  • ½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
  • ¾ cup creamy peanut butter or crunchy, 190 grams
  • ⅓ cup sourdough discard 80 grams
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour 120 grams
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅔ cup salted dry-roasted peanuts chopped, 95 grams
  • ⅔ cup peanut butter chips 115 grams

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  • Brown the butter: Cut the butter into cubes and melt it in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. It will melt, then foam, and the milk solids will turn golden brown with a nutty aroma. Watch closely toward the end so it doesn’t burn. Remove from the heat and let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes to cool slightly, then pour into a large mixing bowl.
    Browned butter in a skillet showing the brown milk solids.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk the browned butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined.
    Mixing the brown butter with the sugar.
  • Stir in the peanut butter, sourdough discard, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth.
    Combining sourdough discard, peanut butter, and eggs to the cookie dough.
  • Place a metal sifter over the bowl and sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until well combined.
    Sifting flour and baking powder into cookie dough.
  • Fold in the chopped peanuts and peanut butter chips.
    Adding peanut butter chips and chopped peanuts to cookie dough.
  • Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough, roll into balls, and place on the baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart.
    Placing balls of cookie dough on a baking sheet.
  • Bake at 350°F for 11–14 minutes, until edges are set and lightly golden. Centers should look soft.
    Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
    Peanut butter cookies cooling on a rack next to baking chips.

Notes

Texture control: For flatter, classic-style cookies, roll the dough balls in sugar and press with a fork before baking.
Natural peanut butter caution: You can use it, but the cookies will spread more and have a softer texture. A regular, no-stir peanut butter yields more consistent results.
Dough feel: The peanut butter cookie dough should be soft but scoopable, not sticky or runny.
Cold ferment option: Chill the dough overnight for deeper flavor and extra-chewy texture.
For flatter cookies: These cookies bake up thick. For a more classic peanut butter cookie, roll in sugar and press with a fork in a crisscross pattern before baking.
Freezer-friendly: Scoop and freeze dough balls. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 184mg | Potassium: 109mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 155IU | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
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