Sourdough Discard Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Last Updated on June 22, 2026 by Jamie Saechao

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These soft and chewy sourdough oatmeal raisin cookies combine a classic oatmeal cookie with sourdough tang. Loaded with raisins and oats and cinnamon flavor, these discard cookies also feature a secret ingredient, molasses.  

These cookies are like a warm hug on a cold day, or like my kids say- a delicious bowl of sweet oatmeal wrapped into a cookie!  These sourdough oatmeal cookies are the perfect way to use up excess sourdough starter. 

You can find more sourdough cookie recipes here: sourdough peanut butter cookies, sourdough cookies + cream cookies, sourdough chocolate chip cookies, sourdough double chocolate chip cookies, sourdough cranberry cookies.

Why You’ll Love Them

• No mixer required- these cookies are mixed with a spatula
• These sourdough cookies are really easy to long ferment, making them gut friendly
• Sourdough discard oatmeal raisin cookies combine warmth, spice, and texture for an unforgettable cookie
• These cookies can be stored easily and stay chewy and fresh for a long time
• Flavor notes of cinnamon, vanilla and molasses make these cookies irresistble!

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Ingredients

Here are a few of the ingredients highlights.  Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredient list:

• Melted butter: Enhances the flavor of the butter and increases chewiness, adding a delicious caramel flavor 
• Sourdough discard: Adds sourdough tang to the cookies and ferments the dough
• Molasses- A secret ingredient to classic oatmeal cookies, the molasses accents the flavor of the raisins and oats, making you feel like you stepped into Grandma’s cottage bakery! Use an “unsulphured” molasses like Grandmas or Brier Rabbit brand.
• Oats. Only use old fashioned oats, as quick oats can make the cookies dry. 
• Dark brown sugar. Dark brown sugar offsets the molasses, however you can use light brown sugar if that’s what you have on hand!
• Ground cinnamon: Adds a cozy depth of flavor, making these cookies an instant classic
• Large eggs- room temperature preferred

This recipe includes 14 ingredients (see full list below)- but don’t let that scare you! It’s really a simple and easy recipe- a matter of mixing dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mixing with a spatula.  Very simple. 

Recipe Tips

• Be sure to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, preferably 60 or more.  Since the butter is melted, we need to chill the cookie dough so that it does not spread when you bake the cookies.
• If you only have active starter you can stir it down with a spatula 
• When you remove the cookies from the oven they will seem under baked in the middle. Let them cool completely on the baking sheet, transfer to a wire rack, and the cookies will set up completely.  Don’t over bake the cookies in the oven, or they will be dry and crumbly. Trust the process!
• Add pecans, walnuts, or chocolate chips to the dough to make these delicious cookies your own!
• If you ferment the dough for a long time in the fridge, it may become hard to scoop. Simply let it warm up on the counter for a few minutes and it will become more workable. 
• For best results, weigh and measure the flour in grams with a kitchen scale. Too much flour can make the cookies dry and crumbly. 
• You can pre scoop this dough and store it in the freezer for long term storage and baking.

Long Fermenting Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies need to be chilled for 30-60 minutes before baking.  You can ferment them in the fridge for up to 5 days, however. Tightly wrap the top of the dough bowl with plastic wrap to prevent the dough from drying out. 

How To Make Sourdough Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Optional: For plumper raisins, soak raisins for 10-15 minutes in warm water, drain and blot dry.  

First melt the butter and let it cool to room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl combined melted butter, sugars and cinnamon and stir until combined. Add eggs, molasses and vanilla extract and stir until completely incorporated. 

In a seperate medium mixing bowl whisk all purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. 

Add the sourdough discard and 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the weight ingredients and stir until combined.  Add the remaining 2/3’s of the dry ingredients and stir until completely combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl. 

Add the oatmeal and raisins to the dough and stir until evenly distributed throughout the dough. 

Refrigeration: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.  You can chill the batter up to 5 days. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop to scoop out 1.5 inch sized cookie dough balls, spacing each cookie about 2 inches apart. 

Bake for 12-13 minutes and remove when the edges are golden brown but the centers still look underbaked.  Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet, then transfer baked cookies to a wire rack.

The cookies will look under baked but will firm up as they cool!

Storage

Make sure cookies are cooled completely before storing. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 7 days.  Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.