Soft & Chewy Protein Snickerdoodles with Sourdough Discard

Look, I could go on and on about the challenges of high-protein baking, but sometimes you just need a simple, freshly made cookie that’s truly comforting. This recipe is exactly that: a soft and chewy Snickerdoodle that uses sourdough discard and a modest amount of protein powder to subtly boost nutrition. I’ve cracked the code on getting that signature chewy texture with the perfect tang and nutty brown butter flavor—all without hassle or dry texture.

 

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• Why You’ll Love This
• The Ingredients
• Substitutions
• Equipment Used
• How to Make this
• How To Store
• FAQ
• Other Recipes You Might Enjoy

Why You’ll Love This 

• Soft & Chewy Texture – Achieves that classic soft, chewy center with slightly crispy edges.
• Protein Boost – Gives you an added nutritional lift without compromising the classic Snickerdoodle flavor or texture.
• Deep Flavor – Uses brown butter for rich, nutty notes and complex depth.
• Sourdough Tang – Sourdough discard adds complex, subtle tanginess that perfectly counters the sweetness.
• Moisture Lock – Includes honey to keep the cookies moist and tender even after baking, fighting the dreaded protein dryness.

Simply a Really Good Snickerdoodle Cookie

Look, I could go on and on and make promises of this being the best cookie ever, but to me, Snickerdoodles are the epitome of a really simple cookie when I crave a freshly made, comforting sourdough discard treat without hassle. And I am probably too tired to make anything that requires real effort.

Which is exactly what this version is: Simple, quick, and chances are, you have all the ingredients you need already at home.

Soft, Chewy and With Sparkly Cinnamon Crust – Tastes Like a Baked Hug

If you never had a Snickerdoodle (like me a few years ago), let me try to describe it to you: First you see this rather unassuming disk that looks like…well…a cookie. If a child would draw a cookie (without chocolate that is), this would be what it looks like.
And like me back then you might assume it’s nothing special.

So you look closer, wondering why these might be so popular and the first thing you notice is a slight sparkle with brown flecks. The cinnamon sugar crust. “Well, cinnamon is good” you think and take your first bite.

Which is when your perception shifts. There is buttery vanilla cookie flavor, sure, but also something else. A gentle, barely perceptible tang, which gives it depth, something special, even though you can’t quite put your finger on it.

Then there is the texture. Very tender, they melt in your mouth, but at the same time they have a bit of chew. Slightly crispy edges, the center soft, all surrounded by the warm spicy crunch of the cinnamon sugar. And for a while, they will be your favorite cookie, because they taste like a baked hug.

Improved Nutrition by Adding Protein – My Way

Now, if you read the title (and know my blog), you can probably guess what I’m about to say. So in theory you could use the fact that this is – indeed – simple, to just hop to the recipe card and make yourself some lovely Sourdough Protein Snickerdoodles. I promise, you won’t regret it.

But if you are not sure why on earth I might add these two ingredients, here is a little sneak peek into how my mind (and recipes) work:
A lot of the time I found I don’t eat enough protein. At least not for someone over 50 who should probably eat a lot more than I would without my baking.

And since I’m not a fan of most of the high-protein foods out there, at least on a daily basis, I keep adding protein to essentially any bread, dessert or baked treat that I can possibly think of.

But opposed to most of the “High Protein” recipes out there, I really want to keep the flavor and texture of the original, not use wildly expensive ingredients or change my whole diet to Keto.

So, I go gentle on it and sometimes just add a little protein powder, like in this recipe.
Even this little change already doubles the protein content. But if you look at the numbers, 4.5g may not look that impressive, considering the most popular protein cookie out there has 9g.

Could I get there with my recipe? Sure, by adding almond butter or maybe even cottage cheese, but that would completely alter the structure of the cookie. Plus, nut butter has a slightly drying effect, which, together with the protein powder, often leads to the dreaded dry protein recipe effect. And I much prefer my Sourdough Protein Cookies tender, moist and moreish.

Sourdough Discard for Flavor, Moisture and Digestibility

Which brings me to my second inclusion: Sourdough discard.
This not just adds a lovely tang and depth of flavor to anything it touches, which plays particularly well with the already tangy Snickerdoodles, it also keeps them moist despite the protein powder, which can have a drying effect.

For those with mild gluten sensitivity: you can allow the dough to cold ferment for up to 3 days, which will break down most of the gluten.
If you are celiac: Please don’t eat flour, even if in form of sourdough. You can replace both with gluten free flour.

But the most important thing you need to know about these Sourdough Protein Snickerdoodles cookies: They simply taste like the original. Just a little better and healthier for you.

Two Secrets For Flavor and Texture

While I was testing this recipe, I always had lovely tasting cookies, but there was something that kept bugging me: They had crisp edges (so far so good) but a really domed center, without the typical cracks you’d see in the best Snickerdoodle recipes.

And while I could have just left it at that and figured it’s something I have to live with when adding protein, I’m a bit stubborn and want nothing less but “Just that texture” I found so enticing in the originals. So I played around with the ingredients and found a way to not just get to the perfectly even rise with cracks, that deflates after baking, settling into soft waves and that signature chewiness, but also even adds to the already delicious flavor.

Two small changes made all the difference: Browning the butter, removing the water content, adding lovely nutty notes and, after cooling and whipping, it contributes to that perfectly even rise. And a bit of honey, which, because it is hygroscopic, absorbs moisture from it’s surroundings, keeping the protein cookies moist even after baking, leading to that classic chewiness. Hints of honey flavor are also welcome of course.

Ingredient Notes

As usual I just write about those ingredients I feel are noteworthy. The whole list with amounts is in the recipe card.

Protein Snickerdoodle Dough

• Butter – Mine is always Irish butter, unsalted. Kerrygold is of course fabulous. But any good quality high fat butter will do. Get the best you can afford, as the flavor comes through nicely.
• Sugar – For once I just used granulated sugar, to stay as close to the original as possible. The white sugar adds volume and fluffiness when being whipped with the butter, introducing little air bubbles that gives you the characteristic rise.
• Honey – I swapped a small amount of the sugar for honey, to keep more moisture in the dough, giving these Snickerdoodles chewiness despite the protein powder.
• Protein Powder – I mostly bake with whey concentrate. In sweet treat like this one usually vanilla flavor from “MyProtein” (This is neither affiliated nor sponsored. Just the powder I found to taste best after trying a fair few. If you never found one you actually enjoy, give this one a try.) Whey concentrate is one of the powders most people who do use any form of protein probably have at home, as it makes for lovely creamy shakes. For other options check the “Substitutions” section below.
• Sourdough Discard – You can use anything from active starter to about 4 days old discard. After that you might want to add a tablespoon more sugar, to balance the acidity. Mine is at about a 1:1 ratio with water. Sometimes a little less water, to get a slightly stiffer starter. But I found it makes barely any difference in the resulting discard. If it moves slowly out of the jar like thick pancake batter when you tip it, it’s perfect. If it’s stiffer, add a tablespoon of water to the dough. If it’s runnier, add a tablespoon of flour.
• For sourdough: Please weigh it, as the volume can wildly differentiate depending on age and activity.
• Flour – All-purpose is what you want for tender cookies, as it has less gluten than, say, bread flour.
• Baking Soda – You might think with sourdough you wouldn’t need any other leavener, and sure, you could leave it out if you really wanted to. But the soda balances the acidity from the sourdough and gives a very even rise. You’ll notice the difference if you leave them in the fridge overnight to allow them to ferment. If you added the soda before, it’ll lose its effectiveness and you get a thinner cookie with crispy edges and just the center risen.
• Cream of Tartar – This is, apart from the sourdough discard, what gives Snickerdoodles it typical tang. You can adjust the tang by using just one teaspoon instead of two, but they won’t rise as much if you do.
• Salt – As always I use kosher salt, which has lower weight by volume than other types. So if you are using sea or table salt, use half a teaspoon instead.

Weigh Your Ingredients

Being from Europe, for me, weighing ingredients has always been the standard. When I spotted the American cup system, I thought, “Well, that’s kinda handy!” until I noticed how wildly different the weight vs. volume can be, especially for ingredients like flour.

You can easily add an extra 30g of flour (1/4 cup) by simply dragging your measuring cup through the bag instead of gently spooning and leveling it. This leads to wildly different results in baking.

And when it comes to sourdough discard, volume measurements are especially tricky. Just think about freshly fed starter versus discard that’s been in the fridge for a few days—the volume can change drastically, so you most certainly want to weigh yours!

Another benefit of weighing your ingredients? You only have your mixing bowl and a spoon to wash, not a mountain of measuring cups! Just use the Tare function on your scale and weigh ingredients right into your bowl.

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• Granulated Sugar – The classic for snickerdoodles. And matches the type used in the cookies, to keep it easy.
• Cinnamon – Of course, and a lot of it too. To give these sourdough protein cookies their classic warm spiced flavor and look.

substitutions

Note:
If you are celiac, please ensure you use a certified gluten-free flour blend for all flour components, including the sourdough discard replacement, if needed.

Protein Snickerdoodle Dough

• Butter – Vegan butter would work too here. Try to get one with a high fat content, as the browning will otherwise evaporate too much of it, leading to dryer than intended cookies.
• You could use half vegetable shortening (and not brown that), but frankly I feel butter just gives so much flavor, it would be a shame to sacrifice any of it.
• Sugar – You could use xylitol, if you are diabetic or want to cut back on calories. The cookies will stay a little paler, as it doesn’t caramelize, but that’s not a big issue due to the cinnamon coating giving them plenty of color.
• If you want to use brown or cane sugar, expect very different results in consistency due to the added molasses. They will be denser and chewier, not puff up as much.
• Honey – The main job of the honey is to attract moisture and keep these protein cookies chewy. If you are vegan, you could use corn syrup instead, which is also hygroscopic.
• Protein Powder – I haven’t tried many vegan protein powders, but Nora from “Nora Cooks” swears by Orgain. So that might be worth a t
• Casein will work too (ideally vanilla flavored), but you might need to add a tablespoon of milk to make up for its higher moisture absorption.
• I would not advise to use whey isolate, as it has a much stronger drying effect.
• If you do try any other types, I’d love to read about your experience in the comments below!
• Without Protein – If you’d prefer to make these cookies without protein powder, simply replace it 1:1 with flour.
• Sourdough Discard – If you don’t have sourdough or prefer not to use it, replace it with ¼ cup flour and ¼ cup milk or plant milk. Full fat ideally, to imitate the tenderizing effects of sourdough.
• Flour – For the celiacs among you, I heard the King Arthur brand of GF flour works pretty much 1:1 for AP flour. But I can’t get it here to try that out. So if you do, I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
• Eggs – To replace the eggs, add 1/3 cup (80ml) plant milk with high fat content at the liquid ingredient step, and add ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour with the rest of the dry ingredients. Your result might be ever so slightly dryer, but still really good.
• Cream Of Tartar – While this is what gives Snickerdoodles both their characteristic tang and part of the rise, you can replace it with 1.5 teaspoons baking powder for each 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar. Sourdough will add tang anyway, so they will work fine without it.

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• Sugar – Xylitol will work here. It won’t caramelize, but you still get that sparkle and crunch.
• Cinnamon – If you absolutely despise cinnamon, the dough still makes really good vanilla-y sugar cookies just rolled in sugar or brown sugar. Or you could go the Swedish route and grind some cardamom to add to the sugar, giving them a slightly lemony hint and taking them into a decidedly different direction.

Equipment Used

• Saucepan – For browning the butter
• Heatproof bowl – For the hot butter, to stop it from burning at just the right browning point. I used my KitchenAid Glass bowl, which I also use to mix the dough in. The original is heat proof, which is marvellous.
• Spatula – To stir the butter and transfer all the wet ingredients into the dough. Plus one last stir at the end, making sure everything is incorporated.
• Whisk – For whisking the butter and then the flour with the dry ingredients.
• Cookie Scoop – Super practical for getting (fairly) even portions from your dough. Frankly, I still manage to get different sizes, but then…I’m not handling it particularly accurate. It’s just cookies!
• Stand Mixer – Entirely optional. You can absolutely make this with just a whisk, spatula and mixing bowl. I’m using my KitchenAid however, because I have arthritis and am, frankly, lazy.
• Sheet pan – Ideally 2, so you can bake in batches.

Saucepan

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metal bowl

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cookie scoop

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stand mixer

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How to Make this

Preparations

• Take your eggs out of the fridge, so they can come to room temperature. Though, if you forget (as I often do) simply add it to the still slightly warm butter, to help you cool it down.
• Get all your ingredients ready. I love measuring them out in advance, so I can just throw them together, looking all organised when making the cookies. Plus I’m very prone to forgetting something. So having it all lined up helps me make sure I got it all.

Brown Your Butter

• In a saucepan, melt your butter over medium high heat. It will splatter and bubble wildly.
• The moment you hear the sound changing and the bubbles look smaller, turn down the heat to medium low and start stirring with your spatula, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. This is the good stuff, you don’t want it to burn!
• Let it brown for just a minute or so, until it smells lovely nutty and has a deep amber color. Depending on your hob this can be very quickly! In doubt stop earlier rather than burning it.
• Transfer to your heat proof bowl. Allow to cool in the fridge for about 30 minutes or until the sides are starting to solidify, but the center is still liquid.
• At this point whisk and integrate all the lovely brown bits from the bottom back in, until you have a creamy mass.

• Don’t be tempted to use the butter in liquid form. It won’t get fluffy when mixing with the sugar and your cookies might come out flat and greasy instead of puffy and chewy.

Whisk Butter and Sugar

• Using either your whisk or the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, start whisking butter and sugar until fluffy and pale. This incorporates a lot of air into the dough, helping with the characteristic puffy appearance of the Snickerdoodles.

Add Wet Ingredients and Protein Powder

• Now mix in the eggs one by one, the honey, and the vanilla, until fully incorporated and creamy.
• Add the protein powder and sourdough discard and mix again until smooth. While you could add the protein powder to the flour, I always feel it dissolves better when added with the wet ingredients.

Mix in The Dry Ingredients

• Now come the flour, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar. Give them a brief mix while on top of the batter, so all is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
• Gently stir it in until just combined. Only until no dry streaks are left. Don’t overmix.
  

Shape and Roll The Cookies in Cinnamon Sugar

• Line two sheet pans with parchment.
• Mix your cinnamon and sugar in a flat bowl or plate until well combined.
• Start by portioning out your cookies. About two tablespoons cookie dough for each. Or one medium cookie scoop. Pop them all beside each other on the sheet pan. Don’t worry about distance for now. We’ll arrange them later.

• Now, I like to pop these in the fridge for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, so they can firm up a little and be easier to roll. You can absolutely do it right away, it’s just a little messier, doughy hands and all.
• If they are cool, you can easily shape them into neat balls, then roll in the cinnamon sugar. I like to roll them twice, for good measure.

• If you decided you want your cookies right now, soft or not, pop each soft doughy portion into the cinnamon sugar right from the scoop, use your hands to push sugar over them and then roll. That way you have a bit less of a sticky mess on your hands.
• At this point you could also freeze your cookies, to bake a fresh batch whenever the mood strikes.

Bake your Protein Snickerdoodles with Sourdough Discard

• Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C.
• Iine a second sheet pan with baking parchment. (We’ll need to bake in 3-4 batches but can re-use the parchment).

• Arrange your cookies a few inches apart, so you have about 6 evenly spaced ones on each sheet pan.
• Bake for 10-14 minutes, rotating the tray once at around 6 minutes, as most ovens bake unevenly.
• If the tops are a bit cracked, but the dough underneath looks matte (slightly dry, not shiny and wet) and the edges are starting to just get golden, take them out.
• The trick here is, to have them still slightly underbaked in the center. The puffed up middle will collapse into these gentle waves (not as much as Chocolate chip cookies mind you!), leading to the typical chewiness.
• Allow them to cool on the sheet pan while you bake the next portion. Transfer to a cooling rack after about 5-10 minutes, using a spatula.
• Enjoy while still slightly warm with a glass of cold milk (Almond milk works really well with these!)

How To Store

• You can store these Sourdough discard Snickerdoodles at different stages:
• The dough can be overnight fermented for up to 3 days, increasing the sourdough tang and making it easier digestible. Ideally without the baking soda and cream of tartar added, as they will lose a big part of their leavening power within a few hours, leading to much flatter, crisper cookies (which you might enjoy). Whisk both in right before shaping. A stand mixer works best for the cooler dough.
• The Shaped and rolled cookies can be frozen and simply baked a minute or two longer whenever you want a fresh and warm Snickerdoodle.
• After baking, they keep fresh in an airtight container on the counter for about 3 days. Or frozen in a sturdy freezer bag for about 3 months.
• I like re-heating mine in the air fryer at 350°F/175°C for about 5 minutes, to get that fresh, crisp- chewy cookie feeling.

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Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?

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