Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies with Fresh Milled Flour
Nothing beats a classic cookie, and these Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies bring that old fashioned flavor to life. Complete with the signature crosshatch pattern, they have a comforting, timeless appeal. They bake with perfectly crispy edges and soft, chewy centers in every bite. Made with fresh milled flour and sourdough, they offer rich peanut butter flavor with a wholesome twist. As a result, these Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies with Fresh Milled Flour feel both nostalgic and nourishing. Whether you serve them fresh from the oven or pack them for a simple treat, they deliver the perfect homemade comfort.
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Why You’ll Love These Peanut Butter Cookies
- Made with fresh milled flour
- Naturally fermented with sourdough starter
- Rich peanut butter flavor
- Soft, chewy centers
- Perfect for gatherings, snacks, and picnics
- Old fashioned , nostalgic treat
Why Fresh Milled Flour?
Fresh milled flour keeps the entire wheat berry intact, including the bran, germ, and endosperm. This means it delivers naturally occurring fiber, healthy fats, and essential nutrients in every bake. When you mill flour fresh, you preserve B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, zinc, and magnesium that disappear during commercial processing.
By using fresh milled flour, you support digestion, steady energy, and overall wellness — not just empty calories.
I have the NutriMill Classic. I use mine several times a week and have had no issues in over two years. It is a great, affordable grain mill.
Why Use Sourdough?
Sourdough fermentation actively breaks down complex carbohydrates and reduces phytic acid in the grain. This process helps your body absorb minerals more easily and improves digestion. The natural bacteria and wild yeast in sourdough also slow down how quickly your body processes carbohydrates, which supports balanced blood sugar.
Sourdough adds depth of flavor while improving the structure and texture of baked goods. When you combine sourdough with fresh milled flour, the two work together to create baked goods that taste better and feel more nourishing.
How to Make Your Own Brown Sugar:
A simple way to make your own brown sugar is to mix cane sugar (or regular granulated) with molasses. I use 200 grams (1 cup) grams organic cane sugar to 20 grams molasses (1 tbsp). You can adjust this to how dark you want your sugar. I like the Golden Barrel brand, and have used both the baking molasses or the blackstrap molasses. Both are delicious, the blackstrap has a stronger flavor though. I personally love the Blackstrap flavor. You can hand mix it, but it does take a while to incorporate it. I bulk make it, so I fill my Bosch and use the wire whips to mix it up in a few minutes.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Soft white wheat – soft white wheat is ideal for cookies
- Baking powder
- Salted butter – softened to room temperature
- Brown sugar – see above for how to make your own brown sugar
- Cane sugar – you can also use regular granulated sugar
- Peanut butter – smooth or chunky
- Sourdough starter – active or discard. This is optional but I love the flavor and nutritional benefits it adds.
- Egg
- Vanilla extract – I love my homemade vanilla extract!
Equipment/Ingredients I Use
- Grain Mill
- Bosch Mixer
- Sheet Pan w/ lid – I love this set that comes with lids for an easy fridge ferment
- Parchment Paper
- Cookie Scoop – I like this set, the medium is my normal cookie size. The large for jumbo and small for mini cookies.
Use a fork to press the cookies down with a crisscross pattern.
Making Peanut Butter Cookies
Prepare the Dry Ingredients
Start by milling your flour. Soft white wheat works best for these cookies. Then whisk together the flour and baking soda. Set the dry ingredients aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.
Mix the Wet Ingredients
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room-temperature butter and both sugars. Cream them together on medium speed for about two minutes. The mixture should look light and fluffy. Alternatively, you can cream the butter and sugars by hand. Add the peanut butter ad mix until well combined. Next, add the egg, sourdough starter, and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Continue mixing for two to three minutes, until the dough looks smooth, soft, and well blended.
Combine the Dough
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while the mixer runs on low speed. Add the flour mixture slowly to prevent overmixing. Stop mixing when the flour is just incorporated. Overmixing at this stage can create dense cookies.
Shape and Chill the Dough
Next, scoop the cookie dough using a cookie scoop. Place the dough balls on a cookie sheet with a lid. Use a fork to press the cookies down with a crisscross pattern. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape. For a longer sourdough ferment and deeper flavor, refrigerate the dough overnight. If you prefer to roll the cookies by hand, chill the dough for 30 minutes first to make shaping easier.
Bake the Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies
When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Then place the chilled cookie dough balls on the prepared sheets, spacing them at least two inches apart. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. The edges should look set and slightly browned, while the centers remain soft.
Finally, remove the baking sheets from the oven. Let the Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies cool on the pan for five minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Making Cookies in Advance
For a longer ferment, cover the cookie balls and place it in the refrigerator overnight or up to 2 days. This allows the sourdough to develop more flavor and supports easier digestion.
To freeze for later, flash freeze on a pan, then transfer to a freezer bag to bake later. I really like these pans with lids for flash freezing or fermenting in the refrigerator. When ready to bake simply place them on a pan straight from the fridge or freezer and bake. If baking from frozen you may need to add 5 minutes to the bake time.
Tips for Perfect Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies
Use room-temperature ingredients – Soft butter blends more easily and creates a smoother dough.
Chill the dough before baking – Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape and improves texture.
Watch the bake time closely – Remove the cookies when the edges feel set but the centers still look soft. While baking, the cookies will puff up. Once they cool, the cookies will flatten.
Store properly for best texture – Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
Avoid overmixing once the flour is added – overmixing makes dense cookies
FAQ
Can I use discard sourdough starter?
Yes. Both active starter and sourdough discard work well in this recipe. If you do not have sourdough starter – simply omit.
What flour works best for fresh milled cookies?
Soft white wheat creates the most tender cookie texture.
Why chill the cookie dough?
Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape and improves flavor.
Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies with Fresh Milled Flour
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 187 g soft white wheat 1 1/2 cup
- 1 tsp baking powder
Wet Ingredients
- 113 g butter 1/2 cup softened to room temperature
- 200 g brown sugar 1 cup
- 200 g cane sugar 1 cup
- 250 g peanut butter 1 cup
- 125 g sourdough starter 1/2 cup active or discard
- 1 egg
- 5 g vanilla extract 1 tsp
Instructions
Making the Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies
- Start by milling your flour. Soft white wheat works best for these cookies. Then whisk together the flour and baking soda. Set the dry ingredients aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room-temperature butter and both sugars. Cream them together on medium speed for about two minutes. The mixture should look light and fluffy. Alternatively, you can cream the butter and sugars by hand.
- Add the peanut butter ad mix until well combined. Next, add the egg, sourdough starter, and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Continue mixing for two to three minutes, until the dough looks smooth, soft, and well blended.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while the mixer runs on low speed. Add the flour mixture slowly to prevent overmixing. Stop mixing when the flour is just incorporated. Overmixing at this stage can create dense cookies.
- Next, scoop the cookie dough using a cookie scoop. Place the dough balls on a cookie sheet with a lid. Use a fork to press the cookies down with a crisscross pattern. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape. For a longer sourdough ferment and deeper flavor, refrigerate the dough overnight. If you prefer to roll the cookies by hand, chill the dough for 30 minutes first to make shaping easier.
Baking the Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Then place the chilled cookie dough balls on the prepared sheets, spacing them at least two inches apart. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. The edges should look set and slightly browned, while the centers remain soft.
- Finally, remove the baking sheets from the oven. Let the Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies cool on the pan for five minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Notes
Did you make this?
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I love how you incorporated sourdough starter into one of my favourite cookies!
Thank you! They are a favorite for my family too, especially with the slight tang of long fermented sourdough.