Cinnamon Toast Cookies (Sourdough Cookies with Vanilla and Cinnamon)

When it comes to making a lot of cookies at once, you can’t beat slice-and-bake. The dough is simple to prepare (it often requires just one bowl), and the steps can easily be broken up into shifts so you don’t have to carve out hours at a time. They don’t require scooping or rolling, yet just one batch makes many cookies. Case in point: these simple vanilla slice-and-bake sourdough discard cookies are ideal for the holiday season.

A coating of Demerara sugar and cinnamon is why I decided to call these “cinnamon toast” cookies. The buttery, slightly tangy dough mingles with the sweet cinnamon coating, calling to mind one of my favorite little sweet treats. These simple rounds may not be as flashy as others on the cookie swap table, but you’ll swiftly find that no one will mind the lack of colorful sanding sugar or chopped candy cane topping as they’re gobbled up.

Use Less Flour Than the Standard Cookie Ratio Dictates

The standard cookie ratio is one part sugar, two parts butter, and three parts flour by weight. I find that this tends to make quite a stiff, floury slice-and-bake cookie, especially since these don’t have a significant amount of sugar, nor chewiness or aeration from eggs. I landed on 250 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour, plus an additional 35 from the sourdough starter discard, means the ratio of sugar (150 grams) to butter (226 grams) to flour is more like 1 : 1½ : just under 2.

High Quality Butter Makes a Difference

The dough is quite simple, so the flavor of the few ingredients used will be noticeable. In the case of these cookies, if you can get your hands on very good butter (European-style is great), I recommend it.

Just a Bit of Sourdough Starter Discard is All You Need

Shortbread-style cookies don’t typically include water. Could you brown the butter to evaporate some water? Of course! I’ve done it in many cookie recipes, from sugar cookies to chocolate chip cookies to oatmeal cookies. In fact, browning the butter and then chilling it until it returns to a room temperature-reminiscent texture, as I did in this plum cake recipe, would taste great here, and you won’t need to change anything in the recipe, other than just keep an eye on the bake time. (Give it a try and let me know how it goes!) In the case of this dough, there was already enough waiting.

Add Flavorings If Desired

While simple is classic and fun, there are also a number of ways to punch up these cookies in the flavor-department: Citrus zest (lemon, grapefruit, and orange), other extracts like rose water, orange flower water, or almond extract instead of (or in addition to) the vanilla, and toasted sesame oil adds roasty-toasty undertones. Chopped chocolate or toasted nuts add texture. Instant coffee or espresso, powdered tea like matcha and hojicha, or even ground tea leaves like Earl Gray also work very nicely here. See the FAQ section for measurements and more tips.  

An Electric Mixer Makes Your Life Easier

Using an electric mixer—either a hand beater or a stand mixer, will help efficiently cream the butter and sugar here, but if you have very strong arms you can absolutely make the dough by hand.

(This is Maurizio’s all-time favorite hand mixer, the Breville Handy Mixer, featured on many holiday gift guides!)

Chill Dough For a Nice Long Time

Since these cookies have a higher ratio of butter to flour than others, the dough is soft and pliable, which can encourage spreading when it hits the oven. Chilling the dough for at least 2 hours will resolidify the butter and make nice neat cookie-rounds (see below).

A Cinnamon Sugar Rim Adds Flavor and Sparkle 

The mix of Demerara sugar and cinnamon on the edges of each really make these “cinnamon toast” cookies. That said, ground cardamom or sumac are lovely swaps for cinnamon in the sugar coating. Toasted white or black sesame seeds are also a fun coating along with sugar. For more flavor ideas, see the FAQ section.

Bake For Longer Than You Think

Because these cookies have water in them via the starter, the dough is more hydrated than others like it. The cookie tops don’t get particularly dark in the oven, so it can be a little tricky to gauge how done they are without looking at the bottoms (hard to do until they’ve cooled a bit and set). A slightly underbaked slice and bake cookie is less desirable than, say, a gooey chocolate chip cookie, so do yourself a favor and give these at least 14 minutes.

Can I use other flavorings in the dough or sugar coating?

Yes! Try rubbing up to 2 tablespoons of citrus zest (I like lemon, grapefruit, and orange) into the sugar before creaming with the butter. 

You could also play around with other extracts instead of or in addition to the vanilla, like rose or orange flower water, almond extract (those are much more potent than vanilla, try ¼ teaspoon of those and work your way up if you crave more punch). One teaspoon toasted sesame oil adds roasty-toasty undertones. For more texture, add up to 130 grams (about ¾ cup) chopped chocolate or toasted nuts. Instant coffee or espresso, powdered tea like matcha and hojicha, or even ground tea leaves like Earl Gray also work very nicely here.  

Ground cardamom or sumac are lovely swaps for cinnamon in the sugar coating. Toasted white or black sesame seeds are also a fun coating. 

I wouldn’t do more than a few additions in each but these are some excellent combinations: 

• Rose water + chopped pistachio + sumac sugar coating
• Orange zest + chopped chocolate + plain or cinnamon sugar coating
• Toasted sesame oil + cardamom and sesame seed sugar coating
• Earl Gray tea + almond extract + plain sugar coating
• Lemon zest + matcha + cinnamon or cardamom sugar coating

Cinnamon Toast Cookies

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• Author: Rebecca Firkser
• Prep Time: 4 hours
• Cook Time: 16 minutes
• Total Time: 4 hours 16 minutes
• Yield: 32 cookies
• Category: Dessert, Snack
• Cuisine: American, French

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Description

These slice-and-bake sourdough discard cookies are simple to prepare and feature a buttery, slightly tangy dough perfectly complemented by a crisp, sweet coating of cinnamon and Demerara sugar. They are the ideal make-ahead cookie for the holiday season, delivering classic “cinnamon toast” flavor without the fuss of scooping or rolling.

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Ingredients

226 grams (1 cup, 2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

150 grams (3/4 cup) granulated sugar

70 grams (5 tablespoons) sourdough starter discard (unfed, 100% hydration)

11 grams (1 tablespoon) vanilla bean paste or extract

250 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour

3 grams (1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal or ½ teaspoon Morton) kosher salt

35 grams (1 large) egg white, lightly beaten

50 grams (¼ cup) Demerara sugar, for rolling

8 grams (1 tablespoon) cinnamon, for rolling

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, for rolling

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Instructions

1. Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, and use an electric mixer on medium speed or the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to cream the mixture until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway. Scrape down the bowl, then beat in sourdough discard and vanilla extract on medium low speed until combined. Scrape down the bowl again, then on low speed beat in the flour and salt until combined.
   
2. Scoop out half the dough (about 335 grams) onto a piece of plastic wrap, waxed paper, or parchment paper. Using the wrap or paper to help you, roll the dough into a log about 1 ½ inches wide. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Note: If it’s especially warm in your kitchen or if you’re using a soft European-style butter, the dough can be harder to roll into a log. If you have time to spare, divide it in half, then pop the dough into the fridge for about 15 minutes to firm it up just enough to make it stiffer.
   
3.  Chill the logs for at least 4 hours, but you can leave them for up to 24 hours (if you’re not making them within 24 hours, place the logs in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months, then defrost in the fridge before baking. To freeze sliced cookies, see the FAQ).
4. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350ºF with racks in the upper and lower third. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. 
5. Pour the Demerara sugar, cinnamon, and flaky salt into a shallow dish or another sheet pan and use your fingers to combine, slightly breaking up the salt. 
6. Unwrap one cookie log. Brush it lightly with the beaten egg white, then roll in the sugar mixture, pressing firmly so it adheres to the dough. Slice into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Lay cookies out on the parchment about 1 inch apart from each other. Repeat with remaining dough, keeping any cookies that don’t fit on the sheet pans in the fridge.
   
7. Bake until puffed and lightly golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes, swapping the tray racks halfway through baking. Let cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to one week (or freeze for up to 3 months).
   

   

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Cinnamon Toast Cookies FAQs

What’s Next?

Be sure to check out our full roundup of sourdough starter discard recipes for more cookies, brownies, cakes, and more. Happy baking!