Pink Sourdough Sugar Cookies | Recipe & Video

These sourdough pink sugar cookies are the perfect soft, chewy Valentine’s Day treat with no artificial food coloring!

These perfect pink sourdough sugar cookies are made with beet powder – no red food coloring or pink food coloring, just beet powder.  And before you let that scare you, just know that you can’t taste the beet powder at all when you use a small amount for light pink cookies and it’s barely noticeable when you use a lot for bright, magenta cookies.  I made a few batches using different amounts for different shades of pink and my family loved them all!  Even my husband liked them, and he is not a fan of anything “earthy.”  They have the perfect texture and such a delicious flavor.

Dying food is such a fun way to get kids involved in the kitchen and make beautiful dishes for holidays, birthdays, and all kinds of occasions.  While I’m not a total purist, I hesitate to use too much food coloring.  Obviously, it’s not the healthiest thing, and I can personally taste it when there’s enough added to really get the color you’re going for.  

Earlier in my homemaking years, after growing beets in my first-ever garden, I discovered the magical powers of real food as dye and I’ve been using it ever since – whether it be a bit of beet juice from a jar of pickled beets, a dash of turmeric powder, or purple sweet potato powder – the possibilities are endless.  You can use beetroot powder to dye anything – smoothies, wedding cake, desserts for baby showers, cherry pie cheesecake, etc.

Light pink beet root sugar cookies on the left, and magenta on the right

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This pink cookie recipe is a healthier alternative to the store-bought stuff, using all-natural ingredients including sourdough starter and beet powder rather than artificial dyes.
• You can play around with the amount of beet powder you use to achieve the perfect pink color you’re going for, you’ll just have to adjust the amount of flour a bit when you do.
• You can bake these cookies right away or long ferment them in the fridge for a tangy, sweet, delectable treat.

Spend the day with me baking some beetroot Valentine’s treats for my daughter’s pink-themed Valentine’s Day dinner party, her favorite color!

What You’ll Need

COOKIE DOUGH INGREDIENTS FOR LIGHT PINK COOKIES

• 1 cup (225g) of browned, unsalted butter
• 2.5 cups (500g) of sugar
• 2 egg yolks (about 34 grams each)
• 3/4 cup (180g) of sourdough starter
• 1 teaspoon (5g) of vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups (270g) all-purpose flour
• 3 Tablespoons (30g) beetroot powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (3g) of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon (5g) of baking soda
• 1 cup (175g) of white chocolate chips

COOKIE DOUGH INGREDIENTS FOR MAGENTA COOKIES

• 1 cup (225g) of browned, unsalted butter
• 2.5 cups (500g) of sugar
• 2 egg yolks (about 34 grams each)
• 3/4 cup (180g) of sourdough starter
• 1 teaspoon (5g) of vanilla extract
• 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (80g) beetroot powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (3g) of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon (5g) of baking soda
• 1 cup (175g) of white chocolate chips

TOOLS

• Small bowl
• Large Mixing Bowl or Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
• Cookie Sheet
• Parchment Paper
• Wooden Spoon or Cookie Scoop
• Wire Rack
• (optional if you prefer weighing ingredients) Kitchen Scale
• (optional if using a bowl) hand mixer

Step-By-Step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Make the Cookie Dough

Brown the butter on medium-low heat until brown flecks appear.  Remove from heat and allow the browned butter to cool for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, beetroot powder, salt, and baking soda.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, whisk/mix browned butter and 2 cup sugar together for 2 minutes at low speed.  Add the egg yolks, sourdough starter, and vanilla and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix.  Stir in the white chocolate chips.

Bake the Cookies

Spoon the dough onto a prepared baking sheet and use the back of a spoon to flatten it to 1/4” thick circles, or roll the dough into a sheet and use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut the cookies.

Bake at 350F in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the edges are just golden brown and the center of each cookie is still a bit gooey.

Set the cookies on a cooling rack to cool before serving.

FAQ

• Do I have to use sourdough discard or can I use active sourdough starter in sourdough sugar cookies?
  • You can use either.  This pink sugar cookie recipe does not need to be fermented because it includes baking soda which will do the leavening.  You can ferment the dough in the fridge overnight or for a few days if you want sourdough flavor.
• Do I have to brown the butter to make sourdough cookies?
  • Yes. If you want the cookies to be chewy and soft.  If you don’t mind a cake-like consistency, you can skip browning the butter.  Browned butter will not only result in a better texture, but also better flavor.
• Can I make sourdough sugar cookie dough in advance?
  • Yes.  You can make this cookie dough in advance.  Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days before baking.
• Can I freeze sourdough sugar cookie dough?
  • Yes, you can freeze this cookie dough.  Roll into individual ball of dough and freeze or into a log for easy cutting and baking, then wrap with plastic wrap and store for up to 3 months.  Or, freeze in any airtight container for up to 3 months.

Tips

• Don’t over-mix the dough. Over-mixing will result in cookies that are dense, tough, and dry.  For chewy cookies, mix until the dough is just combined.
• Don’t over-bake.  Sourdough sugar cookies are best with a soft center and a chewy texture.  Remove them from the oven when the edges are just set, the middles will still be a bit gooey and set as they cool.

Storage

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the fridge for one week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

More Sourdough Cookies

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sourdough Discard Iced Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

Sourdough Lemon Drop Cookie Recipe

How to Make A Sourdough Starter – Easy Guide

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