Soft, tender, moist, and fluffy - these Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins are the perfect fall treat made with sourdough discard or active starter! This easy one-bowl muffin recipe comes together in minutes and can be baked right away or stashed in the refrigerator to bake fresh the next morning. And you can thank me later, but this recipe uses the whole can of pumpkin! So you don't have to figure out what to do with the leftovers.
Recipe Background and Details
Well it's officially fall and I really needed to add something with pumpkin to my collection of sourdough discard recipes! This recipe was inspired by my love of the fall season and my love of muffins. Pumpkin and warm spices just make my heart skip a beat and I hope you love this recipe a much as I do. Be sure to take a look at my Any-Flavor Sourdough Discard Muffin for a blank slate muffin recipe you can add your favorite flavors to. And for more pumpkin recipes, give my Spiced Pumpkin Scones and Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars a try!
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Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need to make these easy sourdough pumpkin muffins. See the recipe card for full instructions and amounts.
- pumpkin puree: one standard can which is usually 15 ounces.
- sourdough starter: this recipe is written for unfed starter but you can use active and you will just have a fluffier muffin.
- brown sugar: white granulated can be used as well.
- oil or melted butter: the butter tastes the best, but I love the convenience of oil. Both work well.
- eggs: I have not tried this with egg substitutes but I imagine they would work well.
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour: I often swap out a bit of the ap flour for some whole wheat and it works nicely. I would not go 100% whole wheat or you'll have a very dense muffin.
- baking powder and baking soda: for some lift and tenderness. These leaveners interact with the sourdough starter and create a fluffy, tender, moist crumb.
- pumpkin pie spice: or apple pie spice, chai spice, or simply cinnamon.
- salt: I test all of my recipes with Diamond Crystal Kosher salt.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
As with all of my muffin recipes, this is just a quick bowl and a whisk kind of batter. Use a light hand when mixing so you don't end up with a dense muffin. See all of my Muffin Making Tips below.
- Step 1: Combine wet ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well.
- Step 2: Add dry ingredients to wet mixture.
- Step 3: Stir gently until all ingredients are combined but do not overmix.
- Step 4: Scoop into muffin pans and bake.
Optional Topping Ideas
These muffins don't need anything, but if you want to dress them up, here are some ideas.
- The easiest way to dress up a muffin is simply to sprinkle on some sugar - either brown, white, demerara, or cinnamon sugar - before baking.
- A few pumpkin seeds on top would be cute and very appropriate.
- A crumble or streusel is always a good idea. Use the crumble from my Mulberry Crumble Muffins recipe or the streusel from my Blueberry Streusel Muffins recipe.
Make Ahead and Storage
Make this batter the night before and store covered in the refrigerator. Scoop and bake the next morning. *If you are using active starter, you will get some fermentation benefits from this cold ferment.
Store baked and cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Top Muffin Tips
- Do not over-mix your batter. Lumps are good. Even itty bitty bits of flour still showing are fine. Muffin batter should be lumpy and ugly. Your self-restraint will be rewarded when you bite into a tender, fluffy muffin. If you over-mix you will have a tough, dense, heavy muffin.
- Allow muffin batter to sit for 20-30 minutes before baking to get nice, domed tops. OR even overnight - see make ahead instructions above as well as in the recipe card.
- And finally, don't over-bake your muffins. I err on the side of underdone as they will have a little bit of carry-over cooking. Around the 18 minute mark, press the tops just lightly with your finger. If they spring back, they are done. If they leave an indentation, give them another minute or so. You can also check with a toothpick; just insert and if you see a few moist crumbs they are done. If you see wet batter, give them a little more time.
FAQ
Oil and eggs are both ingredients that keeps muffins very moist. Also, in the case of these Pumpkin Muffins, the pumpkin itself keeps the muffins very moist. Another tip for moist muffins is to not overbake them!
If you end up with dense muffins it is likely because you overmixed the muffin batter. One of my top muffin tips is to mix very gently until you have a lumpy batter. If you mix until it is perfectly smooth, you have definitely overmixed.
Related - sourdough recipes
- Triple Lemon Sourdough Scones
- Sourdough Discard Waffles
- Sourdough Discard Blondies
- Sourdough Discard Peanut Butter Cookies
Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins
Soft, tender, moist, and fluffy - these Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins are the perfect fall treat made with sourdough discard or active starter! This easy one-bowl muffin recipe comes together in minutes and can be baked right away or stashed in the refrigerator to bake fresh the next morning. And you can thank me later, but this recipe uses the whole can of pumpkin! So you don't have to figure out what to do with the leftovers.
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 muffins
Ingredients
wet ingredients:
15 ounces (425 grams) pumpkin puree
1 cup (240 grams) sourdough discard *see notes if using active
½ cup (about 120 grams) neutral oil or melted butter*
¾ (150 grams) or up to 1 cup (180 grams) brown sugar*
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
dry ingredients:
2 ¼ cups (270 grams) all purpose flour
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
optional topping:
a few tablespoons of sugar or cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line 24 muffin cups with paper liners or spray with baking spray.
- Add all wet ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide batter evenly between 24 lined or greased muffin cups. Top with cinnamon sugar, streusel, or crumble if desired.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes.
- Cool in pan for a few minutes before transferring to cooling racks.
Notes
I prefer a less-sweet muffin so I use ¾ cup sugar and sometimes even ½ cup. If you like a sweeter muffin, use the full cup.
You can use active starter or discard for this recipe. If you use active, you will get a fluffier muffin. When weighing the starter, active weighs less so be sure to measure accordingly. 1 cup of discard is about 240 grams while one cup of active, bubbly starter weighs about 160-170 grams.
Different oils/fats have different weights. Be sure to check the gram conversion of the fat you are using.
Make this batter the night before and store covered in the refrigerator. Scoop and bake the next morning. *If you are using active starter, you will get some fermentation benefits from this cold ferment.
Store baked and cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: breakfast, breads, muffins
- Method: baking, sourdough
- Cuisine: American
Kathy says
Hello Anita,
I am very excited to try this recipe! Will be taking them to a Church function.
Forgive me, but you will you please clarify that if I use active starter the measurement by weight will be the 160-170 grams?
Many thanks!
"You can use active starter or discard for this recipe. If you use active, you will get a fluffier muffin. When weighing the starter, active weighs less so be sure to measure accordingly. 1 cup of discard is about 240 grams while one cup of active, bubbly starter weighs about 160-170 grams."
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Kathy. You will want to use the 240 grams if you are measuring by weight whether you are using active or discard. Sorry if that is confusing - I may need to adjust my wording. If you were to measure active starter by volume for this recipe, you'd want to be sure to stir the bubbles out of your active starter (to mimic the texture of discard) to get an accurate measurement. To explain it further - if you were to scoop a cup measure into your flat sourdough discard, that cup would weigh about 240 grams. If you were to scoop a cup measure into bubbly, active starter, that cup would weigh about 160-170 grams due to all of the air bubbles. I hope that makes sense! Let me know if you have other questions.
Candice says
Should eggs and sourdough discard be room temp?
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Candice. If you are a super-planner then yes it's always a good idea to bring baking ingredients to room temp. But I very often do not and I still end up with delicious, tender muffins. Let me know if you have any other questions! Thanks - Anita
jerri koestner says
I just have to share this. Was very excited to make this. Had it all mixed, added chia, flax, hemp, cinnamon. Started oven preheating. The element flared and blew!!! So I could not bake! But I had stove top!!!
These were the most incredible pancakes I’ve ever had!!!! 🙂
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Jerri! I am so glad you shared this! I am sorry about your oven but I applaud your ability to pivot and improvise! This is just one of my favorite comments ever! Thank you so much!! - Anita
Virginia Lawrence says
Super yummy muffins! I shortened my bake time to 16 minutes and it was perfection!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
I'm so happy you loved these muffins! Thank you for the kind feedback!