Do you have sourdough starter coming out of your ears? Time to bake up a delicious batch of these Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins! Featuring the addition of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices, you're going to be addicted to this fall flavored delight! Easy substitutions mean you can even make this recipe whole wheat if you so desire, and they freeze beautifully. Bake now, enjoy later.
Muffins make the perfect snack or make ahead breakfast. While I personally prefer something on the hearty side for my morning meal (like Peanut Butter Cookie Oatmeal or fried eggs and sprouted toast), there are members of my family that prefer a grab and go option. That's where this Sourdough Pumpkin Muffin recipe comes in!
Some afternoon when I am feeling particularly bake-y (that's a word, trust me), I can whip up a batch of these moist and fragrant muffins and stash them in the fridge or freezer for a later date. Then, when someone wakes up with their belly growling, they can grab a quick bite.
In this way, muffins also make excellent snacks! No one really knows when they are going to be feeling a bit snackish, so when the urge strikes you can add a muffin to a pretty plate and enjoy it along side a chai tea latte, or a big mug of French press coffee. How delightful!?
Using Sourdough Discard
Best of all, these Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins use up a portion of that pesky discard we sourdough bakers always have lying around. Transforming a would be waste product into something delicious and filling for our families. Nice!
I also made my Sourdough Pumpkin Bread at the same time, meaning I was able to use a giant can of pumpkin puree without having to freeze the leftovers. I suggest you do the same.
Let's get started!
Ingredients
- Pumpkin puree: You will need 1 cup of pumpkin puree for this recipe. That is about half of a regular sized can (15oz) of pumpkin puree. Be sure that the label reads pumpkin PUREE, and NOT pumpkin pie filling.
- Sourdough discard: You can use cold, refrigerated discard for these pumpkin muffins, or you can use freshly discarded starter.
- Oil: You will want to use a neutral tasting oil. I like to use avocado oil, but you can use vegetable, refined coconut or sunflower oil if desired.
- Pepitas (optional): These are a special type of pumpkin seed. Particular cultivars of pumpkin are grown, essentially JUST for their seeds. Pepitas are hull-less pumpkin seeds and boast a bright green color. You can buy them at your local grocery or health food store, and they make a super filling snack! They also make a gorgeous topping for pumpkin muffins (and pumpkin breads).
- Other ingredients: flour, cane sugar, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, ginger, vanilla, eggs, and coarse baking sugar (optional).
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the white sugar, brown sugar, oil, pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, and sourdough discard until well blended.
Add the flour mixture to the whisked wet ingredients.
Whisk the wet and dry ingredients together just until combined.
Use a cookie scoop or large spoon to divide the batter into the 12 lined muffin cups. Fill each cup nearly full; somewhere between ¾ and ⅞ full is a general guideline.
Sprinkle with the coarse baking sugar (if using), and then top each muffin with a sprinkling of pepitas (if using).
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of each muffin.
Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
Serve and enjoy!
Storage Tips
These muffins will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. You can place them in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
Freezing
For a longer storage time, I recommend freezing your Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins. First, let them cool to room temperature completely. Then, place them in the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours. Wrap each muffin in several layers of plastic wrap, and place the wrapped muffins in a large freezer bag. Remove any excess air, label, and place the bag in the freezer. Thaw before serving. Use within 2 months of freezing.
Variations and Substitutions
Without sourdough discard: If you don't have sourdough discard, you can still make this recipe. Just substitute the sourdough discard in this recipe for an additional 6 tablespoons of all purpose flour, and ¼ cup of water, milk, or buttermilk added to the wet ingredients.
Dairy free: This recipe is dairy free as written!
With whole wheat flour: Substitute the flour in this recipe for 1 cup of spooned and leveled whole wheat flour.
Pumpkin puree substitute: If you don't have pumpkin puree, you can substitute it for a thick puree of butternut squash, or sweet potato. Just make sure it is very thick, similar to what you would find commercially for pumpkin.
Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins: Fold 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips into the muffin batter before baking.
FAQ
When you are making quick breads such as muffins, you need to be very careful to not overmix the batter. This means that you stir JUST until the flour is absorbed and the wet and dry ingredients are combined. If you keep going, gluten starts to develop, making for a dense and tough muffin. Another option is that you added too many mix ins, or too much pumpkin puree. It is essential that you measure your ingredients accurately when it comes to baking.
It can be, but it also may not be! Canned pumpkin is simply pumpkin that has been canned. The two most common forms are pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie filling. Most recipes call for pumpkin puree, so it is essential that you do not mix the two up when including it in a recipe. When in doubt, check the recipe and verify whether it is pumpkin puree or pumpkin pie filling that is called for.
Your muffins may need more flour. Flour has a lot of variations when it is being measured. Humidity, time of year, measuring cup style, and how the baker measures flour all play a part in causing variations in measurement. For this reason, if your batter is overly sticky, you want to be sure to gently incorporate a little more flour. Be careful not to overmix!
Keeping a light hand when mixing your batter is essential to a light and fluffy muffin. Also, the use of oil (versus butter, lard, or coconut oil) creates an airy crumb and moist texture.
More Sourdough Muffins:
Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins
These sweet and satisfying Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins are the perfect Fall treat. Filled with pumpkiny goodness and perfectly spiced with seasonally inspired flavors, they are a tasty way to treat yourself and enjoy the best the season has to offer.
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or other neutral tasting oil)
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup coarse baking sugar (optional)
- ½ cup pepitas (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the white sugar, brown sugar, oil, pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, and sourdough discard until well blended.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Whisk the wet and dry ingredients together just until combined.
- Use a cookie scoop or large spoon to divide the batter into the 12 lined muffin cups. Fill each cup nearly full; somewhere between ¾ and ⅞ full is a general guideline.
- Sprinkle with the coarse baking sugar (if using), and then top each muffin with a sprinkling of pepitas (if using).
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of each muffin.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Storage:
These muffins will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. You can place them in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
Freezing Tips:
If you would like to freeze these muffins, let them cool to room temperature completely. Then, place them in the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours. Wrap each muffin in several layers of plastic wrap, and place the wrapped muffins in a large freezer bag. Remove any excess air, label, and place the bag in the freezer. Thaw before serving. Use within 2 months of freezing.
Without Sourdough:
If you don't have sourdough discard, you can still make these muffins. You will need to add an additional 6 tablespoons of flour to the dry ingredients, and ¼ cup of water, milk, or buttermilk to the wet ingredients.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 MuffinAmount Per Serving: Calories: 217Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 252mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information is an estimate only.
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