Pumpkin Sourdough Muffins
It’s cooler weather, and you’re craving something seasonal. Enter these pumpkin sourdough muffins. They’re super soft and tender with a delicious buttery streusel top.
What readers say:
These are the best muffins!! I will be making these for the rest of my life, thank you lol
Honara
About these muffins
The sourdough starter discard isn’t used for the leavening process in these muffins. Instead, they use baking powder and baking soda for the rise. The leftover sourdough discard gives these muffins a delicious flavor, and the acid in the discard creates a tender muffin with a fluffy texture. Perfect if you have a lot of discard!
If you want, you can give the batter an overnight ferment. This creates an even taller muffin, increases the flavor, and the fermented flour can make things easier to digest. If you want to bake them right away, though, you can. Don’t have your own sourdough starter yet? Learn to make a homemade sourdough starter.
The crispy streusel topping is one of the best parts of this pumpkin sourdough muffin recipe. It’s like bites of a shortbread cookie, giving another texture element.
A few key ingredients
Method
- Add the dry ingredients into a bowl.
- Whisk to remove any lumps, and set aside.
- In seperate bowl, add oil, eggs, milk, sourdough discard, sugars and pumpkin puree.
- Whisk until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the large bowl. Fold until combined.
Overnight sourdough muffins
Cover the bowl tightly and place it in the refrigerator for up to 20 hours. Cold fermenting allows the flour to absorb more moisture from the batter, which can lead to a more tender and moist crumb. Additionally, slow fermentation helps break down the proteins in the flour.
- In a small bowl combine melted butter, granulated sugar, and all-purpose flour for the streusel. Use a fork to combine into a coarse crumb, then set it aside.
- Divide pumpkin muffin batter evenly over 12 muffin cups. They will be full. Generously pile the crumbly streusel mixture on top of each muffin.
Storing
Store any leftover muffins loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze them in a Ziplock bag or airtight container. Rewarm them gently in the microwave.
More sourdough recipes
Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
Pumpkin muffins
- 190 g all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 226 g pumpkin puree
- 105 g vegetable oil
- 100 g sourdough discard starter
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 100 g soft brown sugar
- 60 g whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
Streusel
- 45 g butter
- 63 g all-purpose flour
- 65 g granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. 190 g all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/8 tsp ground cloves, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- In a large mixing bowl, add pumpkin puree, oil, sourdough discard, brown and white sugar, milk, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until well combined. 226 g pumpkin puree, 105 g vegetable oil, 100 g sourdough discard starter, 100 g granulated sugar, 100 g soft brown sugar, 60 g whole milk, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the large bowl. Fold until combined. The muffins can be baked right away or cold-fermented overnight.
Overnight sourdough muffins
- Cover the bowl tightly and place it in the refrigerator for up to 20 hours. Cold fermenting allows the flour to absorb more moisture from the batter, which can lead to a more tender and moist crumb. Additionally, slow fermentation helps break down the proteins in the flour.
Streusel and Baking
- In a small bowl, combine melted butter, granulated sugar, salt, and all-purpose flour for the streusel. Use a fork to combine into a coarse crumb, then set it aside. 45 g butter, 63 g all-purpose flour, 65 g granulated sugar, 1/8 tsp salt
- Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick or line it with 12 paper liners.
- Divide pumpkin muffin batter evenly over 12 muffin cups. They will be full.
- Generously pile the crumbly streusel mixture on top of each muffin. Gently press it on top of each muffin to keep it in place.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F/220°C, then reduce the temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake for 20-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack.
These are the best muffins!! I will be making these for the rest of my life, thank you lol
So happy you love them! 😀
Any recommendations of changes when doing these as jumbo muffins?
Hey I wouldn’t change the recipe, I would just fill 6 or 8 jumbo muffins instead of the 12 regular 🙂 and increase the baking time as needed, testing the muffins for doneness with a cake tester until it comes out clean
Could I make these into a loaf instead of muffins?
Yup! 🙂
Can I use 1/2 cup melted butter instead of oil?
Hey I haven’t tried it with butter before so I can’t tell you how it works out but I’d give it a go 🙂
I made 2 batches of these. My kids did not like them, but that was a longshot anyway. My coworkers, however, RAVED about them. They ate every single one. I also think they are the best muffins I’ve had in a long time.
These look delicious! Two questions ….
1. Do you add the baking soda & powder before cold fermentation? And, they rise well?
2. Do you bake straight from the fridge or allow to come to room temp first?
Thanks!
Hey, I do add it before and they rise very well! I did some tests with adding before and after, and by far preferred adding it before! And I bake the batter fron cold 🙂
My family loved these!!
Yay I’m stoked to read this!