Autumn in a bite! These Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins are the perfect way to make use of your leftover sourdough discard while celebrating the cosy, spiced flavours of fall. With tender crumb, warm spices, and a sweet streusel topping, these pumpkin sourdough muffins are ideal for a make-ahead breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon pick-me-up.
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Sourdough In Pumpkin Muffins
Using extra sourdough starter in your muffins is more than just a clever way to reduce waste. Here's why it works so well:
✅ Tangy balance. The mild acidity of the discard balances the sweetness of the sugars, creating a well-rounded flavour. Works beautifully in our Sourdough Cranberry Orange Muffins too!
✅ Tender and moist crumb. Acidity interacts with the fats and liquids in the batter to keep the muffins soft and moist for longer.
✅ Shelf life extended. The natural acids slow down staling, making these muffins stay fresher for a few extra days.
✅ Waste not. Using leftover sourdough discard is a great way to avoid throwing away your active starter, giving it a new life in pumpkin bakes.
✅ Depth of flavour. The sourdough adds subtle complexity that pairs perfectly with pumpkin pie spice.
For more pumpkin + sourdough creations, head to our Pumpkin Sourdough Recipes (From Bread To Sweet Treats).
Ingredient Notes
Here are a few simple ingredients you will need to make these Pumpkin Sourdough Discard Muffins:
- Plain flour / all-purpose flour. All-purpose flour works well; no need for lower-gluten cake flour.
- Canned Pumpkin puree. Use pure pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin purée; avoid pumpkin pie filling as it is already sweetened and spiced.
Have more pumpkin and sourdough starter? Try our Sourdough Pumpkin Focaccia with Herbs de Provence or our Sweet Sourdough Pumpkin Focaccia and Sourdough Pumpkin Scones next!
- Sourdough discard. Best when not overly acidic or forming hooch; too sour and the muffins will taste tangy.
- Sugars. Brown sugar adds warmth and moisture, white sugar adds sweetness and lift. You can replace some with maple syrup if desired.
- Vegetable oil / melted coconut oil / avocado oil. Any neutral oil works; it ensures a fluffy texture and tender crumb.
- Eggs & milk. Use room temperature ingredients for easier incorporation.
- Mixed spice (UK)/ Pumpkin pie spice (US). You can mix cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves if you don't have a pre-made blend.
- Streusel topping. Optional but highly recommended; adds crunch and extra sweetness (you will need flour, granulated sugar, salt and unsalted butter for that).
As always, find ingredient quantities, detailed instructions and nutritional information in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Why Use Both Baking Soda and Baking Powder?
Baking powder provides the initial rise when combined with wet ingredients. Baking soda reacts with the natural acidity in the sourdough discard, helping the muffins rise further and ensuring a light, airy texture. Your discard alone doesn't have enough leavening, so both agents are essential for fluffy sourdough pumpkin muffins.
Step-By-Step Method
1. Preheat & Prepare. Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a 12-hole muffin tin with muffin liners or cupcake liners (or coat your muffin pan with cooking spray)
2. Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine plain flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
3. Wet Ingredients. In another large mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, sourdough discard, both sugars, milk and eggs until smooth using a hand mixer or stand mixer.
4. Combine. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined. The muffin batter should be thick but pourable; do not overmix.
5. Streusel Topping. Mix flour, sugar, and salt; rub in cold cubed butter until coarse crumbs form. Stir in pumpkin seeds if using.
6. Assemble. Divide muffin batter evenly into muffin cups, almost to the top, then sprinkle generously with streusel. Press lightly to help it stick.
7. Bake. Bake the muffins for 22-28 minutes until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean (I bake regular muffins for 22 minutes, but if I make 8 tall muffins in tulip cakes (as photographed), it takes about 27-28 minutes). Cool baked muffins on a wire rack before tucking in.
Recipe Tips For Best Results
- Use sourdough discard that isn't too old or overly acidic. Discard that's forming hooch on top will produce unpleasantly sour muffins.
- If you have some spare active sourdough starter, you can use it instead, as the batter isn't long fermented.
- Do not overmix after adding dry ingredients; this preserves the fluffy texture.
- Room temperature wet ingredients combine more easily, giving a smoother batter.
- Bake shortly after mixing, as baking soda loses leavening power over time.
- Press the streusel topping gently so it adheres but doesn't compress the muffins.
- For a richer fall flavour, you can fold in mini chocolate chips or swirl in cream cheese before baking.
- If using homemade pumpkin puree with higher water content, slightly reduce milk to maintain proper consistency.
Fancy turning this great recipe into a sourdough discard pumpkin bread?
Storage
ROOM TEMPERATURE: Store cooled muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
FREEZING: For longer storage, freeze whole muffins wrapped in plastic wrap (cling film) in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat in a low oven for 2-3 minutes or microwave for a few seconds, if you wish.
More Sourdough Discard Recipes
These sourdough discard pumpkin muffins are just one of many ways to use leftover starter. There are plenty of other sourdough discard recipes perfect for breakfast, snacks, or a cosy afternoon treat.
Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins With Streusel Topping
Equipment
- Muffin Liners
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 200 g (1.6 cups) plain flour all-purpose flour
- 1½ tablespoon mixed spice or pumpkin pie spice
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda a.k.a. baking soda
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- 240 g (1 cups) pumpkin puree
- 100 g (½ cup) vegetable oil
- 100 g (½ cups) sourdough discard 100% hydration
- 100 g (⅔ cups) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 100 g (½ cups) light brown sugar
- 60 g (¼ cups) milk
- 2 eggs large
For Streusel Topping:
- 70 g (½ cups) plain flour a.k.a. all-purpose flour
- 70 g (½ cups) granulated or caster sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 50 g (1.76 oz) butter cold, cubed
- 2 tablespoon pumpkin seed optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a 12-hole muffin tin with muffin liners.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, sourdough discard, both types of sugar, milk, and eggs. Using an electric handheld mixer, beat the mixture for 1-2 minutes until well combined and increased in volume.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold everything together. Avoid overmixing.
Make Streusel Topping
- In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, flour and a pinch of salt. Add the cubed butter and rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. If using pumpkin seeds, stir them in at the end.
Assemble and Bake
- Spoon the sourdough pumpkin muffin batter into the muffin cases, filling them almost all the way to the top.
- Spoon plenty of streusel mixture over the top of each muffin.
- Bake the muffins for 22-28 minutes until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean (I bake regular muffins for 22 minutes, but if I make 8 tall muffins in tulip cakes (as photograpghed), it takes about 27-28 minutes).
- Remove the muffins from the tin and let them cool down to room temperature.
Video
Nutrition
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