Warm and Rich Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins
Warm from the oven and rich with autumn spices, these golden-brown sourdough pumpkin muffins are everything you want on a crisp fall afternoon. Made with whole wheat flour and naturally fermented with an active sourdough starter, they offer a nourishing twist on classic pumpkin bread, with a tender crumb and rich, cozy flavor.
These sourdough pumpkin muffins are one of my favorite treats to bake each fall. They’re much quicker to make than a loaf of pumpkin bread, and they fill the whole house with the comforting aroma of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. They also freeze beautifully, so I often bake a double batch and freeze half in zip-top bags for an easy homemade snack or breakfast on busy days.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A delicious way to use up sourdough starter. This recipe works with either active starter or sourdough discard.
- Made with wholesome, real food ingredients. No artificial ingredients—just simple pantry staples.
- Naturally ferment the batter. An optional overnight ferment helps improve digestibility and adds even more sourdough flavor.
- Perfect for freezing. Make a double batch for easy breakfasts, snacks, and lunchboxes throughout the week.
Are Pumpkin Muffins Healthy?
These sourdough pumpkin muffins are made with wholesome ingredients like real pumpkin, eggs, sourdough starter, and a blend of whole wheat and white flour, making them a more nourishing choice than typical bakery muffins. Naturally rich in fiber, protein, and beta-carotene, they’re a delicious snack or healthier dessert that will keep you satisfied longer.
Ingredients
- Brown sugar: Adds just the right amount of sweetness while giving these muffins a rich, caramel-like flavor that pairs beautifully with the pumpkin and warm spices.
- Coconut oil: Keeps the muffins soft and moist. Melt the oil before mixing it into the batter. You can substitute another mild-flavored oil or melted butter if you prefer.
- Pumpkin purée: Use plain pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugar and spices. Homemade or canned pumpkin both work well.
- Active sourdough starter: These sourdough pumpkin muffins are naturally fermented with an active sourdough starter, which helps improve digestibility and develops a deeper flavor. If you’re short on time, you can use sourdough discard instead and skip the overnight fermentation, giving you fresh muffins in under 30 minutes.
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure while keeping the muffins light and tender.
- Whole wheat flour: Adds extra nutrition, fiber, and a subtle nutty flavor without making the muffins heavy.
- Warm spices: A cozy blend of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg gives these muffins their classic fall flavor. You can also substitute pumpkin pie spice for the individual spices.
How to Make Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins
Step 3: Add the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and water.
Step 4: Stir just until no dry streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and leave the batter in a warm place to ferment for 6–8 hours. If you’re not ready to bake once the fermentation is complete, cover and refrigerate the batter for up to 24 hours before continuing with the recipe.
Step 5: When the batter has finished fermenting, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Sprinkle the baking soda, baking powder, and salt over the batter, then gently stir just until everything is incorporated. Be careful not to overmix.
Step 6: Divide the batter evenly between greased or paper-lined muffin cups, filling each one almost to the top.
Step 7: Bake for 10–15 minutes, or until the muffins are well risen, golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.
What Is The Secret to Making Good Muffins?
Muffins are one of my favorite things to bake and I make them much more often than cakes because they are quicker to bake, already portioned out, easy to customize with seasonal ingredients like berries or applesauce, and they fill my house with such delicious aroma. Here are my best tips for ensuring that your homemade muffins always come out tall and fluffy:
- Don’t overmix the batter: mix until everything is just combined, slightly lumpy batter is perfectly fine. Overmixing develops gluten which results in dense, tough muffins.
- Use room temp ingredients: let eggs and starter come to room temp before adding them in. They will be easier to blend and will result in a smoother batter.
- Measure flour carefully by spooning it into the measuring cup and then levelling off, rather than scooping directly from the bag.
- Don’t overfill the cups: Fill each cup about ⅔ to ¾ full. This gives the muffins room to rise while still creating nicely rounded tops. If you overfill, the batter will rise in the cups and overflow resulting in mushroom-top shaped muffins.
- Bake just until done: start checking on them a few minutes before the suggested baking time. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. Overbaking will make your muffins dry.
- Cool briefly, then remove from the pan. Let them finish cooling on a rack. Leaving muffins in the pan for too long will trap moisture baking their bottoms wet.
How to Store Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins
Because sourdough pumpkin muffins are very moist (thanks to the pumpkin), you need to store them a bit differently than plain muffins. You need to keep them soft without trapping excess moisture that can make them sticky or moldy.
- You can store your muffins at room temp for up to 2-3 days. Line an airtight container with a paper towel, arrange the muffins inside it in a single layer, place another paper towel on top, then seal the container.
- If your kitchen is very warm, you can also store your muffins in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Again, store them in a lined airtight container.
- These muffins can also be frozen once they are completely cooled. I like to freeze them flat in ziplock bags. This way I can defrost only as many as I want at a time. If you want them to taste like fresh once defrosted, warm them in a 175°C (350°F) oven for 8–10 minutes.
- If you don’t plan to eat all the muffins within the first 2 days, the best way to keep them fresh tasting it to freeze them as soon as they have cooled. This preserves their moist, tender crumb and fresh flavor better than storing them in the fridge.
Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins FAQ
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoy baking these sourdough pumpkin muffins this fall and that they become one of your favorite pumpkin recipes. Fall and winter are my favorite seasons for baking, especially anything made with apples or pumpkin. There’s something so comforting about filling the house with the warm, cozy aroma of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
If you enjoy old-fashioned cooking, baking, and homemaking, I’d love you to join my weekly newsletter. Every Sunday morning I send a letter from my home to yours, filled with seasonal recipes, traditional skills, and simple encouragement to help you create a warm and nourishing home for your family.
More Cozy Sourdough Bakes
The Best Sourdough Banana Bread
Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins
Equipment
- muffin pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs, whisked
- ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
- ⅔ cup pumpkin puree
- ⅓ cup active sourdough starter
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ⅓ tsp cloves
- ⅓ tsp nutmeg
- 2 Tbsp water
- ⅔ tsp baking soda
- ⅙ tsp (a generous pinch) baking powder
- ½ tsp unrefined salt
- Coconut oil or butter, for greasing the muffin pan
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, coconut oil, and pumpkin purée until smooth. Stir in the sourdough starter.
- Add the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and water. Stir just until no dry streaks of flour remain. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place to ferment for 6–8 hours. If you're not ready to bake, refrigerate the batter for up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Sprinkle the baking soda, baking powder, and salt over the fermented batter, then gently stir just until incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly between greased or paper-lined muffin cups, filling each one almost to the top.
- Bake for 10–15 minutes, or until the muffins are well risen, golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Instead of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg you could use 1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice mix.
- If you have sourdough discard that needs using up, you could use it instead of active starter and skip the fermenting step.
- Storage: Store the muffins in an airtight container lined with paper towel at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Freeze in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm gently before serving.
