Easy Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

This easy sourdough discard pumpkin muffin recipe is dripping with fall flavor.

Soft, moist, and bursting with pumpkin, these sourdough muffins are a one-bowl recipe, making them a quick breakfast side with easy cleanup.

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These discard muffins are so mouth-watering my kids devoured almost all of them within an hour of baking!

If you love sourdough discard recipes try my famous chocolate chip cookie recipe or this simple sourdough crepe recipe.

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Why You’ll Love Them:

These pumpkin muffins are quick and easy to make, perfect for us busy moms.  Here are a few other reasons why you’ll love them:

-Dry and wet ingredients are mixed in the same bowl, making cleanup much easier (a great recipe for kids!).

-Pumpkin spice gives these muffins that irresistible autumn flavor we all know and love. 

-These muffins are incredibly soft and moist, due to the canned pumpkin, eggs, and sourdough discard.

-Sourdough discard gives these muffins just a bit of tang, without being overwhelming. 

-Since we are using discard, there’s no need to plan this recipe in advance. Whip it up when the pumpkin mood strikes!

-This recipe is fast: the muffins need just 16-20 minutes to bake. 

What Is Sourdough Discard?

A sourdough starter must be fed food and water to mantain the bubbly, active state it needs to be in to make bread rise.

Sourdough discard is simply the extra sourdough starter that is removed from the sourdough starter when feeding it. 

You can easily maintain a sourdough starter by keeping it in an airtight container in the fridge and feeding it only when you want to bake bread. But if you love the flavor of sourdough, you’ll enjoy using the discard in baked goods.

You will need a full cup of sourdough discard for this recipe, so be sure to feed your starter enough flour and water.

Ingredients

This recipe features a few simple ingredients:

• 2 cups canned pumpkin puree: Use real pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling (You can also use homemade pumpkin puree).
• 1 cup sourdough starter discard: I have only made this recipe with discard, but active sourdough starter will work too
• 1/2 cup melted butter: (you can sub oil if you wish)
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract: I put in two teaspoons for extra flavor, you can reduce the amount if you like. 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice: The warm spices in pumpkin pie spice accentuate the tang of sourdough discard perfectly!
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1.5 tsp baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Optional: 1 cup semi sweet or dark chocolate chips

Supplies

Large mixing bowl

Spatula, hand mixer, or stand mixer

Muffin pan and cupcake or muffin liners. 

​More sourdough discard recipes:  chocolate chip cookies, simple crackers, quick pancakes and waffles. 

How To Make Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Muffins

To make these delectable sourdough muffins, first pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your muffin tins by lining them with cupcake liners.

(These muffins tend to stick, so if you’d like, give the cupcake lines a quick once over with non stick spray). 

In a large bowl, combine the sourdough discard, pumpkin, eggs, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla.  Mix well until thoroughly combined. Next, add in the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.  Do not overmix. 

Add chocolate chips if you’d like, and give the batter a swirl.  Next, fill each cupcake liner 3/4 of the way full with muffin batter. 

Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, then transfer to a cooling rack. (Oven temperatures vary, ours took 20 minutes to fully bake).

Topping Ideas

You can elevate the fall flavors in these muffins by adding pumpkin seeds to the top (or sprinkled in the batter), adorning them with cream cheese frosting, or adding chocolate chips to the mix!

How To Store

Store these muffins in an airtight container and consume them within a week. 

For more extended storage, freeze these sourdough muffins in a freezer-safe bag for up to three months.  Thaw at room temperature and enjoy!

These moist sourdough muffins have a unique tang, fluffy texture, and nostalgic fall flavor.  Add in a cup of dark chocolate chips to turn them into a decadent treat. They are the perfect way to use up sourdough discard this autumn!

Please let me know in the comments if you try this recipe and love it!