Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins- So soft, fluffy, and easy

These sourdough pumpkin muffins are instantly a house favorite. They are so fast to put together; in less than 10 minutes I can have them mixed up and in the oven. It is amazing how extremely soft they are and that they have that ‘fresh from a bakery’ look to them. They have a gentle pumpkin flavor, paired with the warm pie spices, and a very subtle tang from the sourdough that just adds a beautiful depth of flavor. Trust me, you want to whip up a quick batch of these to have on hand for snacks, breakfasts, or lunch with friends!

As a mom I am always looking for recipes that are fast and easy. I love creating memories by creating elaborate meals or desserts. However, keeping a toddler and a baby content or entertained the whole time can be tricky. This recipe is so fast and so easy. My son and I can create sweet autumnal memories making these together, then pop them in the oven and have it all cleaned up before the timer even goes off. 

Sourdough muffins?

I used to find it so weird how many recipes were sourdough. I mean, I know the natural yeasts make it perfect for making bread, maybe cinnamon rolls and whatever else usually uses yeast. But cookies? Muffins? Scones? Pie dough? Donuts? Yuck! My naivete was due to the fact that I had only ever had the super sour sourdough from the grocery store bakery. The one that probably also uses regular yeast to get the rise. I hadn’t had a true artisan loaf before that I could remember. 

Then I had a friend with a very strong and sour starter. She would make pancakes and muffins and such with it. While they turned out great, they were so tangy and very different from what I thought of when I said I wanted a muffin or pancake.

Then Terrance came along. I was given my starter when I was very pregnant with my first born. With all the chaos of preparing to have a baby I stuck it in my fridge and forgot about it- for about three months. I took the top off and it smelled so strongly, and I thought I had killed it. After a quick google search, I realized I might be able to salvage it so after a few days it started rising and I made my first loaf of bread. It was… bread, kinda. It tasted good but the rise was terrible.

So, I kept trying and after several weeks of pulling together a loaf or two a week, I got the hang of it. But I hated how much discard I had and was throwing away. I hate wasting food and flour is far from cheap. So, I started dabbling with different recipes to add the discard to.

Now here we are almost three years later, and I am adding starter to anything with flour. Things without sourdough don’t even taste right to me anymore without that depth of flavor and richness.

If you have been intimidated by sourdough or know someone who just can’t get the hang of it, then my sourdough e-book is for you. It answers a ton of frequently asked questions, makes the process very simple, and has several incredible recipes to get you started. Grab it here. It also makes for a great Christmas gift!

Ingredients

Flour – I use organic all purpose flour. It provides just the right amount of structure while allowing them to stay so fluffy.

Baking soda – This gives it the rise and oven spring we are looking for in a bakery style muffin.

Baking powder – Just as with the baking soda, this just gives a little extra oomph to the rise.

Pumpkin pie spice – You can use homemade or premixed pie spice. It just has the perfect combination of cozy warm flavors without over doing it on any one flavor. This is really what perfects these sourdough pumpkin muffins.

Salt – No recipe is complete without some salt. It just enhances all the other flavors so perfectly.

Butter – This can be replaced with oil or coconut oil, but butter gives the absolute best flavor. Also, as always, I recommend staying away from canola and vegetable oils. So, if you do choose to replace the oil, don’t do it with those.

Brown sugar – The molasses in the brown sugar gives a depth of flavor. I add brown sugar to baked goods whenever I can because of the caramel flavors it provides.

Sugar – This keeps things balanced without having to rich of a brown sugar flavor. This can also be eliminated if you want a slightly healthier muffin.

Milk – I recommend whole milk because the fat content adds to the richness of the muffin. But you can replace it with any milk or even water if needed.

Eggs – Just two happy eggs.

Vanilla – This is for an extra layer of flavor and enhances the sweet and spicy flavors so nicely.

Sourdough starter – Either discard or active sourdough starter can be used for this recipe. I like using the discard whenever I can because I hate to throw it away. Either option works though and will yield a very similar result. 

Pumpkin Puree – Canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree from a baked pumpkin will work. If you are buying canned, be careful to not get pumpkin pie filling because the flavor profile will interfere with the spices already included in the recipe and will be too strong.

 

Tools

Muffin tins – These are stainless steel

Bowls – I love these glass ones!

Whisk

Spatula or wooden spoons

Muffin liners – I love that these aren’t bleached

Let’s get baking – Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins

Start by heating the oven and lining the tin with muffin papers.

Melt the butter and set it aside to cool slightly. It really does make these muffins so moist (ugh hate that word) and soft.

Place the flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a bowl and whisk together.

In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, milk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.

Add in the sourdough and the pumpkin and whisk really well until smooth and no chunks remain. 

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the dry mix. Whisk until it just comes together. Over mixing so quickly changes the final texture of these muffins, and not in a good way. I mixed them and when there was still a little bit of flour along the bottom of the bowl, switched over to a spatula or wooden spoon and folded it in.

To keep from over mixing and making sure there are no clumps just run a spatula along the sides and bottom of the bowl to scrape it and gently mix it in. 

Fill each prepared muffin paper just over 3/4 of the way full and place in the oven.  Bake for five minutes then very carefully turn the pan and lower the heat to 350.

Bake for another 12-15 minutes or until they are baked through. Test this by sticking a toothpick in the center and they are ready when it comes out clean. Or just lightly press the top of the muffin and if it springs back then they are ready. If your finger leaves a print, then bake them for another minute and test again. 

Allow them to cool to room temperature then store in an airtight container for up to five days. Enjoy with a cup of hot chia tea, apple cider, or coffee!

Print out this recipe card and add it to your fall favorites so it can be on hand and ready to go!

Yield: 14 muffins

Fluffy Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins

Print

These muffins are soft and moist. They stay tender for days after baking and make for the best atumnal treat.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes

Total Time 27 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 C Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. Baking powder
• 2 1/2 tsp Pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 C Butter
• 1/2 C Brown sugar
• 1/4 C Sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
• 3/4 C Sourdough Starter
• 1 1/4 C Pumpkin Puree

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees and line a muffin tin with muffin papers.
2. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool, but not resolidify.
3. Place the flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt into a bowl and mix until combined.
4. In a separate bowl whisk together the butter, sugars, milk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
5. Add the sourdough and the pumpkin and mix until no chunks remain.
6. Add the pumpkin mixture into the dry mix whisk until just combined.
7. Take a spatula or wooden spoon and scrape along the edges of the bowl to make sure all the flour is combined. Doing this with a spatula helps it to not get over mixed.
8. Fill each muffin tin just over 3/4 of the way full.
9. Bake for 5 minutes then very carefully rotate the pan and lower the heat to 350.
10. Bake for an additional 12-15 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed.
11. Allow to cool then store in an airtight container for up to five days at room temperature.

If you made this recipe and enjoyed it, please leave a comment below letting me know and don’t forget to share with family and friends. See you next time!

This post contains affiliate links.