Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins

Hand holding sourdough pumpkin muffin with oat streusel topping over plate and kitchen cloth

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This sourdough pumpkin muffins recipe is made with pumpkin puree, brown sugar, Greek yogurt, and sourdough discard or active starter, topped with a buttery oat streusel

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Resting Time8

Total Time8 45

Course: Dessert, Desserts, Snack, Sourdough

Cuisine: American

Servings: muffins

Calories: 163kcal

Author: Emily Rider

Equipment

1 standard 12-cup muffin tin
1 Large mixing bowl
1 Medium Mixing Bowl
1 Whisk
1 Rubber Spatula
1 ice cream scoop or large spoon
1 Wire Cooling Rack

Ingredients

For the Muffin Batter:

1 cup sourdough discard or active starter 240 grams
1 cup pumpkin puree 245 grams, 100 percent pure pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling
¾ cup brown sugar packed, 150 grams
½ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream 120 grams
2 large eggs room temperature, 100 grams
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 grams
2 and 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 270 grams
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 7 grams
1 tablespoon baking powder 12 grams
¾ teaspoon baking soda 4 grams
½ teaspoon salt 3 grams

For the Streusel Topping:

3 tablespoons salted butter cold, 45 grams
½ cup all-purpose flour 63 grams
⅓ cup granulated sugar 65 grams

Instructions

Preheat and prepare – set the oven to 350°F and line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease with butter or coconut oil.
Make the streusel – combine the salted butter, all-purpose flour, and granulated sugar in a small bowl and work together with your fingers or a fork until the mixture is crumbly with pea-sized pieces of butter throughout. Set aside in the refrigerator while you make the batter.
Mix the wet ingredients – in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard or active starter, pumpkin puree, eggs, brown sugar, Greek yogurt or sour cream, and vanilla extract until fully combined and smooth.
Mix the dry ingredients – in a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
Combine the batter – add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until the streaks just disappear. Stop mixing the moment the batter comes together. The batter will be thick.
Fill and top – scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Remove the streusel from the refrigerator and sprinkle generously over each muffin, pressing lightly so it adheres to the surface.
Bake – place on the center rack and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, checking doneness at 20 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of a middle muffin should come out with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter. The streusel should be golden and set.
Cool and serve – let the muffins rest in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve alongside Easy Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe for a full cottage kitchen autumn morning.

Notes

Overnight batter option – mix all ingredients except baking soda, baking powder, eggs, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Stir in reserved ingredients the next morning before filling and baking as directed for a deeper sourdough tang.

Flour measurement – spoon flour into the measuring cup and level off. Scooping directly from the bag adds too much flour and produces a dense muffin.

Streusel tip – keep the streusel refrigerated until it goes on the muffins and press lightly to adhere. Cold butter is what keeps the streusel crumbly rather than flat.

Storage – store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze individually wrapped for up to 2 months.

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