Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins - This easy sourdough pumpkin muffin recipe is an easy autumn treat the whole family will love and will smell baking a mile away. It’s even better with a cream cheese swirl in the middle!
These pumpkin sourdough muffins are light and fluffy, made with real pumpkin, and infused with warm cinnamon. You can enjoy them plain, or with a ribbon of sweet cream cheese swirled throughout, and the flavor of the sourdough starter shines through, giving every bite a bit of sweetness and spice!
Freshly made, bakery-style muffins are the perfect fall treat (next to the best pumpkin spiced latte of course), and the cream cheese filling makes them a little extra special! Set a basket on your table for everyone to grab, whether it be for breakfast, a snack with a hot cup of tea, or a warm treat when the weather is crisp.
Looking for more pumpkin muffin recipes? Try my pumpkin muffins with streusel topping and my dairy free pumpkin muffins.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Sourdough starter: A great way to use up the sourdough discard to prevent any waste!
- Made with real pumpkin: Delivering the best flavor, better than your favorite bakery.
- Soft and moist: These have the best texture, thanks to the airy batter.
- Versatile: Enjoy them all fall for any occasion. Breakfast, brunch, snack, dessert, and just because!
- The cream cheese filling. It’s so good! It might remind you of a pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting!
Ingredients for Pumpkin Sourdough Muffins
- Pumpkin purée: Real pumpkin! Not pumpkin pie filling. You can use canned pumpkin or purée your own.
- Sourdough starter: We’re using the discard, which isn’t active. It’s the unfed portion that is discarded before it gets fed.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness to the batter. Real pumpkin doesn’t contain any added sugar, so adding sugar helps to enhance its flavor.
- Avocado oil: For a soft crumb.
- Eggs: Helps to bind the muffins.
- Vanilla extract: A warm flavor enhancer.
- All-purpose flour: Measure the flour correctly. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, it’s best to spoon and level the flour so you’re not packing too much into the measuring cup by scooping it in.
- Cinnamon: A delicious fall spice that pairs beautifully with the pumpkin flavor.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Leavening agents that react with the sourdough starter discard to make the muffins soft and fluffy.
- Sea salt: To bring out the flavors.
- For the cream cheese filling: Softened cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract.
See the recipe card for the full information on recipe ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Pumpkin Muffins
Step 1: Beat the softened cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth. Set it aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, sourdough starter, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together. In a third bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 3: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
Step 4: Grab your lined muffin tin and scoop out the batter into the paper liners, about ⅔ full.
Step 5: Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 18-22 minutes. They should spring back lightly when gently pressed.
Step 6: Let them cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. If you add the cream cheese mixture, it will set as the muffins cool. Enjoy!
How to Make the Best Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling
Filling - If adding a cream cheese filling, spoon 1 tablespoon of muffin batter into the liners, then 1 tablespoon of filling, and then fill the rest of the liner up to ⅔ of the way with batter.
Swirl - If making a swirl, fill the liners with batter up to ⅔ of the way. Top with 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture and use a toothpick to swirl it gently.
Make Ahead
If planning to make the batter the day before, you can let the batter ferment overnight in the fridge. One very important thing to note is that you DON’T want to add the baking powder and baking soda in yet.
Only add them in the next day, about 20 minutes before baking. I like to do this just before I start preheating my oven. Then, I let the batter sit on the counter to come to room temperature.
Recipe Tips
- To test to see if the muffins are done, insert a toothpick into the middle of the muffin (avoiding any cream cheese). If it comes out clean, they’re ready.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the batter to ensure you’re getting equal amounts of batter in every cup.
- Bring your cream cheese out to room temperature about 30 minutes before you begin, so it’s easy to blend.
- Do not overfill the liners. I fill them about ⅔ to leave room for the muffins to expand without overspilling.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, but be mindful of how much water fresh pumpkin contains. You want it to be nice and thick. Let it drain as much water as possible before adding it into the batter.
This could be because your pumpkin contained too much excess water, making the batter thinner than it needs to be.
Absolutely! Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper, add all of the batter to the pan, and any cream cheese filling you’d like to swirl in there. Then, bake in a preheated oven for 55-60 minutes.
These can be left out the day they’re made, but once everyone has had one, it’s a good idea to transfer them to an airtight container to be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Let them cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer bag or freezer–safe container. Keep them frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw them at room temperature, and if you want to warm it up, you can in the microwave.
More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love
More Sourdough Recipes
- Sourdough Hamburger Buns
- Sourdough Focaccia Bread
- Sourdough Discard Pancakes
- Sourdough Pizza Rolls
- Sourdough Discard Strawberry Galette
- Sourdough Bread Recipe with Starter
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📖 Recipe
Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins (with Cream Cheese or without!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups pumpkin puree 456g
- 1 cup sourdough starter 227g unfed/discard
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup avocado oil
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour 284g
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese softened, 226g
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
- Make the Cream Cheese Mixture: In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
- Make Muffin Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sourdough starter, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla.In another bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.Fold dry mixture into wet until just combined.
- For plain muffins: Fill liners ⅔ full. For cream cheese filling: Spoon 1 tablespoon batter, then 1 tablespoon filling, then cover with more batter (¾ full).For cream cheese swirl: Fill liners ⅔ with batter, top with 1 tablespoon filling, and swirl gently with a toothpick.
- Bake: Bake for 18–22 minutes, until muffins spring back lightly when touched. A toothpick in the muffin (not cream cheese) should come out clean.
- Cool & Enjoy: Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. The swirl sets as they cool.
Video
Notes
- Don’t overmix: Stir the batter until just combined to keep muffins tender.
- Cream cheese swirl: For the prettiest swirl, drag a toothpick in gentle figure-8 motions across the top.
- Room temperature ingredients: Let eggs, cream cheese, and starter sit out before mixing for a smoother batter.
- Pumpkin puree: Use canned 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Homemade puree works too but may need straining if watery.
- Sourdough starter: Discard or unfed starter works best. Active starter will also work but may give a tangier flavor.
- Storage: Store muffins in the fridge (because of the cream cheese) in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze cooled muffins individually wrapped for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or warm in the oven.
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