Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins

5 from 3 votes

These sourdough pumpkin muffins are filled with fall flavors, like cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, and feature a crumb topping and a sweet cinnamon glaze, which takes them to the next level.

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Resting Time15

Total Time50

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: muffins

Calories: 412kcal

Author: Joy Kincaid

Equipment

Ingredients

Muffin batter

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (219 g)
1 teaspoon baking soda (6 g)
1 teaspoon baking powder (4 g)
1 teaspoon salt (6 g)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (5 g)
1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (5 g)
1/2 cup sourdough discard (120 g) 100% hydration (1:1 ratio flour to water), room temperature
1/2 cup avocado oil (120 g), or another neutral oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (100 g)
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree (300 g) (not pie filling)
2 large eggs (about 100 g without shell), room temperature
1/4 cup milk (60 g), room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 g)

Crumb topping

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (94 g)
1/3 cup granulated sugar (67 g)
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar (67 g)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (2 g)
Pinch of salt (about 1 g)
6 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted (85 g)

Cinnamon Glaze (optional)

1 cup powdered sugar (120 g)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (2 g)
4-6 teaspoons milk (20–30 g), plus more as needed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and lightly grease the top of the pan around each cup to prevent the muffin tops from sticking.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
In a large bowl, whisk sourdough discard, oil, both sugars, pumpkin puree, eggs, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
For the crumb topping, stir together flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and mix until large crumbs form.
Fill muffin cups almost to the top. Sprinkle generously with crumb topping, gently pressing it into the batter.
Let the filled muffin pan rest at room temperature for 10–15 minutes for a better rise.
Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F without opening the door. Continue baking for 10–14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or registers 200–205°F internally.
Cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
If using the glaze, whisk powdered sugar, cinnamon, and milk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled muffins. The glaze is optional but adds a lovely sweetness and texture contrast with the crumb topping and pumpkin flavor.

Notes

Tips:

Use unfed sourdough discard at 100% hydration, which means it’s made from equal parts flour and water by weight. This is the starter you would normally discard before feeding, and it may have been stored in the refrigerator. Sourdough discard that is a few days old will give a slightly tangier flavor, while fresher discard will be milder.
Make sure the sourdough discard, eggs, and milk are at room temperature before mixing the batter. Cold ingredients can cause the batter to mix unevenly and may lead to denser muffins.
Filling the muffin cups nearly to the top gives you a tall bakery-style muffin. Resting the filled muffin tin for 10–15 minutes before baking lets the flour hydrate and helps the muffins rise higher in the oven.
The high-heat start at 425°F for the first 5 minutes gives the batter an initial burst of oven spring, creating tall muffin tops. After the temperature drops to 350°F, the muffins bake evenly without drying out.
Always use pure pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling so you can control the sweetness and spice levels.
If you want smaller muffins, divide the batter into 15 liners using two muffin pans. These will bake a little faster, so check a few minutes early to avoid overbaking.
If you want an even stronger spice profile, you can add an extra ½ teaspoon of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice without affecting the texture.
Even when using liners, it’s a good idea to lightly grease the top of the muffin pan. Because these muffins rise high and the crumb topping spreads slightly, the edges can bake over and stick to the pan. A quick swipe of butter or nonstick spray makes it much easier to remove them cleanly.

Storage:

Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Refrigerator: Store for up to 1 week; bring to room temperature before serving.
Freezer: Freeze (without glaze) for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and add glaze just before serving.

Nutrition