Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
These easy sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are a cozy fall dessert recipe you’ll bake on repeat. Made with pumpkin puree, warm spices, and gooey chocolate chips, these muffins are soft, flavorful, and perfect for autumn.
Carmyn’s Notes
This recipe for sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip muffins is the muffin version of our favorite sourdough pumpkin bread, only better, thanks to the gooey chocolate chips!
It’s the perfect flavor combination of pumpkin, melty chocolate, and warm spices that make your whole house smell like fall. These sourdough pumpkin muffins are soft, pillowy, and loaded with chocolate in every bite.
Perfect for cozy fall mornings with a cup of coffee, a quick snack on the go, or a sweet little dessert after dinner, these sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip muffins will be on repeat all season long!
Enjoy! xx
Ingredients & Equipment needed
- (2) 12-Count Muffin Tins & Cooking Spray (or muffin liners)
- Dry Ingredients: You'll need all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. You also need chocolate chips. You can use mini chocolate chips or regular-sized chips, whichever you prefer. We love using dark chocolate chips, but milk chocolate chips work too.
- Wet Ingredients: For wet ingredients, you'll need 100% pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling), eggs, melted butter, light brown sugar, unfed sourdough starter (sourdough discard), orange juice, and vanilla extract.
Pro Baking Tip
For the best results, we recommend measuring the ingredients in grams with a kitchen scale instead of measuring cups. A scale gives you precise, consistent measurements every time, which means your muffins bakes up exactly the way it should.
Measuring cups can vary depending on how you scoop or pack ingredients, but a scale takes out the guesswork and helps guarantee bakery-style results at home!
Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos
Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly grease two 12-count muffin tins with cooking spray or line them with muffin liners.
Step 1
In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, fine sea salt, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and chocolate chips. Set aside.
Step 2
Melt the unsalted butter in a medium bowl and add the light brown sugar. Use a spatula to cream them together until smooth.
Add the egg, vanilla extract, fresh orange juice, sourdough starter, and 1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin puree and mix until well combined.
Step 3
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients bowl and stir until just combined. (Don't overmix!)
Step 4
Spoon the batter into 18 muffin cups, filling each about ⅔ full.
Step 5
Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 6
Let them cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
How to Store
How to Store: Keep the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, store them in the fridge for up to a week.
How to Freeze: Let the muffins cool completely, wrap each one in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat: If frozen, let the muffins thaw at room temperature on the countertop. To reheat, microwave in 10-second intervals until warm and soft.
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Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
EQUIPMENT
- Muffin Tins This recipe makes 18 muffins
- Cooking Spray or Muffin Liners
INGREDIENTS
Wet Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (125 g) sourdough starter (discard)
- ¼ cup (60 g) fresh orange juice (optional)
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract
- 1 (15oz.) can (425 g) pumpkin puree
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup (150 g) chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly grease two 12-count muffins tins with cooking spray or line them with muffin liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon (5 g) fine sea salt, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, and ¾ cup (150 g) chocolate chips. Set aside.
- Melt 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter in a bowl and add 1 ½ cups (300 g) light brown sugar. Use a spatula to cream them together until smooth. Add 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract, ¼ cup (60 g) fresh orange juice, ½ cup (125 g) sourdough starter and 1 (15oz.) can (425 g) pumpkin puree and mix until well combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl and stir until just combined. (Don't over mix!)
- Spoon the batter into 18 muffin cups, filling each about ⅔ full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Do you recommend a substitute for eggs?
Hi Kristy, I have not tested this recipe with an egg substitute. If you give it a try, please let us know how it works for you.
Most of what I see has sugar. The pumpkin muffins in particular I am wondering if I need to do anything particular to substitute the sugar for honey or maple syrup?
Hi Merilee, yes you can use honey or maple syrup. I would reduce the amount by 1/2.
Fluffy and yummy. Different level muffin. I used a cup of chocolate chips and sprinkled a few on top before baking. So good.
I just made these muffins. WOW! If you like pumpkin flavored foods, this is a MUST bake. The flavor is a perfect melding of pumpkin and spices without anything being overpowering. The use of the sourdough adds to the flavor and makes you wonder "there's something else there, but what" which is a feature we enjoy in our foods. The recipe made 24 basic sized muffins for me. The muffin itself is light with a delicate crumb, yet held together beautifully. Finding a melted chocolate chip in the occasional bite is a delight. I greatly appreciate that with all your recipes I have tried, and there have been dozens, I have not found the need to make adjustments due to my elevation. I live at 9000 ft in Colorado mountains and most of the time I must make adjustments to temperature, flour and moisture content and leavenings. It's been refreshing to just be able to grab a recipe and bake. Thank you for providing such fantastic recipes.
Could you half this recipe?
Yes
Could I use a mini muffin tin?
Yes, I would just reduce your baking time and make sure to keep an eye on them.
The muffins are light and flavorful. I used 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup all purpose flour. My family is enjoying them!
I just made these today. So good! I even used freshly milled flour. Do you think the batter would be okay in the fridge for a long ferment?
Hi Aimee, so glad you love the muffins! Yes can you put the batter in the fridge up to 48 hours.
Do you think I could substitute GF flour for all-purpose?
Hi Jamie, we haven't tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but If I were to test it I would use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour.
do you melt the butter?
Yes, you melt the butter for this recipe.