These Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese are packed with a full can of pumpkin puree! They are moist and delicious, filled with creamy cream cheese, and a crunchy pepita streusel.
Muffins and other quick breads are so quick and easy to mix together. You don't even need a mixer.
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These are one of my favorite fall sourdough discard recipes. When I finished recipe testing and baked this final batch, my husband wouldn't let me give any of them away. He wanted them all for himself. They are that good.
Just like my Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Muffins, Sourdough Raspberry Muffins, Sourdough Orange Creamsicle, Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Muffins, Sourdough Gingerbread Muffins, Sourdough Cranberry Cream Cheese Muffins, and Sourdough Discard Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, these muffins are a delicious breakfast option.
Recipe Ingredients
All you need are a few simple ingredients to make these Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins.
Pumpkin Muffins
All-Purpose Flour: No special flours are needed for these muffins. All-purpose flour is perfect. For accuracy, the best way to measure the flour is by using a digital kitchen scale.
Tip: If you don't have a digital scale, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it with the back of a butter knife. Try not to compress the flour into the measuring cup.
Salt: I add at least a pinch of salt to all of my recipes. Salt complements and intensifies the other flavors. For all of my recipes, I use Morton Kosher Salt which packs more densely than Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If you are using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt you will want to double the amount of salt you add.
Sourdough Discard: Don't worry your muffins won't be sour. This is plenty of sugar to eliminate the sourdough flavor. Bring your sourdough discard to room temperature before adding it to the recipe. It will be easier to incorporate. Active starter or sourdough discard can be used for this recipe.
Pro Sourdough Tip: Keep a glass jar in your refrigerator to store your sourdough discard. Continue adding to it until you have enough to make your chosen sourdough discard recipe.
Canned Pumpkin Puree: A pet peeve of mine is having partial cans of ingredients left over, which is why this pumpkin bread uses an entire can of pumpkin puree.
Make sure you are using pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The pumpkin pie mix has additional spices added in. If you only have pumpkin pie mix then I would suggest not adding any additional spices.
You could also make your own homemade pumpkin puree.
Need some more pumpkin recipes? Try this Pumpkin Pork Stew, this Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cheesecake, these Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Cookies, this Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler, this Sourdough Pumpkin Bread, or this Pumpkin Spice Simple Syrup.
Oil: Because oil remains a liquid at room temperature it helps to create a moist muffin. Use either canola or vegetable oil.
Brown Sugar: Brown sugar contains more moisture and adds a deep caramel flavor. Feel free to substitute the same amount of regular white granulated sugar for the brown sugar although the bread may not be as moist. You can also reduce the amount of sugar if you prefer your banana bread less sweet.
Large eggs: Room-temperature eggs are easier to incorporate. Be sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding the next egg.
Cream Cheese Filling
Cream Cheese: You will want to use block cream cheese not the whipped cream cheese that comes in a tub. I recommend using full-fat cream cheese for the creamiest texture. It needs to soften to room-temperature to make it easier to blend with the sugar.
Pumpkin Seed Streusel
Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds): The pepitas I used were roasted and salted. If yours are unsalted, I would add a pinch of salt to the streusel.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
Loaf Pans: Muffins and quickbreads are very similar and can often be baked in a loaf pan instead of a muffin pan.
- Pour the batter into the 2 greased 9x5 loaf pans and bake at 350°F for 60 to 65 minutes. The cranberry orange bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Jumbo or Mini Muffins:
- For mini muffins, bake at 350°F for 11-13 minutes. Yields about 48 mini muffins.
- For jumbo-size muffins baked at 425°F for 5 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350°F for 25-30 minutes. Yields about 12 jumbo muffins.
Spices: Often I will use just cinnamon and nutmeg but warm fragrant spices like cardamom, ginger, cloves, or allspice could work well too. You could also substitute two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice mix.
If you love warm spices try these Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies.
Neutral oil: (canola oil, vegetable oil, etc.) You could also swap the oil for the same amount of unsalted melted butter.
Are you new to sourdough? I have plenty of information to help you on your sourdough journey.
- How to Create Your Own Micro Sourdough Starter
- Scrapings Method for Sourdough Starter
- How to Dehydrate Sourdough Starter
- Storing Sourdough Starter in the Refrigerator
- Storing Sourdough Starter on the Counter
- Best Containers for Storing Sourdough Starter and Discard
- How Long Does Sourdough Discard Last?
- What is the Difference Between Sourdough Starter and Sourdough Discard?
- Best Gifts for Sourdough Bakers
Step by Step Directions
Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Muffins
Step 1: Move the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Grease two muffin pans with nonstick spray or line them with muffin papers. Set aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, baking soda, and kosher salt
until well combined. (Image 1)
Step 3: In a separate bowl, add the pumpkin puree. sourdough discard, brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine. (Image 2)
Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. (Image 3)
Tip: Do not overmix the batter. Overmixing can incorporate too much air causing the muffins to rise quickly and then fall in the center as they bake. Overmixing can also create tough muffins.
Step 5: Divide the muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups filling halfway. (Image 4)
Tips: Use a cookie scoop to evenly portion the cupcake batter into the muffin pans.
Cream Cheese Filling
Step 6: In a small bowl, add the cream cheese, granulated white sugar, vanilla extract, and kosher salt. Mix together until smooth. (Image 5)
Step 7: Add 2 teaspoons of the cream cheese filling to the center of each muffin. (Image 6)
Pumpkin Seed Streusel
Step 8: Top with the remaining pumpkin muffin batter. (Image 7)
Step 9: In a small bowl, add the all-purpose flour, pepitas or pumpkin seeds, old-fashioned rolled oats, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and unsalted butter. Use a fork to stir all of the ingredients together. (Image 8)
Step 10: Sprinkle the streusel over each muffin. (Image 9)
Step 11: Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and continue to bake for 20 to 24 minutes until the tops are golden brown. (Image 10)
Tip: Starting the muffins at a higher temperature will boost the rise giving you a taller muffin top.
Tip: Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin, if it comes out clean, the muffins are done. For ways to check the muffin's doness read this post: How to Tell Banana Bread is Done.
Step 12: Allow the muffins to cool for several minutes in the muffin pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. (Image 11)
Frequently Asked Questions
Muffins can be baked with or without liners. If baked with liners they will have a softer outside texture. Muffins baked without liners will be slightly crispier and darker on the outside.
I couldn't find jumbo muffin liners at my local store, so I bought these muffin liners from Amazon.
To get a tall muffin, start baking your muffins at a higher temperature then after about five minutes lower the temperature.
I start my muffins at 425°F and then lower the temperature to 350°F. Starting at a higher temperature gives the baking soda and baking powder a nice boost of heat that encourages leavening.
It also allows the outside of the muffin to set quickly giving the inside the structure it needs to keep rising.
Because of the cream cheese filling I prefer to store these muffins in the refrigerator. They can be stored there for up to a week.
They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap each muffin in plastic wrap and place them in a zip-top bag. Thaw muffins at room temperature.
Absolutely! You could also top these muffins with coarse sugar before baking them or make a glaze of milk and powdered sugar.
Expert Tips
- Make sure you are using pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The pumpkin pie mix has additional spices added in. If you only have pumpkin pie mix then I would suggest not adding any additional spices.
- Muffins bake best on the middle rack of the oven. Too low and the bottoms will burn, too high and the tops will brown too quickly.
- Don't over-mix the batter. A few lumps are fine. Overmixing will create too much gluten causing your muffins to be tough.
- Use a cookie scoop to evenly portion the cupcake batter into the muffin pans.
- Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin, if it comes out clean, the muffins are done. For ways to check the muffin's doness read this post: How to Tell Banana Bread is Done.
More Sourdough Discard Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Sourdough Muffins
Equipment
- muffin liners
- mixing bowls
Ingredients
Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup sourdough discard
- ¾ cup brown sugar light or dark
- ½ cup neutral oil canola or vegetable
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ⅓ cup granulated white sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Streusel Topping
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup pepitas or pumpkin seeds roasted and salted
- ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ⅛ cup brown sugar light or dark
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Instructions
Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins
- Move the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Grease two muffin pans with nonstick spray or line them with muffin papers. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, add the 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree. 1 cup sourdough discard, ¾ cup brown sugar, ½ cup neutral oil, 2 large eggs, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are fine.
- Divide the muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups filling halfway.
Cream Cheese Filling
- In a small bowl, add the 8 oz cream cheese, ⅓ cup granulated white sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt. Mix together until smooth.
- Add 2 teaspoons of the cream cheese filling to the center of each muffin. Top with the remaining pumpkin muffin batter.
Streusel Topping
- In a small bowl, add the ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup pepitas or pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats, ⅛ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 4 tablespoons unsalted butter. Use a fork to stir all of the ingredients together.
- Sprinkle the streusel over each muffin.
- Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and continue to bake for 20 to 24 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
- Allow the muffins to cool for several minutes in the muffin pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
-
- Make sure you are using pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The pumpkin pie mix has additional spices added in. If you only have pumpkin pie mix then I would suggest not adding any additional spices.
- Muffins bake best on the middle rack of the oven. Too low and the bottoms will burn, too high and the tops will brown too quickly.
- Don't over-mix the batter. A few lumps are fine. Overmixing will create too much gluten causing your muffins to be tough.
- Use a cookie scoop to evenly portion the cupcake batter into the muffin pans.
-
Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin, if it comes out clean, the muffins are done.
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