Today I'm sharing my recipe for the best sourdough pumpkin banana muffins.
I have been working on perfecting this recipe for the last year and a half and I'm finally ready to share it. So here goes nothing. I hope you all enjoy it.
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Full disclosure that I'm not really a fan of all the things pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavored. I don't even like pumpkin pie. There, I said it.
However, these muffins don't taste like the typical pumpkin-y stuff. Does that even make sense? They aren't overly sweet but are instead filled with the right amount of spices and rich flavor.
The best part? They contain sourdough, so they are a healthier option than any store-bought baked goods. Bonus, you can also pronounce all the ingredients.
Grab your ingredients and let's get baking!
- Ingredients for the sourdough pumpkin banana muffins
- What temperature should I bake my sourdough pumpkin muffins?
- How to make sourdough pumpkin muffins
- Add pumpkin mixture to prepared pans
- How long do I need to bake my sourdough pumpkin muffins?
- What's the best way to serve pumpkin sourdough bread?
- Can I make this recipe without the sourdough?
- How to store your pumpkin bread
- Freezing pumpkin bread
- Shop this post
- Variations of sourdough pumpkin banana muffins
- Bread spice
- Pin recipe for later
- More of our favorite homestead recipes
Ingredients for the sourdough pumpkin banana muffins
Don't forget to print the recipe below so you have it for later.
1 cup of *fed* sourdough starter (if you don't have a sourdough starter, you can use sourdough discard, or just make this recipe without it. I have directions for both).
1 overly ripe banana (the browner the banana, the sweeter it is)
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 ½ sticks of softened butter (you can use salted or unsalted)
2 large eggs
(1) 15oz. can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 cups of organic cane sugar (regular white sugar is fine as well)
1 teaspoon BAKING SODA
½ teaspoon BAKING POWDER
½ teaspoon of salt (I prefer Himalayan sea salt)
Ground clove 1 teaspoon
Ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (you can omit if you don't like vanilla)
What temperature should I bake my sourdough pumpkin muffins?
325 degrees Fahrenheit on the middle rack of the oven.
How to make sourdough pumpkin muffins
- Begin by preheating your oven to 325 degrees farenheit and set the oven rack to the middle of your oven.
- Generously grease (2) 8 x 4 inch loaf pans with butter, then dust with flour. You want the entire pan to look white. (You can also use a baking spreay that has flour in it such as Bakers Joy or Pam with flour). Or
You can also use a regular-sized muffin tray and line with paper cups. This is my preferred method with kids since it's easier to grab these on the go.
These are my FAVORITE muffin cups since they are made of parchment and nothing sticks to them. We compost them when we are done.
3. In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, ground clove, cinnamon, nutmeg). Set aside.
4. Peel your overly ripe banana and place it in a small bowl. Using a fork, mash the banana. Set aside.
5. In a stand mixer bowl or a regular bowl, add all of your wet ingredients (banana, eggs, softened butter, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, and sourdough starter). Mix until fully combined. The mixture will look lumpy-this is normal.
6. Now it's time to slowly add your dry ingredients. Add about half the dry ingredient mixture and blend for 15 seconds or so. Scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl, add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.
Add pumpkin mixture to prepared pans
7. Turn the finished batter into your prepared loaf pans, OR using a scoop (my favorite method), scoop the mixture into the prepared muffin cups until halfway filled. You need to leave room for the rise.
8. Place your loaf pans or muffin tray willed with pumpkin batter into the oven. Again, the oven should be pre-heated to 325 degrees Fahrenheit with the rack in the middle of the oven.
9. FOR MUFFINS: Set the timer for 18 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on the altitude and temperature of the surrounding area. The standard baking time for MUFFINS is 18-20 minutes.
TIP: *Turn the oven light on to watch the progression of your baked goods. It also serves as a reminder so you don't forget you have something baking if you don't set an oven timer*
10. FOR LOAVES: Set your timer for 60 minutes. Baking time for the loaves will vary depending on the factors mentioned above as well as what you are using to bake your loaves in (glass, cast iron, or nonstick pans). These baking vessels also vary slightly.
11. Once the timer has gone off for the allotted time indicated, it's time to check your pumpkin bread/muffins. Using a WOODEN toothpick, insert into the center of either your bread loaf or one of the muffins. If the toothpick comes out clean (no batter stuck to it), then the muffin or loaves are done.
TIP: Remember to insert the toothpick into the CENTER of the bread loaf or the center of one of your muffins. Things tend to bake faster along the edges but that doesn't mean they are fully-baked in the center. Check there!
How long do I need to bake my sourdough pumpkin muffins?
This will vary depending on the type of loaf pan you are using.
So a few notes:
- Cast iron loaf pans will always take longer to bake in since they take longer to heat up. Usually, 10 minutes or so, depending on the recipe you are baking.
- I have found that glass is only a couple of minutes longer than the typical non-stick baking loaf pans.
- All loaves will turn out the same, but baking time may vary.
- If you are baking loaves allow 65-70 minute baking time. You can bake (2) loaves in the oven at one time.
- Muffins will bake in 18-20 minutes for a regular-sized muffin pan.
What's the best way to serve pumpkin sourdough bread?
- Serve it plain with a pat of butter. Learn how to make your own butter here.
- You can also serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream while the bread/muffins are warm.
- Top it with a delicious cream cheese frosting. This makes it feel more like a cake.
- Drizzle some raw honey on-top. This is my sons favorite way to have it. But then again, he wants to put honey on everything. Literally everything (sigh).
Can I make this recipe without the sourdough?
Yup. You sure can. Read more in the section called, "variations for sourdough pumpkin bread."
Making these loaves of pumpkin banana bread or muffins require no real extra work to alter the recipe from sourdough to regular. It's all about personal preference.
How to store your pumpkin bread
If you have made pumpkin bread loaves, you can simply wait until they cool and wrap in cling wrap or a beeswax wrapper. You can also store in an airtight container. I prefer containers so that I'm not creating one time use waste by using cling wrap.
Sourdough pumpkin muffins can be stored the same. Wrap individually for on the go or in an airtight container.
They also make containers specifically for muffin storage which makes it really easy to keep them looking good and easy for travel.
Freezing pumpkin bread
Can you freeze pumpkin bread? I get asked this question a lot. Absolutely you can.
This recipe freezes and reheats really well. If you make larger batches for later, be sure and wrap the bread or pumpkin muffins in cling wrap. You can remove what you need from the freezer and leave out at room temp until it is defrosted.
I personally prefer to wrap the extra muffins individually so I don't have to take an entire batch out a time if I don't need to.
Serve as normal.
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- Stand Mixer or a Hand Mixer or Bowl and Whisk
- Large cookie Scoop (perfect for dispensing mixture into muffin pan evenly)
- Baking timer (you can also use your oven timer or your iPhone timer)
Variations of sourdough pumpkin banana muffins
- Well as I mentioned before you can omit the sourdough starter without having to change any other ingredients in the recipe.
It's probably one of the only recipes that I've ever done where I didn't have to change things. So omit if you don't like sourdough or don't even have a starter. You can't honestly even tell it's in there, just makes the recipe a bit more flavorful and healthier.
- You can make muffins instead of bread. That's an obvious one. I shared how to do that above in the "how to" section of this post.
- Easily make this recipe a sourdough pumpkin bread recipe with just ommiting the banana. No other alterations needed. Just omit if you want.
- Turn this recipe into a Pumpkin bread by ommitig the sourdough and banana. Again, no other alterantions needed.
- Make this a "loaded" pumkin banana bread by adding ½ cup chopped pecans, ½ cup dried unsweetened coconut, and ½ cup mini choclate chips. So good. I make this version often too. This is more of our dessert muffin/bread recipe.
- Top with a delicious homemade cream cheese frosting. Yum.
Learn more about how to convert all your favorite recipes to sourdough HERE.
The Best Sourdough Pumpkin Banana Muffins
Sourdough Pumpkin Banana Muffins bake for muffins is 18-20 miuntes.
Sourdough Pumpkin Banana loaves require 60-65 minutes baking time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of *fed* sourdough starter (if you don't have a sourdough starter, you can use sourdough discard, or just make this recipe without it.
- 1 overly ripe banana (the browner the banana, the sweeter it is)
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ sticks of softened butter (you can use salted or unsalted)
- 2 large eggs
- (1) 15oz. can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 cups of organic cane sugar (regular white sugar is fine as well)
- 1 teaspoon BAKING SODA
- ½ teaspoon BAKING POWDER
- ½ teaspoon of salt (I prefer Himalayan sea salt)
- Ground clove 1 teaspoon
- Ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon
- Cinnamon 1 teaspoon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (you can omit if you don't like vanilla)
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 325 degrees farenheit and set the oven rack to the middle of your oven.
- Generously grease (2) 8 x 4 inch loaf pans with butter, then dust with flour. You want the entire pan to look white. (You can also use a baking spreay that has flour in it such as Bakers Joy or Pam with flour). OR
- You can also use a regular-sized muffin tray and line with paper cups. This is my preferred method with kids since it's easier to grab these on the go.
- In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, ground clove, cinnamon, nutmeg). Set aside.
- In a stand mixer bowl or a regular bowl, add all of your wet ingredients (banana, eggs, softened butter, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, and sourdough starter). Mix until fully combined. The mixture will look lumpy-this is normal.
- Now it's time to slowly add your dry ingredients. Add about half the dry ingredient mixture and blend for 15 seconds or so. Scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl, add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.
- Turn the finished batter into your prepared loaf pans, OR using a scoop (my favorite method), scoop the mixture into the prepared muffin cups until halfway filled. You need to leave room for the rise.
- Place your loaf pans or muffin tray willed with pumpkin batter into the oven. Again, the oven should be pre-heated to 325 degrees Fahrenheit with the rack in the middle of the oven.
- FOR MUFFINS: Set the timer for 18 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on the altitude and temperature of the surrounding area. The standard baking time for MUFFINS is 18-20 minutes.
- FOR LOAVES: Set your timer for 60 minutes. Baking time for the loaves will vary depending on the factors mentioned above as well as what you are using to bake your loaves in (glass, cast iron, or nonstick pans). These baking vessels also vary slightly.
- Once the timer has gone off for the allotted time indicated, it's time to check your pumpkin bread/muffins. Using a WOODEN toothpick, insert into the center of either your bread loaf or one of the muffins. If the toothpick comes out clean (no batter stuck to it), then the muffin or loaves are done.
- Transfer to cooling rack until fully cooled.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Remember to insert the toothpick into the CENTER of the bread loaf or the center of one of your muffins. Things tend to bake faster along the edges but that doesn't mean they are fully-baked in the center. Check there!
Bread spice
I have found a common theme when it comes to bread spice and fall baking. A ratio of equal parts is key.
To make your own spice mixture simply combine
- Cinnamon 1 teaspoon
- Ground Clove 1 teaspoon
- Nutmeg 1 teaspoon
Obviously you can change the amounts you are combining to get a larger volume of the spice mixture. Just keep the parts equal and you can't go wrong.
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Happy fall ya'll. Hope you enjoy this delicious pumpkin recipe.
-Brie
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