Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pumpkin and Pecans

Sourdough Cookies

There are a lot of ways to make sourdough chocolate chip cookies. Most recipes I see though, result in a cookie that is less like a cookie and more like a scone.

Well, rest assured that this is a cookie recipe, not a scone recipe. These sourdough cookies come out with that perfect moist, chewy cookie texture. This is an adaption of my sourdough cookie master recipe. Some other versions of this cookie you may enjoy:

• Sourdough Fermented Gingerbread Cookies
• Soft and Chewy Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies

Sourdough Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate Chips

Making cookies with a sourdough starter is all about how you mix the ingredients. The order you mix your ingredients is the most important part.

You need to mix the sourdough starter with the wet ingredients and sugar first before you add any dry ingredients. Also, I want to note that the roasted pumpkin is a wet ingredient too, so that needs to be mixed in with the sourdough starter.

Just follow the directions on the recipe card below and you won’t have any problems.

As for storing the cookie dough, you can ferment the cookie dough in the fridge overnight before forming the cookie dough balls and baking.

When I make a batch of these cookies, I ferment them overnight in the fridge, then shape the dough into balls the next day. This recipe at 1x makes 20 cookies, so usually bake six then freeze the rest.

To bake the frozen cookie dough, you just put the frozen cookie dough ball on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then bake as normal.

Sourdough Pumpkin Cookies

Since we use sourdough starter and pumpkin in this recipe, there is no need for any eggs. My cookie recipe also calls for browned butter, which is just cooked butter.

The most important part to remember when using browned butter is to allow it to cool to room temperature before you use it. If you dip a finger in the butter it should not feel warm at all.

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies with Roasted Pumpkin

Okay, let’s talk about the roasted pumpkin. Please use freshly roasted pumpkin in this recipe if you can! It’s so good!

All you have to do is cut and clean a pumpkin, rub the inside with a little oil, place it open-side down on a sheet pan, and roast at 425° F for 20 minutes. Once it is completely cool, you can scoop the pumpkin out of the skin and use it in the recipe.

If you cannot use freshly roasted pumpkin, it’s okay to use canned pumpkin puree, but you need to strain off the excess liquid through a cheesecloth.

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are fantastic with dark chocolate and pecans, but you can change up the ingredients a bit to suit you. If you rather have another kind of nut, just evenly sub it out. You can also use milk chocolate baking chips if you prefer.

More Recipes to Try

• Buttery Flaky Sourdough Biscuits From Scratch
• Buttery Rosemary Sea Salt Sourdough Crackers
• Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins

Sourdough Discard

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Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pumpkin and Pecans

The absolute best sourdough cookies recipe! These sourdough chocolate chip cookies are made with roasted pumpkin, pecans, and brown butter for the most fantastic texture and flavor.

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• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients

• 340 g all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 226 g butter
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 100 g sugar
• 200 g brown sugar
• 140 g roasted pumpkin
• 2 tsp  maple extract
• 120 g sourdough starter (active or discard)
• 1 cup dark chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup pecans chopped

Instructions

1. Brown the butter in a small saucepan until bubbly, and dark golden. Stir it continuously, careful not to burn it. Add the pumpkin pie spice and mix well.  Remove from heat and allow the butter to cool completely to room temperature.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Once the butter has cooled completely but is still liquid, to a large bowl add the sugar, brown sugar, maple extract, sourdough starter, roasted pumpkin, and browned butter.
4. Combine with a whisk or hand mixer until even.
5. Fold the combined dry ingredients into the wet ingredient butter mixture. Stir until well combined.
6. Add your chopped chocolate bar and pecans.
7. Place the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours or refrigerate overnight.
8. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of your chilled cookie dough and shape into balls.
9. Preheat the oven to 375° and place the cookie dough balls about two inches apart on the lined cookie sheet.
10. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
11. Remove the cookies and let them sit on the cookie sheet until they are completely cool.

Notes

• How to roast a pumpkin: cut and clean a pumpkin, rub the inside with a little oil, place it open-side down on a sheet pan, and roast at 425° F for 20 minutes. Once it is completely cool, you can scoop the pumpkin out of the skin and use it in the recipe.

Kaitlynn Fenley Food Microbiologist and Fermentation Specialist

Kaitlynn is a Food Microbiologist and FSPCA-certified fermentation specialist. An alumna of the LSU College of Science, she combines her academic background in microbiology with her Cajun heritage to create safe and delicious recipes.

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