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Sourdough Discard

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pumpkin and Pecans

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

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
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Recipe Index | Ferment | Sourdough Discard

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pumpkin and Pecans

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

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.

freshly baked sourdough chocolate chip cookies with melty chocolate pieces and pecans.

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.

raw dough for sourdough pumpkin cookies rolled into balls

More Recipes to Try

  • Buttery Flaky Sourdough Biscuits From Scratch
  • Buttery Rosemary Sea Salt Sourdough Crackers
  • Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins
a sourdough chocolate chip cookie with a bite taken out of it
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Sourdough Discard

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 6 reviews

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.

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

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.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a 5-star review below if you loved it! Tag @cultured.guru on Instagram

 

Nutrition information is auto-calculated and estimated as close as possible. We are not responsible for any errors. We have tested the recipe for accuracy, but your results may vary.

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Kaitlynn Fenley Author, Educator, Food Microbiologist
Kaitlynn is a food microbiologist and fermentation expert teaching people how to ferment foods and drinks at home.
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hey i’m kaitlynn, i’m a microbiologist and together with my husband jon we are cultured guru.

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  1. Jisela
    10|16|2022

    I’m so glad that these are the first sourdough cookies I’ve ever tried to make. Kaitlynn’s instructions are very easy to follow and these cookies did turn out moist and chewy – my kind of cookie! None of the ingredients overpower each other. I swapped the pecans for walnuts (just my preference). Everyone I shared with totally loved it, too.

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      10|19|2022

      Thank you so much for leaving a review! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. I’ll have to try these with walnuts too!

      Reply
  2. Veronica
    10|20|2022

    This is the first time I have used pumpkin in cookies! And it did not disappoint! The cookie had great flavour without being too sweet (I used coconut sugar instead of the brown sugar) and it was soft and chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. I baked them at a lower temp of 175º fan oven closer to 18-20 mins just because I prefer the outside of my cookies to be crunchy. The browned butter really adds another layer of caramel notes to the cookie. Also the pumpkin I think helps to give the cookie great volume which makes it really aesthetically appealing. And it was so easy to make. I would highly recommend these cookies, they are delicious!

    Reply
  3. Abby Phillips
    10|30|2022

    I made these cookies today and wow they are so delicious! I’ve made other sourdough cookies before and these are the only ones that resemble cookie texture instead of a cakey one. 10/10 would make again

    Reply
  4. Leah
    08|22|2023

    Fall in a bite! Cooler weather means I’m warming my house by baking these cookies. This is such a delicious cookie! And I love telling people that’s it made with sourdough discard! Definitely a favorite!

    Reply
  5. Meadow Moody
    10|28|2023

    This recipe is so GOOD. Everyone loves these cookies . Recipes are easy, not too sweet. So good thank you!!!

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      10|30|2023

      Glad you enjoyed them!

      Reply
  6. Remi
    10|31|2023

    If you’re new to the sourdough community, add this recipe to the TOP of your priority list. Brown butter was new to me, and I thought that it had burned, but I ended up making perfect brown butter on the first try. There’s so much flavor, goodness and warmth in these cookies. You won’t be disappointed!

    Reply
  7. Traci
    11|05|2023

    I’m assuming cinnamon and nutmeg is pumpkin pie spice?

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      11|06|2023

      yes!

      Reply
  8. Luci
    10|14|2024

    Can I substitute pumpkin puree for the pumpkin?

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      10|15|2024

      yes, pumpkin puree should work great.

      Reply
  9. Phu-My Gep
    09|30|2025

    I made a double batch and it is in the fridge now for fermenting. Can I freeze some and bake it when I want?

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      10|01|2025

      for sure! scoop into balls and freeze them!

      Reply

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Yes, they smell like farts. YES you should still m Yes, they smell like farts. YES you should still make them, because the fart smell is a really good indicator that the microbes are making the beneficial compounds in the Brussels sprouts more bioavailable. ✨🫧

Get the recipe on my website https://cultured.guru
is this rage bait? 🤠 #kombucha is this rage bait? 🤠

#kombucha
I decided to try using my sourdough discard with t I decided to try using my sourdough discard with this packaged brownie mix and left over s’mores stuff from our latest camping trip!

Sourdough starter makes brownies a little more cake-like, so I had to up the fats in the recipe a bit to keep them moist and used a combo of brown butter and oil. 

Get the recipe for these moist cakey sourdough s’mores brownies on my website, and let me know if you try it!

My recipe index is linked in my bio. https://cultured.guru/blog/brown-butter-sourdough-smores-brownies-from-box-mix
Fermented garlic honey, and I make mine as an oxym Fermented garlic honey, and I make mine as an oxymel 

🍯✨🫧🧄 the recipe is on my website!
https://cultured.guru

Many historical texts mention the use of both garlic and honey in traditional medicine. Still, none explicitly describe the modern method of combining only these two ingredients and leaving them to ferment. In all my readings on fermentation history, I’ve never come across any historical descriptions of fermented garlic honey, made with only garlic and honey.

However, I did come across many accounts of over 1,200 types of oxymel in Ancient Greece and Persia, many of which include garlic.The ancient Greeks and Persians used oxymels to extract and preserve potent herbs, including garlic. Oxymel is an ancient preparation, and Hippocrates wrote records about its benefits around 400 B.C.E. in On Regimen in Acute Diseases.

The thing to note here is that oxymel uses a combination of honey and raw vinegar.

When we make fermented garlic honey as an oxymel, the pH starts at a safe acidity and remains at a safe acidity (below 4.6). This is because the microbes in raw vinegar (or raw kombucha) ensure the honey is metabolized into more acids. These microbes “eat” sugars similarly to the way they do when making kombucha, wild mead, and vinegar. When we add raw vinegar or raw kombucha to a garlic honey oxymel, we are guaranteeing the presence of many acid-producing microbes that keep the mixture acidic and safe.

PSA: I’m not saying that your garlic honey made without raw vinegar is destined to have botulism. But I am saying without raw vinegar/kombucha it is a concern, and it can happen. I am saying that I’m not comfortable making it without raw vinegar/kombucha. 

I have compiled all my thoughts on garlic honey and botulism in the blog post, linked in my bio! You can also type “cultured.guru” right into your web browser and the recipe blog is on my homepage. 

#garlic #honey
Oxymel is a medicinal herbal elixir, made through Oxymel is a medicinal herbal elixir, made through the fermentation of herbs in honey and raw vinegar. 

It’s my favorite time-tested herbal remedy that’s over 2,400 years old. It originated in ancient Greece and Persia, where it was considered a gift from the gods.

Hippocrates, the famous ancient Greek physician, was a staunch advocate of oxymel and incorporated it into his medical practices. Depending on the herbs used to make it, oxymel can help with many ailments and improve health in various ways!

In a world where everyone is asking AI, I set out to learn about the best herbal combinations from real, practiced experts in herbalism.

I felt so much joy collaborating with these herbalists @openspace.center @karlytheherbalist @lilianaruizhealy and @the.brettivy to recommend the best medicinal herb combinations in this recipe!

You can get my oxymel recipe from the link in my bio!
Okay, fine, it’s not the only reason, but it’s Okay, fine, it’s not the only reason, but it’s a reaallllyy good reason to buy another pumpkin!

My new sourdough pumpkin bagel recipe is up on our blog!
https://cultured.guru

these roasted pumpkin bagels can be made savory or sweet! Both options are included in the recipe and are perfect for fall sourdough baking. 

The savory is a pumpkin, parmesan, onion (leek) flavor, and the sweet is a cinnamon brown sugar pumpkin flavor! ✨

You can also choose to use active starter or discard with yeast. It’s up to you! 

Let me know if you try baking these this weekend! 🍂🎃🥯
#bagels #pumpkin
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