Sourdough Roasted Pumpkin Banana Muffins with Pecans

Sourdough Pumpkin Banana Muffins

When it comes to baking in the fall, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as the aroma of fresh pumpkin banana muffins filling your kitchen.

If you’re a sourdough enthusiast looking for a creative way to use your sourdough starter discard this autumn, we have a delightful treat for you: Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Banana Muffins. These muffins also include pecans and a brown sugar cinnamon crumble topping.

Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Banana Muffins

Sourdough is a beloved ingredient in bread-making and offers numerous health benefits.

The fermentation process used to create sourdough bread enhances its nutritional profile. Sourdough is easier to digest than traditional yeast bread. In sourdough, lactic acid bacteria break down gluten, fructans, and phytic acid. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals with gluten or FODMAP sensitivities.

Muffins are not usually long-fermented, but they can be! I don’t long ferment my muffins, but many readers have told me they have successfully fermented the batter overnight in the fridge for easier digestion. You can try fermenting the batter overnight in the fridge before preheating your oven and filling your muffin tin with batter.

My Pumpkin Banana Muffin Recipe

Pumpkin is an underrated superfood; Any winter squash is a nutritional powerhouse. Rich in bioavailable vitamins A and C, pumpkin contributes to a robust immune system, promotes healthy skin, and supports eye health.

Pumpkins have a lot of dietary fiber too, which aids in digestion and helps regulate blood sugar levels. Pumpkin contains antioxidants that protect against cellular damage, reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and certain cancers.

Including roasted pumpkin in your muffins makes for a fluffier texture and muffins that are full of vitamins and minerals.

Never Over-Mix Muffins

When making muffins, one crucial tip is to avoid overmixing the batter. Overmixing can result in dense muffins rather than light and fluffy ones. The reason behind this lies in the formation of gluten.

Gluten, a protein present in flour, gives structure to baked goods. However, excessive mixing develops gluten strands, leading to a denser texture. To prevent this, gently mix the dry and wet ingredients until just combined, ensuring there are still some lumps and streaks of flour in the batter.

This technique allows the muffins to rise correctly, resulting in a tender crumb and a delightful eating experience.

My other muffin baking tip is always to use a thin metal aluminum muffin tin with paper liners. A metal muffin tin works way better than a silicone muffin pan.

More Sourdough Muffin Recipes

• Sourdough Peach Cobbler Muffins with Brown Sugar Crumble
• Orange Cardamom Muffins with Sourdough Discard
• How to Bake Sourdough Discard Banana Nut Muffins

Sourdough Discard

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Sourdough Roasted Pumpkin Banana Muffins with Pecans

Sourdough Roasted Pumpkin Banana Muffins combine the deliciousness of sourdough with the rich, sweet flavors of roasted pumpkin and ripe banana. These fluffy muffins include pecans and a cinnamon brown sugar crumble topping.

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• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

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Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup pecans, chopped
• 3/4 cup roasted pumpkin (or canned)
• 1 ripe banana mashed
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature soft/melted
• 1/2 cup sourdough starter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (crumble topping)
• 1/4 brown sugar (crumble topping)
• 2 Tablespoons salted butter, room temperature (crumble topping)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (crumble topping)

Instructions

1. See notes on roasting fresh pumpkin
2. Preheat your oven to 350° F.
3. Prepare the crumble topping: In a medium bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Add cinnamon. Mash the butter into the other ingredients with a fork until the crumbs form. Do not over-mix (it should be crumbly not a dough). Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
4. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
5. In a medium-large mixing bowl, fully combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and pecans.
6. In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, banana, butter, sourdough starter, vanilla, whole milk, lemon juice and two eggs. Whisk combined.
7. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until everything is just combined. Do not over mix. The batter should be thick and its okay if there are a few clumps.
8. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins to be about 3/4s full. Top with crumble topping.
9. Bake for 30-35 minutes total. rotate the pan halfway through.
10. Allow cooling for about 45 minutes

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 about 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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