Sourdough Pumpkin Crackers

Perfect for any fall cheese board, these savory sourdough pumpkin crackers use sourdough discard, real pumpkin puree, and brown butter sage.

The pumpkin crackers are crispy and crunchy with pumpkin seeds and I add pumpkin seed protein powder to make them even more earthy, nutritious, and filling. They’re an easy fall sourdough recipe full of pumpkin flavor!

My detailed instructions, photos, and tips walk you through step-by-step on how to make the best sourdough discard pumpkin crackers.

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👍 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Savory, earthy fall crackers that goes great with cheese boards.
• Uses pumpkin puree, pumpkin seeds, and pumpkin seed powder for lots of pumpkin flavor (no pumpkin spice).
• Crispy, salty crackers with a snap.
• Easy for kids to roll out, cut out, and bake.
• Bright orange color from real pumpkin puree.
• Simple and quick way to use sourdough discard.

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🔍 Top Baking Tips

• For crisp, thin cookies, roll the dough thinly to ⅛” or less in between pieces of parchment paper.
• Brush the tops with olive oil or butter for more browning.
• Chill the dough before rolling out so the flavors meld and the dough isn’t too soft to cut.
• Use canned pumpkin puree (or fresh) and not pumpkin pie filling.
• Dock the crackers with a wooden dowel. This helps prevent them from puffing up too much.

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🛠 Tools Needed

• Baking scale
  • Flour and sourdough starter can vary in weight from person to person, so weighing your ingredients is the best option! Measuring your ingredients by weight will make your baking more consistent and accurate.
• Pizza cutter or pastry wheel, for cutting the crackers
• Rolling Pin, for rolling out the crackers.
• Sheet Pan, lined with parchment paper
• Wooden dowels, for docking
  • Use the blunt end of a wooden dowel or skewers to dock or make a hole in the crackers to prevent them from puffing up too much.

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🛒 Ingredients Needed

See below for my ingredient recommendations and possible substitutions.

• All-purpose Flour
  • You can substitute all of the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour or whole wheat flour.
• Pumpkin Seed Protein Powder
  • To add more pumpkin earthiness and heartiness to these crackers, I add a bit of pumpkin protein powder. It’s not 100% essential so if you don’t have it, substitute it with an equal amount of flour.
• Salt
• Black Pepper ups the savoriness of the crackers for seasoning.
• Paprika
  • The paprika adds more orange color and a subtle heat to the crackers.
• Garlic Powder
  • For a slight hint of allium flavor that enhances the brown butter and sage.
  • Substitute with onion powder or ranch seasoning.
• Unsalted Butter
  • Using butter instead of oil as the primary fat adds richness and keeps the dough soft for rolling out.
  • Browning the butter adds a subtle caramel flavor that elevates the cookies and makes them taste more savory without seasonings.
• Pumpkin Puree
  • I use canned Libby’s pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling).
• Pumpkin Seeds
  • The pepitas or pumpkin seeds add crunch and some color to the pumpkin crackers.
  • Substitute with sunflowers seeds or other small seeds.
  • Use pumpkin seeds as the coating in my Buckwheat Sourdough with Pumpkin Seeds or topping my Sourdough Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins.
• Sage
  • Chop fresh sage or use dried sage in the brown butter. It adds a lovely fragrance to the crackers that tastes like autumn.
  • Other herbs you can substitute with are thyme or rosemary.
  • Sage pairs exceptionally well in pumpkin recipes like these Sourdough Pumpkin Dinner Rolls.
• Maple Syrup
  • There’s a hint of sweetness from maple syrup, which complements earthy pumpkin well.
  • Substitute with agave or another liquid sweetener.
• Sourdough Discard
  • If you don’t have an active sourdough starter, learn how to make one in a week by following my how-to guide. See my top sourdough starter tips and other sourdough discard recipes.
  • To make 100% gluten-free, use a gluten-free sourdough starter and gluten-free flour.

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🎃 How to Make Sourdough Pumpkin Crackers

Follow this detailed recipe guide with step-by-step images as you make the best sourdough pumpkin crackers.

1. Brown the Butter

Melt the butter in a small saucepan or skillet until it starts foaming.

Stir often to prevent burning. Add the chopped sage leaves and stir until the milk solids brown and have a caramel, fragrant smell.

Pour into a mixing bowl and allow the butter to cool for at least 10-15 minutes.

Other recipes I use brown butter in include these Brown Butter Sourdough Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Sourdough Hot Cross Buns with Brown Butter, and the frosting for Sourdough Pumpkin Cupcakes and Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls.

2. Whisk the Wet Ingredients

Once the butter has cooled slightly, add the wet ingredients and whisk together until you have a thick mixture. Set aside.

3. Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.

4. Mix and Chill the Dough

Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until you have a thick dough with no dry spots remaining.

It may be dry at first, but you can use your hands to slightly knead it together if needed. The dough should be tacky like Play-Doh.

Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes so the flavors meld together and it’s easier to roll out.

5. Roll and Cut Out the Sourdough Pumpkin Crackers

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC).

Divide the dough in half. Use a rolling pin to roll the chilled dough into a thin slab (less than ⅛” thick) between two pieces of parchment paper. Only flour lightly if there is sticking.

Use a pastry wheel to slice the dough into squares, rectangles, or triangles. No need to separate.

Dock the crackers with a wooden dowel or toothpick with a hole.

6. Bake

Brush the tops of the crackers with olive oil and sprinkle flaky salt or sea salt on top before baking.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the crackers are crisp and turning dark orange brown. Thinner crackers may bake faster and thicker ones may need more time.

Cool on a wire rack and repeat with the remaining crackers.

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How to Store and Serve

• Store sourdough pumpkin crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days.
• Be sure to allow the crackers to cool completely before storage.
• If the crackers soften, reheat them in an oven at 300ºF for a few minutes to re-crisp the cookies.

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions