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Pumpkin and maple are a perfect fall flavor combo that come together in these chewy Sourdough Pumpkin Maple Cookies.
The sourdough discard pumpkin cookies are made real pumpkin puree, brown butter, warming pumpkin pie spices, maple syrup, and rolled in cinnamon sugar.
The cookies stay chewy and moist for days and store extremely well. You can even make or freeze the batter in advance, so you can have sourdough pumpkin cookies on a whim.
The recipe walks through how to keep these cookies chewy (there’s an unexpected and unconventional technique!) and all of my ingredient recommendations and possible substitutions. These cookies are easy to make and I know you’re going to love making them this fall!
👉 For more of my favorite sourdough cookie recipes, check out my recipes for:
👍 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Made with real pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice (or pumpkin pie spices/warming spices)
- Chewy texture for days
- No fancy equipment needed to make- just a bowl, spatula, and whisk.
- Can make the dough ahead and rest in the refrigerator to bake later (can even freeze them!).
- Store well and keep for a week
🔍 Tips for Making Sourdough Pumpkin Cookies
- It may sound unorthodox, but to keep the cookies flat and chewy, press down on them after baking. It’s normal if they puff up some during baking, but flattening them while warm will keep them chewy and not cakey! I learned this technique from this Black Sesame Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.
- Let the cookie dough rest and chill for at least 4 hours before baking. This allows the dough to hydrate, lets the flavors meld, and makes scooping easier. I do this for many cookie recipes like my Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- Because sourdough discard is 50% water, browning the butter, using only an egg yolk, and patting the pumpkin puree dry helps remove some of the extra liquid and moisture from the recipe.
- If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own with a mélange of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
- Finally, when you mix the cookie dough, only mix until the flour is hydrated and no more. Overmixing will lead to more gluten development and a less tender cookie.
🛠 Tools Needed
You don’t need any fancy equipment to make sourdough pumpkin cookies, but I list my tool recommendations below so you’ll have the most success!
- Baking scale
- Ingredients like flour and sourdough starter weigh differently from person to person when measured by volume. For the best results, I recommend using a baking or kitchen scale.
- Whisk & Spatula
- Large cookie scoop (3 TBS, #20 cookie scoop)
- Optional, but helpful. A cookie scoop will help you portion out even-sized cookies. This recipe makes about twenty 45g cookies. Alternatively, you can use a large spoon and weigh out the dough.
- Half-sheet pans lined with parchment paper
🛒 Ingredients Needed
See below for my ingredient recommendations and possible substitutions.
- All-purpose flour
- If you use whole wheat flour, the cookies will not spread as much and may be denser, but they will also have a more robust and hearty flavor.
- Baking soda
- Helps the cookies spread and brown.
- Salt
- Pumpkin pie spice
- You can find pumpkin pie spice at most grocery stores, or you can make your own with a combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. At the most basic level, use mostly cinnamon and ¼ tsp of another spice, and you’ll get a similar-tasting result!
- Pumpkin puree
- I like using Libby’s canned pumpkin which is 100% pumpkin puree in my recipes. It’s consistent, orange, and works well. But you can make your own pumpkin at home, too, if you prefer.
- Blot the puree with paper towels to help remove some of the moisture.
- Egg Yolk
- I don’t use the full egg in order to reduce some of the moisture in the recipe. If you want an eggless recipe, just remove the egg yolk completely and the cookies will still turn out well.
- Unsalted butter
- Browning the butter adds a caramel flavor to the cookies, enhances the sweetness, and removes some extra water.
- Maple syrup
- Only use real maple syrup in this recipe, not maple-flavored syrup.
- I recommend dark, robust maple syrup for most baking recipes, including the filling for my Sourdough Pumpkin Whoopie Pies for the most maple flavor.
- Light brown sugar
- Contributes to the sweetness, acidity, spreading, and chewy texture of the cookies.
- Sourdough discard (or active starter)
- Sourdough discard is unfed sourdough starter that you can use in sourdough discard recipes. When I feed my starter, I store the discard in the refrigerator so there’s no waste. Learn how to make sourdough starter from scratch and my top sourdough starter tips.
- Vanilla extract
- Vanilla brings out more depth in these cookies so the pumpkin and spices shines even more!
- Granulated sugar
- For rolling the cookies in before baking.
Variations and Other Inclusions
- Chocolate chips or toffee: Add ½ cup of chocolate chips or toffee morsels to the cookies (about 90g).
- Toasted nuts: For some crunch, add ½ cup of chopped, toasted pecans, walnuts, or other nuts.
- Candied ginger: a few TBS of candied ginger is a nice, zingy addition that goes well with pumpkin! I use it in my Sourdough Zucchini Bread too.
- Cream cheese morsels: It may be going overboard some, but cream cheese morsels are a fun addition that pair well with the pumpkin and maple flavors. It’ll taste similar to my Sourdough Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins.
🎃 How to Make Sourdough Pumpkin Maple Cookies
Follow this visual recipe guide as you make these sourdough pumpkin maple cookies. It includes additional tips and photos to help you throughout the process.
1. Brown the Butter
Browning butter adds a caramel, nutty flavor to baked goods and is one of the easiest ways to elevate your baking! I use it in many recipes, including Brown Butter Sourdough Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Sourdough Oatmeal Cream Pies, and the frosting for my Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls.
To brown the butter, place two sticks of unsalted butter in a small saucepan or skillet (preferably with a light-colored bottom so it’s easy to see when it starts to brown).
Heat over medium heat, stirring often with a spatula. After a few minutes, it will melt and begin to bubble and foam rapidly.
Keep an eye on it constantly as it can burn quickly! Keep stirring, and in a couple of more minutes, the milk solids will start to brown and the butter will take on a fragrant, popcorn-like aroma.
Remove from the heat and pour the brown butter into a large mixing bowl to cool for at least 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, blot the pumpkin puree in a small bowl with paper towels to remove some of the extra moisture.
Note: Brown butter can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two weeks.
2. Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spices.
Set aside as you mix your wet ingredients.
3. Mix the Wet Ingredients
To the bowl of cooled brown butter, pour in the blotted pumpkin puree, egg yolk, vanilla extract, maple syrup, light brown sugar (break up any clumps before adding), and sourdough discard.
Whisk together until you have a thick and gooey pumpkin mixture with no clumps of sugar remaining.
4. Mix the Cookie Dough
Dump the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients. Then, use a spatula to mix the dough together just until the flour is hydrated.
Don’t overmix, or you’ll get a tougher and denser cookie.
5. Rest & Chill the Dough
At this point, the batter is too soft and wet to roll out.
Chilling the batter for at least a few hours will allow the flour to hydrate further, let the flavors meld, make portioning easier, and allow you to bake on your own schedule.
Cover and transfer the bowl of dough to the refrigerator to chill for at least a few hours and up to a couple of days in the refrigerator.
6. Portion and Roll in Sugar
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) with a rack in the middle.
Combine the granulated sugar and ½ tsp of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Using a large cookie scoop or spoon, portion out 20 large cookies (about 3 TBS or 45g each). Then, roll the cookies in the bowl of cinnamon sugar and space them a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Before baking, I like to add another sprinkle of sugar on top of the cookies.
Note: If the dough is too stiff to scoop, let it sit out at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before portioning.
7. Bake
Bake the cookies one pan at a time in the center rack of the oven for 12-14 minutes until the cookies are puffed up in the centers and the edges brown slightly and set.
When the cookies come out of the oven, press down on them with a spatula or the palm of your hand (just be careful if they’re hot). This will help them spread and keep the centers gooey and chewy!
Finally, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Note: If the cookies are still too puffy for you, you can encourage additional spreading during baking by slamming the cookie sheets down on the counter a little over halfway through baking.
How to Store
These homemade sourdough pumpkin cookies store very well due to the moisture content of the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and fermented qualities of sourdough discard.
I’ve been able to store these pumpkin cookies in an airtight container for up to a week! Store the cookies on top of each other so they don’t bend or fall apart. I like storing them in reusable deli containers.
For freezing, I recommend freezing the portioned dough before baking for up to a few months and keeping in the frozen balls in a freezer-safe bag or container. Then, thaw the portioned cookies overnight in the refrigerator and bake them following the same instructions above.
❓ FAQs:
Can I double the recipe?
Yes. Simply double all of the ingredients to make up about 40 cookies.
Why are my pumpkin cookies so puffy?
Pumpkin, sourdough discard, and baking soda will make these cookies puff up a bit. That’s why I recommend pressing down on them after baking, so they stay chewy and flatten.
Can I make gluten-free sourdough pumpkin cookies?
Yes, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour like cup-for-cup or measure-for-measure and make sure you’re using a gluten-free sourdough starter.
Why did my cookies spread so much?
Make sure your dough was chilled for at least a few hours before baking. If your pumpkin puree has too much moisture in it, that can cause them to spread more too. I recommend blotting it with a paper towel before adding to your wet ingredients.
Can you use active sourdough starter?
Yes, you can use sourdough discard or active sourdough starter in this recipe.
Can I use these for ice cream sandwiches?
Sure! The pumpkin cookies can sandwich vanilla, pumpkin, maple, cinnamon, or any ice cream flavor you’d like for ice cream sandwiches.
Other Sourdough Fall Recipes You May Enjoy:
Sourdough Maple Pecan Sticky Buns
Apple Butter for Canning
Sourdough Cranberry Yogurt Muffins
Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Chai Cream Cheese Frosting
Concord Grape Jam with Vanilla
Sourdough Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
Sourdough Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes
Sourdough Stuffing with Fennel
Sourdough Anadama Bread
Sourdough Corn Muffins
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Sourdough Pumpkin Maple Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Large Cookie Scoop, #20, or 3 TBS scoop
Ingredients
- 226 g Unsalted Butter, 1 cup or two sticks
- 260 g All-purpose flour
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- 2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice, or a mixture of cinnnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves; plus ½ tsp reserved for rolling with sugar
- 113 g Pumpkin Puree, ½ cup, I use Libbys and blot it with a paper towel
- 175 g Light Brown Sugar
- 104 g Maple Syrup, ⅓ cup
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 100 g Sourdough Discard, or active starter
- 1 ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
- 100 g Granulated Sugar, ½ cup, for rolling
Instructions
- Brown the butter. To brown, add the two sticks of butter to a small saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat. Melt until the butter begins sizzling and foaming, just a few minutes. Stir constantly with a spatula until the milk solids turn dark brown and smell like caramel. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool for 15-20 minutes.226 g Unsalted Butter
- In another medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.260 g All-purpose flour, ½ tsp Kosher Salt, ½ tsp Baking Soda, 2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Once the butter has cooled, pour in the blotted pumpkin puree, brown sugar (break up any clumps), maple syrup, egg yolk, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract and whisk together.113 g Pumpkin Puree, 175 g Light Brown Sugar, 1 Egg Yolk, 100 g Sourdough Discard, 1 ½ tsp Vanilla Extract, 104 g Maple Syrup
- Dump the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and use a spatula to mix just until the flour is hydrated.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours and up to a few days to fully hydrate the flour, let the flavors meld, and make portioning out easier.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and ½ tsp of reserved pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon.Use a large cookie scoop or spoon to portion out 20 cookies (about 45g each), roll into balls in the sugar, and place onto the baking sheets with a couple of inches in between them. I like to sprinkle more sugar on top before baking as well.100 g Granulated Sugar
- Bake one sheet of cookies at a time in the middle rack for 12-14 minutes or until the edges set and begin to brown.The cookies will puff up some during baking. While hot out of the oven, use a spatula or the palm of your hand to press down on the cookies to flatten them. This will help keep them chewy!Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
- Follow my guide above for more detailed instructions, substitutions, photos to make this recipe step-by-step, storage options, tips, and FAQs.
- If the cookies are puffing up too much during baking, slam the cookie sheet on a counter halfway through baking to encourage spreading.
- Instead of chilling in the refrigerator, you can portion and freeze the cookie dough for up to three months in a freezer safe bag and thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking the next day.
These are my go to pumpkin cookies. They have the right level of spice and sweetness. The texture is fantastic as well. Give these a try.
Thank you Lauren!
made these gluten free by subbing in cup4xup gf flour and a gf sourdough discard. they are so soft and fluffy. amazing fall flavor
I have found when making this recipe (a family favorite, by the way!) that by straining the pumpkin in a colander while I brown the butter and wait for it to cool gets out the most moisture and works really well! I am attempting to make a double batch using 1 full egg versus 2 yolks. Hoping it doesn’t make much difference!
These are great tips Shelby!