Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Coffee Cake (Easy + Fall Favorite!)
Want to know a secret? I only had to make this once before I knew it was a keeper. No edits, no tweaks—just cozy, pumpkin perfection from the very first slice.
This sourdough discard pumpkin coffee cake is packed with warm fall spices, pumpkin puree, and the subtle tang of sourdough discard. It’s soft, moist, and topped with a buttery crumble that makes it feel a little extra special—without being fussy.
Whether you serve it as a breakfast treat, an afternoon snack, or dessert with a cup of coffee, this is the kind of recipe that makes your kitchen smell like fall and your guests ask for seconds.
Best part? It’s beginner-friendly and a great way to use up that extra discard. You’ve got this!
❤️ Why You’ll Love Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Coffee Cake
What makes this cake so special is the texture—it’s rich and moist, yet still light and fluffy. The sourdough discard adds just the right amount of tang and gives it a beautiful, tender crumb. It’s sweet, but not too sweet, making it perfect with your morning coffee or as an afternoon pick-me-up. And the flavor? A cozy blend of pumpkin and fall spices that feels like autumn in every bite. If you’re looking for a go-to seasonal bake that’s simple, comforting, and delicious—this is it.
🍲 Ingredients
Sourdough Discard – your unfed, inactive sourdough starter. Sourdough discard is, essentially, equal parts flour and water.
Flour – I use Kirkland’s organic, unbleached all purpose flour for most of my recipes but use what you have on hand! Keep in mind that organic isn’t totally necessary, but I always recommend using unbleached flour.
Sugar – Granulated sugar + Brown sugar
Salt – I use pink Himalayan salt but use what you have on hand!
Cinnamon – It’s not a fall recipe without some ground cinnamon, in my opinion.
Baking powder + soda – This is the leavening agent and will give the cake its fluffy signature texture.
Pumpkin puree– 3/4 cup for that pumpkin flavor.
Eggs – 2 large eggs, cold or room temperature.
Butter- I prefer unsalted butter for this recipe
👩🍳 How to Make Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Whisk together your dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt.
- Brown your butter and pour into a stand mixer or large mixing bowl.
- On low, mix together brown butter and sugar for 1 minute. Add beaten eggs, yogurt and sourdough discard until there are no streaks. Add pumpkin purée and mix until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients until there are no dry bits of flour.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter then add brown sugar, flour and walnuts. Mix until fully combined.
- In a parchment lined 8×8 baking dish, pour half of your batter in and smooth out. Sprinkle half of the crumble topping across the batter. Cover that with the second half of your batter. Sprinkle the second half of the crumble all over the top.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
- Let cool and drizzle with maple glaze.
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- Use pure pumpkin puree for the best flavor and texture; avoid pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugars and spices.
- If you don’t have sourdough discard, add 1/4 cup of flour with 1/4 cup of milk.
- You can substitute walnuts out for pecans or almonds.
- Crumble: Feel free to customize the streusel topping by adding oats for texture, or experimenting with different nuts or seeds.
🗒 Variations
If you don’t like pumpkin flavor, but still want to try this sourdough discard coffee cake. You can withhold the pumpkin all together. But if you do like pumpkin, try some of these other fun fall recipes!
🗒 Substitutions
If you don’t have any sourdough discard, you can substitute discard for 1/4 cup of flour + 1/4 cup of milk. If you only have active sourdough starter, you can stir that down so it’s more less bubbly and add 1/2 cup to the batter just like the recipe calls for.
- Sourdough discard – 1/4 cup flour + 1/4 cup milk.
- The crumble topping can be made with oats, almonds, walnuts, any crunchy flavor you like or have on hand!
🗒 Best Served With
- Morning coffee
- Autumn Brunch
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Put your leftover pumpkin coffee cake in an airtight container, and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
🤔 Common Questions
No problem! You can leave out the pumpkin and swap in a little extra maple syrup or even unsweetened applesauce instead. It’ll still turn out moist and delicious with all those cozy fall vibes—just without the pumpkin flavor.
Sourdough discard is essentially equal parts flour and water, so to substitute discard out of recipes just add equal parts flour and water so it equals the measurements that the recipe calls for.
Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Equipment
- 8×8 baking dish
- Spatula
Ingredients
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- 8 TBS butter browned
- 5 oz Greek yogurt 1 container
- 2 eggs beaten
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp salt
Coffee Cake Crumble
- 3 TBS butter, melted
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Maple Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 TBS maple syrup
- 1 TBS milk
- ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Whisk together your dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt, and set aside.
- Brown your butter and transfer to your mixing bowl.
- Whisk together your eggs, yogurt, sourdough discard, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and pumpkin puree until everything is combined and there are no streaks.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter then add brown sugar, flour and walnuts. Mix until fully combined.
- Mix your dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and there are no dry bits of flour.
- In a parchment lined 8×8 baking dish, pour half of your batter in and smooth out. Sprinkle half of the crumble topping across the batter. Cover that with the second half of your batter. Sprinkle the second half of the crumble all over the top.
- Bake at 350 for 40 – 45 minutes until fully cooked and can pass the toothpick test.
- Let cool and remove from your baking dish. Drizzle with the glaze and enjoy warm!
Nutrition
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Do you stir your sourdough starter before measuring 1/2 cup?
No, I just dig in with a scoop.
This was phenomenal. I will be making this over and over again. I doubled crumb topping because I love it extra thick and it turned out SO good. Thankyou for such a wonderful way to use up discard!
Do you have a suggestion as a substitute for the yogurt?
Sour cream 🙂
Could plain yogurt be used and sub in pure vanilla extract?
Yes! Or you can use just plain yogurt, or even sour cream. It does more for the texture of the cake than the flavor 🙂