Sourdough Pumpkin Blondies

ByJessica Hammond, RD
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Introduction

Autumn is here and these sourdough pumpkin blondies are the perfect treat to enjoy this season. The slight tang from the sourdough starter perfectly complements the spicy, warming flavors from the pumpkin spice. These pumpkin sourdough bars are sweet, but are balanced by chopped pecans and chocolate chips. They make a great pumpkin pie alternative dessert for Halloween and Thanksgiving. If you have some spare sourdough discard lying around, you have to try this recipe!

There is a rectangle white plate in the center of the photo that contains three square sourdough pumpkin blondies. They have chocolate chips and pecans that are visible. Around the edges of the plate are white and yellow flowers and there are more in the bottom right of the image. At the left, there is a glass of milk. At the top of the image, there are two pieces of nutmeg.

Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Blondies: Ingredients

Pumpkin Puree

You need pumpkin puree for this recipe. Don’t use pumpkin pie filling because this is not pure pumpkin and has other ingredients that won’t work well for this recipe. 

Sourdough Discard

We use 1/3 cup of sourdough discard for this recipe. 

There is a glass mason jar that contains sourdough discard. It is sitting on a table with a white tablecloth. Surrounding the jar is white flowers, a floral hand towel, and a wooden spoon.

Butter

This recipe calls for unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter, this will work as well. The amount of salt in the butter is not enough to make the bars unpleasantly salty. You can also reduce the amount of salt in the recipe by 1/8 teaspoon. 

Chocolate Chips

Use dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips for this recipe depending on your preference. Dark chocolate chips are usually less sweet than semi-sweet chocolate chips. You can also substitute white chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips in this recipe. 

Sugar

Although blondies usually have all brown sugar, I substituted granulated sugar for some of the brown sugar. Brown sugar is more moist and I wanted to reduce the amount of moisture in the recipe because the pumpkin and sourdough discard adds moisture. 

Other Ingredients 

  • Vanilla Extract
  • Egg
  • Flour
  • Baking Powder
  • Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • Salt

How to Make Pumpkin Sourdough Discard Blondies

Preheat the Oven

First, preheat the oven to 350oF. 

Prep the Pan

Spray an 8×8 metal baking pan with cooking spray, then line it with parchment paper with two ends hanging over the edge of the pan. 

There is a metal 8x8 inch baking pan that is greased and lined with parchment paper. In the bottom left, there is a floral hand towel. There are white flowers scattered around the pan.

Prep the Dry Ingredients

Combine the dry ingredients in a small mixing bowl so they can easily be added later. 

There is a small white bowl containing flour and spices that is being mixed with a silver fork. In the bottom left, there is a floral hand towel. In the upper right, there is a wooden spoon. There are small white flowers scattered around the bowl.

Melt the Butter

Use a microwave-safe mixing bowl to microwave the butter in the bowl. Once melted, you can just add all the rest of the ingredients to this bowl. No butter wasted!

There is a yellow mixing bowl that contains partially melted butter. There is a wooden spoon in the bowl. In the bottom right of the image, there is a floral hand towel. Scattered around the bowl there are nutmeg cloves and small white flowers. In the upper right, there is half a stick of wrapped butter.

Add the Remaining Ingredients to the Bowl with Melted Butter

Add the rest of the ingredients in the following order: 

  • Brown sugar and granulated sugar
  • Egg, pumpkin puree, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract
  • Dry ingredients 
  • Pecans and chocolate chips
There is a yellow mixing bowl that contains the pumpkin sourdough blondie batter with a wooden spoon that is mixing the batter.. There is a wooden spoon in the bowl. In the bottom right of the image, there is a floral hand towel. Scattered around the bowl there are nutmeg cloves and small white flowers.

Pour Batter into Prepared Pan

Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Top with reserved pecans and chocolate chips.

There is an 8x8 inch baking pan that contains unbaked sourdough pumpkin blondies. In the foreground, there is a floral towel and white flowers.

Bake the Sourdough Blondies

Bake the blondies for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Let Blondies Cool

You want to wait til these blondies cool down before cutting into them. I recommend waiting 15 minutes minimum before cutting into them so they can set. They will be much easier to cut and will hold their shape better if you don’t cut into them right away. 

There is an 8x8 inch baking pan that contains the pumpkin sourdough blondies that have not been cut. In the upper right, there is a floral hand towel. There are small white flowers, pecans, and nutmeg cloves scattered around the pan.

How to Serve Sourdough Pumpkin Blondies

These pumpkin sourdough blondies are so good on their own but there are several ways to enjoy them: 

  • Still warm when fresh
  • Cold from the refrigerator. Trust me, this way is so good!
  • Microwaved for 10 seconds to melt the chocolate and reheat after they have been stored. 
  • With a scoop of ice cream. 
  • With a cup of tea or coffee. 

How to Store Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Blondies

Store these blondies in the refrigerator in an air-tight container. For best results, eat them within 4 days. These blondies actually taste better on the second and third day because the spices have a chance to infuse and flavor the bars. 

Can You Freeze Pumpkin Sourdough Blondies? 

You can freeze these blondies just make sure you cut them first. Then, place them in a gallon freezer bag and lay them flat in the freezer so they don’t get crushed or misshapen. 

Substitutions and Variations

There are several delicious variations you can make to these cookies:

  • Use a different kind of nut (I recommend walnuts)
  • Use a different type of chocolate chip such as white chocolate
  • Make a simple glaze to drizzle over the top

How to Make Pumpkin Sourdough Blondies Vegan

You can easily make these blondies vegan by substituting vegan butter such as Earth Balance and using a vegan egg replacer.

An easy vegan egg can be made by mixing 1 tablespoon ground flax seed or chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of warm water. Then, just add it to the recipe as instructed. 

If you loved these blondies, check out these other recipes:

Ultimate Sourdough Blondies (Discard Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars)

Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with Brown Butter

VEGAN Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

There is a rectangle white plate in the center of the photo that contains three square sourdough pumpkin blondies. They have chocolate chips and pecans that are visible. Around the edges of the plate are white and yellow flowers and there are more in the bottom right of the image. At the left, there is a glass of milk. At the top of the image, there are two pieces of nutmeg.

BEST Sourdough Pumpkin Blondies (Easy and Delicious)

These sourdough discard pumpkin blondies are rich and packed with pumpkin spice flavor. They make a great fall treat to serve at Thanksgiving or any other special event!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 9

Equipment

  • 8×8 inch baking pan
  • 1 Rubber Spatula
  • 1 Small mixing bowl
  • 1 large mixing bowl
  • Parchment Paper
  • measuring cups
  • measuring spoons

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ cup All-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ⅓ cup sourdough discard, unfed
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan butter
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg or vegan egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips + 2 Tbsp set aside for topping
  • ½ cup chopped pecans + 1 tbsp set aside for topping

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375℉
  • Spray and 8×8 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides.
  • Whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking powder in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
  • In a medium, microwave-safe mixing bowl, microwave the butter for 30 seconds. Remove bowl from microwave and stir the butter. Continue to microwave at 10 second intervals until melted, stirring between each interval.
  • Stir in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined.
  • Add the egg, sourdough discard, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract and stir until smooth.
  • Slowly, mix in the dry ingredients until mostly smooth with no large chunks of flour present. Small, flour clumps are fine.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Use a rubber spatula to spread the batter evenly in the pan and smooth the top.
  • Top with reserved chocolate chips and chopped pecans.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 35-37 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • Allow to cool 15 minutes before serving.
Keyword Bars, Cookie Bars, Cookies, Fall Desserts, Pumpkin Recipes, Sourdough Discard, Thanksgiving Dessert
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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