Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

zafood
Sep 4
3 min read

Updated: Sep 18

Thick, chewy sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip cookies — perfect for fall baking.

These sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are thick, chewy, and packed with cozy fall flavor. Made with browned butter, pumpkin spice, and melty chocolate chunks, they’re the ultimate fall sourdough dessert recipe for crisp autumn days and holiday gatherings.

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Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Sourdough Cookies

Cozy fall flavors with pumpkin spice
Chewy texture from sourdough starter
Nutty browned butter paired with rich chocolate
Perfectly thick, bakery-style cookies

Ingredients for Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Unsalted butter – 226 g (1 cup / 2 sticks; ~170 g after browning)
Brown sugar, packed – 200 g (1 cup)
Granulated sugar – 90 g (scant ½ cup)
Egg yolk (large) – 18 g (1 yolk)
Vanilla extract – 5 g (1 tsp)
Pumpkin purée (blotted dry) – 60 g (¼ cup)
Sourdough starter (active or discard) – 120 g (½ cup)
All-purpose flour – 270 g (2¼ cups, lightly packed)
Baking soda – 5 g (1 tsp)
Baking powder – 1 g (¼ tsp)
Kosher salt – 4 g (¾ tsp)
Pumpkin pie spice – 5 g (2 tsp)
Semisweet/dark chocolate chunks or chips – 170 g (1 cup)
Extra chocolate for topping (optional) – 30 g (2 Tbsp)
Flaky sea salt (optional garnish) – pinch

Instructions

Brown the Butter

Brown the butter over medium heat until amber and nutty. You’ll be left with ~170 g. Cool until warm, not hot (100–120 °F / 38–49 °C).

Mix the Wet Ingredients

Whisk browned butter with both sugars. Stir in egg yolk, vanilla, blotted pumpkin purée, and sourdough starter until glossy.

Combine the Dry Ingredients

Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin spice in a separate bowl. Fold gently into the wet mixture until just combined.

Add the Chocolate

Stir in most chocolate chips. Press extra chips on top for puddles.

Chill the Dough (Optional)

Chill dough for 30 minutes for thicker cookies, or bake right away for softer edges.

Bake

Scoop ~30–35 g (1½ Tbsp) dough balls onto a parchment-lined tray. Bake at 350 °F (175 °C) for 11–13 minutes until edges are golden and centers slightly soft.

Finish

Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Cool 5 minutes on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack.

Yield Notes

This recipe makes about 900–950 g dough. Yield depends on scoop size:

30–35 g (1½ Tbsp each): 24–28 cookies (great for photos and puddles)
55–60 g (3 Tbsp each): 15–16 bakery-style cookies
20 g (1 Tbsp each): 40–45 bite-sized cookies

Recipe Tips & Variations

Using discard starter: Works fine. Fed starter gives puffier cookies; discard makes them fudgier.
Want bigger cookies? Use a 3 Tbsp scoop (55–60 g). Bake 13–15 minutes.
Make ahead: Dough balls freeze well for up to 2 months.