13 Sweet + Spiced Sourdough Recipes For Fall

Inside: The best fall sourdough recipes that use sourdough starter for fall-inspired breads, rolls, cakes, and cookies.

Sourdough is for more than bread; it can be used in just about any baked good. And when fall rolls around, and you’re craving pumpkin spice or apple cinnamon, using your sourdough starter can still be part of the fun.

grid of 6 fall baked goods made with sourdough starter.

Don’t be afraid of a sour taste in these baked goodies. Adding a starter to sweets mimics a sour cream or buttermilk flavor: slightly tangy, but not sour. Oftentimes, you won’t notice any difference, and no one will know that there’s sourdough in there at all!

3 square pieces of sourdough pumpkin cake on white plate.

sourdough pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting

Sweet pumpkin spice mixed with tangy sourdough starter combine to form this moist, easy to make sourdough pumpkin cake.

A close-up shot of a moist, brown apple cake slice topped with creamy white frosting.

sourdough apple cake

Our favorite use of sourdough discard in the crisp months, sourdough apple cake is loaded with cinnamon, cloves, and apples. Topped with a cream cheese frosting with a splash of apple cider, it’s a true taste of fall in one little pan.

A wire rack with multiple apple fritters coated in a shiny glaze, with a halved red apple.

sourdough apple fritters

Who could resist a deep-fried doughnut loaded with apple flavor? This apple fritter recipe is light on the inside, slightly crisp on the outside, and has fresh apples in the batter. A delicious fall recipe! These do need a lot of time before they’re ready, but a lot of that time is just waiting on your dough. Perfect for a weekend morning spent at home.

A bowl filled with round peanut butter cookies with crisscross fork marks on top.

sourdough peanut butter cookies

Cookies say fall is in the air and back to school, don’t they? And any little person would love to come home to a plate of these peanut butter cookies on the counter. This recipe uses just the right amount of sourdough discard for a soft and chewy peanut butter cookie that the whole family will love.

Close-up of golden sourdough cinnamon sugar muffins with a sugar crust, resting on a wire cooling rack.

sourdough cinnamon sugar muffins

These muffins combine the delightful tang of sourdough with a sweet cinnamon-sugar crunch, offering a deliciously unique take on a classic treat.

sliced loaf of round sourdough bread with cinnamon swirl.

sweet cinnamon sugar sourdough boule

Brown sugar-cinnamon swirls throughout a simple and slightly sweet artisan sourdough loaf. Perfect toasted and buttered with your morning coffee.

A close-up of a baked pie with a flaky sourdough crust, topped with creamy whipped filling and sprinkled with toasted coconut flakes, set on a white cloth.

flaky sourdough pie crust

Fall is pie-baking time. Whether your favorite is pumpkin, apple, or pecan, you need a pie crust. Why not use some of your discarded sourdough starter to make some? This recipe turns out a flaky and tender pie crust every time. You’ll appreciate the detailed instructions and step-by-step photos that ensure even beginners will get this one right!

a baked loaf of sourdough pumpkin bread on a cutting board, with a few slices cut.

sourdough pumpkin bread

Perfect for breakfast, a snack, or as a dessert, this sourdough pumpkin bread is moist, sweet, and easy to make. Makes 2 loaves.

A square piece of dark gingerbread topped with a dollop of white whipped cream, placed on a white plate.

sourdough gingerbread

There’s nothing like a big square piece of old-fashioned gingerbread. Warm, spicy, and not too sweet, gingerbread is perfect in fall and will carry you all through the winter. This recipe is easy to make and produces a perfectly moist spiced cake that you will simply love.

front of a large, round molasses cookie propped against a stack of cookies on a white plate.

sourdough molasses cookies

Molasses cookies are one of the best fall desserts! The epitome of warm and cozy spices that smell delicious while they bake, and adding your starter to this cookie recipe is a great way to use it. Like any great molasses cookies recipe, this one turns out crisp edges and a soft and chewy center. You will love them.

Two slices of cinnamon swirl bread on a white plate.

sourdough cinnamon bread

Two of the best things about baking cinnamon bread are warming up the kitchen in the morning and a sweet cinnamon smell wafting through the house. Cinnamon swirl bread is perfect for fall mornings, and you can make an easy version using your sourdough starter. This bread dough is easy to work with and uses no yeast. Shape in the evening and bake the next morning for a sweet and delicious breakfast loaf.

A close-up of a spoon scooping out a portion of apple cobbler from a bowl.

sourdough apple cobbler

Cobbler is one of the fall desserts because it’s easier than pie but just as delicious. And you can use your sourdough starter in your cobbler topping.
The recipe below can be used with any fruit. To make the best apple cobbler, simply mix up apples, sugar, and spices. (And of course, top with vanilla ice cream!)

A plate stacked with golden-brown oatmeal muffins.

amish sourdough oatmeal muffins

Oatmeal muffins are a cozy and delicious breakfast that can be made ahead and frozen. Muffins are a great way to use your sourdough discard, and these fall muffins are one of the best.

Fall Baking Essentials

  • If you love to make quick bread and cakes, you will love having a special harvest-themed baking pan like this sunflower harvest pan.
  • Boiled apple cider (concentrated apple cider) has a rich apple flavor that’s delicious for any sweet sourdough baked good, as well as used to mix up a quick glaze.
  • Make sure to stock up on cinnamon, molasses, and nutmeg!

I’m sure you’ll find something on this list that you’re excited to bake. When autumn is over, be sure to look through this list of Christmas sourdough recipes.

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By Katie Shaw

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Katie shares simple, reliable recipes from her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens.

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5 Comments

    1. It’s actually a pressed raw apple juice. For baking, the best choice is boiled cider, which you can buy online.

  1. Help! The links to the apple cobbler, muffins, gingerbread and molasses cookies aren’t working! I need these recipes!! ????????????

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