Name: Sourdough Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 400 g Pumpkin Puree ((14oz can)); 250 g Evaporated Milk ((canned)); 1 Egg; 100 g White Sugar; 110 g Brown Sugar; 40 g All Purpose Flour; 2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice ((see notes for alternatives)); 3 g Salt; 150 g All Purpose Flour; 150 g Sourdough Starter ((or sourdough discard)); 5 g Salt; 50 g White Sugar; 10 g Baking Powder; 120 g Milk ((any milk is fine, I've used whole milk)); 100 g Pecans ((roughly chopped - these are optional)); 75 g Butter ((melted - salted or unsalted is fine)); 25 g Butter ((melted)); 25 g Granulated Sugar; 30 g Pecans ((chopped))

This sourdough pumpkin pecan cobbler features a creamy pumpkin filling topped with a delicious golden baked cake topping, sprinkled with crunchy pecans. It's everything you want in a dessert! It's sweet and creamy, but also has cake and crunch. Just add ice cream and you'll be set!

This gorgeous sourdough pumpkin cobbler would make the most perfect Thanksgiving dessert, but is so simple, it also lends itself to a midweek treat too!

A blue pottery bowl containing a serve of sourdough pumpkin pecan cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream.

If you love all things pumpkin then make sure you check out this collection of sourdough pumpkin recipes! You might also like this collection of sourdough Thanksgiving recipes too.

Why You'll Love This Recipe!

Quicker Than Pumpkin Pie - This is a great recipe to make when you want sourdough pumpkin pie but you want it NOW! You can have this baked and in a bowl in an hour!

Use 150g of Sourdough Discard - Empty that discard jar by adding 150g of sourdough discard to this easy cobbler recipe.

Use Fresh or Canned Pumpkin Puree - You can use fresh or canned pumpkin puree for this recipe (do not use pumpkin pie filling). I've chosen to use freshly made pumpkin puree (made with roasted pumpkin).

A dark grey baking dish with sourdough pumpkin pecan cobbler inside. There is a scoop missing and you can see the creamy pumpkin filling underneath. There is vanilla ice cream scooped on top of the cobbler.

What Sort of Topping Does This Cobbler Have?

This sourdough pumpkin cobbler uses sourdough cake batter as it's topping. This is the same cake batter topping that you'll find on this sourdough apple cobbler. It bakes up with a crunchy, golden top with a soft, sponge cake underneath that melds with the creamy, spiced pumpkin filling perfectly.

I've also added a sprinkle of chopped pecans to the topping for an extra crunch, but you don't have to add them if you don't want to.

Many cobblers use a crunchy biscuit topping, but I find this golden sponge cake topping so much easier to make! It's simple to mix and plop on the top of the filling. The sweet results are a reward well over and above the minimal effort that goes into making this!

How To Make Sourdough Pumpkin Cobbler

When creating and testing this recipe I made it so many times until I got the ratio of creamy pumpkin filling and crunchy topping just right! I experimented with different sized dishes and ended up using the same size dish as I use for my sourdough berry cobbler and sourdough apple cobbler (2Q or 1.9L - further specifications in the recipe card).

You can easily double this recipe if you need to feed a crowd. When doubling, use a 4Q or 3.9L baking dish. If you use too big of a dish, the ratio of filling will be off, so definitely follow my recommendations when it comes to the baking dish you use.

Preheat your oven to 200C (390F).

Prepare the Pumpkin Filling

The filling could not be easier!

Place all of the ingredients into a small mixing bowl and whisk together until light and creamy. Pour the topping into your baking dish and set aside while you make the topping.

Sourdough Cobbler Topping

In a small mixing bowl, add the all purpose flour, sourdough starter (or discard), salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, pecans and melted butter. Stir until it forms a light and airy batter.

Spoon the sourdough cobbler topping in big blobs onto the pumpkin filling. Don't worry if the blobs are messy or not uniform. Some will sink into the topping and this is good!

Drizzle the batter with a little melted butter, sprinkle with granulated sugar and some chopped pecans (if desired).

Place the sourdough pumpkin pecan cobbler into the oven and bake at 200C (390F) for around 45 to 50 minutes or until the pumpkin filling is still a little wobbly and the cobbler topping is golden brown and baked through.

Remove from the oven and allow the sourdough cobbler to sit for around 20 minutes before serving. This allows the filling to thicken before serving.

A grey baking dish containing a sourdough pumpkin pecan cobbler that has just been removed from the oven.

Serve warm with whipped maple cream or vanilla ice cream.

How To Store + Freeze

This sourdough pumpkin pecan cobbler can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. I cover leftovers in the baking dish with aluminum foil and just place in the fridge as is.

I don't recommend freezing this recipe as the texture of the pumpkin filling and topping don't always thaw out the same.