Sourdough Pumpkin Roll Bites

Name: Sourdough Pumpkin Roll Bites
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 38 min
Ingredients: 6 Tbsp softened salted butter; 2 tsp avocado oil; 2/3 cup pure maple syrup; 2 eggs; 1 tsp pure vanilla extract; 1/4 cup sourdough discard ((aka unfed starter)); 3/4 cup pumpkin purée ((no sugar added)); 1/3 cup milk; 1/3 cup sour cream ((or plain unsweetened yogurt)); 1/2 tsp sea salt; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg; 3/4 tsp ground ginger; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 6 ounces plain cream cheese; 1 tsp sour cream ((or plain unsweetened yogurt)); 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

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If you’re looking for a simple yet elegant fall dessert, you’ve got to try my sourdough pumpkin roll bites! They’ve got the same pumpkin roll flavor but in bite-sized form. I use pure maple syrup instead of regular sugar throughout the cake and cream cheese frosting!

My recipe makes baking a pumpkin roll so much easier. The inspiration happened when I had issues with a regular one cracking. I knew I could make it easier! I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! This recipe includes a video tutorial so you can make it alongside me, step-by-step.

This post may contain affiliate links of items I know and love. Read our disclosure policy for more information. I NEVER use AI (artificial intelligence) to create content for Plum Branch Home. Recipes, blog posts, photos, videos, podcasts, social media content: everything is made from scratch by me, Molly LaFontaine. After developing my recipes, they’re tested 2x by my husband, Tyler, and I before publishing. What you see from Plum Branch Home is real. It’s made for a reason, tested, and loved!

freshly made sourdough pumpkin roll bites

If you want to make this recipe but don’t have a sourdough starter, no worries! Grab my free guide so you can make your own starter at home.

If you’re new to sourdough baking and feel hesitant, or you have questions, I’ve got something for you! I broke down the basics of what you need to know about sourdough baking in my free sourdough baking guide for beginners. I highly recommend grabbing a copy!

Inspiration Behind My Sourdough Pumpkin Roll Bites

I was originally developing a sourdough pumpkin roll recipe but realized how hard it is to perfectly roll the cake without it cracking. I knew I wasn’t the only one having issues with this, so I thought, “there’s got to be an easier way.”

I didn’t want to toss out the cake and start over, so I grabbed a small cookie cutter and started cutting out circles. Then, I used my cream cheese filling in between the stacks of cake!

I got the stacking idea from my favorite local bakery. They serve a delicious double-chocolate mini stacked cake. It’s out of this world. So I thought, why not do that with the pumpkin roll?

It looks so fancy, but it’s sooooo simple to make! I hope this recipe finds a special place on your table this fall or on the menu at Thanksgiving.

P.S. My husband loves pumpkin rolls, and he told me he likes these bites better than the regular roll!

Why You’ll Love My Sourdough Pumpkin Roll Bites

So Much Easier than a Pumpkin Roll: You don’t have to worry about cracking the cake or not cooling it long enough. My recipe simplifies everything!
No Rolling Involved: You don’t have to roll your cake! Only cut it out with a small cookie cutter.
Looks Fancy But It’s Simple: They look like they take hours to bake, but they don’t!
Perfect Thanksgiving Dessert: Serve these bites at Thanksgiving for the perfect dessert. It’ll make your guests feel special.
Great for Making Ahead: You can easily make these bites a few days ahead and then stick them in the fridge.
Only Sweetened with Maple Syrup: I use only pure maple syrup in the cake and cream cheese frosting. No regular sugar!

Why Make a Pumpkin Roll with Sourdough?

When you make pumpkin roll cake with sourdough discard, you get fermentation benefits from the sourdough starter’s cultures. If you cold ferment the dough in the fridge for 12-24 hours before baking, those cultures ferment the other ingredients. This long fermentation is optional but adds even more fermentation benefits!

My Tips for Making Sourdough Pumpkin Roll Bites

Read the recipe all the way through, ingredient list and steps, before baking. This will help you understand the timeline of the recipe, and you’ll know what’s coming next.
If you stick the batter in the fridge before baking, make sure you wait to add in the baking powder. You want to do that right before you bake the cake.
Have fun with it! There’s no rolling involved or hard steps.
Don’t skimp on the cream cheese frosting between the cake layers.

Ingredients You’ll Need (with notes and substitutions)

Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for measurements.

sourdough pumpkin roll bites labeled ingredients

What You Need for the Pumpkin Cake

salted butter: make sure it’s softened
avocado oil: you can also use coconut oil (or melted butter if you don’t have either)
pure maple syrup: I like to get grade A lighter/amber colored maple syrup, just don’t use the fake kind (corn syrup based)
eggs: make sure your eggs sit out for a few minutes to come to room temperature
pure vanilla extract: this adds so much flavor and is way better than imitation
sourdough discard: aka unfed starter
pumpkin purée: any can be used just make sure there is no sugar added
milk: you can use any, I use whole milk. Just make sure it’s warmed up
sour cream: this adds so much moisture and makes the cake soft! You can swap it for plain, unsweetened yogurt
salt: I like to use sea salt
ground cinnamon: adds so much fall flavor!
ground nutmeg: adds a little warmth
ground ginger: adds a delicious spiced flavor
baking powder: helps the cake rise
all-purpose flour: this is a great base for cake, I like to use organic unbleached flour

What You Need for the Cream Cheese Filling

cream cheese: plain, unsweetened cream cheese works best
sour cream: you can swap it for plain, unsweetened yogurt
pure maple syrup: I like to get grade A lighter/amber colored maple syrup, just don’t use the fake kind (corn syrup based)

Helpful Kitchen Tools for this Recipe

This section contains Amazon affiliate links to items I use and love for this recipe.

How to Make Sourdough Pumpkin Roll Bites with Cream Cheese Frosting

Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for the full written recipe.

Get butter, eggs, sourdough discard, pumpkin if in the fridge, and sour cream out of the fridge and let sit on the counter for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.

Make the Pumpkin Cake Batter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a rimmed half sheet pan (about 10″x15″)

Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 1 minute until warm to the touch. Don’t let it start steaming or boiling. Take off heat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl add softened butter, avocado oil, and maple syrup. Mix with an electric mixer (with beater attachments) on low speed for 2 minutes. It should be combined together but won’t be creamy and you might see some pieces of butter still. This is because of the maple syrup.

Add eggs one at a time. Beat each into the mixture on low speed until completely combined. The mi

Add vanilla, sourdough discard, pumpkin, warmed milk, sour cream, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and baking powder (wait to add baking powder if you’re doing the optional cold ferment step below). Mix on low speed just until combined. Do not over mix.

Add in flour (a little at a time) and mix on low speed just until combined. Do not over mix.

Optional – At this point you can either continue the recipe or place the batter, covered, in the fridge for 12-24 hours to long ferment for more sourdough fermentation benefits. When you’re ready to continue the recipe stir in the baking powder just before baking.

Pour cake batter onto the prepared baking pan. Spread evenly with a spatula to fill the entire pan.

Bake the Pumpkin Cake

Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (If your pan is differently sized please adjust your bake time a few minutes.)

loosening sourdough pumpkin cake from pan

Take the cake out of the oven then immediately use a spatula to loosen the edges of cake around the pan.

Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the cake in the pan. Then place a cooling rack over the top of that.

cake pan turned upside down to remove cake

Flip the entire thing upside down so that the wire rack is standing on the counter like it normally would. Remove the pan and your cake should come right out onto the parchment-lined cooling rack.

Let it cool for 30 minutes to 1 hr.

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

While the cake cools, place cream cheese, sour cream, and maple syrup in a mixing bowl.

Mix on low-medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth, 1-2 minutes.

Give it a taste, add more maple syrup if you desire a sweeter filling.

Place in the fridge until cake is finished cooling.

Assemble the Pumpkin Roll Bites

When cake is cooled, grab a small 2 inch wide cookie or biscuit cutter.

Use your cutter to cut little circles out of your cake. You should be able to get 18-21 small 2-inch wide circles.

pumpkin cake cut out and cream cheese frosting ready to assemble

Group them into 3s and get filling out of fridge.

Starting with one pile of 3, spread about 1 Tbsp of frosting on top 1 cake circle. Place a second circle on top like a sandwich. Then spread about 1 Tbsp of frosting on top of that. Place a third cake circle on top of the filling. You should have a 3-layered mini cake. Set aside.

Repeat with the rest of the cake circles and cream cheese frosting. You should get 6-8, 3-layer mini cakes. Any leftover cake can be stored in your freezer for snacking or another purpose.

Serve them right away or store in the fridge for 1 hour to let them setup. They’ll last about 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Video Tutorial

Tips to Make Ahead

These pumpkin roll bites are really simple to make ahead. Follow the entire recipe and then place them in an airtight container, preferably glass. Store them in the fridge for a few days until you need them!

How to Serve Pumpkin Roll Bites (My Favorite Serving Ideas)

You can serve this dessert for so many occasions and in so many ways. Here are a few ideas:

Serve them for Thanksgiving
Serve them at a fall party or gathering
Put them on your fall baking bucket list
Add whipped cream on top for an extra special touch
Dust the tops with ground cinnamon and/or ground nutmeg for extra spice

How to Store Pumpkin Roll Bites

Store them in an airtight container, preferably glass, for up to 4 days in the fridge. The longer they’re stored, the drier the cake will be, but it’ll taste just as good!

Freezing and Thawing Instructions

To Freeze: If you’d like to freeze these pumpkin roll bites, you will simply place them in a glass, freezer-safe container. They’ll last for up to 3 months in the freezer.

To Thaw: Simply place the container with frozen bites in the fridge and thaw overnight! You can also set them out on the counter for a few hours to speed up the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use this recipe to make a regular pumpkin roll?

You can try but I recommend using it to make the bites. The cake may not be moist enough to roll without cracking.

Can I use regular sugar instead of maple syrup in the recipe?

Yes, you’re more than welcome to.

Can I make sourdough pumpkin roll bites with discard?

Yes! My recipe calls for sourdough discard.

Can I make this recipe without sourdough?

I haven’t done this, but you can try it. You will probably need to add a little more liquid to the recipe.

More Sourdough Pumpkin Recipes to Try

If you’re looking for more easy sourdough pumpkin recipes, try a few of these:

If you made this recipe, give it a 5-star rating below and share a photo on your social media stories! Be sure to tag @plumbranchhome

Recipe

Sourdough Pumpkin Roll Bites

Molly LaFontaine

If you're looking for a simple yet elegant fall dessert, you've got to try my sourdough pumpkin roll bites! They've got the same pumpkin roll flavor but in bite-sized form. I use pure maple syrup instead of regular sugar throughout the cake and cream cheese frosting! My recipe makes baking a pumpkin roll so much easier. The inspiration happened when I had issues with a regular one cracking. I knew I could make it easier! I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!

5 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 18

Total Time 38

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 6 to 8 pumpkin roll bites

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Cake

6 Tbsp softened salted butter
2 tsp avocado oil
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup sourdough discard (aka unfed starter)
3/4 cup pumpkin purée (no sugar added)
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup sour cream (or plain unsweetened yogurt)
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

6 ounces plain cream cheese
1 tsp sour cream (or plain unsweetened yogurt)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup