Moist and full of apples, these Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Muffins are a delicious make ahead breakfast idea. Loaded with cinnamon, brown sugar, and homemade applesauce, these muffins are a perfect Fall breakfast!
I love baking with my sourdough discard, and these sourdough apple muffins are no exception! They are full of Fall flavors and so easy to make!
Active sourdough starter is great to use to make sourdough bread, but sourdough discard is great to make sourdough chocolate chip muffins, sourdough blueberry muffins, and even sourdough Irish soda bread!
Why You'll Love These Sourdough Apple Muffins
- They are full of Fall flavors! Cinnamon, apples, and brown sugar, these sourdough discard apple muffins scream Fall to me!
- They are a great make ahead breakfast! Grab one of these sourdough discard apple muffins and head out the door for the day.
- They are kid friendly! The kids love these apple streusel sourdough muffins! Cut them in half and top them with butter or Nutella.
What Is Sourdough Discard?
Sourdough discard is the extra sourdough starter you have left over when you "feed" your starter. If you are new to sourdough, make sure to check out this how to keep a sourdough discard post about keeping your starter happy. You want to use the discard that is not fed, meaning you haven't given it more water and flour and it is not active and bubbly.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Melted butter- Adds the moisture and texture to the muffins.
- All Purpose Flour. White whole wheat flour or bread flour are great choices too!
- Brown Sugar- gives a nutty flavor to the muffins. White sugar can be used instead of brown sugar or alongside brown sugar.
- Applesauce- my favorite homemade applesauce is amazing in these muffins. Store bought can be used as well.
- Baking powder and baking soda- this gives the muffins the rise they need. The sourdough starter doesn't add to the rise of the muffins, so you need the power of baking powder and baking soda.
- Sourdough discard. This is sourdough discard that has not been fed and is not light and bubbly. It can come straight out of the refrigerator if that is how you keep it.
See printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Apple Sourdough Muffins
In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Set that aside.
Tips and Tricks
- If you don't have sourdough starter, sour cream or buttermilk would be one to one substitutes.
- Add in walnuts, raisins, or chocolate chips to make these muffins your own!
- Even though this has sourdough starter, they do not taste like sourdough. The long fermentation process gives the sourdough it's sour flavor. Sourdough starter adds moisture and texture to the muffins, not sour flavor.
- If you don't want to add the streusel topping, no worries! They still will taste fantastic with a smear of butter.
- To make mixing the batter even easier, use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to mix the muffin batter.
How To Store Apple Sourdough Muffins
They will last in an airtight container for 3-4 days. To reheat, remove the muffin liner and place them in the toaster oven or microwave for 60 seconds.
These muffins freeze beautifully. Allow them to cool completely and place them in a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. I've pulled them out past 3 months and they were still fine!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Active starter will work too! It will give the muffins a nice rise too.
Applesauce adds moist and cinnamon to the muffins. It's best to use applesauce instead of fresh apples.
No. Since we are not letting the batter ferment overnight, they do not have that classic sourdough taste. You can keep the batter in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap to increase the fermentation and give a more sour flavor if you would like.
Other Recipes You'll Love!
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📖 Recipe
Apple Streusel Sourdough Muffins
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter Melted
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- ½ cup Unfed Sourdough Starter
- ½ cup Applesauce
- 1 ¾ cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup All Purpose Flour
- 2 TBS Butter Melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Mix the melted butter and brown sugar together until fully combined. Add the eggs, sourdough starter, and apple sauce. Mix until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Try not to overmix, as that will cause the muffins to be tough.
- In another small bowl, add the streusel ingredients and mix them to combine them.
- Scoop the batter into the muffin tins and top each with about a tablespoon of the streusel mixture. Put the muffin tin in the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Notes
- Homemade applesauce or store bought applesauce are interchangeable in this recipe.
- If you don't have sourdough discard, buttermilk or sour cream can be substituted.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links in which I receive a small commission on purchases.
Kat
Is is 1 & 3/4 cup of flour for these muffins? Looks delicious just a bit anxious as U
I am not a baker :///
Lynn Polito
Yes! It is 1 3/4 cups of flour. Hope you enjoy them!