Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Muffins

Moist, tender, and full of chocolate chips, Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins are a great way to use up the extra sourdough starter you have in the refrigerator.

Two portions of the muffin tin are filled with chocolate chips and the other four sections are filled with the baked muffins.

Chocolate chip muffins have always been a favorite in my house. We are a family of chocoholics, so whenever I can add chocolate to something, I do!

I love making all sorts of sourdough recipes but sourdough discard muffins might be my favorite! Sourdough muffins are a great way to use up the extra sourdough starter you might have hanging out in the refrigerator. The starter adds texture and helps the muffin rise.

Sourdough lemon poppy seed muffins, sourdough blueberry muffins, and sourdough corn muffins are great ways to use your sourdough discard too!

What Is Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough starter discard is the portion of your sourdough starter that you are not feeding. When you are "feeding" your starter to make sourdough bread with, you add equal parts flour, water, and starter to a mason jar and let it rise.

You can't feed your entire starter, as it doubles and sometimes triples in size, and that's a lot of starter to have on hand! Store leftover sourdough discard in a mason jar in the refrigerator. If you are new to sourdough, be sure to check out this how to keep a sourdough starter post all about how to keep your sourdough starter happy.

Why You'll Love These Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins

These muffins are easy to make! The muffins are made by hand, so you don't have to break out any equipment to make these.
The kids love them! Kids love chocolate chips, let's be honest! Serve them these muffins with some fruit and you have a delicious breakfast before school.
They are great for meal prep! Make a big batch on a Sunday and have them for breakfast throughout the week.

Ingredients You'll Need for Discard Chocolate Chip Muffins

The ingredients for sourdough chocolate chip muffins are labeled and laid out.

Sourdough starter- Inactive, meaning it has come right out of the refrigerator. If you are new to sourdough, you can make your own sourdough stater, buy one, or grab one from a fellow sourdough friend. You can make so many recipes with sourdough discard. Did you know you can make sourdough chocolate chip cookies and even sourdough Irish soda bread? It's perfect for almost all baking!
Flour- All purpose flour. A mixture of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour would be a great idea too! That would add some more fiber to these delicious sourdough discard chocolate chip muffins.
Butter- Coconut oil can be substituted instead of butter.
Vanilla Extract- for added flavor. A little vanilla makes all muffins just a touch better!
Chocolate chips- Semi sweet or dark chocolate chips are best. To make these more chocolatey, use mini chocolate chips instead!
Baking soda and baking powder- Even though we are using sourdough starter, a teaspoon baking soda and baking powder do all the hard work of making the muffins rise.

See printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Muffins

The dry ingredients are mixed together in a bowl. — **Step 1:** Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, add the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Mix to combine and set that aside.

The eggs and melted butter are added to the large bowl. — **Step 2:** In a large bowl, add the sugar and eggs. Add the sourdough starter, butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk together to combine.

The vanilla extract and sourdough discard are added to the large bowl. — **Step 3:** A whisk or a wooden spoon would be great to mix the ingredients with.

The dry ingredients are added to the wet ingredients. — **Step 4:** Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter will not be smooth, it’s ok if there are a few lumps left.

The chocolate chips are mixed into the muffin batter. — **Step 5:** Add the chocolate chips to the batter and mix again until just combined.

The muffin batter is scooped into the muffin liner lined muffin tin. — **Step 6:** Line a muffin tin with muffin liners. Scoop equal amounts of batter into the muffin tins. An easy way to make sure they are even is to use an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and it comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool slightly and serve.

Serving Suggestions for Chocolate Chip Sourdough Muffins

Chocolate Chip Sourdough Muffins are delicious on their own, but they pair wonderfully with most of your favorite breakfast recipes. Serve them warm with a swipe of softened butter, peanut butter, or your favorite fruit jam. They also make a great grab-and-go breakfast alongside a cup of coffee, a latte, or a cold glass of milk. For a more filling option, add fresh fruit or yogurt on the side. If you’re serving them at brunch, arrange them in a basket with other sourdough baked goods for an easy, crowd-pleasing spread!

How To Store Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins

Once the chocolate chip sourdough muffins have cooled to room temperature on a wire rack, place them in an airtight container and keep them on the counter for up to 5 days.

You can also make the muffin batter ahead of time and cover it with plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator. This will help ferment the batter and give the muffins a more sore flavor that you get from traditional sourdough bread.

These muffins freeze beautifully. Once the muffins are cooled, add them to a Ziploc bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins FAQs

Can active sourdough starter be used instead of inactive starter?

Yes! If you don't have any sourdough discard around, you can use active starter instead. It will help the muffins become even more moist and puffy.

I don't have sourdough starter, can I still make these muffins?

Yes! If you do not have sourdough starter you can use sour cream, buttermilk, or Greek yogurt as a substitute.

What else can I add to these muffins?

You can add some chopped nuts, dried fruit, and a streusel topping before baking.

Other Recipes To Try

More Sourdough Discard Recipes

Did you make this recipe and love it?

If you did, don't forget to leave a 5-star review and comment below! Show me your creation on Instagram or Facebook. Just mention @Lynn'sWayofLife or use this hashtag #lynnswayoflife.