A great way to use up some extra sourdough discard you have, these Sourdough Corn Muffins are fluffy, sweet, and so easy to make! Bake up a big batch of these on the weekend and enjoy them throughout the week!
Is there anything better than a corn muffin right out of the oven? Slather it with some butter and you have a delicious breakfast or snack!
I love using my sourdough discard to make baked goods. Don't get me wrong, I love a good loaf of sourdough bread, or a sourdough dinner roll. Using that sourdough discard for a quick dessert or muffin is amazing too!
You can make baked sourdough donuts, sourdough scones, sourdough discard banana bread, sourdough discard pancakes, sourdough discard waffles, sourdough chocolate chip muffins, and even sourdough crackers with herbs and olive oil crackers!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This recipe use some of that precious sourdough starter! I love using my sourdough starter for other things than just bread. The starter adds a little bit of rise, but also the health benefits of the wild yeast.
- These muffins are a great make ahead breakfast! Bake up a big batch on Sunday and then enjoy them throughout the week. Pop one in the oven to heat it through and slather with butter. A delicious grab and go breakfast!
- Sourdough corn muffins aren't just for breakfast! Enjoy these muffins for breakfast, but you can also enjoy them with Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup, Instant Pot Lentil Soup, or Instant Pot Split Pea Soup!
What Is Sourdough Discard?
Sourdough discard is the portion of your sourdough starter that you are not feeding. When you are "feeding" your starter to make 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! If you are new to sourdough, be sure to check out this post all about how to keep your sourdough starter happy.
Ingredients for Sourdough Corn Muffins
- Sourdough Starter- Inactive, meaning straight from the refrigerator.
- Milk- Whole milk gives these muffins their fluffy texture.
- Cornmeal- Yellow cornmeal is classic in corn muffins.
- Flour- All-purpose flour, or standard white flour.
- Eggs- Eggs keep the muffins together and add to the rise of the muffins.
- Sugar- Honey or maple syrup can be used instead of sugar.
- Butter- Melted butter gives these muffins their buttery flavor, but you can use oil if you prefer.
- Baking powder and baking soda- The sourdough starter gives a little rise to the muffins, but the baking powder and baking soda do the majority of the work in making these muffins rise.
Equipment
How To Make Sourdough Corn Muffins
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix to combine and set that aside.
- In a large bowl, add the sugar and eggs. Add the sourdough starter, milk, and butter. Mix well to combine.
- 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.
- Line a muffin tin with muffin liners. Scoop equal amounts of batter into the muffin tins.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and it comes out clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool slightly and serve.
Variations
- Make them spicy! If you are like me and love all things spicy, add chopped jalapenos to the batter! Make sure you wash your hands well because jalapenos are painful if you get the juice in your eyes.
- Make them dairy free! Use oil instead of butter and almond milk instead of whole milk.
- Leave out the sourdough starter! If you don't have sourdough starter, use Greek yogurt or sour cream instead of the sourdough starter. I've also used Kefir to make cornbread too!
- Make them cheesy! Cornbread loves cheddar! Add a cup of cheddar to the batter to make these cheesy corn muffins.
Do Sourdough Corn Muffins Taste Sour?
No. These muffins do not taste sour as they are written here. But! It you want them to have that classic sourdough taste, all you have to do is let the batter hang out.
Make the batter completely. Then cover with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. This will intensify the sour flavor.
When you are ready to bake them, scoop them into the prepared muffin tins and bake!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you wanted to make this a cornbread instead of muffins, go for it! In a cast iron skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter to coat the skillet. Instead of scooping the batter into muffin tins, pour the batter into the cast iron skillet and bake for 30 -35 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
Yes! These muffins freeze beautifully! To freeze muffins, allow them to cool completely and then place them in a gallon Ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Yes! If you have some extra active starter (meaning it has already been fed and is active and bubbly) use that! The muffins will get even bigger! Think bakery style muffins.
Keep leftover muffins in an airtight container on the counter. Do not place leftover muffins in the refrigerator. They will go stale very quickly.
Other Recipes To Try!
Did you love these Sourdough Corn Muffins? I'd so appreciate it if you would give this recipe a 5-star rating! That will help other hungry readers find my recipes!
And don't forget to tag me on social media here on Instagram or Facebook and share this recipe on Pinterest! Thanks for sharing this journey with me and enjoy these delicious recipes!
- More Sourdough Recipes
- Lemon Cheesecake Bars
- Sourdough Focaccia
- Mango Habanero Salsa
- Pesto Rosso
- How To Make A Fruit Rainbow
- Baked Peach Donuts
📖 Recipe
Sourdough Corn Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sourdough Starter Inactive, Unfed
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 2 Eggs
- ½ cup Sugar
- ½ cup Butter Melted
- 1 cup Cornmeal
- 1 cup All Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix to combine and set that aside.
- In a large bowl, add the sugar and eggs. Add the sourdough starter, milk, and butter. Mix well to combine.
- 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.
- Line a muffin tin with muffin liners. Scoop equal amounts of batter into the muffin tins. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and it comes out clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool slightly and serve.
Notes
- Whole milk, 2%, 1%, or Almond milk can be used in this recipe.
- If you do not have sourdough starter on hand, replace the starter with Greek yogurt, sour cream, or Kefir.
- Freeze extra muffins in a Ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
Pam
These simply really are the BEST sourdough cornbread muffins! I have used another recipe for years but I saw your recipe and since it was more flexible decided to give it a try. I made it in jumbo muffin tins and will serve it with chili for the Super Bowl later today; but I confess I have already tried one and it is absolutely delectable! Perhaps they should be named Best Sourdough Cornbread Muffins on The Planet!
lynnswayoflife
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you for making my recipe!
Mandy
Love corn bread and have begun making sourdough bread so I always have lots of discard. The narrative at the top says to bake 20-25 but the recipe says 15-20 mins. I baked for 18 and they turned out golden brown and looked delicious! Unfortunately, the muffins are cemented to the muffin liners and I end up with a 'pile' of cornbread to eat when I pull them off. Any thoughts as to why this happened?
lynnswayoflife
Hm. Sometimes you have to let the corn muffins cool a bit before you take the liners off. I haven't had that happen, I'm sorry!
Lisa K
The muffins were fantastic, and I added some fresh corn which worked really well. Two things, though: the instructions don't mention when to add the milk (I ended up adding it at the very end), and the ingredient list doesn't include salt, so I had to guess how much to add. If you could fix those two errors this would be an excellent recipe.
lynnswayoflife
Thanks so much for your comments! I'll take a look and see what happened here! I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Lisa K
You fixed it! Thanks, I'm planning to bake them again today.
Angela
So good! Delicious, moist and flavorful.
Eileen Kelly
Finally, a fantastic way to use my sourdough discard. These corn muffins are delicious. Super flavorful and these will be made often.
Anne
These are tasty, perfect for serving with chili!
Linda
These corn muffins are so good and moist! Love the texture and flavor of it, too
Sherry
I have been wanting to learn more about sour dough and your post was a big help. I really like corn muffins and I'm going to give your sourdough recipe a try. Wish me luck! I am confident with your amazing muffin recipe instructions, that I can do this!