These sourdough cinnamon muffins are soft, fluffy, and packed with warm cinnamon flavor. They have just the right amount of sweetness, a lightly crisp cinnamon sugar topping, and a subtle tang from the sourdough that makes them extra delicious. You can make them with all-purpose, whole wheat or gluten-free flour. They’re also eggless and easy to make dairy-free and vegan!

If you have sourdough discard to use up, this is one of the easiest and best ways to use it. There’s no long fermentation or complicated steps – just mix, bake, and enjoy.

What’s To Love

Perfect discard solution – uses a full cup of discard with no wait time.
Sourdough depth – that classic subtle tang balances the sweet cinnamon perfectly.
Bakery-style topping – they have a nice crunch from the cinnamon-sugar crust. But that also makes them kind of messy. Don’t give one to your toddler to eat on the sofa. 🙃
Dietary-friendly – naturally eggless and easy to make vegan or gluten-free.

Ingredient Notes

Please scroll down for the full recipe. These are just some notes on select ingredients.

Sourdough starter (active or discard) – both work in this recipe. Starter used right at its peak (when it’s domed and full of bubbles) will give you lighter, fluffier muffins with a softer crumb. Starter that is unfed or past its peak will still work well, but the muffins will be slightly denser with a tighter crumb and a more noticeable tang. The muffins in the photos were made with a starter that was just slightly past peak.
Dark brown sugar – adds moisture and a deeper flavor than granulated sugar. This recipe is less sweet than most muffins, so I wouldn’t reduce the sugar further. And I really recommend using the cinnamon sugar on top! The muffins themselves aren’t very sweet like most bakery-style muffins are.
Milk – any type works, but whole milk gives the richest texture. If you’re dairy-free or vegan, use plant-based milk to make these muffins vegan! I’ve made them with oat milk and cashew milk, and they came out the same as the whole milk version.

How to Make Sourdough Cinnamon Muffins

These muffins are pretty standard. No fancy techniques or equipment needed!

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line or grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
In another bowl, mix the sourdough starter, milk, oil, and vanilla.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined.
Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full.
Mix together the cinnamon sugar topping and sprinkle over each muffin.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Tips for Success

The “just combined” rule – stop mixing as soon as you see the last streak of flour. Overmixing develops gluten, which leads to tough, rubbery muffins.
Temperature matters – using a room-temperature starter ensures the batter stays smooth and rises evenly in the oven.
Check for doneness early – since sourdough discard can vary in moisture, start checking with a toothpick at the 14-minute mark to avoid drying them out.

Storage

Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.

For longer storage, freeze the muffins in a sealed bag for up to 2 months. Let them thaw at room temperature or microwave for about 20 seconds to warm them up.

Gluten-free version

I’ve tested this recipe using a gluten-free sourdough starter (mine is 50% brown rice flour and 50% sorghum flour) along with King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour with great results.

I can’t say how other gluten-free flour blends will work, but this combination worked well for me. The muffins are slightly denser than the wheat version, but still absolutely worth making.

I highly recommend using fed, active starter for the gluten-free version for the lightest texture.

❤️ Have you tried these sourdough cinnamon muffins? ❤️

Please leave a ✍️ review and ⭐ rating to let me know how it turned out. I appreciate it so much! 💛