Sourdough Cinnamon Muffins

close-up of sourdough cinnamon muffin on a white table with more muffins in background

Sourdough Cinnamon Muffins

These sourdough cinnamon muffins are soft, fluffy, and topped with a sweet cinnamon sugar topping. A perfect way to use sourdough discard for an easy breakfast or snack. These muffins are eggless and easy to make vegan!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword cinnamon muffins, cinnamon sourdough muffins, discard recipes, easy muffin recipe, sourdough discard, sourdough discard muffins, sourdough muffins, sourdough recipes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 18

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 191kcal

Author Erin Dooner

Ingredients

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch salt

Muffins:

1 1/2 cups flour see notes
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup sourdough starter see notes
1/2 cup milk I used oat milk for vegan/dairy-free
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle topping over each muffin cup.
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, pinch salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line or lightly grease a muffin tin.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon until completely combined.
1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
In a medium bowl, stir together the sourdough starter, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until well combined.
1 cup sourdough starter, 1/2 cup milk, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix until just combined. The batter will be thicker and might seem unusual (see photos in the post). It's not going to be runny like regular muffin or cake batter.
Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with batter. I used 62 grams per muffin (a little less than 1/4 cup).
Top with the cinnamon sugar, using about 4 grams (a teaspoon) per muffin.
Bake for 16-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Very carefully transfer each muffin to a cooling rack. You can serve them warm or at room temperature.
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.

Notes

For the flour, you can use all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or the gluten-free flour I talk about below.
For the sourdough starter, fed or discard works. Starter used right at its peak (after feeding, when it’s domed and bubbly) will give you lighter, fluffier muffins. Discard will yield denser muffins. Not a bad dense, but more like a "less fluffy dense."
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.
If you're vegan or dairy-free, remember to use plant-based milk.

Nutrition