Sourdough Discard Apple Muffins are perfect for the fall and winter when apples are in season! They're warm, a little nutty (from the nutmeg and cinnamon, but you can also add chopped nuts if you like!), and so comforting. These muffins come together in just a few minutes, so you'll be serving a tasty breakfast or brunch in no time!
If you're looking for other apple recipes, try this Sourdough Discard Apple Pull Apart Bread and these Sourdough Discard Apple Cinnamon Rolls. And if you're looking for other sourdough discard recipes, check out these Sourdough Discard Pancakes, Sourdough Discard Waffles, and Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- This easy recipe comes together in with about 15 minutes of hands-on time. You'll have warm muffins on the table in under an hour. Perfect for a weekend morning!
- This recipe is easy to adapt to make with different types of apples, pears, adding nuts, or a combination of all of the above!
- The cinnamon and nutmeg give these muffins a great nutty fall flavor that is so warm and comforting.
Ingredients
There are only a few key ingredients you'll need to pull these muffins together.
- Unsalted butter: It's important this is softened (at room temperature) so it creams together correctly with the sugars.
- Eggs: The eggs should be at room temperature for this recipe.
- Sourdough discard: The sourdough discard should be unfed and at room temperature for this recipe. This recipe is designed for a sourdough starter using a 1:1 ratio (when you feed your starter it's with 1 part flour and 1 part water). If your starter uses a different ratio, you may need to adjust some of the ingredients in this recipe.
- Non-dairy yogurt: I like to use Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Dairy-Free Yogurt, but you can also use regular dairy yogurt. I recommend using plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt.
- Apple: I like to use Gala apples, but other types that work well are Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Fuji, Granny Smith, and Pink Lady apples. A small dice will be best so you're getting the apples evenly distributed in the muffins.
- Turbinado sugar: I like to sprinkle the muffins with turbinado sugar for an extra bit of crunchy sweetness without having to make a separate topping or crumble. I use Sugar in the Raw.
See full recipe below for detailed directions.
Substitutions & Variations
This is a very adaptable recipe and below are a few easy substitutions and variations you can try.
- Use pears - Use a combination of apples and pears, or only pears to make pear muffins!
- Use an egg substitute - If you're not baking with eggs, you can use a liquid egg substitute (such as Just Egg) for this recipe.
- Use regular dairy yogurt - This recipe is written using non-dairy yogurt, but will also work with regular dairy yogurt. I recommend using plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt.
- Add nuts - Fold up to ½ cup chopped nuts (such as walnuts, pecans or almonds) into the batter with the diced apples. Continue baking as directed.
- Add dried cranberries - Fold ½ of dried cranberries into the batter with the diced apples. Continue baking as directed.
I have not tested this recipe with other variations, but if you do, let us know how it turns out in the comments! I always love to hear how you're adapting these recipes and use those as ideas for future recipes as well!
How to make Sourdough Discard Apple Muffins
These muffins come together in a few easy steps!
In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating in between. Mix in the vanilla extract.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
Mix in the sourdough discard and yogurt, then add the dry ingredients and mix until no dry spots remain.
Chop your apples into a small dice.
Add the diced apples to the batter and fold until evenly distributed.
Divide the batter among the muffin cups (a cookie scoop is great to use here!). Sprinkle with turbinado sugar and bake until golden brown.
Once baked, let cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then serve or transfer to a cooling rack to cool fully.
Expert Baking Tips
- Make sure to cream the butter and sugar long enough. This is the foundation of this recipe, so spend 2-3 minutes to get a really nice, smooth and fluffy butter and sugar mixture!
- Line your muffin pan with muffin liners. You can either use storebought muffin liners (or these silicone cups), or make your own parchment paper liners.
- Chop the apples to a small dice. This way, it's easier to distribute the apples in the dough so you'll end up with apples in every bite of muffin! Also, no need to peel the apples.
- Don't forget the turbinado sugar! This adds a nice crunchy sweet layer to the top of the muffins.
- Do not overfill the muffin cups. If you do, they can overflow and make your muffins a bit flat (they'll be spreading out instead of rising up!).
- If the muffins are sticking to the liners, let them cool for a few minutes.
Equipment
These muffins can be made with a few large mixing bowls and a wooden spoon (I love a GIR Spoonula for mixing!). You will need a hand-held mixer to cream the butter and sugar. Use a kitchen scale to measure your sourdough discard.
You'll need a 12-cup muffin pan and muffin liners (you can use regular muffin liners, parchment paper muffin liners, or silicone muffin liners). I also recommend using a cookie scoop to scoop the batter into the muffin cups.
kitchen essentials
My Favorite Muffin Pan
The perfect pan for all of your muffin creations!
Storage
Room Temperature Storage: Once cooled, store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can reheat them in the microwave for 15-30 seconds to make them warm and soft again.
Freezer Storage: These muffins also freeze very well. Let them cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, let the muffins thaw at room temperature, or reheat in the microwave for about 60 seconds.
Recipe FAQ
Sourdough discard is what is left over after you feed your sourdough starter. You can either literally discard it (throw it away or compost it), or use it in sourdough discard recipes like this one.
If you are new to working with sourdough starter, check out these in-depth posts on how to feed sourdough starter, how to use sourdough discard, and tips for struggling sourdough starter.
I highly recommend sprinkling the top of the muffins with turbinado sugar. This gives a nice crunchy, sweet topping. I like to use Sugar in the Raw. But it is optional and you can omit this if you prefer!
Yes! This would work particularly well with other types of apples or pears. There are other variation suggestions in the "substitutions and variations" section above.
I highly recommend using muffin liners to make it easier to remove the muffins from the pan. If you'd rather not use them, make sure to grease your pan well before adding the batter.
No! You can leave the peel on. A small dice for the apples works best so they distribute evenly throughout the batter (and you'll end up with apples in every bite of the baked muffins!).
Yes, you can! This recipe is written using non-dairy yogurt, but regular dairy yogurt will also work. I recommend using plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt.
Sourdough Discard Apple Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 200 grams (about ¾ cup) sourdough discard unfed, at room temperature
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons non-dairy or regular dairy yogurt at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 apple small diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 2-3 teaspoons turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, use a hand-held blender on medium speed to cream together the softened butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing in between each. Mix in vanilla extract.
- Mix in sourdough discard and yogurt. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined. Fold the diced apples into the batter using a spatula, stirring until evenly distributed.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin liners, filling each cup to about ⅔ full (a cookie scoop works well for this!). Sprinkle with turbinado sugar and bake for 22-25 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool fully.
Shellie says
These muffins are absolutely delicious!
Lisa Wooley says
They taste good but were flat….
Kasey says
Love this recipe!
I used 100g of active starter and subbed the other 100 g with 50 g AP flour and 50g whole milk. Because I only had half the active starter, I also added half of the baking powder you called for in your recipe. It ended up cooking in 22-27 min and tasted wonderful! I think next time, I will only add 1/2 - 3/4 cup of sugar because the apples made it so sweet (in a great way!) Thank you!