The BEST Sourdough Apple Muffins (Easy Discard Recipe)

Discover the warm, comforting hug of Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Muffins, a delightful twist on a classic, bursting with tender apple pieces and a hint of spice. I honestly think these might be the perfect treat to bake any time of year, especially when you have some sourdough discard ready to use. These muffins offer a wonderful texture and inviting flavor that makes them incredibly moist and enjoyable.

Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Muffins are truly a simple pleasure. They combine the lovely flavors of fall with the subtle tang that sourdough discard can bring. If you’re new to the world of sourdough, don’t worry! You don’t need a perfectly active starter for this recipe, discard works beautifully here.

There’s something so satisfying about baking with apples, especially when you’ve just gone apple picking or found some lovely ones at the market. Each bite into these muffins brings a little piece of sweet and tart apple, adding such a pleasant texture and bright flavor.

The touch of ground cinnamon woven throughout the batter adds that essential warmth that just feels cozy and inviting. It’s the kind of spice that instantly makes a kitchen feel like home. And let’s not forget the crumb topping! It’s a sweet, slightly crunchy crown that elevates these muffins from great to absolutely irresistible.

These aren’t just delicious muffins; they can also be a lovely start to your day or a perfect pick-me-up snack. Their texture is so soft and light, and they stay incredibly moist for days. Trust me, trying to eat just one will be your biggest challenge.

Enjoy these Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Muffins whenever you need a little bit of comfort or a sweet bite to pair with your morning coffee or afternoon tea!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Here are a few reasons why I think you’ll fall head over heels for these muffins

• Wonderful Moisture
  They are wonderfully soft, airy, and fluffy. These muffins have a way of staying incredibly moist long after they’ve been baked, making them perfect to enjoy for several days.
• Fantastic Flavor
  This recipe really captures the best tastes of autumn and comfort baking. You get those lovely tender pieces of apple, the warm embrace of cinnamon, and a sweet, slightly salty crumble topping. It’s honestly everything you could want in a muffin.
• Easy Baking Process
  This recipe is designed to be straightforward and simple. You just need to whisk together some basic ingredients, and you’re well on your way to creating delicious sourdough apple muffins without any fuss.
• Perfect for Discard
  If you maintain a sourdough starter, you probably end up with discard sometimes. I am always on the lookout for new and tasty ways to use my unfed starter discard in yummy baked goods or savory side dishes. Using sourdough discard in these Apple Cinnamon Sourdough Muffins adds a unique little twist that makes them extra special.

Ingredients to Make Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Gathering your ingredients is the first step to making these delicious muffins. Here’s what you’ll need

• Flour: I use standard all-purpose flour for this recipe. Measuring it correctly is key for the best texture.
• Leaveners: You will need both baking powder and baking soda. It is really important to make sure these are fresh and active. If they are old or inactive, your muffins won’t rise properly and could turn out dense.
• Salt: Any unrefined salt will work well here. Salt helps to balance the sweetness and enhance all the other flavors.
• Ground Cinnamon: This spice is essential for that warm, comforting aroma and taste that defines these apple cinnamon muffins. Don’t be shy with it!
• Sugars: I use a combination of white sugar and light brown sugar. The brown sugar adds a lovely hint of caramel-y flavor and contributes to the muffin’s moisture.
• Oil: You will need a neutral-flavored oil. Options like vegetable oil, corn oil, or canola oil are good choices. Oil helps keep the muffins moist and tender.
• Milk: I typically use whole milk for baking because it adds richness. However, you can easily substitute it measure-for-measure with a non-dairy alternative if you prefer.
• Large Eggs: Make sure your eggs are at room temperature before you start mixing. This helps them incorporate better into the batter, leading to a more even texture.
• Unfed Sourdough Starter: You will use unfed sourdough discard for this recipe. For sweet bakes like these Apple Cinnamon Sourdough Muffins, I find that using discard that is no more than about a week old gives the best results. It adds a subtle tang and helps with moisture.
• Vanilla: Use pure vanilla extract if you can. It provides a much richer and better flavor compared to imitation vanilla, which can sometimes taste artificial.
• Apples: The type of apple you choose matters for both texture and flavor. Selecting crisp and slightly tart apples like Granny Smith, Pink Lady, or Honeycrisp will give you the best results. They hold their shape well during baking and provide a nice contrast to the sweet batter. Using a mix of apple varieties can add even more depth to the flavor.

Ingredients for the Crumb Topping

This optional but highly recommended crumb topping adds a fantastic sweet and crunchy element.

• Flour: Regular all-purpose flour works perfectly for the crumb mixture.
• White Sugar: You can use white sugar here. If you want an even deeper caramel note in your topping, you could substitute some or all of the white sugar with light or dark brown sugar.
• Ground Cinnamon: A little extra cinnamon in the topping ties all the flavors together beautifully and adds more of that comforting warmth.
• Butter: Melting the butter is key to creating that lovely, crumbly texture for the topping. It helps the dry ingredients clump together just right.

Supplies

Having the right tools ready makes the baking process much smoother.

• Large Mixing Bowls
• Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
• Muffin Tins
• Muffin Liners
• Kitchen Scale (helpful for accuracy)
• Wire Rack

Want to Make Your Own Sourdough Starter

If you don’t have a sourdough starter yet and are curious about diving into the world of sourdough baking, it’s really not as intimidating as it might seem! Creating your own active and bubbly starter takes just a little bit of time and patience. It’s a rewarding process that opens up so many baking possibilities, including delicious recipes like these muffins.

How to Make Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Getting started is simple. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Prepare a 16-cup muffin pan by lining each cup with paper liners.

Here’s a little tip I like to use Sometimes muffin liners can stick to the finished muffins. To help prevent this, you can lightly spray the inside of the paper liners with nonstick cooking spray before you add the batter.

Crumble Topping

First, let’s get that wonderful crumb topping ready. Take a small bowl. Add the flour, sugar, and ground cinnamon to the bowl. Use a whisk to mix these dry ingredients together until they are well combined.

Now, slowly pour the melted butter over the flour mixture. As you pour, gently mix the ingredients together with a fork or spoon. Keep mixing just until the mixture starts to look crumbly, with lots of little bits forming. Be really careful not to overmix it at this stage. If you mix too much, the butter will get too incorporated, and the mixture will turn into more of a dough instead of a crumble.

Once the topping looks crumbly, place the bowl into the refrigerator. Let it chill in the fridge while you prepare the muffin batter. Chilling the topping helps it stay crumbly when you sprinkle it on the batter.

Dry Ingredients

Next, prepare the dry ingredients for the muffin batter. Get a large mixing bowl ready. Measure your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into this bowl. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix these ingredients together. This helps to evenly distribute the leaveners and salt throughout the flour. Once mixed, set this bowl aside for a moment.

Wet Ingredients

Now, let’s work on the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer if you are using one, add the white sugar and the light brown sugar. Pour the neutral oil into the bowl with the sugars. If you are using a stand mixer, attach the paddle attachment. Mix the sugar and oil together until they are well combined.

Add the eggs to the sugar and oil mixture. It’s best to add them one at a time. As you add each egg and mix, make sure to stop occasionally and use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. This helps to ensure that all the ingredients are getting mixed in evenly and you don’t have any unmixed pockets.

After the eggs are incorporated, pour in the unfed sourdough discard, the milk, and the vanilla extract. Mix these wet ingredients together. Don’t be alarmed if the mixture looks a little bit curdled at this point. This is perfectly normal when mixing certain wet ingredients like milk and sourdough discard. Just keep mixing until they are reasonably combined.

Combine

Now it’s time to bring the wet and dry ingredients together. Add the dry ingredients (the flour mixture from the large bowl) to the wet ingredients in your mixer bowl. If you are using a stand mixer, mix on a low speed. If you are mixing by hand, use a spatula or wooden spoon. Mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet ingredients. It is really important not to overmix the batter at this stage. Stop mixing as soon as you no longer see any dry flour spots in the bowl. Overmixing can result in tough muffins.

Before adding the apples to the batter, you’ll want to prepare them. Peel your apples and cut them into small, bite-sized pieces. Grab a small bowl. Put the diced apples into this bowl. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of flour from the divided amount you measured earlier, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Gently mix the apples with a spoon or spatula until all the pieces are coated with the flour and cinnamon mixture. This coating step is helpful because it prevents the apple pieces from sinking down to the bottom of the muffin cups during baking.

Finally, add the coated apple pieces to the muffin batter. Using a spatula, carefully fold the apples into the batter. Try to distribute them evenly throughout the mix. Again, be gentle during this step to avoid overmixing the batter you just carefully combined.

Bake

The batter is ready to go into the oven! Divide the muffin batter evenly among the 16 prepared muffin cups in your lined pan. Fill each cup about three-quarters of the way full. This leaves just enough room for the muffins to rise nicely without overflowing.

Take the chilled crumb topping out of the refrigerator. Generously sprinkle a portion of the crumb topping over the top of the batter in each muffin cup. You can add as much or as little as you like, but I think a good amount makes them extra special.

Care place the muffin pan into your preheated oven. Bake the Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Muffins for about 17 to 18 minutes. You will know the muffins are done baking when their tops look golden brown and lovely. You can also test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of one of the muffins. If it comes out clean, the muffins are ready.

Once baked, carefully remove the hot muffin pan from the oven. Let the muffins stay in the muffin tin for about 5 minutes before you attempt to remove them. This allows them to set up a bit.

After the 5 minutes are up, carefully take the muffins out of the tin. Place them onto a wire rack so they can cool completely. Letting them cool on a wire rack allows air to circulate all around them, preventing the bottoms from getting soggy.

How to Store

Once your delicious Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Muffins have cooled completely, you’ll want to store any leftovers properly to keep them fresh. The best way to store them is in a sealed, airtight container. You can keep them right on your kitchen counter at room temperature. They usually stay wonderfully fresh and moist for a few days this way.

These muffins are also fantastic for freezing! If you want to save some for later, make sure they are completely cool first. Then, place the sourdough muffins into a freezer-safe bag or a container designed for freezing. You can freeze them for up to two months. When you want to enjoy one, just take it out of the freezer and let it thaw on your kitchen counter until it reaches room temperature. They taste just as good as fresh!

FAQs

Here are answers to some common questions you might have about making these Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Muffins.

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