This recipe is SUPER versatile and I love recipes like that. I can adjust based on preferences, what I have on hand, what we’re in the mood for. In my life, I need recipes like this, not rigid ones with no flexibility. I hope you enjoy these muffins! Applesauce or pumpkin, nuts or chocolate (or both!) and you've got something for everyone.

One applesauce sourdough discard muffin held in a hand over the kitchen table.

Most sourdough muffins simply use some discard in them, so I called these a “quickie sourdough.” While they use up some of the ever-present discard stored in my fridge…the flour in them is not truly fermented, so when one has a sensitive tummy, these might not be tolerated well.

This recipe is the best of both worlds, you can mix and bake right away, OR ferment part of the dough overnight (or all day) and then mix and bake to make the whole batch true sourdough.

While muffins are fun, when one has a lot of children and farm chores, one can get tired of scooping and baking muffins. I’m happy to tell you that you can bake this recipe in a 9x13 pan, for a few minutes longer, and then slice it into squares like cake. They might not be grab and go then, but the time savings are worth it.

Applesauce muffins cooling on a dish towel.

You can bake the batter as is, or we like to dress them up with a little cane sugar on top. If you plan to freeze them, I do not suggest topping them as the toppings get soggy in the freezer. With some organic cane sugar sprinkled on top before baking, it makes a lovely sweet crunch that makes this muffin skirt the line on a cupcake. Which is how I like my muffins…

Applesauce Sourdough Discard Muffins

Kate Schat

No one wants to waste their sourdough discard! It's a natural part of the process of keeping sourdough, so this recipe teaches you how to utilize that discard.

5 from 11 votes

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Fermet 6

Total Time 6 30

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings muffins

Calories 359 kcal

Ingredients

1 ½ cups sugar OR ¾ cup honey
2 cups sourdough discard
1 ½ cups applesauce or use pumpkin or squash puree
3 cups flour all-purpose or whole wheat or a mix
½ cup melted butter, coconut oil or olive oil
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups chopped nuts or chocolate chips
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

To ferment:

Mix sugar, applesauce, and sourdough discard together in a bowl. Add the flour. Cover and let sit on the counter 6 hours, up to overnight.

To make now:

If you want to just mix and bake right away, mix the sugar, applesauce, and sourdough discard up, followed by the flour, and then immediately move onto the next step.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F. Mix in the vanilla, eggs, melted butter, salt, and nuts/chocolate. Mix well. Its going to be a little gloppy/hard to mix, but use your elbow grease!
Sprinkle the baking soda and baking powder over the whole dough, and mix well for 10-20 seconds. Let sit while you line your muffin pans or grease your 9x13 pan. The chemical reaction with the sourdough and the baking powder/baking soda with change the consistency of the dough to be more like a normal muffin batter.
Scoop ¼ cup scoops into muffin papers/greased muffin pans or pour the whole bowl in a 9x13 pan.
If desired, sprinkle with coarse sugar such as organic cane sugar, maybe ½-1 teaspoon per muffin.

To bake:

For muffin tins, bake 20 min, turning halfway. Check with a knife to make sure they are done
For a 9x13 pan, bake for 30-35 minutes, turning halfway. Check with a knife to make sure it is done.

Notes

These muffins/loaf really need to cool down to being just warm. If you eat when they’re still hot, they will stick to the papers and be gummy. Sourdough needs to cool down a bit to set up its ‘crumb structure.’
Inspired by Simple Life by Kels

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffinCalories: 359kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 7gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 301mgPotassium: 132mgFiber: 2gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 197IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Sourdough Sweets

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