Nothing beats sourdough in my book. Did you know it's perfect for adding to muffins, too? Sourdough Banana Bread Muffins are perfectly spiced and ready to serve with coffee!
Some argue that a recipe like this isn't truly sourdough. And that might be the case as we aren't fermenting over time, but it's still yummy! Where there's starter there's discard, and you can scoop some right into these muffins.
Muffins are a grab-and-go option. They were perfect when Marius worked outside the home and they are great to send to school as a snack. Keep some in the freezer at all times so you can thaw on a whim!
I love baking a couple trays of muffins when the kids are having friends over, it makes it so simple to feed them a snack.
If you need another great breakfast option that works on the go, I also love slices of Dutch Baby Pancakes. We prefer to eat our big breakfast after chores like milking, so another trick is to set oatmeal in the Instant Pot so it works while you do!
Why You Need This Recipe
- Muffins are perfect to keep in the freezer! They thaw overnight for a quick breakfast.
- Make 2 dozen at once so you are ready for meal prep and planning!
- Easy to customize with additions like chocolate or nuts.
- Use up that sourdough discard staring at you from the fridge!
Key Ingredients
Sourdough discard - What's discard? It's sourdough starter that needs to be fed. We aren't looking for the raising action here so it's great for using up what you've poured off before a feed.
Flour - Regular all-purpose flour or you can grind your own.
Sugar - Muffins need sugar or they don't bake or taste right.
Oil - Any liquid oil works, so melted coconut oil or butter, olive oil, or even canola. We aim to use what we have on hand!
Banana - Make sure they are really ripe and ready! I always have some in the freezer.
Eggs - I haven't used any substitutes here, but if you are familiar with baking egg-free then this is a good recipe to trust the process with.
How to Make Banana Muffins
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Preheat the oven and line your muffin tins if desired.
Step 2: Combine dry ingredients in one mixing bowl and whisk well.
Step 3: Mash banana and melt your oil, then combine all wet ingredients.
Step 4: Carefully add dry to wet, and be sure not to over mix. I love my Danish dough whisk for this!
Step 5: Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
Step 6: Bake until done!
Tips and Tricks
- Sprinkle some chocolate chips or chopped walnuts onto the tops of the muffins before baking for an extra special treat.
- Always keep bananas in the freezer! This way you can bake whenever you want, and not just when the bananas say so.
- Teach kids to measure and bake with this simple recipe.
Substitutions
Not feeling like banana? Then make pumpkin muffins! Really you can think of this as a base recipe to flavor however you like.
FAQs
Some have luck with nonstick muffin tins, but I never have. You can grease with butter, line with silicone or unbleached papers, or trust your pan. But I don't have time to deal with sticking muffins - so I usually use papers.
If you have mastered gluten-free sourdough starter, then by all means! Use that and a 1-for-1 gluten free flour blend. I just haven't tried at as we don't need that. Our tummies are happy with the soured dough and fresh milled flour.
Absolutely! Stick with a soft white wheat for the best flavor. Also remember that fresh ground needs time to hydrate. To make sure I'm not rushing things when using fresh flour, I mix up the batter and fill the pans, then preheat the oven. This way the batter rests while the oven heats and they will bake up perfectly.
photos by Kiara Colebank
More Muffin Recipes
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Sourdough Banana Bread Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour see notes
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup sourdough discard
- 1 ½ cups mashed banana about 3 bananas
- ½ cup liquid oil like melted coconut oil, melted butter, or olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two muffin tins with papers or silicone liners.
- Add all dry ingredients (flour through salt) to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add all wet ingredients (sugar through eggs) to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Carefully add dry ingredients to wet and stir to combine, being sure not to over mix. I like to use a Danish dough whisk for batters like this.
- Use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Remove to a rack to cool completely before storing.
Notes
- This recipe is for sourdough discard, which is sourdough starter that needs to be fed or isn't active enough for true sourdough bread.
- I use all-purpose flour for muffins, but you can also use fresh ground wheat. I recommend soft white for baking muffins. Soft never works with yeast, but is perfect for baking with baking powder and soda. Soft red will work but red has a stronger taste than white.
- If you are using fresh ground wheat, let the batter rest before baking so the batter hydrates. I do this by mixing up the batter and putting in the muffin tin, and then preheating the oven to give the batter a rest before baking.
Nikki
These look so good! I think this would be a great snack for me kids. Could I possibly use a half cup of sugar instead of a full cup? Thanks!
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You could but it will change the texture. You might want to try using 3/4 cup first.
Abby
I love these! I typically use coconut oil. Also I only make 12 huge muffins because I only have one muffin tin! Bake them slightly longer and they turn out great. Perfect for my kids to share one!
Erika
These are the best banana muffins ever! I used coconut oil and halved the sugar and they still turned out great… sorry Kate haha! But they truly are delicious! Thank you for the recipes.