This easy and delicious Sourdough Apple Muffins recipe will make your kitchen smell amazing! These muffins are soft, perfectly spiced, and a great way to use up sourdough discard. They’re packed with fresh apples and warm cinnamon, and ready in just 30 minutes.
Tired of tossing your sourdough discard but don’t want to deal with another loaf of sourdough bread? I get it—wasting starter feels wrong, and that's where these sourdough apple cinnamon muffins come in!
As someone who's pretty obsessed with wholesome ingredients, I’ve perfected a foolproof recipe that turns your extra discard into light, fluffy muffins bursting with fresh apples and warm cinnamon—no long fermentation, no fuss.
Just mix, bake, and enjoy a bakery-worthy treat that proves sourdough can do so much more than just bread!
If you are looking for more easy sourdough recipes check out my Mixed Berry Galette With Sourdough Crust, Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies, or Sourdough Brownies. You may also enjoy my Cottage Cheese Blueberry Muffins.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No Waste And Great Taste: This recipe is a great way to use up your extra sourdough discard. The sourdough also helps to create a light and fluffy texture.
- Easy To Make: You only need a handful of simple ingredients, and there are no complicated steps required!
- Incredible Flavor: Packed with tons of fresh apples and warming spices, these sourdough apple muffins are a delightful treat.
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter: You will want to use unsalted organic grass-fed butter. Make sure it is room temperature, which will allow it to mix easily with the sugar.
- Coconut Sugar: I love using coconut sugar since it's unrefined. If you don't have coconut sugar, date sugar would be a good swap.
- Eggs: When shopping for eggs, look for organic pasture-raised eggs. For this recipe, you will want to let these eggs come up to room temperature beforehand. This will help them mix into the batter smoothly.
- Sourdough Discard: There is no need to use an active sourdough starter! Just grab your sourdough discard from the fridge and add it in! It will add lightness and fluffiness to the muffins.
- Cottage Cheese: I love baking with cottage cheese. I recommend using Good Cultures's full-fat or low-fat cottage cheese. It may seem like a surprising ingredient to find in a sourdough muffin recipe, but I promise it adds a lot of moisture, along with some extra protein—and I promise you won't even taste it!
- Vanilla Bean Paste: More concentrated and flavorful than vanilla extract, enhancing the muffins with a deep, rich vanilla taste. If you don't have vanilla bean paste, you can totally use vanilla extract.
- Gluten-Free Flour And Almond Flour: I love using a mix of gluten-free flour and almond flour. The almond flour adds extra softness and chewiness. If you are not gluten-free, feel free to use regular all-purpose flour.
- Sea Salt: Sea Salt helps to balance sweetness and enhance the other flavors. You can also use kosher salt, but avoid table salt.
- Baking Soda: This will help your muffins rise. We are using baking soda not baking powder in this recipe!
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg, And Cloves: This is one of my favorite cozy spice combos! It brings a ton of warmth and depth to the muffins. You could use apple pie spice instead if you have it.
- Apples: Feel free to use any crisp apples you like, but I highly recommend using pink lady apples or Honey crisp as they both are slightly tart and sweet.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions And Variations
- Apples: While I prefer using pink lady or honey crisp, feel free to use granny smith apples or swap the apples entirely for pears.
- Mix-Ins: Experiment by adding chopped walnuts, pecans, or raisins.
- Dairy-Free: Swap the butter for melted coconut oil to make this recipe dairy-free.
How To Make Apple Sourdough Muffins
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line your muffin pan with individual parchment paper liners.
Step 2. Add the gluten-free flour, almond flour, sea salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
Step 3. Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and use the paddle attachment to mix until light and fluffy.
Step 4. Add the eggs, sourdough discard, cottage cheese, and vanilla bean paste, and mix again until combined.
Step 5. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
Step 6. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to gently fold in the diced apples.
Step 7. Use a cookie scoop to scoop the muffin batter into the muffin cups. You will want to fill them about ¾ of the way full. Add a pinch of coconut sugar or turbinado sugar to the top of the muffins for a little crunch. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown.
Expert Tips And Notes
- Don't Overmix: For best results stir the batter until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined—there should still be a few streaks of flour visible before folding in the apples.
- Use Sweet And Tart Apples: Honey crisp and Pink Lady or Pink Crisp apples are great choices because they hold their shape and add a nice balance of sweetness and tartness.
- Use Muffin Liners: Don’t underestimate the power of muffin liners! Parchment paper liners make cleanup a breeze and give your muffins a polished, bakery-style look.
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Serving Suggestions For Sourdough Discard Apple Muffins
- Toppings: Slather with creamy almond butter for a nutty boost, or drizzle with honey or smoked butter.
- Breakfast Pairings: Enjoy with a side of cottage cheese and fruit for a protein-packed start to the day, or serve alongside high-protein egg bites and smoked bacon for a well-rounded meal.
- Additional Desserts: Warm up the muffins and serve with a scoop of cinnamon or vanilla ice cream for a cozy fall-inspired treat, or top with a dollop of maple whipped cream for extra indulgence.
- Beverages: These muffins are perfect with an iced maple latte, a classic cappuccino, or a pumpkin spiced latte.
Storage And Reheating
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freezing: Wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Place in an oven-safe dish and reheat at 250 degrees for 3-5 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Substitute the discard with Greek yogurt for a similar texture.
Insert a toothpick into the center—if it comes out clean, they’re ready!
Over-mixing the batter can cause dense muffins. Stir gently and stop once everything is just combined.
Other Related Sourdough Discard Recipes
If you tried this recipe please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. You can also stay in touch through social media by following along on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook. Thanks for visiting today!
Sourdough Apple Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons Butter unsalted, room temperature
- ¾ cup Coconut Sugar
- 2 Eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup Sourdough Discard
- ½ cup Cottage Cheese
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Bean Paste
- 1 cup Gluten-Free Flour
- ½ cup Almond Flour
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon Cloves
- 2 Medium Apples diced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line your muffin pan with individual parchment paper liners.
- Add the gluten-free flour, almond flour, sea salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to a medium bowl and whisk to combine.1 cup Gluten-Free Flour, ½ cup Almond Flour, ½ teaspoon Sea Salt, 1 teaspoon Baking Soda, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon Cloves
- Next add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and use the paddle attachment to mix until light and fluffy.8 tablespoons Butter, ¾ cup Coconut Sugar
- Add the eggs, sourdough discard, cottage cheese, and vanilla bean paste, and mix again until combined.2 Eggs, ¾ cup Sourdough Discard, ½ cup Cottage Cheese, 1 tablespoon Vanilla Bean Paste
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Use a spatula or wooden spoon to gently fold in the diced apples.2 Medium Apples
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop the muffin batter into the muffin cups. You will want to fill them about ¾ of the way full. Add a pinch of coconut sugar or turbinado sugar to the top of the muffins for a little crunch. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown.
Notes
- Don't Over-mix: For best results stir the batter until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined—there should still be a few streaks of flour visible before folding in the apples.
- Use Sweet And Tart Apples: Honey crisp and Pink Lady or Pink Crisp apples are great choices because they hold their shape and add a nice balance of sweetness and tartness.
- Use Muffin Liners: Don’t underestimate the power of muffin liners! Parchment paper liners make cleanup a breeze and give your muffins a polished, bakery-style look.
Nadia says
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! I had a blast creating it! One of my favorite ways to enjoy this muffin is with a cup of coffee as mid morning treat.