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Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins

These sourdough chocolate chip muffins use a discard starter to create tender and delicious muffins. They’re buttery and flavorful, with lots of chocolate chips. The muffins can be baked immediately, or the batter can be fermented in the refrigerator overnight.

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins

Chocolate chip sourdough muffins are a wonderful way to use discarded sourdough starter. The sourdough starter discard isn’t used for the leavening process in these muffins. Instead, they use baking powder and baking soda for the rise. The leftover sourdough discard gives these muffins a delicious flavor, and the acid in the discard creates a tender muffin. Perfect if you have a lot of discard!

I like to make the batter the day before and give it an overnight ferment. This creates an even taller muffin, increases the flavor, and the fermented flour can make things easier to digest. If you want to bake them right away, though, you can.

Don’t have your own sourdough starter yet? Learn to make a sourdough starter.

Ingredients

Find the ingredient amounts for this sourdough muffin recipe written in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of what you will need.

  • All-purpose flour
  • Granulated white sugar
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Melted butter – unsalted or salted
  • Oil – Helps to keep the muffin moist.
  • Sourdough discard – unfed sourdough discard works best
  • Vanilla extract
  • Almond extract (optional but delicious)
  • Large eggs
  • Buttermilk
  • Chocolate chips – I like using mini chocolate chips rather than bigger chocolate chunks.

Equipment

  • 12-cup muffin tin
  • Paper liners or grease with vegetable oil or nonstick spray

Method

  1. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  1. Add the melted butter, oil, eggs, sugar, sourdough discard, vanilla extract, almond extract and buttermilk in a large bowl. Whisk until well combined.
  1. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula until almost all are combined. Add the chocolate chips and fold them through.
  1. The muffins can be baked right away or cold-fermented overnight.

Overnight sourdough muffins

Cover the bowl tightly and place it in the refrigerator for up to 20 hours. Cold fermenting allows the flour to absorb more moisture from the batter, which can lead to a more tender and moist crumb. Additionally, slow fermentation helps break down the proteins in the flour.

Baking

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line the muffin pan with muffin liners.
  1. Use an ice cream scoop to divide the muffin batter evenly between the liners. They will be quite full. If the batter had a cold-proof, it will be very thick.
  1. Sprinkle the top of the muffins with granulated sugar.
  1. Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn the oven down to 350°F (180°C) and bake a further 15-18 minutes until golden brown and the muffin tops spring back when pressed or a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  1. Let the baked muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing them and placing them on a wire rack to cool further.

Storing

The muffins are best served on the day they are made. Leftover muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The following day, rewarm the muffins gently in the microwave or a low oven.

You can also freeze baked muffins for up to 3 months for a great snack at your fingertips. To reheat, thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator and warm in a low-temperature oven or microwave.

Variations

The basic recipe for the muffin batter can be adapted to change the flavors. Next time, omit the chocolate chips and try these

  • Berries: Fold in blueberries, raspberries, or chopped strawberries for a burst of fruity flavor.
  • Chopped nuts: Incorporate chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, or almonds for added crunch and healthy fats. Nuts can also enhance the muffin’s overall flavor profile.
  • Cinnamon: Sprinkle in some cinnamon for a warm, comforting flavor. Before baking, you can also create a cinnamon swirl effect by layering the batter with a cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  • White chocolate chips: Fold white chocolate chips for a creamy, sweet contrast to the tangy sourdough flavor. White chocolate pairs well with other ingredients, like berries!

More sourdough discard recipes

side view of unwrapped muffin.

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 12 hours
Total Time: 12 hours 30 minutes

Buttery and flavorful sourdough chocolate chip muffins using your leftover sourdough discard starter.

Ingredients

  • 250g ( 2 cups*) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 113g (1/2 cup) butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 15g (1 tbsp) olive oil or vegetable oil
  • 200g (1 cup) granulated sugar, plus extra for topping
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 100g (1/2 cup) sourdough discard, room temperature
  • 180g (3/4 cup) buttermilk*, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • 160g (1 cup) mini chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  2. Add the melted butter, oil, eggs, sugar, sourdough discard, vanilla extract, almond extract and buttermilk in a large bowl. Whisk until well combined.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula until almost all are combined. Add the chocolate chips and fold them through.
  4. The muffins can be baked right away or cold-fermented overnight.

Overnight sourdough muffins

  1. Cover the bowl tightly and place it in the refrigerator for up to 20 hours.

Baking

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a muffin pan with liners.
  2. Use an ice cream scoop to divide the muffin batter evenly between the liners. They will be quite full. If the batter had a cold-proof, it will be very thick.
  3. Sprinkle the top of the muffins with granulated sugar.
  4. Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn the oven down to 350°F (180°C) and bake for 15-18 minutes more until golden brown and the muffin tops spring back when pressed or a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  5. Let the baked muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing them and placing them on a wire rack to cool further.

Notes

*The cup sizes given are for US-sized cups, which are smaller than metric cups, for best results, use a scale and measure in grams.

*The buttermilk can be substituted with 170g of regular milk plus 10g of white vinegar or lemon juice. Mix these two ingredients together before beginning the recipe to let it sit and curdle for 5-10 minutes.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 317Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 356mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 2gSugar: 25gProtein: 5g

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