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A close-up of a crumb-topped apple muffin with its paper wrapper partially peeled away, sitting on a woven placemat. Green apples and more muffins appear blurred in the background.

Sourdough Apple Muffins with Brown Butter and Streusel

Elien Lewis
Tender sourdough apple muffins with little pockets of soft apple, brown butter and warm spice running through the crumb, and a crisp brown sugar streusel on top. The batter can be baked straight away or fermented overnight for an even better texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 14 muffins
Calories 196 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Muffin batter

  • 113 g butter around 95g after browning
  • 250 g all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp fresh ground cardamom
  • 25 g vegetable oil
  • 100 g granulated sugar
  • 100 g brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 100 g sourdough discard room temperature
  • 180 g buttermilk room temperature
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
  • 200 g apples chopped into 1cm (1/2 inch) cubes, weighed after chopping

Streusel topping

  • 45 g butter melted
  • 63 g all-purpose flour
  • 65 g brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Place 113g of butter in a small light-coloured saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan as it melts, foams, and begins to smell nutty. When the milk solids at the bottom turn deep amber, pull it off the heat and pour into a large heatproof mixing bowl, scraping in all the brown bits. You should have around 95g of brown butter. Let cool to lukewarm.
  • Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  • To the cooled brown butter, add the oil, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, sourdough discard, vanilla, and buttermilk. Whisk until well combined.
  • Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula until almost all the flour is combined. Don't overmix. Fold through the apples.
  • The batter can be baked right away, or cold-fermented overnight (see notes).

Streusel topping

  • Add the melted butter, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a small bowl. Use a fork to combine into a coarse crumb. Pop it in the fridge for a few minutes if it's too soft to crumble.

Baking

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
  • Use an ice cream scoop to divide the muffin batter evenly between the liners. The batter makes 14 standard size muffins, or 12 very full larger muffins.
  • Generously pile the streusel on top of each muffin and gently press it on.
  • Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (220°C), then reduce the oven to 350°F (180°C) and bake a further 16 to 18 minutes until golden brown and the muffin tops spring back when pressed, or a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  • 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

Both US customary and metric measurements are provided. Use the toggle to switch between the two.
Brown butter: If you'd rather skip this step, use the full 113g of regular melted butter and the muffins will still be lovely.
Cold-fermenting (optional): Cover the bowl of batter tightly and place it in the refrigerator for 8 to 20 hours. Cold fermenting allows the flour to absorb more moisture from the batter, leading to a more tender and moist crumb. There is no need to bring the batter to room temperature before baking. Note that it will be very thick. 
Apples: Firm, slightly tart varieties like Braeburn, Granny Smith, or Royal Gala work best.
Sourdough starter: Unfed discard works best as it's more acidic and creates a more tender muffin. An active starter will work too, but the texture may be slightly different.
Buttermilk substitute: If you don't have buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 180g (3/4 cup) of whole milk. Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
Streusel: The streusel can be made the day before and kept in the fridge. It crumbles more easily when cold.
Storage: Store leftover muffins covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in a low oven or microwave.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffinCalories: 196kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 4gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.5gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 207mgPotassium: 100mgFiber: 1gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 87IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 1mg
Keyword apple cinnamon muffins, brown butter apple muffins, sourdough apple muffins, sourdough discard apple recipe, sourdough discard muffins
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