If you toss sourdough discard after feedings, this is your sign to stop—especially when you could make sourdough banana muffins instead! The grab-and-go muffins are easy to make ahead and freeze for busy mornings! Plus, they come together in one hour! Want more easy breakfast recipes? Try overnight oats with coconut milk or cinnamon overnight oats.
What is Sourdough Discard?
Sourdough discard is the starter you remove or discard when feeding and maintaining an active sourdough starter.
Why do you need to discard half the starter? If not, you will end up with an overflowing container of starter. Also, removing some of the starter provides the yeast with more ‘food’ each time you feed it with fresh flour and water. If you’re worried about being wasteful, try these muffins or make orange cranberry sourdough discard scones.
Key Ingredients
- Butter: Using melted butter results in a more delicate crumb. You can replace it with olive oil or vegetable oil.
- Brown Sugar: Use light or dark brown sugar, depending on what you have. You can also use granulated white sugar or a sugar-free option like golden monk fruit.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together with eggs.
- Overripe Bananas: The riper the bananas, the sweeter the muffins will be! Mash them before adding them to the wet ingredients. If you don’t have overripe bananas but want to make the recipe, I’ve got your back. Preheat the oven to 250°F (121°C). Place the bananas (peel and all) on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes until they darken. Let the bananas cool first before using them.
- Greek Yogurt: Include full-fat yogurt in the batter.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds more flavor.
- Sourdough Starter Discard: The muffins are an excellent way to use extra sourdough discard instead of tossing it out. I use unfed, room-temperature sourdough discard to make this recipe. If you keep your aged discard (I collect my discard in a separate jar in my fridge, adding to it when I feed my starter) in the refrigerator as I do, remove the jar 30 minutes before you’re ready to prepare the muffins to let the mixture to come to room temperature.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is a staple in most pantries, but use whole wheat or gluten-free flour to meet your dietary needs.
- Baking Powder: Add baking powder to the banana muffins with sourdough starter, resulting in a light and fluffy treat.
- Baking Soda: The baking soda acts as a leavening along with baking powder.
- Salt: Balance the sweetness in the bread with a small amount of sea salt.
Additions and Substitutions
- Try a different dairy. Replace the Greek yogurt with non-dairy yogurt, sour cream, or cottage cheese like I use to make cottage cheese banana bread.
- Add a flavorful twist. Get creative with mix-ins like chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, unsweetened coconut flakes, fresh blueberries, dried cranberries, raisins, chopped pecans, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.
- Use unfed sourdough discard. The muffins will taste delicious, but they might not be as fluffy. If you keep extra discard stored away for recipes (I collect mine in a separate jar in my fridge), remove the discard 30 minutes before you’re ready to prepare the pancakes.
How to Make Sourdough Banana Muffins
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C) and line a muffin tin with liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set it aside.
Step 2: Use a fork to mash the bananas until they are smooth. Stir the melted butter and sugar into a mixing bowl until the sugar dissolves. Add the eggs, yogurt, vanilla extract, and mashed banana to the bowl and mix to incorporate.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined, careful not to over-mix.
Step 4: Use an ice cream scoop to divide the muffin batter evenly into the muffin tin.
Step 5: Optional: If making a streusel topping, add the flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and butter to a small bowl and fluff the mixture with a fork. Sprinkle the topping over the muffins.
Step 6: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center pulls clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack or countertop to cool.
Expert Tips
- Opt for overripe bananas to enhance the flavor of the muffins – they are sweeter and easy to mash.
- Remove the starter from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before using it.
- Spoon and level the flour into measuring cups for baking accuracy.
- Use room temperature ingredients for the best results, especially the eggs.
- Whisk the baking powder and baking soda into the flour to ensure even distribution of the ingredients.
- Combine the batter, but avoid over-mixing, as it will produce dense muffins.
- Grease the muffin tin with cooking spray, oil, or butter before adding the batter if you don’t have muffin liners.
- Use an ice cream scoop to evenly divide the batter into the muffin tin and reduce the mess.
- Insert a toothpick into the center of the muffins. It will come out clean when the muffins finish cooking.
If you enjoy sourdough banana muffins, try more muffin recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Sourdough banana bread muffins make for a quick breakfast and easy meal prep.
Consider adding mix-ins to the sourdough banana muffins for more flavor. Chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts and chocolate chips are a popular addition, or you can include raisins, nut or seed butters, chia seeds, dried cranberries, flax seeds, coconut flakes, and orange or lemon zest.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Storage: Let the muffins cool so condensation does not build up inside the container. Then, transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and leave them on the counter for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Once the muffins are cool, wrap them individually with foil and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Sourdough banana muffins freeze for 2-3 months.
- Thaw: Defrost the muffins on the counter overnight.
- Reheat: Warm individual muffins in the microwave for 20-25 seconds, or heat them in the oven at 350°F (176°C) for 15 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is sourdough starter good for?
Keep the sourdough discard in the refrigerator indefinitely as long as there is no visible mold. However, it may develop a grayish liquid on top called “hooch,” which you can pour off before using.
More Sourdough Recipes:
Sourdough Banana Muffins
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 ripe bananas
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C) and line a muffin tin with liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set it aside.
- Use a fork to mash the bananas until they are smooth. Stir the melted butter and sugar into a mixing bowl until the sugar dissolves. Add the eggs, yogurt, vanilla extract, and mashed banana to the bowl and mix to incorporate.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined, careful not to over-mix.
- Use an ice cream scoop to divide the muffin batter evenly into the muffin tin.
- Optional: If making a streusel topping, add the flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and butter to a small bowl and fluff the mixture with a fork. Sprinkle the topping over the muffins.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center pulls clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack or countertop to cool.
- Opt for overripe bananas to enhance the flavor of the muffins – they are sweeter and easy to mash.
- Remove the starter from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before using it.
- Spoon and level the flour into measuring cups for baking accuracy.
- Use room temperature ingredients for the best results, especially the eggs.
- Whisk the baking powder and baking soda into the flour to ensure even distribution of the ingredients.
- Combine the batter, but avoid over-mixing, as it will produce dense muffins.
- Grease the muffin tin with cooking spray, oil, or butter before adding the batter if you don’t have muffin liners.
- Use an ice cream scoop to evenly divide the batter into the muffin tin and reduce the mess.
- Insert a toothpick into the center of the muffins. It will come out clean when the muffins finish cooking.