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    Home » Breakfast » Muffins

    Sourdough Blueberry Muffins

    July 11, 2023 By Sam 8 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    collage of sourdough blueberry muffins, top image is a close up of single muffin with bite taken out, bottom image of muffins in muffin tin baked with parchment paper liners

    These sourdough blueberry muffins have an incredible texture and flavor thanks to sourdough discard! My recipe takes just 30 minutes from start to finish and makes a dozen beautiful muffins.

    White plate of sourdough blueberry muffins in brown parchment wrappers.

    Sourdough Discard Blueberry Muffins

    Before I talk about these sourdough blueberry muffins, I think I should admit that I might have a bit of a blueberry muffin obsession. If you’ve been following along, you know that I recently shared a recipe for blueberry muffin cookies that is simply incredible (if I do say so myself). I also have classic blueberry muffins, plus blueberry cream cheese muffins. How many blueberry muffins recipes is too many?

    Correct answer: the limit does not exist.

    Now back to today’s recipe, which I absolutely love. Not only are these muffins full of blueberries, but they have a truly amazing texture; they are so, so, SO soft and tender. The sourdough discard is a key player in creating this lovely texture, and of course, it also adds a beautiful depth of flavor too.

    Sourdough blueberry muffins in parchment liners in a baking pan.

    What to love about this recipe:

    • Comes together fast.
    • No mixer needed (seriously, please don’t use one!).
    • Beautiful tall muffin tops, thanks to my special muffin trick (also used in my banana muffins).
    • Amazing flavor and texture from sourdough discard.

    What You Need

    Most of these ingredients are pretty standard, except for the sourdough discard–obviously! Here are the most important ones:

    Overhead view of ingredients including blueberries, sourdough discard, sour cream, and more.
    • Sourdough discard. You should have some of this lying around if you’re feeding an active sourdough starter! If you don’t, check out the FAQ section below.
    • Melted butter. Not only does melted butter make this recipe super easy to mix together by hand, but it also yields a buttery flavor too.
    • Blueberries. Fresh or frozen blueberries will work here, but just know that frozen berries will dye your batter purple. If I’m using frozen berries, I prefer to thaw and drain them before adding them to the batter.
    • Sour cream. Similar to buttermilk, sour cream adds moisture, tenderness, and flavor.
    • Room temperature egg. It’s important that your egg is at room temperature so it incorporates easily; otherwise, you might end up over-mixing your batter. If you forget to set yours out ahead of time, read my post on how to quickly bring eggs to room temperature.

    SAM’S TIP: For a pretty, bakery style look I recommend sprinkling some extra granulated sugar on top of your sourdough blueberry muffins just before baking. Or, if you’d really like to take your muffins to the next level, skip the sugar and add some streusel!

    Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    How to Make Sourdough Blueberry Muffins

    Overhead view of a bowl of muffin batter with blueberries scattered overtop.
    1. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
    2. Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
    3. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until the batter is 50% combined.
    4. Add the blueberries and keep folding until just combined. Do not over-mix!
    Overhead view of a tray of blueberry muffins in parchment liners before baking.
    1. Portion the batter into a lined 12-count muffin tin. I like to use an ice cream scoop for this!
    2. Sprinkle granulated sugar over the tops (if using) and bake for 8 minutes at 425F.
    3. Reduce the oven temperature to 350F (don’t open the door!) and bake for an additional 12 minutes or until cooked through.
    4. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

    SAM’S TIP: Using two oven temperatures ensures our muffins will have a beautiful rise. We’ll start off high, then reduce the temperature (without opening the door!) to finish baking. You’ll see this technique used in most of my muffin recipes, including my bakery style chocolate chip muffins.

    Overhead view of a tray of blueberry muffins in parchment liners after baking.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Why are my muffins dry?

    These sourdough blueberry muffins were carefully designed to be moist and tender, so they should not be dry at all. If yours are, it’s possible that you over-measured your flour (it’s easy to do!), over-mixed your batter, or simply baked them too long.

    Over-mixing will doom any quick bread, muffin, or pancake; it makes them dense and dry. To avoid this, make sure you stir everything together by hand (do not use a mixer!) and stop once everything is just combined.

    How do I make sourdough discard?

    Sourdough discard is actually a byproduct of feeding/maintaining a sourdough starter. Before you feed your starter, you always discard half of what is in the jar. Instead of wasting that discard (it still has lots of nutritional benefits), I like to use it in other recipes, like these muffins or my sourdough crackers or sourdough pancakes.

    If you are interested in baking with sourdough, check out my post on how to make a sourdough starter!

    Can sourdough blueberry muffins be frozen?

    Yes! Just make sure to wrap them really well in plastic wrap beforehand and store in an airtight container. They’ll keep this way for a few months.

    To thaw, you can let your muffins sit at room temperature, or you can microwave them for a few seconds.

    Blueberry muffin made with sourdough discard missing a bite.

    The muffin liners I’m using here today are my parchment paper muffin liners! They are so easy to make and instantly elevate the look of your muffins.

    Enjoy!

    Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

    Sourdough blueberry muffins in parchment liners in a baking pan.

    Sourdough blueberry muffins

    These sourdough blueberry muffins have an incredible texture and flavor thanks to sourdough discard! My recipe takes just 30 minutes from start to finish and makes a dozen beautiful muffins.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Bread, Breakfast, muffins, quick bread
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 muffins
    Calories: 244kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups (187 g) all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon table salt
    • ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter melted
    • ½ cup (105 g) sourdough discard
    • ¾ cup (180 g) sour cream or plain full-fat Greek yogurt
    • 1 large egg room temperature preferred
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ cups (210 g) fresh blueberries
    • Granulated sugar for topping optional

    Recommended Equipment

    • Baking sheet
    • Mixing bowls
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 425F (220C) and line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
      1 ½ cups (187 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon table salt
    • In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, sourdough discard, sour cream, egg, and vanilla extract until ingredients are evenly mixed.
      ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (105 g) sourdough discard, ¾ cup (180 g) sour cream, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Add wet ingredients to dry and use a spatula to gently fold together. Once batter is about 50% combined, add blueberries and continue to mix, gently, until blueberries are well-distributed and batter is just combined. Do not over-mix or muffins will be dense and dry.
      1 ½ cups (210 g) fresh blueberries
    • Evenly divide batter into prepared muffin tin. If desired, sprinkle with granulated sugar.
      Granulated sugar for topping
    • Transfer to center rack of 425F (220C) oven and bake for 8 minutes, then, without opening the oven door, decrease oven temperature to 350F (175C) and bake for 12 minutes longer/until muffins are baked through. The tops will be beginning to turn a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with moist crumbs.
    • Allow muffins to cool for 10 minutes in the muffin tin before carefully removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.

    Notes

    Blueberries

    Frozen blueberries will work but may streak your batter blue/purple. I typically thaw and drain the berries before using.

    Storing

    Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Muffins may also be tightly wrapped (after cooling) and frozen for up to 3 months.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 207mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 356IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jheni Claire

      September 16, 2023 at 6:49 pm

      5 stars
      This is the best blueberry muffin I’ve had! Thank you for sharing this recipe! My kids devoured this so fast! And kept asking for more!

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 16, 2023 at 9:23 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Jheni! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Leslie

      August 10, 2023 at 3:15 pm

      Love, love, love all of your sourdough recipes. Keep them coming. Do you think I can sub out chocolate chips for the blueberries? My kids like chocolate chips.

      Reply
      • Sam

        August 11, 2023 at 11:36 am

        Hi Leslie! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed them so much! That will work just fine! Who doesn’t like a little bit of chocolate?

        Reply
    3. Terry

      July 13, 2023 at 9:59 am

      What can you use in place of sourdough discard? I do not have any.

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        July 13, 2023 at 11:23 am

        Hi Terry! We’d recommend making our regular blueberry muffins instead 😊

        Reply
    4. Miriam Blanar

      July 11, 2023 at 3:55 pm

      5 stars
      Can’t wait to try these!!! I’m in love with blueberry muffins.

      Reply
      • Sam

        July 13, 2023 at 10:30 pm

        I hope you love them, Miriam! 🙂

        Reply

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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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