Loaded Sourdough Discard Muffins

Turn your sourdough discard and ripe bananas into these loaded, tender muffins filled with sweet add-ins like Craisins, coconuts, and pecans. Easy to make, incredibly moist, and perfect for breakfast or snacking!

What is Sourdough Discard? 

If you’re a sourdough baker, you already know the answer to this question. But if you’re just starting out, this question might actually require an explanation. When you make a sourdough starter, you have to feed it periodically. Whenever it’s fed, the top portion is usually tossed. Some folks dump it into the trash, but many save that discarded started in a container in the refrigerator to use for baking. 

Why Add Discard to Recipes? 

I wondered this, too. After all, an “inactive” (non-bubbly) discard won’t work as a leavening agent. So, why add it at all? Here are some reasons! 

Discard adds a lovely “twang” to the baked good. It’s not a weird taste, just a lovely addition that makes the items extra-yummy. 

Discard adds moisture. Your finished product won’t be dry, I promise! 

Discard adds structure. It helps hold things together. 

Discard adds fluff. I think I was most surprised by this one. These muffins are so light and fluffy, almost cupcake-like in texture. 

If you don’t happen to have discard on hand, don’t worry. At the bottom of this post I’ve listed some delicious options. But I’ll be honest with you when I say that I’ll be making this recipe again and again. . .and I plan to use discard every time. Why? Because the outcome was so delicious, so tender, so moist, that I can’t imagine doing it any other way! 

Without further ado, let’s look at the recipe! 

Sourdough Discard Muffin Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need to make these muffins. You likely have most of these things on hand in your kitchen. 

• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• ⅔ cup vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)
• 2 large room temperature eggs
• ½ cup starter discard
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 ripe bananas (medium)
• 1 ½ cups add-ins (craisins, nuts, chocolate chips, oats, coconut, etc.) 

How to Make Discard Muffins

This is such a simple process, friends! 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Line two cupcake tins. (This recipe makes 15 - 18 muffins, depending on how much batter you use in each cup.) 

Put all dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon) in a large bowl and whisk. Set aside. 

Place mashed bananas, sugar, oil, and eggs in a separate mixing bowl and mix until combined. 

Add starter and stir until incorporated. 

Add dry ingredients, mixing only until combined. 

Fold in the “extras.” (I went with a half cup each of pecans, craisins, and coconut). 

Use an ice cream scoop to fill muffin tins. (Mine made 17.) 

Place in preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. (Mine baked for 23 minutes.) 

Remove and place on wire rack to cool. 

Once the muffins have cooled, remove them from the tray. 

Serve and enjoy! 

Store leftovers in refrigerator. They should stay fresh for 4-5 days. You can easily freeze these muffins in a freezer bag up to two months. 

What to Expect from this Recipe

I love muffins, and this was no exception! My favorite part is the wild combination of flavors: the sourdough discards adds a bit of tang, as do the Craisins. I love the texture of the pecans and coconut.

Speaking of the coconut, it adds extra sweetness, which is nice. The banana flavor comes shining through, which is terrific. And that brown sugar? It adds just the right amount of sweetness, giving you an off-the-charts-delicious outcome.

My absolute favorite part was the texture. The addition of the discard made the muffins light and fluffy, almost cupcake-like. I wasn’t expecting that, so it was a lovely surprise! (Who doesn’t love a great cupcake?)

I’m so glad I made these delicious muffins, and I feel sure you will be, too. In fact, I might just go out on a limb and say this is my favorite banana bread muffin I’ve baked, to date! 

Variations to this Recipe

Here are some fun “mix-ins” ideas: 

• Chocolate and pecan: Add ¾ cup of each
• Maple-Walnut: Add maple extract and a cup of chopped walnuts. (Yum!) 
• Peanut butter & Chocolate Chips: Use ¾ cup peanut butter chips and ¾ cups chocolate chips. 
• Cranberry White Chocolate: Use ¾ cup white chocolate chips an ¾ cups soaked Craisins. 
• Berries: Blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, or strawberry: Use a cup and a half of your favorite berries in place of other add-ins.

Questions People are Asking

What if I don’t have sourdough discard? Can I still make these muffins? 

You can substitute half a cup of sour cream in place of the discard, if you like. Other options would include buttermilk or yogurt. I use mayonnaise in many of my recipes and suspect it would make a lovely substitution, as well. 

Can I substitute something for the bananas?

Absolutely. I would suggest 1 ½ cups of any of the following: mashed sweet potato, pumpkin, or applesauce. You could also consider your favorite nut butter. 

Can I use active starter in this recipe? 

Sure, but remember that active starter will give the recipe more rise, so you’ll essentially have three leavening agents: baking soda, baking powder, and active starter. You might end up with muffins as big as Lucy’s bread loaf in that infamous I Love Lucy episode! 

Other Muffin Recipes from Out of the Box Baking

If you love muffins, I’ve got you covered. Here are some of my personal favorites: 

• Cranberry White Chocolate Muffins
• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Traditional Blueberry Muffins
• Cookie Butter Banana Muffins

That’s it for this post, friends!

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you're at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 165 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.