Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins

These sourdough chocolate chip muffins have a lovely moist crumb with a cozy brown sugar flavor and are packed with chocolate chips. Warm out of the oven, these delicious muffins combine melty chocolate with cinnamon, vanilla, and cloves for an irresistible treat!

Some days you just need a sweet, warm, chocolatey treat. If any of those words are calling your name right now, then take that as your cue to make a batch of these sourdough chocolate chip muffins! Brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla give these muffins a perfectly spiced flavor that pairs so well with gooey melted chocolate. Plus, a hint of sourdough starter adds a little tang to keep these muffins from being too rich. You can whip up a dozen muffins in under an hour – just what you need when the chocolate craving hits. They’re likely to disappear pretty quickly, but if you have leftovers they make a great breakfast or snack! Give this recipe a try and see for yourself – you’ll be so glad you did. 🙂

What is sourdough discard?

Sourdough discard is the portion of sourdough starter you would normally throw away when you feed your starter. If you don’t discard your starter when you feed it, you’ll actually hinder its growth and activity. If you feed it the same amount, but there’s more of it, the starter won’t get enough nutrients and as a result be less active. 

Generally, sourdough discard is no longer active, meaning it won’t make your baked goods rise. However, you can still use it for baking – for example, you can make muffins, cakes, tortillas, cookies, bagels, scones, pie crust, brownies, and crackers with it. In these recipes, baking powder or soda is used as the leavening agent, to make your treats rise. Sourdough discard recipes are a great way to use up any leftover starter you have on hand at the end of the week!

Is oil or butter better for muffins?

While you can use either, oil will make your muffins more tender. You can use vegetable oil or olive oil if you like, but I’d recommend using coconut oil. You can substitute it with butter or oil in a 1 to 1 ratio – no crazy math needed. Coconut oil contains medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) which give you lots of energy without raising your blood sugar. They’re also excellent for your brain health, giving you more focus and clarity. Plus, if you use refined coconut oil, you won’t be able to taste the coconut flavor at all. Give it a try – I doubt you’ll ever go back!

Tips for making Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins

• You can substitute white sugar for the brown sugar if you prefer. I really like the brown sugar because it adds a warmer flavor, but both will work well!
• I like to use an ice cream or cookie dough scooper to divide the muffin batter between the pans. It’s so much easier than using a spatula and makes much less of a mess. 
• You can store these muffins at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to five days. 
• If you want, you can also freeze these sourdough muffins in a ziplock bag or air-tight container for up to 3 months. Simply de-thaw them in the fridge overnight and heat in the microwave for a quick, yummy breakfast.

Tools you will need

You’ll need two mixing bowls, measuring cups, a spatula, a cookie dough scoop or an ice cream scoop, and a muffin tin.

Ingredients you will need

• 1 1/4 cups flour – All-purpose flour is great for this. You can also use half whole-wheat flour and have all-purpose if you like.
• 1/2 cup sourdough starter – This can be discard or active.
• 1/2 cup coconut oil – You can also use olive oil or melted butter instead.
• 1/2 cup brown sugar – Of course, you can use white sugar for this, but brown sugar adds a little extra cozy flavor. 🙂
• 1/2 cup coconut milk – Feel free to use whatever kind of milk you prefer, I just used this because I needed to make it dairy-free.
• 2 eggs – If you think ahead, leave them out on the counter for a few hours before hand so that they come to room temperature.
• 1 cup chocolate chips – You can use milk chocolate, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate – whatever you prefer.
• 2 tsp baking powder – This along with the baking soda will leaven the muffins, so your sourdough starter can be discard.
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cloves – This spice adds an extra hint of coziness that pairs so well with brown sugar.
• 1/4 tsp salt – I like to use Kosher salt.

How to make Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and use the convection setting if you have it.

In a medium bowl, melt the coconut oil. Whisk in the eggs, sourdough starter, brown sugar, and vanilla until fully combined.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Add in half the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Stir in the coconut milk. Next fold in the rest of dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Grease the muffin tin with coconut oil. Divide the batter evenly between the tins. I like to use a cookie dough scoop for this part, it makes it less messy. 🙂

Bake the muffins for 15-18 minutes until golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Looking for more sourdough discard recipes?

If so, make sure to head over to the Kitchen Counter! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins
• Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Sourdough Carrot Cake Muffins
• Sourdough Blueberry Muffins

If you make this recipe and enjoy it, let me know in the comments section below! You can also tag me on instagram @oldfashionedinspiration with a picture of your creation.