Sourdough Cinnamon Muffins: Simple Ingredients + Sourdough Starter

Sourdough cinnamon muffins are simple yet incredibly tasty. There is just something so homely and comforting about cinnamon. These muffins even have a hint of nutmeg, which adds to their aroma.

Using 200g of sourdough starter, these easy to make muffins can be made using humble pantry staples. Perfect for easy snacks or even a weekend breakfast that are sure to be a family favorite!

If you love all things cinnamon, you should try these sourdough cinnamon rolls, sourdough snickerdoodles, sourdough gingerbread cookies or sourdough gingerbread muffins. And remember that you can find over 18 sourdough muffin recipes here.

Why You'll Love This Recipe!

Basic Ingredients - Everything can be found in the pantry or fridge - you can even use long life milk if you need to.

Basic Recipe - this is such an easy recipe with basic steps ... you can choose to keep the flavor profile simple with plain yet delicious cinnamon muffins or take things next level with some delicious add ins.

Use Up Leftover Sourdough Starter - you'll use a huge 200g of sourdough discard or leftover sourdough starter in this recipe. Of course you can also use active sourdough starter if you prefer.

How To Make Sourdough Cinnamon Muffins

These sourdough muffins are very easy to make. They are so quick and easy, you can make them in under 30 minutes! Seriously, you have to love sourdough recipes like that, right?

I've been known to make these for a quick breakfast treat (they work so well with a hot cup of coffee). 

The basic process for making sourdough muffins is to mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately and then gently mix them together. This sourdough cinnmaon muffin recipe follows this process exactly, as do these apple cinnamon sourdough muffins.

The almond meal (which is totally optional) adds both moisture to the interior and crunch to the exterior. If you prefer to leave it out, increase the all purpose flour by 30g.

Grab your kitchen scale and let's make Sourdough Cinnamon Muffins!

1. Preheat your oven to 180C (350F). Prepare a 12 cup muffin tin by greasing with butter or cooking spray. Alternatively you can line a 12 hole muffin pan with muffin papers or cupcake liners. If you'd prefer large muffins, use a 6 hole Texas muffin tin.
   
2. In a small bowl, mix the sourdough starter, eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract together. Make sure you mix them together really well and that the eggs are well beaten.
   
3. Now in a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, almond meal and brown sugar (although you can use white sugar if you prefer).
   
4. Now pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.
   
5. Use a spatula and mix them until they are just combined. You won't need to do much mixing, just moisten the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.
   
6. Spoon the muffin batter into a greased 12 hole muffin tin.
   
7. Bake until golden brown  - around 15 minutes.
   
8. Cool on a wire rack. I highly recommend letting them cool slightly before splitting them and spreading with homemade butter.

Ingredient & Baking Notes

While these sourdough muffins are super easy, there are a few things to note to ensure you have a successful bake. No one likes to waste ingredients, right? 

• Sourdough Discard or Active Starter - You can make these sourdough muffins with cinnamon using sourdough discard or fed sourdough starter. It's totally up to you and what you have on hand. You'll find instructions for making your own sourdough starter here.
  
• Milk - I've used whole milk but you can use any milk you have on hand, dairy or plant based. Buttermilk works well too if you have a little bit you need to use up.
  
• Almond Meal - The almond meal is optional. I love the moisture it adds to the interior and crunch it gives the exterior. But if you need them to be nut free, or you just don't have it on hand, add an extra 30g of AP flour to the batter.
  
• Sugar - use brown sugar or white sugar, whatever you prefer.

Let's Take These Muffins To The Next Level!

Now these sourdough cinnamon muffins are perfect in their simplicity, but if you want to take them to the next level, try some of these additions:

• Decadent Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Muffins - add up to 200g of your favorite chocolate chips to the dry ingredients.
  
• Cinnamon Donuts - To make these like a cinnamon donut, dip warm muffins into melted butter and then into a bowl of cinnamon sugar. Don't say I didn't warn you though, you'll need to make a second batch.
  
• Cinnamon Rolls - For extra decadence, make a batch of cinnamon bun glaze and drizzle over warm muffins (seriously, quicker and easier than making sourdough cinnamon rolls!).
  
• Amazing Sourdough Cinnamon Pecan Muffins - for some crunch, add 100g of chopped pecans to the dry ingredients. 
  
• Cinnamon Sourdough Banana Muffins - add 2 mashed bananas to the liquid ingredients for some extra goodness.
  
• Grated Carrot - if you want to add some veggies to these muffins, grate 2 large carrots and add this to the wet ingredients. I love doing this to get some extra vegetables into my family's day.

How To Store Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough discard is unfed sourdough starter. Because it's unfed, it really shouldn't be stored on the kitchen counter. 24 hours would be ok, but anything after that you are risking mold and contamination.

Store sourdough discard in the frige.

You can have a "discard jar" that you add to. But you want to use it within 2 weeks (check out this list of sourdough recipes to help you empty your discard jar). Unfed sourdough starter will develop hooch and become very sour.

While it can still be used, if you are putting it into discard recipes, like these sourdough cinnamon muffins for example, it will add a very strong, sour flavor which may not be pleasant.

For sourdough muffins - and other sourdough discard recipes - using discard that's not too sour is preferable.

Discard is essential to building a thriving starter - but it's not as wasteful as you might think. You can read more about why here.

Freezing and Storing Sourdough Muffins

These muffins should be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 

I like to place some paper towel on the bottom of an air tight plastic container and then place the muffins on top of this.

They freeze really well. I place them into a ziploc bag and then into the freezer. I just take out what I need for lunch boxes etc and they defrost easily. 

You can also warm them slightly in the microwave too.

Share the sourdough love!