Sourdough Lemon Muffins

These quick and easy sourdough lemon muffins are going to be your new summertime obsession! Made with simple ingredients you might already have on hand, they come together any day of the week and can be enjoyed any time of day.

This recipe was inspired by my lemon curd muffins — I love those, but wanted something easier that also uses up 100g of sourdough discard.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• A great way to use discard: A perfect home for 100g of that jar in your fridge, just like my sourdough chocolate chip muffins.
• Bright, fresh lemon flavor: Real zest and juice give these a sunny, summery brightness — the non-sourdough version lives in my lemon raspberry muffins.
• Bakery-tall tops: A two-temperature bake gives you those tall, domed muffin tops you usually only get at a coffee shop, just like my sourdough discard blueberry muffins.
• Quick and simple: Made with pantry staples and no fancy equipment.
• Year-round treat: Lemon feels like spring and summer, but if you're a lemon lover, these are wonderful any time of year. If you're a fan of sourdough and lemon, you absolutely need to try my sourdough lemon pound cake and my sourdough lemon snack cake! Another lemon favorite is my lemon crumb bars with a shortbread crust and crumble.

Ingredients

• all-purpose flour + leaveners + salt: The structure and a reliable, tall rise.
• granulated sugar: Sweetens and helps the tops brown.
• lemon zest + fresh lemon juice: The brightness here — fresh is best, the same citrus punch as my lemon blueberry mascarpone cake.
• sourdough discard: Straight from the fridge — uses up 100g and adds a subtle tang.
• eggs + vegetable oil: Bind the batter and keep the crumb moist for days.
• vanilla + milk: Round out the flavor and loosen the batter.

See recipe card for quantities.

Easy Substitutions & Variations

• Dairy-free: Use a high-fat non-dairy milk like full-fat oat milk.
• Citrus: Try orange zest, or a combination of lemon and orange.
• Add berries: Fold in 1 cup of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or strawberries (toss them in flour first to prevent sinking) — the same berry pairing in my lemon blackberry cake and my jammy blueberry crumb bars.
• Sweet streusel topping: Add the streusel from my lemon curd muffins — mix ½ cup sugar, ½ cup flour, and 4 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle over the batter before baking.

Instructions

Note: I bake by weight for accuracy. Cup measurements are approximate and may vary depending on how you scoop.

Step 1: Mix the wet ingredients: Preheat your oven to 425°F and line or grease a 12-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and sourdough discard.

Step 2: Add the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, milk powder (if using), and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined.

Step 3: Scoop and bake: Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, divide the batter between the 12 cups. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then — without opening the door — lower to 350°F and bake 12–15 minutes more, until domed and slightly firm to the touch. Cool in the pan 5 minutes before moving to a rack.

Weigh your ingredients! Using a kitchen scale ensures your measurements are accurate, which is key for getting consistent results in baking. It takes the guesswork out of measuring and helps your recipes turn out exactly as intended every time.

Expert Tips

1. Trust the two-temperature bake. The hot start sets tall tops; the lower finish bakes them through. Keep the oven closed during the switch.
2. Pull them at just-done. Take them out when the tops look set with no wet batter; too early and they can sink as they cool.
3. Use fresh lemon. Fresh zest and juice make a real difference over bottled — bloom the flavor by whisking the zest into the wet ingredients.
4. Don't overmix. Whisk just until the dry ingredients disappear to keep the crumb tender.
5. Flour your berries. If adding berries, toss them in flour first so they don't sink to the bottom.

What Makes This Recipe Special?

The sourdough discard does double duty here — it uses up 100g from that jar in your fridge and adds a subtle tang that plays beautifully against the bright lemon, the same balance I love in my sourdough chocolate chip muffins.

The two-temperature bake is the other secret. Starting hot and finishing low is the classic bakery move for tall, domed tops — the same finish you'll find on my lemon curd muffins. Simple ingredients, big payoff, and an optional long ferment if you want to deepen the sourdough flavor.

Sourdough Lemon Muffins FAQs

Sourdough Lemon Muffins Troubleshooting Guide

Storage

• Store at room temperature in an airtight container or bag for 5–7 days.
• Freeze for up to 6 months — thaw at room temperature or warm briefly before serving.

Sourdough Discard Lemon Muffins

Audrey Grubb

These quick and easy sourdough lemon muffins are going to be your new summertime obsession! Made using simple ingredients, these muffins can be made any day of the week and can be enjoyed any time of the day.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 12 Muffins

Calories 227 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Large mixing bowl
• ▢
  Medium mixing bowl
• ▢
  A whisk
• ▢
  A spatula
• ▢
  A 3-tablespoon cookie scoop
• ▢
  A 12-muffin pan
• ▢
  Muffin liners (optional)

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour 240g
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¾ cup granulated sugar 150g
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons lemon zest roughly 2 lemons or one large lemon
• ▢ ⅓ cup sourdough discard 100g
• ▢ 2 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ ½ cup Vegetable oil
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 4 Tablespoons milk 60ml
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice 30ml

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 425F. Zest two regular-sized lemons (or one large lemon) and set aside. Prepare a 12-muffin pan with muffin liners if desired. If you do not have muffin liners, be sure to grease the pan before adding the batter.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, lemon juice, milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and sourdough discard.
  ¾ cup granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons lemon zest, ⅓ cup sourdough discard, 2 large eggs, ½ cup Vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 4 Tablespoons milk, 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined. A few small lumps are fine — overmixing at this stage is what makes muffins tough and tunneled instead of tender, so stop as soon as you don't see dry flour.
• Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, divide the muffin batter through the prepared 12-muffin pan. The muffin liners should be nearly full.

  Bake at 425F for 5 minutes and 350F for 12-15 minutes or until the muffins are domed and slightly firm to the touch. When changing the temperature of the oven, do not open the door.
• Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. I prefer to let my muffins cool completely before enjoying them!

Notes

Tip: if you want to long-ferment these muffins to enhance the sourdough flavor and benefits, make sure you add the baking powder and baking soda last (right before baking).

Tip: Take the muffins out of the oven when they look just done (no wet batter on top) the idea here is to catch them when they are just fully baked but before they are overbaked. If you take them out before the tops are set, however, they could potentially sink while cooling.

Tip: For the best and most consistent results, use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients.

Tip: Once the flour goes in, every stroke develops a little more gluten. A whisk makes it too easy to overdo it, so switch to a spatula and fold just until the streaks of flour disappear. A slightly lumpy batter bakes up soft and domed; a smooth, overworked one bakes up dense with tunnels running through it.

Nutrition

Calories: 227kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 191mgPotassium: 45mgFiber: 1gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 48IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1mg

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