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! I love to have these as a fun, sweet breakfast or midday snack. Add some streusel on top and you have yourself a delicious summertime dessert too!
Lemon muffins are undoubtedly a springtime and summertime treat, but if you are a lemon lover like myself, you can enjoy these year-round.
This recipe was inspired by my lemon curd muffins recipe. I love those muffins so much, but wanted something easier to make that can also use up 100g of sourdough discard. Win's all around!
Ingredients
This lemon muffin recipe uses very simple ingredients that you might already have on hand! I love how quick and easy it is to whip this up even with a crazy toddler running around at my feet. Note: not everyone has milk powder on hand and that's okay! It is a nice to have ingredient, not a need to have one! Feel free to leave it out if you don't have it.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Milk powder (optional)
- Salt
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Lemons
- Milk
- Vegetable oil
- Eggs
- Sourdough discard
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1: Mix wet ingredients in a mixing bowl. (Sugar, Vanilla extract, Lemon Zest, Lemon Juice, Milk, Vegetable oil, Eggs, Sourdough discard)
- Step 2: Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. (All-purpose flour, Baking powder, Baking soda, Milk powder, Salt)
- Step 3: Divide the batter through a 12-muffin pan. 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.
Hint: if you are wanting 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).
Substitutions
- Milk: Use high-fat non-dairy milk if you don't want to use dairy! I highly recommend Oatly oat milk (full-fat or regular would be ideal).
Variations
Want to change the recipe up a bit and make it your own? Try these ideas!
- Citrus - Try using orange zest or even a combination of lemon and orange zest here!
- Add Berries - add 1 cup of fresh berries of choice. Raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or strawberries would be great in this recipe! (toss them in flour before stirring them into the batter to prevent sinking)
- Sweet Topping - top with a sweet streusel like the one used in my lemon curd muffin recipe. Mix ½ a cup of sugar, ½ a cup of flour, and 4 tablespoons of melted butter and add to the top of the batter before baking.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- A whisk
- A spatula
- A 3-tablespoon cookie scoop
- A 12-muffin pan
- Muffin liners (optional)
Storage
Store at room temperature in an airtight container or bag for 5-7 days. Can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Top 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.
FAQ
This is an age-old trick to help create tall, round muffins like the kind you get at the bakery. You can bake them for 15-20 minutes at 350F if you would rather keep it simple.
Of course! Just be sure to weigh it out (100g) rather than using a measuring cup since active starter has lots of bubbles and takes up more space than discard. Weighing it helps keep the results consistent.
Yes! Check out my "substitutions" section above for my recommended non-dairy ingredients.
Related
Looking for other sweet recipes like this? Try these:
Sourdough Discard Lemon Muffins
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- A whisk
- A spatula
- A 3-tablespoon cookie scoop
- A 12-muffin pan
- Muffin liners (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons milk powder optional
- 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.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, milk powder (optional) and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the large mixing bowl containing the wet ingredients. Whisk until combined.
- Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, divide the muffin batter through the prepared 12-muffin pan. 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!
