These sourdough zucchini muffins are packed full of fresh shredded zucchini, tangy sourdough discard, and a cozy blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.
If you love sneaking vegetables into your baking, this recipe was inspired by my double chocolate zucchini bread — and if you want even more ways to use up a garden glut, my spiced zucchini snack cake is a must-try.
Quick Look: Sourdough Zucchini Muffins
⏱️ Ready In: 35 minutes
🔥 Bake Time: 20 minutes (5 min at 425°F, then 15 min at 350°F)
🍽️ Makes: 12 muffins
✨ Calories: 232 per muffin
🥄 Main Ingredients: All-purpose flour, sourdough discard, shredded zucchini, oil, brown + cane sugar, cozy spices
🌿 Dietary Info: Vegetarian and naturally dairy-free (uses oil instead of butter)
💛 Why You'll Love It: Extra-moist, lightly spiced, and the easiest way to use up sourdough discard and summer zucchini in one bowl
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Incredibly moist and tender. Fresh shredded zucchini plus oil means these muffins stay soft for days — no dry, crumbly bites here.
- A perfect sourdough discard recipe. Instead of tossing your discard, you'll stir it right into the batter for a subtle tang and a little extra rise. If you love this trick, you'll also want my sourdough discard blueberry muffins.
- Cozy, warming spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom give these muffins a flavor that feels like fall even in the middle of zucchini season.
- Endlessly customizable. Keep them simple for breakfast or fold in chocolate chips, walnuts, or a streusel topping to turn them into a treat — much like my sourdough chocolate chip muffins.
- One bowl for wet, one for dry. No mixer, no fuss, and they come together in about 15 minutes of hands-on time.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour — the structure of the muffin; spoon and level it (or better yet, weigh it) so you don't pack in too much.
- Baking powder and baking soda — the lift that gives you those nicely domed tops.
- Salt — balances the sweetness and sharpens all the cozy spices.
- Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom — the warm, aromatic backbone of these muffins. The cardamom is the same spice that makes my Finnish pulla braided cardamom bread so fragrant.
- Sourdough discard — adds a gentle tang and is a great way to use up unfed starter, just like in my sourdough discard banana bread muffins.
- Vegetable oil — keeps these muffins moist and tender, and makes them naturally dairy-free.
- Cane sugar and brown sugar — cane sugar sweetens while brown sugar adds moisture and a touch of caramel depth.
- Eggs — bind everything together; bring them to room temperature for the smoothest batter.
- Pure vanilla extract — rounds out the spices with warmth.
- Zucchini (shredded) — the star! No need to peel or blot; the moisture is exactly what you want.
See recipe card for quantities.
Easy Substitutions & Variations
- Dairy-free milk — this recipe is already dairy-free, but if you adapt it to add milk, use a high-fat non-dairy option like full-fat Oatly oat milk for the best texture.
- Oil swap — melted coconut oil or any mild-flavored oil works in place of vegetable oil.
- Spice swaps — no nutmeg or cardamom? Stick with cinnamon alone, or swap in pumpkin pie spice or chai spice for a different cozy twist. If you love spiced breakfasts, make sure you check out my sourdough apple muffins and my apple oat muffins.
- Streusel topping — mix ½ cup flour, ½ cup sugar, and 4 tablespoons melted butter until crumbly, then pile it on before baking. See my lemon curd muffins for an example of how a streusel-topped muffin looks.
- Kid-friendly — fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips.
- Nutty — add 1 cup of chopped walnuts for extra texture and crunch.
- Chocolate lovers — if you're really craving chocolate and zucchini together, my fudgy zucchini brownies are the indulgent route.
Instructions
Step 1: Mix wet and dry separately. In one bowl, whisk together your sourdough discard, oil, both sugars, eggs, and vanilla (pictured). In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
Step 2: Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined — don't overmix.
Step 3: Fold in the zucchini. Stir in your shredded zucchini and any add-ins you like, such as chocolate chips or walnuts.
Step 4: Portion and bake. Evenly divide the batter into a 12-muffin pan. Each liner should be nearly full.
Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350°F for another 15 minutes, until the tops are domed and set.
Hint: Room-temperature ingredients make for the most consistent batter!
Expert Tips
- Weigh your ingredients. A kitchen scale is the single best upgrade for consistent muffins — especially for the flour, where a heavy hand with the measuring cup can dry them out.
- Don't blot the zucchini. That moisture is doing the work of keeping these muffins tender, so leave it in.
- Start hot, then lower the heat. The initial blast at 425°F sets a tall, domed top before the muffins finish baking gently at 350°F.
- Don't overmix. Stir the batter just until you no longer see dry flour. Overmixing develops gluten and gives you tough, tunneled muffins.
- Use active or discard starter. Unfed discard straight from the fridge works perfectly here — no need to feed it first.
What Makes This Recipe Special?
Most zucchini muffin recipes are good, but adding sourdough discard takes these to another level. The discard contributes a subtle tang that balances the sweetness and deepens the flavor, all while putting your leftover starter to good use instead of the trash. Paired with the warm cardamom and nutmeg, these taste a little more interesting and a little more grown-up than your average muffin.
They're also genuinely versatile. Left plain, they're a wholesome breakfast or lunchbox snack. Add chocolate chips and a sprinkle of sugar on top and they edge into dessert territory. If you're building out a whole repertoire of discard bakes, these slot right in next to my sourdough apple muffins and sourdough lemon muffins for a muffin in every season.
FAQ
Yes! This recipe is naturally dairy-free because it uses oil instead of butter. Just double-check any add-ins, like chocolate chips, for dairy.
Nope. Leave the skin on and skip the blotting — the extra moisture is what keeps these muffins so tender.
You can, but thaw it first and drain off only the excess liquid that pools (don't wring it completely dry). Frozen zucchini releases more water than fresh.
No. Unfed discard works great here, so you can use it straight from the fridge.
Sourdough Zucchini Muffins Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Muffins turned out dense | Batter was overmixed | Stir only until the flour disappears; a few lumps are fine |
| Tops didn't dome | Oven not hot enough at the start | Be sure to start at a full 425°F before lowering to 350°F |
| Muffins are gummy in the center | Too much moisture or underbaked | Don't wring out fresh zucchini, but drain thawed frozen zucchini; bake until tops are set |
| Muffins stuck to the liners | Pulled them out too soon | Let them cool a few minutes so the liners release cleanly |
| Bland flavor | Spices were old or under-measured | Use fresh spices and don't skip the salt, which makes everything pop |
Storage
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: Keep for up to 7 days.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge to prevent soggy muffins.
Other Zucchini Recipes to Consider
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Sourdough Zucchini Bread Muffins
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- 12-muffin pan
- Muffin liners
Ingredients
- 210 grams all-purpose flour 1 ¾ cups
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 100 grams sourdough discard ⅓ cup
- 110 grams vegetable oil ½ cup
- 100 grams granulated sugar ½ cup
- 73 grams packed light or dark brown sugar 73g or 100g (½ cup) for sweeter muffins
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 235 grams shredded zucchini 1 ¾ cups
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F and prepare a 12-muffin pan with muffin liners.
- Using a cheese grater or shredder, shred the zucchini. Set aside (no need to blot).235 grams shredded zucchini
- In a medium, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom. Set aside.210 grams all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together your sourdough discard, oil, sugars, eggs and vanilla extract.100 grams sourdough discard, 110 grams vegetable oil, 100 grams granulated sugar, 73 grams packed light or dark brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and stir until fully combined.
- Stir in the shredded zucchini and whatever add-ins you like.
- Evenly distribute the batter in the 12-muffin pan. Place in the oven and bake at 425F for 5 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350F and bake for another 15 minutes or until the tops of the muffins are round and set. Do not open the oven during the temperature change.
Notes
- Optional: 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chopped walnuts)
- Optional: Sprinkle extra sugar on top
- Storage: Store at room temp for up to 3 days and in the fridge for up to 7 days. Freeze for up to 6 months.
- If you don't have cardamom and/or nutmeg feel free to omit them and stick with cinnamon or replace them with another cozy spice such as pumpkin pie or chai spice mixes.
Nedra says
These are wonderful! I got 18 muffins out of the recipe and I added walnuts.
Audrey says
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed them!