Sourdough Cinnamon Muffins: Simple Ingredients + Sourdough Starter

Sourdough cinnamon muffins are simple yet incredibly tasty.

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.

Everything can be found in the pantry or fridge - you can even use UHT milk if you need to. The perfect recipe for these uncertain times.

There is something so homely and comforting about cinnamon. These muffins even have a hint of nutmeg, which adds to their aroma.

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.

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!

I've been known to make these for a quick breakfast treat (they work so well with a hot cup of coffee). And oh did you know you can roll them in butter and cinnamon sugar to make them taste like a donut?

The basic process for making sourdough cinnamon muffins is:

1. Preheat your oven.
   
2. Mix the sourdough starter, eggs, oil and vanilla together in a bowl. Make sure you mix them together really well and that the eggs are well beaten.
   
3. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, almond meal and sugar in a separate bowl.
   
4. Now pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.
   
5. Use a spatula and mix them until they are just combined – do not over mix!!
   
6. Spoon the muffin batter into a greased 12 hole muffin tin.
   
7. Bake until golden.
   
8. Cool on a wire rack.

If you love all things cinnamon, you should try these sourdough cinnamon rolls and these sourdough gingerbread cookies or sourdough gingerbread muffins.

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?

• 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.

• 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.

• If you would like to add extras to the muffins, like some dried fruit or chocolate, add these to the dry ingredients before you pour the liquid in. If you'd like to make apple cinnamon sourdough muffins - you'll find a recipe here.

• 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!

• For extra decadence, make a batch of cinnamon bun glaze and drizzle over warm muffins (seriously, quicker and easier than making cinnamon buns!).

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. 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.

Further Reading

If you love this recipe, you might like to try these ideas:

• Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Muffins with crunchy almond sugar topping.
• Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies - rolled in cinnamon sugar!
• Best Banana Sourdough Muffins
• Sourdough Raspberry Muffins with orange and coconut.
• Sourdough Lemon Muffins
• Sourdough Apple Cake
• Fluffy Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls or Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
• Lemon & Blueberry Sourdough Bread