These easy sourdough applesauce muffins are a great way to use 200 g of sourdough discard and make a moist, flavorful snack or breakfast. Made with simple pantry ingredients—applesauce, rolled oats, flour, and a touch of cinnamon—these muffins bake quickly and freeze well for grab-and-go mornings.
If you enjoy straightforward sourdough baking, try similar recipes such as sourdough applesauce cake, sourdough apple cinnamon muffins, banana nut sourdough muffins, or sourdough morning glory muffins for more variety.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
Simple pantry ingredients – This recipe uses common ingredients plus 200 g of sourdough discard to make wholesome muffins you can throw together quickly for breakfast, snacks, or outings.
No wait sourdough – Because baking powder provides lift, these muffins bake in about 25–30 minutes and don’t require an extended fermentation unless you choose to ferment overnight for extra tang.
Freezer friendly – These muffins freeze well. Store them individually or in batches for easy reheating in the microwave or a warm oven.
Sourdough Starter or Sourdough Discard?
You can use active sourdough starter or sourdough discard in this recipe. The baking powder handles most of the leavening, so the starter primarily adds flavour. Use whichever you have on hand.
How To Make Sourdough Applesauce Muffins
These muffins are quick to mix and bake, making them a convenient way to use a lot of sourdough discard at once. Follow these straightforward steps to bake a dozen muffins.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper liners or grease the pan. A light spray inside liners can help the paper peel away cleanly after baking.
In a large bowl, whisk together the applesauce, eggs, vanilla extract, melted butter (or oil), white sugar, brown sugar, and sourdough starter/discard until smooth and combined.
Sprinkle the dry ingredients—plain (all-purpose) flour, rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and raisins—over the wet mixture. Gently fold everything together with a spatula until just combined; avoid overmixing to keep the muffins tender.
Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin. If you like, top each muffin with a thin apple slice and a sprinkle of granulated sugar for a decorative, slightly crisp finish.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If your oven runs hot, reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F) and check for doneness a few minutes earlier.
Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan briefly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Any apple slices on top will crisp up slightly during baking.
Ingredient Notes & Variations
Applesauce – Unsweetened applesauce works well; store-bought or homemade both yield good results. Homemade applesauce is a tasty way to use up leftovers after apple picking.
Raisins – Omit or swap for chocolate chips, craisins, dried apricots, dried blueberries, or fresh blueberries for a different flavor profile.
Rolled oats – Use old-fashioned rolled oats, not quick or instant oats. Rolled flaxseed or quinoa flakes can be used as alternatives.
Melted butter – Butter gives a richer flavor, but you can substitute an equal amount of vegetable oil or melted coconut oil if preferred.
All-purpose flour – For a nuttier, heartier muffin use whole wheat flour in place of some or all of the all-purpose flour.
Fresh apples – If using fresh apples, add up to two peeled, cored, and diced apples into the wet ingredients. Thin apple slices make a nice topping before baking.
Cinnamon and spices – Adjust cinnamon to taste or use apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice for a different warm spice blend.
Can You Ferment These Muffins Overnight?
Yes. If you prefer a more pronounced sourdough tang, prepare the batter without the baking powder and refrigerate overnight. Before baking, stir in the baking powder (and the cinnamon if you left it out) and bake as directed. This deepens the sourdough flavor while keeping the lift from the baking powder.
How To Store + Freeze
Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Reheat briefly in the microwave to refresh if desired.
For longer storage, freeze muffins individually or in small batches. Thaw at room temperature and warm in the microwave or oven before serving.
Sourdough Applesauce Muffins
Equipment
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12 hole muffin pan
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 340 g Applesauce
- 2 Eggs
- 3 g Salt
- 5 g Vanilla Extract
- 70 g Butter (melted or use coconut oil)
- 50 g White Sugar
- 50 g Brown Sugar
- 200 g Sourdough Starter (or discard)
Dry Ingredients
- 270 g All Purpose Flour (or whole wheat)
- 80 g Rolled Oats
- 15 g Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 100 g Raisins
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F) and line a 12-hole muffin pan with liners or grease the pan. Set aside.
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Whisk the applesauce, eggs, vanilla, melted butter, white and brown sugars, salt, and sourdough starter together until blended.
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Add the flour, rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and raisins on top of the wet ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined.
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Spoon the batter into the muffin tin. Top with thin apple slices and a sprinkle of sugar if desired.
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Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Reduce oven temperature to 180°C (350°F) if yours runs hot.
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Cool briefly in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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