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These soft and tender sourdough banana muffins are perfectly portioned for a grab-and-go breakfast or lighter dessert. The flavor is sweet and tangy thanks to the sourdough starter, which also helps them last longer and is a great way to use up that sourdough discard for less waste. Make this easy recipe in about 30 minutes to enjoy warm and tasty banana sourdough muffins today, and keep a few on hand for the week!
What’s Covered in this post
Why We Love Sourdough Starter Banana Muffins
Moist, tender, and tasty muffins are a delightful way to start or end the day. Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert – a muffin is always a winning choice!
And, nothing is quite as iconic as the beloved banana muffin. Loaded with that crave-able baked banana flavor in every bite, they’re guaranteed to put some pep in your step anytime you want something a little sweet.
We’ve made classic muffins with banana even better by including a homemade sourdough starter in this recipe. It makes the crumb terrifically moist and spongey while also adding that signature sourdough tanginess.
Plus, the extra enzymes in the sourdough help to keep the muffins fresher for longer and are great for gut health. (Hooray for foods that are good for you and actually taste good!)
That’s right, these sourdough banana muffins have everything you love about our sourdough banana bread but in super handy muffin form. They are soft and fluffy but hearty and satisfying, with the right balance of tangy sweetness throughout.
Bonus: these scrumptious muffins are ready to enjoy in only 30 minutes.
Mix in your favorite goodies, like baking chips or chopped nuts, to add even more fun tastes and textures to these uniquely delicious, perfectly tangy treats.
However you prefer them, sourdough starter banana muffins are great to make ahead and enjoy throughout the week. And they are excellent to bake last-minute as a rustic snack for brunches, picnics, and potlucks. Or easily whip up a quick batch whenever you get a craving!
Ingredients For Banana Muffins From Sourdough Discard
- Unsalted butter – room temperature
- Brown sugar – packed
- Ripe bananas – mashed
- Honey – or maple syrup
- Eggs – for a tender, fluffy loaf
- Vanilla extract – a must-have for the best baked goods
- Sourdough starter – here’s my easy homemade recipe
- Baking powder and Baking soda – together create a lovely rise, no eggs or yeast needed
- Salt – just a pinch to balance the sweetness
- All-purpose flour
Feel free to also add chopped nuts or chocolate chips for more decadent muffins.
How to Make Sourdough Banana Muffins
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease your muffin cups or line with muffin pan liners.
Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Mix by hand until smooth, about 2 minutes. Or use a stand or hand mixer on low speed for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is smooth.
Stir in mashed bananas, honey, vanilla extract, sourdough starter, baking powder, baking soda, eggs, and salt. Mix until smooth. Then add all-purpose flour and nuts or chocolate chips, if using.
Pour the banana bread mixture into the prepared muffin pan, filling almost to the top. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffin comes out clean.
Allow bread loaf to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before removing and serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional sourdough starter is made with wheat flour. However, you can use a gluten-free starter and a GF-friendly all-purpose flour substitute.
Chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or butterscotch chips are all great to make extra sweet baked goodies. Or add in chopped nuts like walnuts or almonds. You can even mix in a bit of both!
Keep stored in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Sourdough discard muffins are great to freeze. Wrap the muffins individually in plastic wrap and then place them all in an airtight plastic zipper bag. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Easy Recipe for Banana Muffins with Sourdough Discard
Sourdough Banana Muffins
Equipment
- 1 standard muffin pan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 bananas, mashed the riper, the better
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter, unfed discard
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
optional
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease your muffin cups or line with muffin pan liners.
- Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Mix by hand until smooth, about 2 minutes. Or use a stand or hand mixer on low speed for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is smooth.
- Stir in mashed bananas, honey, eggs, vanilla extract, sourdough starter, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine until smooth, though there might be small lumps of banana. Add all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring in between. Then, add nuts or chocolate chips if using.
- Pour the banana bread mixture into the prepared muffin pan, filling almost to the top. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Bake at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffin comes out clean.
- Allow bread loaf to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before removing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Get More Easy Baking Recipes
- Easy Cinnamon Rolls
- Sourdough Apple Cake
- How to Make Frozen Monkey Bread Cinnamon Pull-Apart
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Braided Lemon Bread
Hi! You have eggs listed in the ingredients but not in the instructions. Do you add eggs?
Of course! I just checked the recipe instructions and the eggs are added in step 3 (right after the honey).