Banana Chocolate Chip Sourdough Discard Muffins

This Moist Sourdough Discard Banana Bread is a favorite of mine and readers. One of my friends mentioned that she had used the recipe to make muffins instead of bread and her 2-year old grandson LOVED them, as well of the rest of her family. What a great idea!

So I ran with that idea, having a jar of sourdough discard sitting in my refrigerator that needed to be used. I adjusted the leavening of the banana bread recipe just slightly for muffins so that they’d bake up a bit fluffier than the texture of a quick bread. Adding mini chocolate chips was an easy decision, because banana and chocolate are always a good combination.

These sourdough discard muffins are just the right amount of sweet, with flavors of ripe bananas and a lightly tropical undertone. The natural sweetness of the bananas shines through, and is complemented by the vanilla extract and melted chocolate chips in each bite. They bake up tall and lofty from a 30 minute rest, just like bakery muffins. I love their texture; especially soft and tender with a light crumb!

What is Sourdough Discard?

In order to keep an active sourdough starter for making favorites like Rye Sourdough Bread and Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls, you have to feed your starter to keep it alive. Before feeding your starter, you remove (discard), a portion of it each time to refresh the acidity levels. As a sourdough starter rises and falls it expresses acids and alcohol, that if not used or left in the jar, can negatively affect the balance of your starter.

Why use sourdough discard in muffins?

Sourdough discard can be a magical ingredient, making cakes and baked goods fluffy and soft because it increases the acidity of the batter, which weakens the gluten in flour. I use it in my healthy sourdough discard zucchini muffins, too. Contrary to what one might think sourdough discard doesn’t make sweet recipes sour!

Because it has already been fermented, the gluten in the sourdough discard itself has been weakened, so additional leaving agents like baking soda or baking powder is used for the rise.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Banana Muffins:

• In a large bowl, whisk together sourdough discard, mashed banana, oil, and eggs until cohesive and combined.
• Add eggs, vanilla extract, and sugars. Whisk again until cohesive and combined. Set aside.
• In another large bowl, whisk together almond flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add chocolate chips to top and toss with a little of the mixture.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently stir with a spatula to combine. Don’t overmix, just until no dry flour streaks are visible. Let batter sit for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Fill muffin liners to their tops with batter (not over the top, but you want them to be full).
• Place muffin pan in oven and turn heat down to 375 degrees F. Bake for 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

How long does sourdough discard last in the fridge?

You can keep sourdough discard in your refrigerator for up to 10 days. The discard will be more sour the longer it stays in the fridge. So for something like these pumpkin scones or sourdough discard rhubarb cake where I don’t want the sourness to come through, I use discard that is less than 5 days old.

Your discard might accumulate a little liquid on the top while it’s in the fridge, which is called hooch, simply meaning alcohol that is the byproduct of fermentation. You can simply pour the liquid off into the garbage, then scrape the very top off and use the rest as discard.

How to Store Sourdough Discard Muffins:

Storing muffins on the counter (or in the fridge in the summer) in a sealed container or plastic bag lined with a paper towel helps capture extra moisture that may form on the top of the muffins, while ensuring the muffins stay fresh. When you’d like to eat one, reheat an individual muffin in the microwave for 15 seconds and they’ll be just as delicious as the day you made them.

Muffins also freeze extremely well. Line the muffins on a baking sheet and let them freeze individually, then put in a freezer safe bag. When you want to eat one, take out of freezer bag and reheat for 30-45 seconds in the microwave, or until the middle is warm.

More Sourdough Discard Recipes:

• Light & Airy Sourdough Discard Pancakes
• Favorite Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Bread
• Big Cluster Sourdough Discard Granola

Banana Chocolate Chip Sourdough Discard Muffins

These deliciously moist banana chocolate chip muffins are made with leftover sourdough starter. They're just the right amount of sweet, with flavors of ripe bananas complemented by the vanilla extract and melted chocolate chips in each bite. They bake up tall and lofty, just like bakery muffins. I love their texture; especially soft and tender with a light crumb!

4.67 from 3 votes

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Prep Time :15 minutes minutes

Cook Time :20 minutes minutes

Resting Time :30 minutes minutes

Yield: 14 muffins

Author: Amanda Paa

SCALE:

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Ingredients

• 125 grams sourdough discard, unfed
• 320 grams mashed banana, weighed out of the peel
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sunflower or grapeseed oil
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 80 grams granulated sugar
• 80 grams brown sugar
• 50 grams blanched almond flour
• 180 grams all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 70 grams mini chocolate chips

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Instructions 

• In a large bowl, whisk together sourdough discard, mashed banana, oil, and eggs until cohesive and combined. This may take a little time to disperse the discard.
• Add eggs, vanilla extract, and sugars. Whisk again until cohesive and combined.
• In another large bowl, whisk together almond flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add chocolate chips to top and toss with a little of the mixture. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently stir with a spatula to combine. Don't overmix, just until no dry flour streaks are visible. Let batter sit for 30 minutes (this rest gives you tall and beautiful muffins).
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin and fill with liners. Fill muffin liners to their tops with batter (not over the top, but you want them to be full). I like to fill every other muffin hole, as this gives you an even taller muffin. But if you want to, you can fill each muffin hole. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top of each muffin.
• Place muffin pan in oven and turn heat down to 375 degrees F. Bake for 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Remove muffins and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer muffins to a wire rack.