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These sourdough strawberry muffins are soft, moist, and topped with a buttery streusel that bakes up golden and crisp. The sourdough discard adds incredible texture and depth, while fresh strawberries add delicious flavor and color.
One of my favorite springtime things to do as a family is go berry picking. Some years we grow our own strawberries, and other years we buy them at local farm stands.
When we get home, we love to make all the strawberry recipes. In addition to strawberry jam, we love making quick breads like these sourdough discard strawberry muffins.
For more sourdough strawberry recipes, try this Sourdough Strawberry Galette and these Sourdough Strawberry Pop Tarts.
Why You’ll Love Sourdough Strawberry Muffins
- Great Way to Use Discard: If you have extra sourdough starter hanging around, this is a great recipe to use it up, as it uses a whole cup!
- Perfect for Strawberry Season: These easy sourdough strawberry muffins are just right for strawberry season. Fresh berries work well in this recipe.
- Quick and Easy: These muffins are quick and easy to make, and work well for easy breakfasts and snacks.
Ingredients
Find the full list of ingredients, amounts, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is used in this recipe. I always buy unbleached flour.
- Sugar: White granulated sugar is the sweetener in the muffins. Brown sugar sweetens the streusel topping.
- Sourdough Discard: You can either use discard or active starter in this recipe. I also have a recipe for how to make your own sourdough starter if you don’t have one yet.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is preferred. If you only have salted butter, you can reduce the salt in the recipe by 1/4 teaspoon.
- Eggs: You’ll need two large eggs.
- Milk: You can substitute buttermilk for the milk.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Both of these are used in this recipe as leavening agents.
- Strawberries: This recipe was tested with fresh berries, but you may also use frozen strawberries.
- Vanilla: Use store-bought or homemade vanilla extract.
How to Make Sourdough Strawberry Muffins
Here are the step-by-step instructions for making this strawberry sourdough muffins recipe.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line muffin tins with paper liners or grease well.
In a small bowl, prepare the streusel by mixing the flour, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until crumbly with small and medium clumps. Set aside (Photos 1 and 2).
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt (Photo 3).
Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, sourdough discard, milk, and vanilla until smooth (Photo 4).
Step 4: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix until just combined (Photo 5). The batter should be thick and scoopable, not pourable .
Step 5: Toss the chopped strawberries with the tablespoon of flour, then fold them gently into the batter (Photos 6-8).
Step 6: Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups, fill to the top of the liners and mound slightly in the center (Photos 9 and 10)
Step 7: Sprinkle the streusel topping generously over each muffin, lightly pressing it into the batter so it adheres (Photo 11).
Step 8: Bake in the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes at 425º F, then reduce the oven temperature to 350º F and bake for an additional 12–15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (Photo 12).
Step 9: Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Store
Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze and thaw at room temperature before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Both regular milk and buttermilk work well in this recipe. Buttermilk adds a slight tang and tenderness, enhancing the “strawberry shortcake” flavor profile, while milk keeps the flavor more neutral.
- You’ll know the muffins are done when the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. For more accuracy, the internal temperature should reach approximately 200–205°F.
- To keep the muffins from getting soggy, don’t skip the step of tossing the strawberries in a small amount of flour. This helps absorb excess moisture and prevents them from sinking or creating wet pockets in the batter. Using small, evenly sized pieces also ensures better distribution.
Recipe FAQs
Sourdough discard adds subtle tang, moisture, and depth of flavor to muffins without making them taste sour. It also contributes to a softer crumb and helps extend freshness, making these muffins stay tender longer than traditional versions.
No, this recipe uses unfed sourdough discard. It does not rely on the starter for leavening, as baking powder and baking soda provide the rise. Discard straight from the refrigerator works well.
Starting at 425°F helps the muffins rise quickly and develop tall, domed tops. Lowering the temperature allows the centers to bake through evenly without over-browning the exterior.
More Sourdough Muffin Recipes
- Sourdough Blueberry Muffins
- Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Sourdough Apple Muffins
- Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins
- Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment with a 5-star recipe rating and let me know! Thank you so much!
Sourdough Strawberry Muffins
Ingredients
Muffin Batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup sourdough discard, 100% hydration
- ½ cup milk, or buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups fresh strawberries, diced small
- 1 tablespoon flour, for tossing strawberries
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a muffin pan or grease well.
- In a small bowl, prepare the streusel by mixing the flour, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until crumbly with small and medium clumps. Set aside. If the mixture feels very soft, place it in the refrigerator while preparing the batter. While sitting the streusel will become more crumbly, but if it you want it more so, add a tablespoon of flour.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, sourdough discard, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix until just combined. The batter should be thick and scoopable, not pourable.
- Toss the diced strawberries with the tablespoon of flour, then fold them gently into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups, fill to the top of the liners and mound slightly in the center.
- Sprinkle the streusel topping generously over each muffin, lightly pressing it into the batter so it adheres.
- Bake for 5-7 minutes at 425º F, then reduce the oven temperature to 350º F and bake for an additional 12–15 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Internal temperature should be 200º-205º F.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
