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Freshly baked apple oatmeal muffins stacked on a plate, surrounded by fresh apples, honey, and scattered oats.

Simple Sourdough Apple Muffins with Applesauce

These delightful muffins are a perfect way to use up sourdough discard, offering a subtly tangy crumb with sweet pockets of apple and a hint of spice. Moist and flavorful, they're ideal for breakfast or a snack.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 280
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
  • 1 cup sourdough discard unfed, from the fridge
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup milk any kind
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled, or neutral oil like canola/vegetable
Mix-ins
  • 1 cup diced apple about 1 medium apple, peeled and finely diced (e.g., Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp)

Equipment

  • Standard 12-cup muffin tin
  • Muffin liners (optional)
  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • Medium Mixing Bowl
  • Whisk
  • Spatula
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Knife
  • Cutting Board

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners or grease it thoroughly. Set aside.
Mixing the Batter
  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well combined and no lumps remain.
  2. In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, applesauce, egg, milk, and melted butter (or oil) until smooth.
  3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are okay. Overmixing can lead to tough muffins.
  4. Gently fold in the diced apples.
Baking
  1. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
  2. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Baking times may vary depending on your oven.
  3. Remove the muffin tin from the oven and let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Notes

For extra crunch, sprinkle a pinch of coarse sugar or a streusel topping (made with butter, flour, sugar, and cinnamon) on top of the muffins before baking. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week. They also freeze well for up to 3 months.