Sourdough Banana Cinnamon Muffins (Printable)

Moist banana muffins enriched with sourdough discard and a crunchy cinnamon streusel topping.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Muffins

01 - 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (approximately 2 large)
02 - 1/2 cup sourdough discard, unfed
03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
05 - 1/4 cup vegetable oil
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
09 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

→ Cinnamon Streusel

13 - 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
14 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
15 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
16 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
17 - Pinch of salt

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or apply light grease to each cup.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, sourdough discard, sugar, melted butter, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.
04 - Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, stirring only until no dry flour remains visible. Do not overmix.
05 - Distribute batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each cavity approximately three-quarters full.
06 - In a small bowl, combine light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, melted butter, and salt, stirring until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
07 - Distribute streusel topping evenly across muffin batter surface.
08 - Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin emerges clean.
09 - Allow muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Sourdough discard adds a sophisticated tang that makes people ask what your secret is.
  • The cinnamon streusel creates a crunchy, caramelized top that contrasts perfectly with the moist crumb inside.
  • They come together in under an hour and use ingredients most home bakers already have on hand.
  • You finally have a guilt-free use for that neglected starter sitting in your fridge.
02 -
  • Don't skip the 5-minute rest in the tin—those minutes are when the structure sets enough to remove them without falling apart, a lesson I learned the crumbly way.
  • If your sourdough discard smells like acetone or paint thinner, it's too hungry and fermented; use it anyway but reduce the vanilla slightly to avoid competing flavors.
  • The streusel will look loose and wet before baking, but it caramelizes and crisps up beautifully as the muffins bake—trust the process.
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients mix together more smoothly and create a lighter crumb—take your eggs and sourdough discard out about 30 minutes before baking.
  • If you don't have paper liners, grease your tin generously with nonstick spray; the cinnamon streusel caramelizes so beautifully that muffins can stick to bare metal.
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