These apple sourdough muffins are soft, gently spiced with a pinch of cinnamon and orange zest, and crammed with juicy pockets of baked apple (which by the way gives you pectin-rich fibre). If, like me, you get sad to throw away any spare sourdough starter (discard), these tender yogurt and oil (no butter) muffins make a handy home for it. You will be forgiven if you crave these for breakfast, but my favorite time to enjoy them is a mid-morning break, with a cup of coffee.
What you’ll love about this recipe
- One bowl, no mixer – If you own a bowl and a spoon, you can make this.
- Barely sweet – The sweetness of these muffins is nicely balanced by the tangy sourdough (more like a buttermilk tang rather than sour) and yogurt.
- No butter – Yogurt and oil give you a soft moist crumb for days.
- Packed with fruit – I tested these muffins nearly 10 times to add as many apple bits as possible, after all I love fruity desserts!
- Warmly spiced – If you know me, you know my recipes are flavor first, so cinnamon and orange pair best for this yummy fall or winter treat.
- Discard friendly – no more guilt for binning your sourdough starter.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Sourdough starter – use discard or feel free to use active, bubbly starter
- Plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
- Egg
- Neutral oil – like vegetable or sunflower
- Dark soft brown sugar – but light soft brown sugar or caster sugar works too.
- Plain flour – or all-purpose flour.
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Fine salt
- Vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon
- Orange zest
- Apples, peeled and diced, I like to peel them for a soft squishy bite. If keeping the skins, dice extra small.
Notes & Swaps
- Apples: I prefer Cox apples (but any apples work), diced small to get the a little fruitiness in each bite.
- Flour: If you want more goodness and fibre, swap up half for wholemeal (wholegrain) flour. I often use a wholemeal spelt flour. If your batter feels too thick, add a splash of milk.
- Add nuts or seeds: Chopped walnuts or pecans; top with flaked almonds, pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Or add a few tablespoons of milled flax in the batter.
- Dairy-free: Thick dairy-free yogurt works.
- For more texture, you can add a crumble or streusel topping, check out my crunchy topping in my Strawberry rhubarb oatmeal muffins recipe or my apple crumble tarts.
How to make apple sourdough muffins (step-by-step)
Time needed: 40 minutes
Make apple sourdough muffins when you want to use up your discard or just when you crave a warm and tender snack that’s a little better for you. Keep them soft with yogurt and oil and add a touch of cinnamon and orange. Fold in diced apples and bake immediately.
- Prep the apples
Peel and dice 3–4 Cox apples into small cubes.
- Mix the wet ingredients
In a bowl, mix starter, yogurt, egg, oil, brown sugar, vanilla, and orange zest until well combined.
- Mix the dry ingredients
In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Make the batter
Tip dry into wet and fold only until just combined (a few small lumps are fine). Gently fold in the diced apples.
- Spoon in cases and bake
Spoon the batter immediately into muffin cases – a heaped tablespoon each, then top up so they’re even. Bake the muffins at 190°C for 22–25 minutes until risen and a skewer comes out clean. Cool briefly in the tin, then move to a rack. Optionally, fill them with apple butter or any filling you fancy.
Pro Tips
- Don’t worry if you are using very tangy starter, the brown sugar balances it.
- A small dice (0.5 – 1 cm) keeps apples evenly distributed.
- Work fast once you mix the wet with the dry. You want to quickly fill the cases and pop the tin in the oven!
- Mix just until combined with a spatula or spoon, but don’t overmix. This is the secret to fluffy airy muffins
Nutritionally better for you
A sweet treat is still a sweet treat – I’m not dressing it up. But these do add up to your plant intake in a useful way.
Easy fibre boosts. Swap in some wholemeal flour or add nuts/seeds on top for extra fibre and healthy fats.
Apple brings soluble fibre (pectin). Feed those friendly gut bacteria happy!
Yogurt and sourdough starter have live cultures. Gentle tang, tender crumb, and a small gut-friendly bonus (even after baking, they’re called postbiotics).
Oil, not butter. Keeps the crumb soft with less saturated fat than a butter-based batter.
Servings
This recipe yields 12 muffins.
serving & storing
- I like to let these muffins cool down before tucking in! Then make a hole through the top with a large piping tip then pipe in a little apple butter or just slice and slather. I use a good quality store bought one or you can make your own (loving this spiced apple butter recipe), jam or any filling you fancy.
- These are definitely lunch box friendly, so pack them for work or school (your kids will be delighted).
- I usually take these babies to work to stop us from eating the whole batch in one sitting and they disappear pretty fast! But you can pack them loosely in airtight containers, they keep lovely and moist for 2-3 days or freeze them, then treat yourself every now and then at breakfast ☕or tea-time 🍵!
These muffins are soft, subtly spiced, and full of apple pockets. If you bake these, I’d love a quick star rating and let me know any plant-boosting twists you added.
- If you make my recipe, take a snapshot for your Instagram
- Post and tag me @candyflossiecooks😉🤗!
- Don’t forget to rate my recipe! It will make my day!
Apple Sourdough Muffins
Equipment
- 1 fruit or vegetable peeler or use a small pairing knife
- knife and chopping board for dicing apples
- 1 large bowl
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 scale
- 1 spatula or spoon
- 1 muffin tin
- muffin cases
- piping bag and tip optional
Ingredients
- 100 g sourdough starter discard or active, bubbly
- 125 g plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp neutral oil sunflower or vegetable oil
- 175 g dark soft brown sugar
- 225 g plain flour all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp fine salt about 3g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Finely grated zest of 1/2 orange
- 300 g diced Cox apples peeled (about 3-4 small apples)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C and line a 12-hole muffin tin.
Prepare the apples:
- Peel 3-4 apples and remove their cores. Slice them then dice into small 0.5 to 1 cm pieces and set them aside.
Wet mix:
- Mix 100 g sourdough starter 125 g plain yogurt , 1 large egg, 2 tbsp neutral oil, 175 g dark soft brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and Finely grated zest of 1/2 orangeuntil well combined.
Dry mix:
- Whisk 225 g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp fine salt, and ½ tsp ground cinnamon .
- Fold dry into wet mix just until combined.
- Gently fold in 300 g diced Cox apples.
- Spoon into cases immediately – a heaped Tbsp each, then top up to level as you need to finish the batter.
- Bake for 22–25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Cool 2-3 minutes, then remove to a rack.
Optional step (filling):
- Once the muffins are cooled slightly, make a hole through the top and fill with your filling of choice (apple butter, jam or your favorite spread). Or just split the warm muffins and slather!
Notes
- A small dice (0.5 – 1 cm) keeps apples evenly distributed.
- Work fast once you mix the wet with the dry. You want to quickly fill the cases and pop the tin in the oven!
- Mix just until combined with a spatula or spoon, but don’t overmix. This is the secret to fluffy airy muffins
- Apples: I prefer Cox apples (but any apples work), diced small to get the a little fruitiness in each bite.
- Flour: If you want more goodness and fibre, swap up half for wholemeal (wholegrain) flour. I often use a wholemeal spelt flour. If your batter feels too thick, add a splash of milk.
- Add nuts or seeds: Chopped walnuts or pecans; top with flaked almonds, pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Or add a few tablespoons of milled flax in the batter.
- Dairy-free: Thick dairy-free yogurt works.
- For more texture, you can add a crumble or streusel topping, check out my crunchy topping in my Strawberry rhubarb oatmeal muffins recipe or my apple crumble tarts.
