Fluffy sourdough blueberry muffins are bursting with blueberry flavor, tangy sourdough, and lightly sweetened with sugar. As an easy, make-ahead breakfast or snack, this recipe will be a family favorite and the muffins likely won’t stick around long.
Springtime on the homestead simply bursts with activity. Winter signals a time of slowing down, curling up by the fire, and enjoying lots of hearty meals (like this Shepherd’s pie).
Spring, on the other hand, is a time of excitement and activity.
Flowers start to emerge from the cold soil, anxious to show off their blooms, and garden planning is underway. Seeds are getting started, the garden beds are being prepared for a season of production, and there is no slowing down on the homestead.
When we start to head into the busy season, I like to make more simple meals, or recipes that can be made ahead for a later time.
On days we know will be teeming with work, or even on our family adventure days (check out the podcast to see what these days look like), I love to be able to make something that can be easily transported for a picnic or eaten as a snack to hold us over until dinner.
These sourdough discard blueberry muffins hit the spot. You can whip them up in minutes, or long ferment them for added health benefits.
They’re lightly sweetened with a subtle burst of blueberry, which shouts spring or summer.
Dream with me here. I’m picturing the juicy, ripe blueberries fresh from a local blueberry farm packed into these muffins or this sourdough blueberry cobbler. I cannot wait for summer.
Tips For Making Sourdough Blueberry Muffins:
- Use fresh or frozen blueberries. If you use frozen, I guarantee your muffins will turn purple. It’s just cosmetic, though. They’ll be delicious! Be sure to keep the blueberries frozen, not thawed.
- Sprinkle a little bit of flour into the blueberries to help prevent them from sinking to the bottom.
- You can use an active sourdough starter or even sourdough discard for this recipe. You can find more sourdough discard recipes here.
- For a more natural sweetener, I used coconut sugar. You can substitute coconut sugar for regular sugar, one for one.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
Tools you may need:
Stand mixer or large bowl. I recommend a stand mixer if you are planning to long-ferment this recipe.
Muffin liners
Ice cream scoop
Measuring cups and spoons
FAQ
What is the secret to moist muffins?
There are three things that help make muffins moist: using oil in the batter, not over-mixing, and lastly, not over-baking.
Over-baking will definitely give you a dry, not-so-yummy muffin, while over-mixing will cause the gluten strands to strengthen too much, giving you a tougher product. Oil, on the other hand, gives the muffin moisture.
Do you cut blueberries for muffins?
It is not necessary to cut blueberries for muffins. Just use them whole.
If you really want to chop them up, then by all means, do so.
Should you wash blueberries before baking?
Wash and dry the blueberries right before baking. Since blueberries have thin skin, they tend to spoil more quickly after washing. Just make sure your berries are dry before adding them to the batter.
Is it better to use fresh or frozen blueberries for muffins?
Either can be used, just make sure if you are using frozen to add them to the batter completely frozen. Do not let them thaw before adding.
How do you keep blueberries from sinking in muffins?
If you have issues with blueberries sinking in the muffin batter, add about a half a tablespoon of flour or so to a bowl with the blueberries and toss to coat.
If you have a hard time with unfermented grains, try using einkorn flour for this.
Can I make this recipe dairy free?
Yes. Just swap out the butter for melted coconut oil.
Blueberry Muffin Ingredients:
Flour – All-purpose, spelt or freshly milled wheat will work.
Salt – Salt brings out the flavors in baked goods – and all dishes. It makes sweets sweeter and if you leave it out, you will end up with a bland tasting recipe.
Leaveners – Baking powder and baking soda are used to give the muffins their rise.
Cinnamon – This a deliciously warm and subtle spice to the muffins
Butter – Could also substitute with avocado oil or melted coconut oil.
Sugar – This can be substituted with coconut sugar; most recipes will say a 1 to 1 substitution for coconut sugar to regular sugar. I do find the sweetness to be slightly different. Also, if you are using “regular” sugar, try to choose organic sugar since “regular” sugar is usually made with GMO sugar beets.
Eggs – room temperature.
Sourdough starter – Active sourdough starter or discard can be used for this recipe. This is because the rise comes from baking soda and baking powder rather than sourdough starter.
Blueberries – Fresh or frozen will work. If you are using frozen, make sure to use them fully frozen, don’t let them thaw or else they will release too many juices and you will have a purple muffins.
How To Make Sourdough Blueberry Muffins
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Grease muffin tin wells or line with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and sourdough starter.
Lastly, incorporate one egg at a time.
Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Don’t over-mix the batter or you could end up with a tough muffin.
Gently fold the blueberries into batter. To prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins, you could dust 1 tsp of flour over the blueberries and stir before folding them into the batter.
Optional: Allow the mixture to sit in the fridge for one hour.
Spoon the batter into the muffin tins.
Bake in a preheated oven at 425 for 5-6 minutes, then drop the oven temperature to 350 and continue to bake for 13-15 minutes. This helps capture the rise while also baking through.
Test muffins with a cake tester. Allow to cool.
How To Make Long Fermented Sourdough Blueberry Muffins
The night before, combine melted butter and sugar well.
Fold in sourdough starter (add extra 1/2 cup of sourdough starter for 1 cup total of starter), and flour. Mix well.
Cover and allow to ferment for 8-24 hours.
After fermentation, preheat the oven to 425.
To the fermented dough, add salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla, and eggs. Mix together well. I recommend using a stand mixer, as the dough will be very thick and more challenging to stir.
Gently fold in blueberries.
Pour muffin batter into a lined or greased muffin tin.
Bake in a preheated oven at 425 for 5-6 minutes, and then drop the oven temperature to 350 and continue to bake for 13-15 minutes.
Test with a toothpick. The muffins are ready when the toothpick comes out clean.
How To Store, Freeze, And Reheat:
Store in an air-tight container. Best if eaten within 3-5 days. Or store in the freezer (I like to use a freezer zip-lock bag) for up to 3 months.
I love to double this recipe and have one batch for now and freeze one batch for later. When you want a quick and easy breakfast, just pop these into a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes or until they are thawed completely and warm.
Find More Sweet Sourdough Recipes
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone
Sourdough Blueberry Muffins
Fluffy sourdough blueberry muffins are bursting with blueberry flavor, tangy sourdough, and lightly sweetened. It's the perfect breakfast or snack and will be a family favorite.
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
WET INGREDIENTS
- 8 tbs butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- 1⁄2 cup sourdough starter discard*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Grease muffin tin wells or line with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, vanilla and sourdough starter.
- Incorporate one room temperature egg at a time.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Gently fold blueberries into batter.
- Optional: Allow the mixture to sit in the fridge for one hour.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin tins.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 425 for 5-6 minutes, then drop the oven temperature to 350 and continue to bake for 13-15 minutes.
- Test muffins with a toothpick. Allow to cool.
Notes
*To long ferment this recipe add 1 cup of sourdough starter instead of 1/2 cup. This gives the batter the extra moisture it needs to properly ferment the dough. Find the long-fermented directions in the post above.
Use fresh or frozen blueberries. If you use frozen, I guarantee your muffins will turn purple. It's just cosmetic, though. They'll be delicious! Be sure to keep the blueberries frozen, not thawed.
Sprinkle a little bit of flour (1-2 tsp) into the blueberries to help prevent them from sinking to the bottom.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 247Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 304mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 1gSugar: 18gProtein: 4g
Monica says
Hi! I was just coming to your site to see if you had a ‘contact’ option. I was actually trying to see if I could change a sourdough blueberry muffin recipe I love into a long fermented one. Then I came across a recipe of yours for blueberry muffins that’s already long fermented! I’m so excited to try your recipe out!
Just out of curiosity though, is there a way to change regular sourdough recipes into longer fermented ones? Here’s the recipe: https://www.turnips2tangerines.com/2014/03/08/sourdough-blueberry-muffins/#comment-14452
Thank you!
Summer says
When do the nutmeg and ginger get added in?
Danielle Jones says
I was wondering the same thing. They are listed as ingredients but then never mentioned in the explanatory text? Are they really part of this recipe?
Melissa says
You would add them with the dry ingredients. Hope that helps; I know this is months late!
Olivia says
Hi Lisa! I have made and enjoyed several of your recipes. However, I had a question about this one. I made the long ferment version. When I mixed in the rest of the ingredients the following morning, it created major separation. I had a TON of mini/golf ball size dough balls in the liquid. Is this what you would expect or is it supposed to be a typical liquid that pours into the muffin pan?
Candice says
Hi there! So I was attempting the long ferment version too but my dough was like bread dough in the morning. I added salt and made some yummy flatbreads instead! Will attempt the long ferment by mixing together everything except salt and baking soda/powder and see how it goes!
Kate says
Hi Candice,
Did you try the long ferment version by adding everything but the salt and baking soda?
Yz says
I make a different blueberry muffin recipe, and I actually long ferment them in the fridge after adding baking soda and power. I was finding the the batter was more like dough the next morning and was near impossible to mix in the powder and soda.
They turn out light and fluffy every time! I’m not sure why it works, but it does. Another option is to exclude the soda and powder completely if you use a very bubbly active starter. This works fine, but there is the chance it will be slightly more dense~ plus not as convenient as grabbing discard from the fridge.
Sorry this is months late! I hope you or others find it helpful.
Crystal says
Hi!
I just made this recipe this morning. They smell delicious but mine have all sank down in the middle and they have been baking for 20 minutes on 350. I’m not sure what happened. I did the long ferment and the next morning the coconut oil was a bunch of little hard balls in the dough. Any ideas what I could have done wrong?
Anita says
Do in need to feed the starter before I make these?
Crystal says
I turned these into lemon blueberry muffins with a crumble topping. So yummy!
Anonymous says
Please share how you changed the recipe to make it lemon blueberry….sounds delicious!
Margo says
Please tell us how you changed the recipe to make them lemon blueberry muffins…..sounds delicious!
Patty Lanz says
LISA,THANKU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR HAVING THESES RECEIPES ON LINE TO LOOK UP WITHOUT HAVING TO WRITE IT OUT AND HENCE POSSIBLY MAKING MISTAKE.I CANT WAIT TO DO THE CHOC.CHIP COOKIES.YUMMM AND TODAY I MAKE YOUR SOURDOUGH DINNER ROLLS.WOW.IM GETTING THE HANG OF THIS AND LOVIN ITi text in lg print my eyes like it better.much love girlfreind.kiss that baby for me.
Kristin Allison says
These were delicious! I’m making these for the second time and my starter is fed so I’m wondering if I need to use the baking powder and soda. Thanks!
olivia says
i tried to make this and it just turned into a dough:/ has anybody else had this happen ?
help!
Ashley says
I also had this problem. Not sure why or what to do.
Ashley says
I also had this problem. I am not sure what to do differently.
Stephanie says
Having the same problem. I’m at a loss of what to do as well.
Bekah says
I had the same issue! I think maybe it has something to do with the consistency or your starter. I added milk to thin the batter out as most muffin recipes I have made use milk. They came out really well.
Jenn G says
I have made these twice now. The 1st time, I didn’t follow instructions and I just mixed the dry ingredients separate and then the wet and combined. I was afraid they would turn out like scones, but nope! They were great!!! 2nd time, I followed instructions to a T and they came out great. Best of all, my kids loved them! Great breakfast for busy mornings. Thank you so much for sharing!
Nicole says
These are so moist and good! I did the long ferment- based off of other batter recipes, I added 1 cup of water to the long ferment mix.
Bethany Ryan says
Thank you for this comment. I did not add a cup of water to the long ferment mixture and the consistency was dry and crumb like. Added a cup of water and it looks much better!
Miriam Zook says
I made these for breakfast this morning, absolutely delicious!
Lisa says
Fantastic to hear! Enjoy!
Mariane says
Hi Lisa, I am out of coconut sugar but wondering if I can use maple syrup?
Lisa says
You could substitute with regular sugar. Wouldn’t recommend swapping out for maple syrup because the batter will be really runny.
Shelby says
I do not recommend this recipe. I followed the directions exactly how they were written. I did not long ferment the dough (after reading previous comments, it looked like that’s why so many people had issues) and I also did not chill the dough as those were both optional steps.
After the full baking time I allowed my muffins to cool and after a few minutes realized they had all sunk in and were not baked through.
A sloppy mess that is going into the garage. Second failed recipe from this site. Hopefully I can figure out what I am doing wrong sometime soon so I don’t keep wasting all these ingredients. 🙁
Lisa says
I’m sorry you are having issues. I would recommend testing the muffins with a cake tester or a knife to ensure they have baked all the way through. Every oven is a little different, and baking times can vary.
Laurel says
I made this recipe as written for the long ferment and they sadly did not turn out 😩 they did not rise properly and were flat like a pancake while the blueberries sunk to the bottom and were almost like a jam
Lisa says
Hmmm I wonder why… Did you add the baking powder and baking soda still? Sorry they didn’t work out for you.
Laurel says
Yes I did! Followed it very closely 😔
Angela says
These look amazing!
Lisa says
Thank you!
Stephanie says
These look great. Looking for a delicious way to use up my sourdough starter.
Lisa says
Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Kate says
Long ferment on counter orninbthenfridge?
Lisa says
Countertop!
Lisa says
I never make muffins and these turned out so great. My house smelled like Perkins! Great recipe!
Lisa says
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Marianne says
I made these! I used my discarded sour dough starter and gluten free flour- DELICIOUS! This was actually my first go around using any kind of sour dough! I used frozen blueberries. Followed along just as the recipe said.
Lisa says
So glad you enjoyed it!