Sourdough Banana Muffins Cinnamon (Printable)

Moist banana muffins enriched with sourdough discard, topped with crunchy cinnamon streusel.

# What You'll Need:

→ Muffins

01 - 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 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

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease lightly with nonstick spray.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, sourdough discard, sugar, melted butter, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.
04 - Gently fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet mixture using a spatula, stirring just until no dry spots remain. Do not overmix.
05 - Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each approximately three-quarters full.
06 - In a small bowl, combine light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, melted butter, and a pinch of salt, stirring until the mixture becomes crumbly.
07 - Sprinkle the cinnamon streusel mixture evenly over the batter in each muffin cup.
08 - Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with minimal crumbs.
09 - Allow muffins to cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • That tangy sourdough depth makes these taste more interesting than ordinary banana muffins, without any of the effort.
  • The streusel topping gets crispy and buttery while the inside stays impossibly moist, creating the kind of texture contrast that makes people ask for the recipe.
  • It's your answer to the sourdough discard question, turning something you might normally throw away into breakfast gold.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter is the fastest way to turn tender muffins into dense, disappointing ones—fold gently and stop while you can still see a few flour streaks.
  • The sourdough discard doesn't need to be actively bubbly or fed; unfed discard actually works better here because it has a cleaner tang without overwhelming yeasty flavor.
03 -
  • If your bananas are very wet or watery, drain them in a fine-mesh strainer for a few minutes before mashing to prevent the batter from becoming too loose and resulting in dense, gummy muffins.
  • Don't skip the five-minute rest in the tin after baking—this allows the structure to set just enough that the muffins release cleanly and hold their shape when you lift them out.
Return