These sourdough lemon muffins marry bright lemon flavor with the wholesome tang of sourdough. They bake up tender and fragrant, coming together quickly from simple pantry ingredients. You can make them with an active starter or sourdough discard, making this an ideal recipe for using up extra starter.
If you’re new to sourdough baking, muffins are an excellent place to begin. They make good use of discard and are forgiving, so you can focus on flavor without worrying about complex techniques.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
Quick and easy – The batter takes only a few minutes to mix and the muffins bake in about 20 minutes, perfect for a fast homemade treat.
Bright lemon flavor – Fresh lemon zest and juice deliver vibrant citrus notes and a wonderful aroma. An optional lemon glaze soaks into the warm muffins for extra sweetness and tang.
Uses 200 g sourdough starter – This recipe calls for 200 g of starter, making it a great way to use discard or active starter and reduce waste.
These muffins are one of the most popular discard recipes on The Pantry Mama site and have been made and enjoyed by many home bakers.
A friend gifted me a very happy starter yesterday, and this was my first sourdough recipe ever! I had little hands helping so I believe it got a little over mixed, but they are still so delicious. This recipe was so easy too, I feel a lot less intimidated to venture into all that is sourdough. Looking forward to trying more!
– Hannah
Ingredients
- Sourdough starter – 200 g (fed active starter or discard)
- All-purpose flour – 200 g
- Sugar – 70 g granulated sugar
- Eggs – 2 large
- Baking powder – 6 g (about 1 tsp)
- Vegetable oil – 100 g (or any neutral, light-flavored oil)
- Lemon zest – zest of one lemon (about 20 g) for the brightest flavor
- Lemon juice – 20 g for the batter, plus extra for the glaze
- Vanilla extract – 5 g
- Salt – 5 g (adjust to taste)
- Powdered sugar – 60 g for the lemon glaze
How to Make Sourdough Lemon Muffins
Preheat the oven to 180ºC / 350ºF. Grease a 12-hole muffin tin with butter or oil.
In a bowl whisk together the sourdough starter, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla and oil until combined. It’s fine if the oil separates slightly; it will incorporate when mixed with the dry ingredients.
In another bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the muffins tender.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about three-quarters full. You can use paper liners if you prefer—spray them lightly with oil to prevent sticking.
Bake at 180ºC / 350ºF for around 20 minutes, or until the muffins are golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
While the muffins bake, whisk the powdered sugar with the lemon juice to make the glaze.
When the muffins come from the oven, spoon the glaze over them while they are still in the tin so it can soak in. Let them cool slightly in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Kate’s Recipe Tips
Using Sourdough Discard
- Avoid using very old, overly sour discard, which can give the muffins an off flavor. Discard a few days old or less works best.
- If you don’t have 200 g of discard, use active starter or increase your starter in advance so you have enough.
Flavor Variations
These muffins are great as is, but you can add simple variations:
- Lemon poppy seed: Stir a few teaspoons of poppy seeds into the dry ingredients.
- Almond topped: Sprinkle flaked almonds on top of each muffin before baking.
- Citrus boost: Add orange zest along with lemon zest for a mixed citrus profile.
- White chocolate: Fold 100 g white chocolate chips into the batter for a sweeter treat.
- Lemon blueberry: Add frozen or dried blueberries for a fruity version.
- Pineapple lemon: Fold in drained tinned pineapple pieces for a tropical twist.
These muffins are versatile and adapt well to many add-ins while still showcasing lemon and sourdough.
How to Store and Freeze
Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, refrigerate up to 5 days. To freeze, cool completely, then place in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm gently before serving.
Sourdough Lemon Muffins
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Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Digital scales
- 12-hole muffin tin
Ingredients
- 200 g Sourdough starter (discard or active)
- 200 g All-purpose flour
- 70 g Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 6 g Baking powder (1 tsp)
- 100 g Vegetable oil (or light-flavored oil)
- 20 g Lemon zest
- 20 g Lemon juice
- 5 g Vanilla extract
- 5 g Salt
Lemon Glaze
- 60 g Powdered sugar
- 20 g Lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180ºC / 350ºF and grease a 12-hole muffin tin.
- In a bowl whisk together sourdough starter, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla and oil until combined.
- In another bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest.
- Pour wet into dry and fold gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Spoon into prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 full.
- Bake at 180ºC / 350ºF for about 20 minutes or until golden.
- While baking mix powdered sugar and lemon juice for the glaze.
- Spoon glaze over warm muffins in the tin, let it soak in, then cool on a wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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