Blueberry Lemon Sourdough Muffins (Printable)

Moist, tangy muffins bursting with fresh blueberries and lemon zest, topped with a crunchy streusel for extra flavor.

# What You'll Need:

→ Muffins

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - Zest of 1 large lemon
07 - 1 cup sourdough discard, unfed
08 - 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
09 - 1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
10 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
11 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 - 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, unthawed if frozen

→ Streusel Topping

13 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
14 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
15 - 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, diced
16 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
17 - Pinch of salt

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease thoroughly.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together sourdough discard, milk, oil or melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
04 - Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
05 - Carefully fold blueberries into the batter using a rubber spatula.
06 - Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups, filling each approximately 3/4 full.
07 - In a small bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in cold butter using a fork or fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
08 - Sprinkle streusel mixture evenly over each muffin.
09 - Bake for 22-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and tops are golden brown.
10 - Allow muffins to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Your sourdough discard finally has a purpose, and you'll stop feeling like you're wasting it.
  • The tangy undertone from fermented starter makes these taste more sophisticated than standard muffins.
  • Frozen blueberries work beautifully, so you're not bound to berry season.
  • That streusel topping stays crunchy even after a day, which is honestly rare.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter is the enemy—stir just until combined, and your muffins will stay tender instead of becoming dense and tough.
  • The sourdough discard really does need to be unfed and straight from the jar; if it's been recently fed, it won't have enough tang and your muffins will taste ordinary.
  • Don't thaw frozen blueberries; the contrast in temperature helps them stay intact and not bleed their color throughout.
03 -
  • If you don't have sourdough discard on hand, you can substitute Greek yogurt or sour cream in equal amounts, though the flavor will be different.
  • Keep your baking soda and baking powder fresh; old leavening agents won't give you the rise you need, so replace them every six months.
  • Using an ice cream scoop or cookie scoop to fill your muffin cups ensures they bake evenly and look uniform.
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