August 29, 2024August 29, 2024 AdminAdmin 0 Comment

Simple Sourdough Apple Muffins With Applesauce

This simple sourdough apple muffins recipe is the only one you’ll ever need! The muffins are soft, moist, and the perfect treat for apple lovers. The best part is how easy this sourdough recipe is to make.

freshly baked sourdough apple muffins on a table. Next to a jar of applesauce and oatmeal.

Some sourdough apple muffin recipes have so many steps and take a long time to make! However, this delicious recipe is simple!

All you need is some apple sauce, muffin tins, and a few basic ingredients that you already have in your kitchen pantry.

Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Apple Muffins Recipe:

  • Easy to make
  • Uses sourdough discard. No need for an active starter.
  • Packed with flavor
  • Incredibly moist and soft
  • Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack
  • No mixer required
  • Jam-packed with apple flavor
  • Can add any mixin your heart desires!

If you LOVE applesauce, you definitely need to try these muffins.

apple cinnamon muffins on a plate. The muffins were made with sourdough disard. There is a apple next to the muffins.
Look at that moist muffin crumb! DELISH!

Unsweetened Applesauce vs Sweetened Applesauce

Sweetened applesauce usually has added sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup. Although it is sweet, there a distinct flavor profile in corn syrup.

Instead, this recipe calls for unsweetened applesauce. The sweetness comes from the maple syrup. In addition, maple syrup has a lovely flavor! You can really taste the maple syrup in these sourdough muffins. I highly suggest using unsweetened applesauce to keep the maple syrup.

However, if you have only sweetened applesauce, you can use that instead. I recommend lowering the amount of maple syrup from ⅓ cup to ¼ cup.

whole wheat apple cinnamon sourdough muffins on a plate and cake stand. There is a jar of applesauce next to it.

Can I Add Crisp Apples To The Muffin Batter?

Absolutely! Adding fresh apples is a great way to give the muffins a nice crunch.

I recommend using Honeycrisp apples or granny smith apples.

If you wanted to add diced apples, you would need to sprinkle flour on the apples before adding them to the muffin batter. The extra flour will help absorb the extra moisture from the apples.

The apple cinnamon filling on my Sourdough Apple Fritters recipe would be the perfect add-in to these muffins.

sourdough applesauce muffins on a plate. There is a hand grabbing one muffin. There are measuring cups with flour and oats.
So tempting to eat. They’ll all be eaten before you know it.

Tips To Make The Perfect Sourdough Applesauce Muffins

Do Not Over-mix The Batter

Over-mixing the batter will develop the gluten in the flour, leading to a tougher muffin. For best results, stop folding the ingredients together once you see no more dry flour in the batter.

Lower The Oven Temperature After Five Minutes

After the muffins bake in the oven for five minutes at 425°F, it is important to lower the temperature and bake at 350°F.

The initial high temperature will help the muffins rise. Afterwards, baking at a lower temperature will help keep the muffins moist.

Use The Toothpick Test to Know When These Muffins Are Done.

During the baking process, poke the inside of one muffin with a toothpick. The muffins are done baking when the toothpick comes out clean.

Use a Kitchen Scale

It is more accurate than measuring cups. Too much flour will leave you with a dense muffin. On the other hand, too little flour will transform your batter into a liquid mess.

Can I Make These Sourdough Discard Apple Muffins The Night Before And Bake Tomorrow?

You can let the batter rest overnight and bake the next day. If you want fresh muffins in the morning, you can make he batter the night before and let rest overnight in the fridge.

In the morning, scoop the batter into your muffin tin and bake as instructed.

whole wheat flour, butter, eggs, maple syrup, applesauce, sourdough discard or starter, raisins and oats on a table.

Key Ingredients:

  • Applesauce: This recipe uses unsweetened applesauce since it gets its sweetness from the maple syrup. If all you have is sweetened applesauce, that is fine.
  • Maple Syrup: The source of sweetness for this recipe. Pairs well with the apple sauce and the cinnamon.
  • Whole Wheat Flour: If you would like, you can switch the whole wheat flour for all purpose flour.
  • Oatmeal: Old fashioned rolled oatmeal is best for this recipe. You can use quick oats as well.
  • Melted Butter: The BEST fat to use for almost every baked good on the planet.
  • Add-Ins: Any add-in your heart desires will pair well with the muffin batter. I used raisins, but you can use other dried fruits, fresh fruits, and even nuts. To take these muffins to the next level, try adding the cinnamon apple filling used in apple fritters.
muffins on a plate and on a cake pan. one is eaten.

Can I Substitute Ingredients?

Yes, you can absolutely substitute ingredients. You’ll still end up with moist muffins.

Maple Syrup

You Can replace the maple syrup with honey, pancake syrup, or ⅓ cup of brown sugar.

Whole-Wheat Flour

Although whole wheat gives the muffins a great flavor, you it isn’t the only type of flour you can use for this recipe. Replace the whole wheat flour with white all-purpose flour or bread flour.

Melted Butter

Instead of butter, you can use an oil of your choice. Vegetable oil and avocado oil are good substitution choices.

Oatmeal

If you don’t have old-fashioned oatmeal, you can use quick one-minute oatmeal. If you don’t have any oatmeal at all, you can leave it out of this recipe.

Step By Step Apple Sourdough Muffins Recipe Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°F

Combining the dry ingredients for the sourdough apple muffins recipe.

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (whole wheat flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt). Set this flour mixture aside.

Whisking together discard, eggs, maple syrup, applesauce, and vanilla extract for this muffins recipe.
If some butter/oil stays on top of the liquid mixture, that’s okay!

In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (applesauce, eggs, melted butter (ghee or oil), maple syrup, and vanilla extract).

Combining the raisins, liquid ingredients, and flour mixture for the sourdough apple muffins recipe.
Fold until there is no more dry flour. Do NOT over-mix!

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of the dry ingredients. If you are using raisins, also add the raisins into the bowl of dry ingredients. With a silicone spatula, fold the ingredients together until combined.

Close up of the consistency of the sourdough apple muffin batter
Close up of the correct batter consistency.

Place muffin cups into a 12-count muffin pan. Spray with cooking spray or nonstick spray.

Scooping muffin batter into the muffin tins. Topping off each muffin with coarse sugar and rolled oats

Scoop the muffin batter into the muffin liners. Make sure to fill the liners with the batter all the way to the top! For a prettier muffin, sprinkle rolled oatmeal on top.

Bake the muffins at 425°F for five minutes. Lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 18 minutes.

You will know when the muffins are ready when you insert a toothpick in the center of a muffin and it comes out clean. They will be golden brown.

Let the sourdough apple cinnamon muffins cool on a wire rack until ready to eat.

sourdough apple cinnamon muffins on a plate and a cake stand. Bowl of applesauce on the side. One apple next to it. One cup of flour and some oatmeal.

How To Store The Sourdough Muffins:

Let the apple muffins cool completely then place in an airtight container. They will last at room temperature for up to five days.

If you need to store them for longer, you can wrap the muffins plastic wrap and freeze them for up to three months.

To defrost, simply leave them in your refrigerator overnight. Afterwards, you can microwave or toast them in your oven at 300°F for five minutes when you are ready to eat them.

Freshly baked sourdough apple muffins. With a bowl of applesauce and oatmeal.

Simple Sourdough Apple Muffins With Applesauce

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 Cups Whole-Wheat Flour
  • 2/3 Cups Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
  • 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 Cups Applesauce unsweetened
  • 150 Grams Sourdough Starter or Sourdough Discard
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/3 Cups Butter Melted
  • 1/3 Cups Maple Syrup
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Optional Add-ins

  • 3/4 Cups Raisins or any add-in you like.

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a microwave safe container, melt the butter and let cool to room temperature.
  • In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (whole wheat flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt). Set aside.
  • In a separate small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (applesauce, eggs, melted butter (ghee or oil), maple syrup, and vanilla extract).
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of the dry ingredients. If you are using raisins, also add the raisins into the bowl of dry ingredients. With a silicone spatula, fold the ingredients together until combined.
  • Place muffin liners into a 12-count muffin pan. Spray with cooking spray or non-stick spray.
  • Scoop the muffin batter into the muffin liners. Make sure to fill the liners with the batter all the way to the top! For a prettier muffin, sprinkle rolled oatmeal on top.
  • Bake the muffins at 425°F for five minutes. Lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 18 minutes. You will know when the muffins are ready when you insert a toothpick in the center of a muffin and it comes out clean.
  • Take the muffins out of the muffin tins. Let the muffins cool on a cooling rack until ready to eat.

Notes

  • Do Not Over-mix The Batter. Scroll up and check the pictures in the post. I have pictures of the correct consistensy of the muffin batter. Over-mixing the batter will develop the gluten in the flour, leading to a tougher muffin.
  • Lower The Oven Temperature After Five Minutes. The initial high temperature will help the muffins rise. Afterwards, baking at a lower temperature will help keep the muffins moist.
  • Use The Toothpick Test. During the baking process, poke the inside of one muffin with a toothpick. The muffins are done baking when the toothpick comes out clean.
  • My Post Has Step-By-Step instructional photos. If in doubt, make sure to check out the photos on the recipe post.

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