Enjoy these white chocolate cranberry sourdough muffins for a delightful sweet treat. Each bite is paired with a sweet white chocolate chip and tangy dried cranberry. These sourdough muffins are great for breakfast, a snack or even dessert.
I have come to realize my family really enjoys baked goods. If there is not sourdough cinnamon rolls, sourdough bagels or a sourdough Dutch baby we feel like our breakfasts are severely lacking.
In comes muffins. They can be small mini muffins or large bakery sized muffins. Sweet or savory. As long as they are just plain delicious!
These sourdough muffins are no different. They come together in a flash and are the perfect addition to a lunchbox for the office or school.
Because they freeze well, they work well for meal prep. They can be thawed within moments, too.
Reasons Why You Will Love These Muffins
- They are quick to bake unlike a traditional sourdough bread
- They make great baby lead weaning or toddler snacks (though the whole family will enjoy them)
- They can be used with active sourdough discard or sourdough discard
- You can bake them immediately or allow them to sit and become a long fermented sourdough muffin
- The add ins are flexible and can be swapped for any flavor or chocolate and / or dried fruit
- The sourdough muffins can be glazed or frosted for an extra sweet treat
- Did we mention they can be made as mini muffins?
Ingredients
To make a white chocolate cranberry sourdough muffins use the below ingredients.
- Almond flour
- All purpose flour or another flour: whole wheat flour, einkorn flour, spelt flour, oat flour or gluten-free flour
- Sourdough discard (can be active or not recently fed discard)
- Eggs
- Honey (or maple syrup, agave, or sugar)
- Butter or another oil: olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil
- Vanilla extract or almond extract
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Baking soda (optional -see recipe)
- Baking powder (optional -see recipe)
- White chocolate chips
- Dried cranberries
Kitchen Tools
How to Make White Chocolate Cranberry Sourdough Muffins
‘Stir and Go’ Timeline
If you are tight on time or do not want to ferment the sourdough muffin batter, simply stir and go. Start by heating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and mixing your ingredients together.
Combine dry ingredients together. Combine wet ingredients together. Add wet ingredients slowly tot he dry ingredients. Mix in white chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Be careful not to overmix.
Because we eat with our eyes, it is optional to top these muffins with additional white chocolate chips and dried cranberries. The contrast between the chocolate chips and cranberries provides a ‘pop’ of color!
Use a cookie scoop to fill an oiled or lined muffin tin 3/4 of the way full. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are firm. A toothpick should come out clean when poked in the middle of the sourdough muffin.
Finally, allow to cool completely before storing and glazing / frosting if you choose. Place on a cooling rack to speed up cooling process.
Long Fermented Muffin Timeline
If you would like to receive additional health benefits from fermenting your dough for a longer period of time, follow these instructions. The timeline can be adjusted to meet your baking schedule and fermentation goals.
To ferment the white chocolate cranberry sourdough muffin batter, combine all ingredients in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap or bees wax wrap before placing on the counter for up to 4 to 12 hours.
The dough may rise 1-1/2 to 2x the size it originally started as it ferments. If you would like to continue fermenting longer, place the bowl in the fridge. The longer the dough sits, the more prounced the sourdough flavor will be.
When ready to make the sourdough muffins, remove from the refrigerator and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.
White Chocolate Cranberry Sourdough Muffin Variations
Gluten Free Sourdough Muffins: Replace all purpose flour with a one-to-one gluten free flour. Alternatively, replace the all purpose flour with oat flour. If you do not have oat flour handy, blend oats in a blender until they form a fine powder.
Egg Free Sourdough Muffins: If there is an egg sensitivity, simply leave the eggs out. Because there are no eggs there will be less rise within the muffins, though they will still be moist.
Cranberry sourdough muffins with cream cheese frosting: Make a simple cream cheese frosting by combining cream cheese, salt, vanilla extract, water and powdered sugar. Mix until fluffy. Allow muffins to cool before adding frosting / glaze.
Use a hand mixer to combine 4 oz cream cheese, 1 dash of salt, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, and 2 cups of powdered sugar. To thin and use as a glaze, add a dash or milk or water.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What discard is better within this recipe: active discard or non-active discard?
Use active discard or sourdough discard that has been sitting in your fridge within this recipe. If your sourdough discard is active and at it’s peak, leave out the leavener from the recipe (baking soda).
Why use sourdough discard in muffins?
Sourdough discard provides moisture to muffins. It also adds a tangy flavor to compliment the dried cranberries and reduce the sweetness from the white chocolate chips. Muffins are a great way sourdough discard recipe because they use up a good portion of leftover discard.
Can you substitute add ins?
Swap the white chocolate and cranberries for any add in. Enjoy swaps like: semi sweet chocolate chips, other dried fruit (chopped dates or prunes, dried blueberries), or orange zest to the batter.
How to store muffins?
To store these muffins, place them on the countertop for up to 3 days in a ziplock bag or airtight container. Place into the fridge for for up to 1 week.
Alternatively, place them in the freezer in an airtight container or freezer safe bag up to 3 months. Place a piece of wax paper between the muffin layers to avoid them sticking together.
To reheat- remove from the freezer. Allow them to thaw in the fridge or on the counter before enjoying. If you would like it warm, place it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
White Chocolate Cranberry Sourdough Muffins
Equipment
- 1 Large Bowl
- 1 muffin tin
- 1 cooling rack (optional)
Ingredients
- 1-1/3 cup almond flour
- 1 cup all purpose flour (whole wheat flour, einkorn flour, spelt flour, one-to-one gluten free flour, oat flour)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder (see notes)
- 1 tsp baking soda (see notes)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 T honey (agave, maple syrup or sugar)
- 1/4 cup olive oil (avocado oil, melted butter, coconut oil)
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.If long fermenting muffin batter, skip this step.
- In a mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients together.
- Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir in white chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Be sure not to over mix.
- If long fermenting, cover and ferment on the counter top for 4-12 hours before placing in the fridge until ready to bake. Proceed to the next step when ready.
- Oil or line a muffin pan.
- Use a cookie scoop to fill 3/4 way full.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are firm. A toothpick should come out clean when poked in the middle of the sourdough muffin.
- Allow to cool completely before storing or adding frosting / glaze.
Notes
If you make muffins, what time of day do you like eating them? Let us know in the comments below!
We tend to eat muffins for breakfast because they pair well with eggs and can easily be thrown into a bag when heading out the door.
