Sourdough Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping
These Sourdough Blueberry Muffins are tall, tender, and bursting with jammy blueberries beneath a buttery crumb topping. Made with unfed sourdough discard, a touch of lemon zest, and a spoonful of sour cream for extra moisture — they bake up golden in under 35 minutes and taste like they came from a bakery case.
Servings: 12 muffins
Equipment
- Standard 12-cup muffin tin
- Paper or foil cupcake liners
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
For the Muffins
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled (1 stick)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup unfed sourdough discard
- 3 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Crumb Topping
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Instructions
Make the Crumb Topping
- In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Add 1 tablespoon cold, cubed butter. Using your fingertips or a fork, cut the butter into the flour and sugar until coarse crumbs form. Refrigerate while you prepare the batter.
Make the Muffin Batter
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cornstarch, and lemon zest until well combined with no lumps.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, sourdough discard, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
- Toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of the measured flour to coat them — this prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold until just combined — a few streaks of flour are fine. Do not overmix. Gently fold in the flour-coated blueberries.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. An ice cream scoop makes this easy.
- Retrieve the crumb topping from the refrigerator. Generously sprinkle it over the top of each muffin and gently press so it adheres.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
**Tips:**
- Do not thaw frozen blueberries before folding them in — they'll bleed less into the batter.
- Do not overmix the batter; a few streaks of flour are perfectly fine and will result in a more tender crumb.
- The cornstarch is not optional — it keeps the muffins soft and bakery-style tender.
- Tossing blueberries in flour before folding them in prevents them from sinking.
- These muffins are best eaten the day they are baked, but they reheat beautifully in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes.
- Do not thaw frozen blueberries before folding them in — they'll bleed less into the batter.
- Do not overmix the batter; a few streaks of flour are perfectly fine and will result in a more tender crumb.
- The cornstarch is not optional — it keeps the muffins soft and bakery-style tender.
- Tossing blueberries in flour before folding them in prevents them from sinking.
- These muffins are best eaten the day they are baked, but they reheat beautifully in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes.
