Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins {Active Starter or Discard}
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My Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins are rich, chocolatey, and incredibly moist bakery-style muffins made with simple ingredients and leftover sourdough discard. Loaded with a combination of regular and mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, every bite delivers melty pockets of chocolate flavor that bakery-style muffins just cannot match.
This sourdough chocolate chip muffins recipe is a great way to use up sourdough starter discard and freezes beautifully for weeks. If you love sourdough discard muffins, try my Sourdough Blueberry Muffins or my Sourdough Double Chocolate Muffins for more chocolate-packed options.
Quick Look: Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Rest Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Servings: 12 muffins
- Calories: ~309 kcal per muffin (based on nutrition panel)
- Cook Method: Baked
- Flavor Profile: Rich, moist, and buttery with a caramel-like brown sugar flavor and generous pockets of melty chocolate chips. Bakery-style muffin tops guaranteed!
- Difficulty: Easy — Simple to mix with no special equipment needed, and ready in just 50 minutes!
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Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe
- Freezer-friendly for busy mornings: These muffins freeze well in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Wrap each one in plastic wrap or foil, then thaw at room temperature or microwave for 15 to 20 seconds for a warm, fresh-from-the-oven treat. For another freezer-friendly sourdough discard muffins option, try my Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.
- Quick or long-fermented: This muffin batter comes together fast for same-day baking in under an hour, or you can cover it with plastic wrap and cold-ferment overnight in the fridge for a deeper sourdough tang. Either way, you get tall, golden brown muffins with a moist crumbs center every time.
- Bursting with chocolate chips: Every bite is loaded with a mix of regular and mini chocolate chips, so you get melty pockets and tiny bursts of sweetness all the way through. Use milk chocolate chips or swap them for semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips. You can even add white chocolate chips for a creamier variation.
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Sugar: The combo of white and brown sugar makes for a slightly denser muffin, but it’s so incredibly moist with a slight caramel-like flavor.
- Sourdough Discard: For sweeter recipes like these sourdough muffins, I prefer to use 1-2 day old sourdough discard. You can use an active sourdough starter; be sure to use the same amount in grams.
- Sour Cream: Keeps the muffins tender and super moist. You can substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt.
- Unsalted Butter: I tested this recipe with 75g (⅓ cup) of avocado oil vs 113 grams (½ cup) of butter and I loved the flavor and texture of the muffins made with butter better. They were more tender, less gummy, and stayed just as moist. If using salted butter, reduce the salt by 1 gram (¼ teaspoon).
- Chocolate Chips: I love using a combination of regular and mini chocolate chips for different bites of chocolatey sweetness, but you can use one or the other. You can also swap milk chocolate chips for semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips.
How to Make Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins
- First, preheat the oven to 425°F, then grease a 12-well muffin pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together these dry ingredients until combined: flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together the sugars, melted butter, eggs, sour cream, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and mix until there are just a few streaks of flour left. Add in the chocolate chips and fold them into the thick batter. Leave the batter to rest for 15 minutes.
Long Fermentation Tip
To long ferment this muffin batter, cover and place in the fridge to cold-ferment overnight, then bake as normal the following morning.
- Once the batter has rested, scoop about 100 grams (5 Tablespoons) into each muffin well. The muffin tins will be full. Top with more mini chocolate chips and coarse sugar, if desired.
- Bake for 7 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue to bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean.
- Keep the muffins in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!
McKenna’s Helpful Tips
- Start baking at 425 degrees F for the first 7 minutes, then reduce to 350 degrees F for the remaining time. This high-heat burst helps the muffin tops rise tall and dome beautifully before the interior sets. I use the same temperature method for my Sourdough Double Chocolate Muffins.
- Let the muffin batter rest for 15 minutes before scooping into the muffin pan. This allows the dry ingredients to fully hydrate and gives you a taller rise with a tender crumb. I follow the same resting step for my Sourdough Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins.
- For the best results with sour cream, make sure it is at room temperature before mixing. Cold sour cream can cause the melted butter to seize up and create lumps in the batter. I use the same approach with sour cream in my Sourdough Blueberry Muffins.
- Sprinkle extra mini chocolate chips and coarse sugar on top of the batter before baking for a beautiful, bakery-worthy finish. This adds crunch and makes each muffin tin look professional. For another treat that benefits from a topping before baking, try my Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- Keep the muffins in the muffin tin for 5 minutes after baking, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents soggy bottoms while the muffins finish setting. If you love using sourdough starter discard in sweet bakes, my Sourdough Banana Bread is another recipe that stays moist for days.
How to Store
Room Temperature: Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can keep them in the fridge for up to a week, but they may dry out slightly, so warming them before eating helps.
Freezing: Wrap each muffin tightly in plastic wrap or foil, then place them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Thawing & Reheating: Thaw muffins at room temperature or in the microwave. To reheat, wrap a muffin in a damp paper towel and microwave for 15 to 20 seconds to keep it moist. You can also heat them in a 350°F oven wrapped in foil for about 10 minutes. Adding a little butter or jam to a warm muffin makes it even better.
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins FAQs
You do not need to bulk ferment this recipe. This is a quick sourdough discard muffins recipe that you can mix and bake the same day. Just let the muffin batter rest for 15 minutes, then scoop and bake. However, if you prefer a deeper sourdough tang and slightly taller muffins, you can cover the batter and cold-ferment it in the fridge overnight. Both methods produce delicious muffins. For another quick discard recipe, try my Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Muffins.
Yes, you can! While I have not tested white chocolate chips in this exact recipe, they are a popular swap. Because white chocolate is sweeter and creamier than dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips, you might want to reduce some of the sugar or mix white with darker chips to balance the sweetness.
Yes. This recipe calls for sourdough discard, but you can definitely use an active starter without any problems. Be sure to use the same amount by weight in grams, not volume. For sweeter recipes like these, I prefer to use 1 to 2 day old sourdough starter discard for a milder tang. I follow the same approach for my Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.
No, you do not have to. Vanilla extract adds a nice, rich flavor that complements the chocolate and sourdough, but the muffins will still be delicious without it. They just will not be quite as flavorful. I always recommend using real vanilla extract over imitation for the best results.
If you tried this Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe
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Equipment
- muffin liners
Ingredients
- 200 grams all-purpose flour 1 1/4 cups + 1 Tablespoon
- 150 grams sugar 3/4 cup
- 50 grams light brown sugar 1/4 cup
- 8 grams baking powder 2 teaspoons
- 3 grams salt 1/2 teaspoon
- 113 grams unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cup
- 120 grams sour cream, room temperature 1/2 cup
- 110 grams eggs 2 large
- 120 grams sourdough discard, room temperature 1/2 cup
- 8 grams vanilla extract 2 teaspoons
- 175 grams chocolate chips
- coarse sugar if desired
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, then grease a 12-well muffin pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. Set aside.200 grams all-purpose flour, 8 grams baking powder, 3 grams salt
- In another bowl, whisk together the sugars, melted butter, sour cream, eggs, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract until smooth.150 grams sugar, 50 grams light brown sugar, 113 grams unsalted butter, melted, 120 grams sour cream, room temperature, 110 grams eggs, 120 grams sourdough discard, room temperature, 8 grams vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and mix until there are just a few streaks of flour left. With a rubber spatula, fold the chocolate chips into the thick muffin batter. Leave the batter to rest for 15 minutes.I added 100 grams of chocolate chips and 75 grams of mini chocolate chips.175 grams chocolate chips
- Long Ferment: To long ferment this muffin batter, cover and place in the fridge to cold-ferment overnight, then bake as normal the following morning.
- Once the batter has rested, scoop about 88 grams (5 Tablespoons) into each muffin liner. The muffin tins will be full. This creates the most perfect muffin tops. Top each with more mini chocolate chips and coarse sugar, if desired.coarse sugar
- Bake for 7 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for 14-16 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean.
- Keep the muffins in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!
Notes
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Sugar: The combo of white and brown sugar makes for a slightly denser muffin, but it’s so incredibly moist with a slight caramel-like flavor.
- Sourdough Discard: For sweeter recipes like these sourdough muffins, I prefer to use 1-2 day old sourdough discard. You can use an active sourdough starter; be sure to use the same amount in grams.
- Sour Cream: Keeps the muffins tender and super moist. You can substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt.
- Unsalted Butter: I tested this recipe with 75g (⅓ cup) of avocado oil vs 113 grams (½ cup) of butter and I loved the flavor and texture of the muffins made with butter better. They were more tender, less gummy, and stayed just as moist. If using salted butter, reduce the salt by 1 gram (¼ teaspoon).
- Chocolate Chips: I love using a combination of regular and mini chocolate chips for different bites of chocolatey sweetness, but you can use one or the other. You can also swap milk chocolate chips for semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips.
- For a bit of warmth to the batter, you can also add 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- To get the best muffins tops, it’s important to bake the muffin batter at a high heat, then lower the temperature.
I tried these with semi sweet mini chocolate chips and did thr long fermentation. Wow they were so good!!
Yum!! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I just made these and they turned out AMAZING!! Love, love, love the easy to follow directions. Thank you SO much!!
Ahh this makes me so happy to hear — thank you! I’m so glad they turned out amazing and that the directions were easy to follow. That’s exactly what I hope for! Thanks for taking the time to leave such a sweet comment.
Hi! Do I need to bulk ferment? Can I just bake? Thank you !
Great question! You do not! This is a quick sourdough discard recipe, but you can long-ferment if you’d like. Hope you love it!
Just made these (for the second time) and they are AMAZING! By far my favorite muffin recipe. They’re moist, light, and perfectly sweet. This time, I substituted regular plain yogurt for the sour cream and used a mix of mini and regular chocolate chips and some of a chopped up chocolate bar. If you’re reading this and thinking about making these muffins, DO IT!!
My heart! Thank you so much for this sweet comment, Molly. But I couldn’t agree more, they truly are so delicious!
Love how tender and chocolatey these muffins are. Plus they stay moist for days!