Sourdough Cornbread Muffins Recipe (Warm Muffins Fast!)
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These Sourdough Cornbread Muffins are a little nostalgic for me. They’re inspired by my grandma’s classic cornbread recipe—the same one I shared as my Skillet Sourdough Cornbread—but sometimes you just want those same cozy flavors in perfectly portioned, individual muffins.
They’re sweet, buttery, and tender, come together quickly when you need a 30-minute side, or can be long-fermented overnight for a subtle sourdough tang. They bake up golden every time, freeze beautifully, and reheat like they’re fresh from the oven—simple, comforting, and made to be shared.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Quick to Make Anytime
Just like my Skillet Sourdough Cornbread recipe, the batter comes together quickly in one bowl, and you can bake it right away for a warm snack or a perfect side for tomato or chili soup. This makes them perfect for weeknights or last-minute baking sessions.
Great Use for Sourdough Discard
These sourdough discard corn muffins are a great way to use your excess starter instead of tossing it. It adds a mild tang that balances the sweetness perfectly. You can also swap in active starter by equal grams if needed, though the flavor will be slightly milder. Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls are another tasty discard-based option, and they’re ready in just 2 hours!
Customizable for Flavor
These sourdough cornbread muffins are excellent plain or with mix-ins like shredded cheese, corn, green onions, or jalapeños. You can make sweet or savory variations depending on what your family likes!
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
- Unsalted Butter, room temperature – In order for the sugar and butter to cream properly, make sure the butter is softened. If you use salted butter, reduce the salt to 1 gram (¼ teaspoon).
- White Sugar – This is a sweet cornbread recipe, but if you prefer a more savory cornbread, you can reduce the sugar by half.
- Cornmeal –Yellow cornmeal or white cornmeal both work just fine, but for the best result, use yellow. I like yellow cornmeal because it gives that bright, classic yellow color people expect.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works best for a soft, tender crumb, but you can also mix in some whole wheat flour for a slightly heartier texture.
- Baking Powder –Baking powder is a leavening agent and adds a little lift to this easy recipe. Check that it’s still fresh, and if you’re letting the batter sit for a long ferment, use double-acting baking powder so it still works when it hits the oven.
- Milk – I used whole milk for this recipe, but you can swap it out for your favorite non-dairy milk, like coconut milk, oat milk, or your personal favorite.
- Sourdough Discard – I used fresh, room-temperature sourdough discard that was about 1–2 days old. Older discard works too, but it will make the cornbread more tangy. You can also use the same amount of active sourdough starter, just measure it in grams to keep things consistent.
- Eggs – They provide structure, moisture, and richness.
- Salt: It enhances flavor and balances the sweetness.
How to Make Sourdough Cornbread Muffins
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 12-well muffin tin. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until light, fluffy, and pale in color.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on medium speed until fully incorporated and the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- While mixing on low, add the cornmeal and mix until fully combined.
- In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk and sourdough discard until smooth. Then, in a medium bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and wet ingredients to the stand mixer while mixing on low. Stop mixing once the flour has just been incorporated.
Long Fermentation Tip
Cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate overnight. Remove about 30 minutes before baking to come to room temperature.
- Fold in any optional mix-ins: shredded cheddar cheese, corn, green onions, or jalapeños as desired.
- Fill each muffin well about ¾ full. A cookie scoop works well for even portions.
- Bake for 15–17 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few cornmeal bits, not wet batter.
- Let the muffins sit in the tin for 5 minutes, then serve warm.
How to Store:
These sourdough cornbread muffins are best eaten within a few days, while they’re still soft and tender. Store them in an airtight container to keep them moist and flavorful.
To freeze, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet until firm, then move them to a freezer bag for easy grab-and-go snacks. Leftover cornbread muffins can be chopped for Sourdough Cornbread Stuffing, and you can even freeze them prepped for the next time you need stuffing.
FAQs
Yes, you can long-ferment this sourdough recipe overnight in the fridge. Pull it out about 30 minutes before baking so it comes to room temperature. Use double-acting baking powder to make sure the muffins rise properly.
Yes, you can cut the sugar in half and add shredded cheese, corn, green onions, or jalapeños. These give the muffins a nice savory flavor while keeping them soft and tender. Other mix-ins might work too, but they could change how the muffins bake.
Overmixing after adding flour can make the batter heavy. Stop mixing as soon as the flour is incorporated. Also make sure your baking powder is fresh for a proper rise.
Sourdough corn muffins can sink if they aren’t fully cooked. Bake them 15 to 17 minutes until golden brown and poke the center with a toothpick to check. It should come out with just a few cornmeal bits, not wet batter. If your oven runs cool, give them a few extra minutes to set.
Sourdough Cornbread Muffins Recipe
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Ingredients
- 113 grams unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup
- 210 grams sugar 1 cup
- 2 eggs
- 175 grams white or yellow cornmeal 1 1/3 cup
- 140 grams all-purpose flour, sifted 1 cup
- 6 grams baking powder 1 teaspoon
- 3 grams salt 1/2 teaspoon
- 240 grams milk 1 cup
- 240 grams sourdough discard *see notes 1 cup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 12-well muffin tin. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed, about 2-3 minutes or until white and fluffy. This can be done with a hand mixer as well.113 grams unsalted butter, softened, 210 grams sugar
- One at a time, add the eggs. Continue to mix on medium speed until the egg mixture is light and fluffy with a pale yellow color, about 3 minutes.2 eggs
- While mixing on low, add the cornmeal to the egg mixture until thoroughly combined.175 grams white or yellow cornmeal
- In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk and sourdough discard until smooth.240 grams milk, 240 grams sourdough discard *see notes
- Then, in a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.140 grams all-purpose flour, sifted, 6 grams baking powder, 3 grams salt
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and wet ingredients to the stand mixer while mixing on low. Stop mixing once the flour has just been incorporated.Be careful not to overmix the batter, otherwise this will cause it to become heavy and dense.
- Long Fermentation – If you prefer to long-ferment the batter, cover the mixing bowl and place it in the fridge overnight. Pull the batter out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking to come to room temperature.
- Fill each well about ¾ full. This cookie scoop worked perfectly! You will have to bake these muffins in batches.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few cornmeal bits, but no wet batter.
- Leave in the muffin tin for 5 minutes. Serve them warm and enjoy!
Notes
I don’t have 240 grams of sourdough discard. What should I do?
If you don’t have 240 grams (1 cup) of sourdough discard, you can do 120 grams (1/2 cup) of discard. Add with an additional scant 1/2 cup of flour (60g) to the flour mixture and a scant 1/4 cup of milk (60g) to the milk/discard mixture. For 60 grams (1/4 cup) of discard, add 90 grams (1/2 cups + 2 teaspoon) flour and 90 grams (1/2 cup + 3 Tablespoons) of milk.Favorite Mix-ins
Shredded cheese: 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, or pepper jack cheese all taste great in these corn muffins. Corn: I love the flavor and texture that corn brings to these muffins! Add 1 cup of cooked or canned (be sure to drain them first!) corn kernels to the batter. Green Onions: 1/4 cup of chopped spring green onions are a wonderful addition here. I love doing a combination of shredded cheese and green onions. Jalapeño peppers: If you’re looking for a little bit of heat, add 1–2 chopped fresh jalapeños or a ¼ cup of chopped, pickled jalapeños. Be sure to drain and pat them dry first.Ingredients & Substitutions
- Unsalted Butter, room temperature – In order for the sugar and butter to cream properly, make sure the butter is softened. If you use salted butter, reduce the salt to 1 gram (¼ teaspoon).
- White Sugar – This is a sweet cornbread recipe, but if you prefer a more savory cornbread, you can reduce the sugar by half.
- Cornmeal –Yellow cornmeal or white cornmeal both work just fine, but for the best result, use yellow. I like yellow cornmeal because it gives that bright, classic yellow color people expect.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works best for a soft, tender crumb, but you can also mix in some whole wheat flour for a slightly heartier texture.
- Baking Powder –Baking powder is a leavening agent and adds a little lift to this easy recipe. Check that it’s still fresh, and if you’re letting the batter sit for a long ferment, use double-acting baking powder so it still works when it hits the oven.
- Milk – I used whole milk for this recipe, but you can swap it out for your favorite non-dairy milk, like coconut milk, oat milk, or your personal favorite.
- Sourdough Discard – I used fresh, room-temperature sourdough discard that was about 1–2 days old. Older discard works too, but it will make the cornbread more tangy. You can also use the same amount of active sourdough starter, just measure it in grams to keep things consistent.
- Eggs – They provide structure, moisture, and richness.
- Salt: It enhances flavor and balances the sweetness.
A family favorite! These muffins are tender, moist and quick to whip up to serve with a warm bowl of soup!
These are very tasty and a nice change from my usual cornbread recipe. This is an excellent way to use my sourdough discard. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for the kind comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed them and that they were a fun change from your usual cornbread. I love hearing that they’re a new favorite way to use up discard — happy baking!
Is it precooked cornmeal?
Great question! No, just regular cornmeal (not pre-cooked). The cornmeal will cook as the muffins bake. I typically use medium or fine-ground cornmeal.
Could I halve the recipe?
Absolutely!