Sourdough Discard Banana Bread Muffins

Have some extra sourdough starter in your fridge that you don’t know what to do with? Try these delicious, moist sourdough discard banana bread muffins. They make a yummy breakfast, on the go snack, or even dessert! They are vegan friendly, refined sugar free, and everyone will love them!

What is sourdough discard?

Sourdough discard is a part of the starter that is removed before feeding and refreshing it. In a perfect world, there wouldn’t be discard, because you’d always be making something with the sourdough starter. You’d add a portion of active starter to your recipe, and then feed what’s left over. In this ideal situation, you’d never have extra, but always use up the active starter. But for most of us, this isn’t sustainable. And so we end up with discard.

Essentially, instead of always adding to the starter to feed it, you remove some starter and feed what’s left. What you remove is called the discard. You want to do this in order to keep the wild yeast fresh and active. This discard could be discarded in the trash as the name suggests, but…

Instead of dumping it in the trash, you can use it in a discard recipe like these sourdough discard banana bread muffins. Just stick this portion of the starter in your fridge in a mason jar, and use within two weeks time to avoid an overly sour taste!

What to do with sourdough discard?

You don’t need to actually discard your sourdough discard. A quick google search will supply you with endless recipes for sourdough discard. And besides this banana muffin recipe, you may also want to try my Vegan Sourdough Pancakes with Spelt which work well with sourdough discard!

Why you’ll love this recipe

Vegan Friendly-These muffins are dairy free and egg free, making them a vegan! They are made with a flax egg to hold them together. Whether you have an egg allergy, dairy allergy, or just want a yummy banana muffin, these will be a new favorite for vegans and non-vegans alike!

Using up sourdough discard-No need to let your sourdough discard go to waste! This is a great recipe to use up that extra sourdough starter.

Refined sugar free-Muffins are often loaded with sugar and are usually eaten for breakfast. This combo just isn’t what I want to give my children in the morning. I prefer starting our day with something besides sugar. And yet I love the convenience of a muffin. Muffins are a great way to feed little people and can come in a variety of flavors. So these sourdough discard banana muffins are the perfect solution. Instead of cane sugar, I’ve used a monk fruit and erythritol sweetener that acts as the perfect sugar substitute. It works wonderfully in these muffins but has a zero on the glycemic index so won’t cause a blood sugar spike.

Equipment You’ll Need

Immersion blender– I have found that this is the easiest way to blend up bananas. If you’re like me or my kids and don’t like chunks of banana in your muffins, this immersion blender will do the trick! A regular blender will also work here, or a fork if you prefer a little more texture to your mashed banana.

Seed grinder– I love grinding my own flaxseed with this! This particular one is handy since it comes with two grinding cups, making it easy to wash between uses. Pre-ground flaxseed can be purchased, but for maximum nutrition, you’ll want to have freshly ground flaxseed. Additionally, a seed grinder comes in handy with grinding other things in the kitchen. I use it for grinding chia, coriander, and cumin seeds, just to name a few.

Muffin Pan– Ceramic is a great non toxic option.

Ingredients

Sourdough Discard

Flax egg-made with ground flaxseed and water

Olive oil– cold-pressed is best!

Erythritol and monk fruit sweetener– this or this

3 large extra ripe bananas

All-purpose flour– look for unbleached and unbromated

Baking Powder

Baking Soda

Sea Salt– I love pink Himalayan sea salt

Cinnamon

Optional additions– shredded coconut, chia seed, chopped walnuts

How to make sourdough discard banana muffins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a 12 muffin pan by coating with a light layer of coconut oil, olive oil, or avocado oil.

In a small bowl, combine ground flaxseed and water to create a flax egg. Allow to sit for at least five minutes before adding to wet ingredients.

Mash your overripe bananas with an immersion blender or fork to desired consistency. In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas, sourdough discard, monk fruit sweetener, olive oil, and flax egg. Mix until well combined.

In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well.

Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir until just mixed. Don’t over mix. Fold in add-ins if using.

Divide the batter into the muffin pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from oven and allow the muffins to cool in the pan for ten minutes before removing. Enjoy!

Do you enjoy baking with sourdough? You may want to try Easy Overnight Sourdough Sandwich Bread or Vegan Sourdough Pancakes with Spelt or Easy Vegan Sourdough English Muffins!