Double Chocolate Sourdough Muffins- Discard Recipe

Double chocolate sourdough muffins are moist, decadent, and delicious. These are the best bakery-style muffins for a little sweet treat.

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Why you want to make these double chocolate sourdough muffins

Simple and easy to throw together.

These double chocolate sourdough muffins use simple, whole food ingredients making them easy to throw together in a pinch. 

Bakery-style

The fluffy, moist crumb, and decadent richness of the chocolate chunks makes these muffins taste like they are fresh from the bakery. 

Sourdough Recipe

Sourdough recipes have probiotics which are beneficial for gut health and making baked goods more digestible. 

The sourdough flavor also adds a nice touch to baked goods.

Food prep

These muffins freeze very well as fully baked muffins or as muffin batter.

Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freeze the batter in a disposable freezer bag for fresh muffins at a later date. 

Flexibility

These double chocolate sourdough muffins are flexible.

Because you can use active starter or sourdough discard in this recipe, you can bake them immediately if you would like to without waiting for a rise time. The extra fermentation time is optional.

FAQ for Double Chocolate Sourdough Muffins

The difference between active sourdough starter and sourdough discard

Active Sourdough Starter

Active sourdough starter is when a sourdough starter has been fed and reaches its peak bubbliness and fermentation. This is the perfect state of sourdough starter when making an artisan sourdough bread loaf or a recipe where you want a nice rise in your bread.

Sourdough Discard

From this point of peak rise of the sourdough starter, it starts to become less bubbly and die down a bit leaving sourdough discard. 

Equipment needed for Double Chocolate Sourdough Muffins

Large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer

Hand mixer or stand mixer paddle attachment 

Medium bowl

Large sifter/sieve– using a sifter for the dry ingredients helps to break apart and clumps, add more air to the batter, which results in those beautiful bakery-style muffins we are looking for.

Standard sized large muffin tin

Muffin liners or parchment paper to make liners with – I love using tulip liners for a special look but any muffin liners will work. 

Muffin scoop– 2oz. scoop, ice cream scooper, or spoon for scooping batter

Measuring cups and spoons

Plastic wrap, beeswax wrap, or tea towel

Making your own tulip muffin liners

These muffin liners are very cute and will give you a tulip style bakery liner. 

1. Simply cut out your squares of parchment paper to a 5″x5″ dimension. 
2. Flip a jar upside down and center the parchment paper over the top of the jar. 
3. Press firmly around the crease as you make a cup over the bottom of the jar with the parchment paper.
4. Remove from the jar and place in your muffin tin.

Variations for Double Chocolate Sourdough Muffins

Fresh milled flour

– These double chocolate sourdough muffins would be delicious using fresh whole wheat flour milled from a grain mill. If using whole wheat, I would add a 1/2 cup of whole milk to help the recipe remain moist.

Larger muffins

– For bigger muffins than standard size large muffins, increase the time to 30 minutes. Increase by 2-3 minutes at a time until batter is baked through. This will depend on how much bigger your muffin tin is. 

Sourdough Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

– Add in a 1/2 cup of grated, pat dry, zucchini to the batter for sourdough chocolate zucchini muffins. 

Double Chocolate Sourdough Quick Bread

– For a double chocolate sourdough quick bread, prepare the muffin batter as instructed below and add the batter to a prepared standard sized loaf pan. Bake for 55 minutes. 

Double Chocolate Sourdough Muffins Recipe

Ingredients

• Sourdough starter (discard or active sourdough starter)
• All purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Dark brown sugar- or coconut sugar
• Cocoa powder
• Salted butter at room temperature– can sub for coconut oil
• Sour cream- can sub for whole milk yogurt or plain greek yogurt
• Large eggs– at room temperature
• Pure vanilla extract
• Espresso baking powder- or instant coffee
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt

Add-ins

• Dark chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

Directions for making double chocolate sourdough muffins

First, to a large bowl or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter, sugars, vanilla and sourdough starter on medium speed.

Mix together until well combined. 

Next, add in the eggs, sour cream, and salt. Mix in on low speed.

Then, to a separate bowl prepare the dry mixture.

Add the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder or instant coffee, baking soda, and baking powder.

Sift the dry ingredients into the wet

Set a large sieve over the bowl of the stand mixer. 

Then, sift in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients for bakery-style muffins that have a fluffy crumb and moist texture.

Stir well until everything is incorporated and no dry bits of muffin batter remain.

Add in chocolate chunks

Then, fold in your chocolate chunks. I prefer to use dark chocolate chunks or chips in all my baking over semi-sweet chocolate chips for the deep, rich chocolate flavor.

Long fermented double chocolate sourdough muffins

Next, prepare the oven to bake or cover the bowl with plastic wrap, beeswax wrap, or a wet tea towel and place in the refrigerator overnight for further sourdough fermentation.

When ready to bake

Remove the muffin batter from the fridge.

Preheat the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Line your muffin tin with paper liners. I like these parchment paper tulip liners for the look but any paper muffin cups will work.

Scoop muffin batter into the muffin tin filling each liner 3/4 of the way. 

Then, sprinkle a few chocolate chunks on the top of the muffins.

Allow the pan to sit on the counter while the oven fully comes to temperature.

Then once the oven has preheated, bake the double chocolate sourdough muffins for 24 minutes.

Ovens vary but the goal is to insert a small toothpick into the center of a muffin and have the toothpick come out clean with no wet batter sticking to it. Melted chocolate is fine.

Allow double chocolate sourdough muffins to cool

After the toothpick comes out clean and your sourdough chocolate muffins are baked all the way through, move the muffin tin to a cooling rack.

Next, allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. 

Finally, remove the muffins to the wire rack to fully cool.

Finish off double chocolate sourdough muffins with chocolate drizzle if desired

A delicious way to finish off this sweet treat is by melting some extra chocolate chips to drizzle over the top of the muffins. 

Enjoy a warm muffin with a glass of milk or hot coffee. 

Storing double chocolate sourdough muffins

Store these double chocolate sourdough muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days on the counter or a week in the refrigerator.

Meal Prep & Freezing Double Chocolate Sourdough Muffins

Tip: My favorite tip for making muffins is to…

1. Make a double batch of batter
2. Bake one half of the batter, and put the other half in a disposable freezer-safe bag. 
3. Lay the bag flat in the freezer for storage space. 
4. Next time you want some delicious sourdough chocolate chip muffins, remove the frozen batter from the freezer and allow to thaw.
5. Cut the tip of the freezer bag and squeeze the batter into your muffin liners.
6. Bake as directed.

This is a great way to do a little meal prep for fresh baked muffins later on. The best part is, you only had to dirty the dishes once!

Are you a chocolate fan? If so, do you prefer milk chocolate, white chocolate, or dark chocolate? Let us know in the comments below!

Other sourdough discard recipes you may enjoy

• Sourdough Discard Maple Scones
• Discard Lemon Berry Sourdough Muffin Recipe
• Sourdough Gingerbread Muffins