Sourdough Discard Strawberry Rhubarb Breakfast Muffins

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These sweet and slightly tart sourdough discard strawberry rhubarb breakfast muffins make great use of sourdough discard and will remind you that summer is almost here with the addition of sweet strawberries and fresh tart rhubarb. With zero refined sugar, this easy and healthy make-ahead breakfast or snack is sure to become a family favorite.

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Growing up, I’m not sure I ever had a bite of rhubarb. When our family relocated to Wisconsin, our rental home had massive rhubarb plants on the side of the house. I had heard that raw stalks dipped in sugar were a childhood treat, so we all decided to give it a try. It was amazing! And that was the beginning of my love affair with rhubarb. 

There was just one problem. I had a hard time taking a perfectly healthy organic stalk of rhubarb and covering it in unhealthy refined sugar, which is the reality of most rhubarb recipes. It definitely needed a bit of sweetness, but there had to be another way to eat this tart plant.

Enter strawberries and maple syrup. These two pair well with the rhubarb, both bringing out the flavor and balancing its tartness. 

These days, half the fun is sourcing the ingredients as rhubarb season and strawberry season come along. We now have our own large rhubarb plants, but before then, we would get it in bulk from the Farmer’s Market. Chopped, it freezes well! Strawberries are picked from a local u-pick farm, which is a favorite family tradition that kicks off our summer.

Healthy muffins are one of our favorite make-ahead breakfast options. Pair them with a precooked sausage patty, and you have a perfect kid-friendly breakfast.

Quick warning before moving on to the recipe…. Rhubarb leaves are poisonous, so make sure to dispose of those where pets or livestock won’t consume them and only eat the stalks!

Why You Will Love This Sourdough Discard Muffin Recipe

• The sweetness of the strawberries and slightly tart rhubarb provide a unique and wonderful flavor.
• This recipe uses sourdough discard, which means it is a great way to use your extra starter, even if you are just getting started and it’s not ready to make sourdough bread yet.
• No refined sugar, so you can serve these for breakfast with zero guilt.
• These are easy to make ahead and freeze for later. The perfect make-ahead breakfast or snack!

Tips for Making Perfect Sourdough Discard Muffins

• After washing and prepping the fruit for this recipe, pat it dry. Too much extra liquid will throw off the texture.
• Do not overmix the muffin batter. Doing so will result in the gluten strands strengthening, and the result will be tough, dense instead of fluffy and light.
• Do not overbake. Check on the muffins as soon as the time is up or they start to look done by placing a toothpick in the middle. If it comes out clean, they are done. Overbaking will make the muffins dry instead of moist. 
• It is fine to use an active sourdough starter or unfed sourdough discard. Your muffins will turn out great either way.
• Make sure to finely dice the pieces of rhubarb. This will make sure that any picky eaters are not thrown off by the added texture.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Strawberry Rhubarb Breakfast Muffins

Step 1:

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with cooking oil, and set aside. I do not do either of these things because I have USA pans, which are naturally nonstick due to a unique silicone coating. 

This recipe makes 12 muffins as it is written, but we always multiply this by 3, 4, or even more, and freeze the extra for easy breakfasts later.

Step 2:

Prepare the streusel topping by mixing together in a small bowl the maple or brown sugar, butter, and flour.

I find my fingers work best for mixing this up quickly, but you could also pulse this mixture a few times in a food processor until it is slightly crumbly. Set aside in the fridge until you are ready to top your muffins.

Step 3:

Then, to a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter (or melted coconut oil if you’d like to make these dairy-free), eggs, maple syrup, sourdough discard, water, and vanilla. Whisk to combine well. The eggs should be beaten while doing this. 

Step 4:

In a separate bowl, add the salt, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Whisk to mix well.

Step 5:

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir just enough so that all of the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix or you will end up with tough muffins. 

This is a pretty thick muffin batter, but if it seems too thick, you can add a few tablespoons of water at a time until you get the right consistency. This adjustment may be necessary if your sourdough starter has a lower hydration (less water) than mine.

Step 6:

Then, gently fold in the finely diced rhubarb and diced strawberries.

Step 7:

Finally, evenly spoon the batter into the muffin tins. Use your spoon to remove air bubbles and press the batter into the cup. I found that by skipping this step, I would have a pretty unstable bottom to my muffins. If your fruit is diced smaller than mine, you may not have this problem, but it would be worth checking anyway.

Step 8:

Sprinkle the tops of each muffin with about 2 tablespoons of the streusel topping. If you have extra, distribute it evenly. You could also skip this step completely, or sprinkle some coarse sugar across the tops instead.

Step 9:

Bake the muffins in your preheated oven for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops begin to turn a golden brown. Do not overbake them, or your muffins will come out dry and crumbly.

Step 10:

After removing the muffin tins from the oven, let them cool in the muffin tins for 10 minutes. Then, remove and cool on a wire rack. If you let them cool completely in the tin, they may get soggy on the bottoms.

These can be eaten immediately, stored in an airtight container for a few days, or frozen to enjoy later.

How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat

The best way to store muffins is in an airtight container or bag. They will last at room temperature like this for 3-4 days. Just make sure they are completely cooled before storing to avoid condensation.

If you would like to save them for later, simply store them in a freezer-safe container or bag. These will last up to 3 months in the freezer.

For an easy make-ahead breakfast, simply reheat these muffins in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven (no need to preheat) for 5-10 minutes until thawed and warmed. If I know I will be serving these the next morning, I will take them out to thaw overnight to make this process go quicker.

Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• This recipe is a great base for other muffin flavors. Add in different fruit or simply remove the rhubarb for delicious strawberry muffins.
• If you don’t have maple syrup or would prefer not to use it, you can substitute up to a cup of granulated sugar for the sweetener and reduce the flour by ¼ cup.
• Need to make these egg-free? Removing the eggs from a muffin recipe does make a noticeable difference in the rise and texture, but they are still amazing. If you take out the eggs, add in 2 tablespoons of tapioca starch to the dry ingredients. This will help give the muffins some structure.
• Add in some chopped walnuts for extra texture and flavor.

Looking for more ways to use your extra sourdough discard? I have more sourdough discard recipes coming soon, so make sure to get on my newsletter so that you don’t miss out!

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FAQs

Can I make these strawberry rhubarb muffins dairy free?

Yes! Just substitute melted coconut oil or vegan butter for the regular butter.

Can I make these muffins gluten-free?

Yes! You can replace the flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour.

Can I leave out the sourdough starter and just make regular muffins?

Absolutely! You can leave out the starter and add ¼ cup of milk or water to the batter instead. 

Can I long ferment these muffins for extra probiotic health benefits?

You definitely can. To do this, mix together the melted butter, maple syrup, 1 cup of sourdough starter (increasing the original amount called for), and flour the night before baking. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to ferment for 8-24 hours. 

When you are ready to bake, transfer the ingredients to a stand mixer and add in the remaining ingredients. You could do this by hand, but the batter will be much tougher to mix than the unfermented version.

Gently fold in the fruit and continue from there with the original recipe steps.

My muffins came out dry and crumbly. What did I do wrong?

This is the result of either overmixing or overbaking. Make sure to only mix the wet ingredients with the dry until they are combined well. Watch the muffins closely towards the end of the baking time and check them for doneness with a toothpick.

I want to make these strawberry rhubarb muffins all year! Where can I find rhubarb in the winter?

Fresh rhubarb is not often found in grocery stores during the off-season. Your best bet is to stock up at your local store, farmer’s market, or your own home if you have plants, and freeze for later. To freeze rhubarb, simply chop and then flash freeze on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. After the rhubarb pieces are frozen, you can add them to freezer-safe bags or containers.