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Sourdough Banana Muffins

These sourdough banana muffins are tender, lightly sweet, and perfect for busy mornings on the homestead. They come together quickly, use up extra sourdough starter, and can even be long-fermented overnight for better digestibility. Add the optional crumb topping for a cozy, bakery-style finish.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time22 minutes
Total Time32 minutes
Course: Breads
Keyword: sourdough banana muffins
Servings: 12
Author: Ashley Nicole

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas about 2–3 bananas
  • ½ cup sourdough starter active or discard
  • ½ cup melted butter or coconut oil
  • 1 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional Mix-Ins

  • ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup shredded coconut
  • Turbinado sugar for topping if not using crumb topping

Optional Crumb Topping

  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cubed
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Prep

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners or grease well with butter.

2. Mix the Dry Ingredients

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

3. Combine the Wet Ingredients

  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth.Add the eggs, vanilla, mashed bananas, and sourdough starter. Stir until well combined.

4.Bring It Together

  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir gently until just combined.Fold in any optional mix-ins (nuts, chocolate chips, coconut). Do not overmix.

5.Fill the Muffin Tins

  • Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
  • If using the crumb topping: Sprinkle it generously over each muffin.
  • If skipping it: Sprinkle turbinado sugar for a sparkly crunch.
  • 6. Optional Crumb Topping
  • In a small bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and oats.
  • Add the butter cubes and use your fingers or a pastry cutter to work it into coarse, sandy crumbs.
  • Sprinkle over each muffin before baking.

7. Bake

  • Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Notes

Overnight Long-Ferment Option

  1. Mix all wet ingredients + the flour only (do NOT add baking soda, baking powder, salt, or cinnamon).
  2. Cover the bowl and let it rest at room temperature for 8–12 hours.
  3. The next morning, add the remaining dry ingredients, fold gently, and bake as directed.
This method yields extra-soft, deeply flavorful muffins.

Tips for Perfect Muffins

  • Use extra ripe bananas for maximum sweetness and moisture.
  • For tall bakery-style domes, begin baking at 375°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F.
  • Muffins freeze beautifully—just wrap individually and freeze up to 3 months.
  • Replace cinnamon with pumpkin pie spice for a fall variation.