Blueberry Lemon Sourdough Muffins (Printable)

Moist muffins bursting with fresh blueberries and lemon zest, topped with a crunchy buttery streusel.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Muffins

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - Zest of 1 large lemon
07 - 1 cup sourdough discard, unfed
08 - 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
09 - 1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
10 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
11 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 - 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

→ Streusel Topping

13 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
14 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
15 - 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, diced
16 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
17 - Pinch of salt

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease thoroughly.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together sourdough discard, milk, oil or melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
04 - Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
05 - Carefully fold blueberries into the batter using a spatula.
06 - Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups, filling each approximately 3/4 full.
07 - In a small bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in cold butter using a fork or fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
08 - Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over each muffin.
09 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean and tops are golden brown.
10 - Allow muffins to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sourdough discard creates a subtle tang that makes you taste each bite twice, wondering what makes them taste so good.
  • That streusel topping delivers actual crunch instead of just sitting there, and people always ask for the secret.
  • You finally have a real reason to keep feeding that starter sitting in your kitchen.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter will make them dense and tough, so trust that slightly streaky batter more than you trust your instinct to keep stirring.
  • Frozen blueberries genuinely perform better here than fresh ones because they stay firm and don't sink to the bottom or release too much juice.
  • That sourdough discard absolutely must be unfed—fed starter has different hydration and fermentation and will throw off the whole recipe.
03 -
  • Measure flour by spooning it into your measuring cup instead of scooping directly from the bag—this keeps you from packing it down and ending up with too much.
  • If your sourdough discard is super thick and stiff, thin it with a splash of milk so it blends smoothly into the wet ingredients.
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