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Sourdough Corn Muffins

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Adding sourdough discard to a muffin batter.
A stack of corn muffins in a red check napkin lined basket.
A corn muffin cut in half with a pat of butter on it.

This simple recipe for Sourdough Corn Muffins can be made with sourdough discard for a quick and easy prep, OR made with active sourdough starter for a long fermentation. These sourdough cornbread muffins pair perfectly with a comforting bowl of homemade chili, or alongside a hearty and crisp salad.

A corn muffin with a pat of butter and drizzle of honey.

While many folks enjoy their cornbread either unsweetened or just a little bit sweetened (like my sourdough cornbread recipe), corn muffins seem to be a whole different ball game. Even though you may hear them called “cornbread muffins” from time to time, corn muffins tend to be a little more on the sweet and fluffy side.

These sourdough corn muffins are no exception, although they aren’t as sweet as something like a banana muffin. They are light, slightly sweet, and feature that signature corn-y flavor and texture we all know and love.

They pair perfectly with some chili or baked beans on a cool Winter’s day, but are just as beloved during the hot summer months when served with a crisp garden salad or crumbled on top. In short – they are the perfect side dish to your favorite meals.

Reasons to Try This Recipe

  1. It’s a great way to use up sourdough discard, meaning nothing goes to waste!
  2. A delicious addition to a bowl of comforting, cozy homemade chili.
  3. Can be made with active sourdough starter and long fermented for all the benefits of sourdough fermentation.
  4. Easy to make with no softening of butter needed – this recipe can be prepped at a moment’s notice.

Ingredients

The ingredients needed to make corn muffins: cornmeal, flour, butter, honey, etc.
  • Cornmeal: I mean, you can’t have corn muffins without it, right?
  • Flour: You’ll need some all purpose flour to mix in with the cornmeal for the muffin batter. Unbleached or regular is totally fine.
  • Butter: You’ll also need some melted butter. I used salted, but you could use unsalted if you prefer.
  • Honey: This adds both flavor and sweetness. You’ll want it to be pourable, so if your honey is raw or crystalized you may want to heat it gently on the stovetop first.
  • Sourdough discard: You’ll need a 1/2 cup of sourdough discard (about 142g). You could use active starter if preferred. If you opt for a long fermentation, I recommend using active starter for the best results.
  • Milk: Makes for a soft and moist muffin. I recommend using whole milk.
  • Sugar: This supplements the sweetness of honey. I like my cornbread with a tiny bit of sugar, but cornbread muffins tend to taste better when they are sweeter.
  • Eggs: You’ll also need 2 large eggs.
  • Pantry staples: Just some salt and baking powder.

Equipment:

  • Muffin pan: You’ll need a muffin pan for this recipe. I highly recommend USA muffin pans because they are non-stick, but silicone coated. They are also just all around great pans to work with.
  • Paper liners: I always use paper liners because they make cleanup a breeze and the muffins always come out easy. I purchase unbleached parchment liners in bulk.

How to Make Corn Muffins with Sourdough Discard

This recipe is so quick and easy to make, so make sure to preheat your oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners before you get started on the batter!

Once your oven is preheated, add the flour, sugar, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder to a large bowl. Whisk well to combine (I love my Danish dough whisk of course, but you can use a standard one).

Whisking together dry ingredients, and then eggs and milk in another bowl.

Add the eggs to a separate bowl and whisk well until the yolks and whites are fully incorporated.

Add in the milk, followed by the honey. Stir well, then add in the melted butter while whisking to fully incorporate. Even though the butter should be mostly cooled, I recommend whisking while adding it as a precaution to ensure it doesn’t cause parts of the egg white to cook.

Then drizzle in the sourdough discard, and whisk just until it is fully combined.

Adding honey and sourdough discard to a corn muffin batter.

Add the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, and fold everything together with a silicone spatula just until the dry ingredients are fully moistened.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups (I like to use a cookie scoop) until they are almost full. Evenly distribute the batter over all 12 muffin cups.

Scooping muffin batter into a muffin pan.

Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle.

Remove from the oven and allow the muffins to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing them and carefully transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Once the muffins are cooled enough to touch they are ready to serve. They taste delicious warm with some butter and honey, but can be enjoyed at room temperature too!

Corn muffins laying inside of a red check napkin-lined bowl.

Storing and Freezing Sourdough Cornbread Muffins

If you would like to store your leftover sourdough corn muffins, first allow them to cool completely to room temperature. This prevents any condensation in the container or bag, meaning they will store for longer (and keep their texture).

Transfer your cooled muffins to an airtight container or sealed storage bag. Store them at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Note that muffins do become dense once stored in the fridge, so it’s not the best solution, but it will give you a little bit longer storage time.

Freezing Your Muffins

  1. Allow your muffins to cool completely to room temperature.
  2. Transfer the muffins to an airtight container or a sealed freezer bag with excess air removed.
  3. Place in the freezer in a location where they have ample room (so they don’t get crushed).
  4. Freeze for up to 2-3 months.
  5. Thaw before serving.

Variations and Substitutions

Jalapeno cheddar corn muffins: After mixing up the batter fold in 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup of chopped pickled jalapeños.

Cheddar cornbread muffins: Fold 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese into the batter, then scoop into muffin cups and bake.

Dairy free: Substitute the milk for canned coconut milk or cashew milk and the melted butter for melted coconut oil.

Drizzling honey on a muffin with a pat of butter.

Long Fermentation Instructions

If you want to get the benefits of sourdough fermentation, you can make these muffins using a long fermentation. Note that you will need to swap the sourdough discard for active sourdough starter.

You have two options here – let me break it down for you.

Option 1: Short ferment followed by cold ferment

Since milk is used in this recipe and most are using a pasteurized milk, I don’t recommend doing a complete long ferment at room temperature. Instead, you will ferment for about 3-4 hours at room temperature, then transfer to the fridge for an additional 6-12 hours before adding the remaining ingredients.

  1. Add the cornmeal and flour to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
  2. Add in the milk and active sourdough starter and stir until everything is moistened.
  3. Cover and ferment at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
  4. Transfer to the fridge and cold ferment for an additional 6-12 hours.
  5. Combine the remaining dry ingredients in a bowl, and the remaining wet ingredients in another bowl.
  6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until moistened.
  7. Add the combined wet and dry ingredients into the sourdough, cornmeal, and flour mixture. Stir until full incorporated.
  8. Portion into muffin cups and bake as directed.

Option two: Long ferment without milk

Another option is to do a long fermentation without milk added, so instead you can do a full long fermentation at room temperature. This is done by substituting water, but the texture will not be as soft when you use water. That being said – it’s a perfectly good choice, so I wanted to offer it here.

  1. Add the cornmeal and flour to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
  2. Add in 1/2 cup of warm water and 1/2 cup (stirred down; or 142g) active sourdough starter to the flour and cornmeal mixture. Stir until all of the flour and cornmeal is moistened.
  3. Cover the bowl and allow to ferment for 6-8 hours at room temperature.
  4. Combine the remaining dry ingredients in a bowl, and the remaining wet ingredients (don’t include the milk – that was replaced by water) in another bowl.
  5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until moistened.
  6. Add the combined wet and dry ingredients into the sourdough, cornmeal, and flour mixture. Stir until full incorporated.
  7. Portion into muffin cups and bake as directed.
A corn muffin split in half with a pat of butter on each half.

Recipe FAQ’s

Can you put cornmeal in sourdough?

Yes, you can put cornmeal in with either your sourdough bread recipe, or a recipe that uses sourdough discard. While your sourdough starter can not be fed with cornmeal, it can be used as an ingredient in sourdough recipes – just make sure there is enough flour as well, as that is what the starter feeds off of.

What is the difference between corn bread and corn muffins?

Corn bread is often made without sugar (or just a little bit), and is a bit more dense and corn-y in flavor. It is often made in a cast iron skillet, and can be made without flour. Corn muffins on the other hand, are fluffy, sweet, and always include the addition of flour.

More Sourdough Muffins and Quick Breads

  • Sourdough Banana Muffins
  • Sourdough Applesauce Muffins
  • Sourdough Banana Bread
  • Sourdough Beer Bread
  • Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins
A corn muffin half with a pat of butter on one half.

Sourdough Corn Muffins

This simple recipe for Sourdough Corn Muffins is soft, delicious, and easy to make. Can use active starter OR discard – your choice!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Sourdough Discard
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Sourdough Breakfast, Sourdough Discard, Sourdough Recipes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12 Muffins
Calories: 227kcal
Author: Dolly {Little Home in the Making}

Equipment

  • Muffin pan

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • ¾ cup yellow cornmeal
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • ½ cup sourdough discard or sourdough starter
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • ½ cup butter melted and cooled
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and prepare a muffin pan by lining it with paper or silicone liners.
  • Add the flour, cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine.
  • Add the eggs to a medium-sized bowl and whisk until frothy. Add in the honey, milk, and melted butter and whisk everything together until well combined.
  • Add in the sourdough discard and whisk just until combined.
  • Add the milk and egg mixture to the cornmeal and flour mixture, and whisk until it begins to come together. Then fold everything together using a silicone spatula, just until all the flour and cornmeal has been moistened.
  • Spoon or scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups until they are almost full. Distribute evenly over the 12 muffin cups.
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are set. To test, insert a cake tester or toothpick into the middle – if it comes out clean the muffins are ready.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack OR serving warm.

Notes

Storing: Allow your muffins to cool completely to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight storage container and store on the counter for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Muffins stored in the fridge will get a bit dense.
Freezer instructions: Allow the muffins to cool completely to room temperature. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
Use salted butter: Add in ¼ teaspoon more salt if using unsalted.
Long fermentation: For detailed instructions, see the full post.
Add the flour and cornmeal to a large bowl, and stir in the milk (or water – if doing a full room temperature ferment) and 142g active sourdough starter. Stir well to combine. Cover and ferment at room temperature for 3-4 hours, then transfer to the fridge for an additional 6-12 hours.
Combine the remaining dry ingredients in a bowl, and then the remaining wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. Add to the fermented cornmeal mixture and fold it in until fully incorporated. Scoop into muffin cups and bake as directed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 328mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 292IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 1mg

Please note that some of my blog posts here at Little Home in the Making may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. See our disclaimer for more information.

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About Me

Hello, I'm Dolly! I'm a busy mom and wife who LOVES sharing my latest recipes and projects.

My hope is that I can inspire you to gather around the dinner table, and make time for those who matter most.

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