Sourdough Cinnamon Muffins with Crumb Topping
These Sourdough Cinnamon Muffins with Crumb Topping are tender, warmly spiced, and loaded with cinnamon chips for bakery-style flavor right at home. A buttery brown sugar streusel crowns each muffin with irresistible crunch. They come together quickly with simple pantry staples and sourdough discard for a breakfast you will look forward to every single morning.
Equipment
- 12-cup standard muffin tin
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Small bowl for crumb topping
- Pastry cutter or fork
- Wire cooling rack
- Muffin liners or nonstick spray
Ingredients
Muffin Batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon fresh and fragrant
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed, light or dark
- 1 cup sourdough discard unfed, room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup cinnamon chips found in the baking aisle
Crumb Topping
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cold, cut into small cubes
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease thoroughly with nonstick spray.
- Make the crumb topping: In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the cold cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work it in until the mixture resembles coarse, pea-sized crumbles. Place the bowl in the refrigerator while you prepare the muffin batter.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined and no lumps remain.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, melted butter, eggs, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully blended.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. A few small lumps in the batter are completely fine. Stop mixing as soon as no dry streaks of flour are visible to avoid overworking the gluten.
- Add the cinnamon chips and fold them in with two or three gentle strokes until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Remove the crumb topping from the refrigerator and scatter a generous amount over each muffin, pressing it on lightly so it sticks to the surface of the batter.
- Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, until the muffin tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. Do not open the oven door before the 18-minute mark.
- Remove the muffin tin from the oven and let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Use cold butter when making the crumb topping to achieve the best sandy, crunchy texture. Do not overmix the muffin batter once the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Overmixing results in dense, rubbery muffins. For extra-tall domed tops, start the oven at 425 degrees F for the first 5 minutes then reduce to 375 degrees F. Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze individually wrapped for up to 3 months.