My favorite flavour may just be chocolate. Basic, I know. But can you blame me? No sir. Especially not after trying these chocolate sourdough muffins. They are not only soft, full of flavour and easy to make BUT they are cold-fermented overnight to let the wonder of sourdough take its full effect. We waste no time…
You can use either sourdough discard or active starter in these muffins. I do prefer using an active starter for extra gut benefits, but if that discard is starting to pile up, use it here!
My kids are, like many kids, snack kids. And, truth be told, I am not an almond mom. Almond moms have their kids coming back within minutes asking for more. Muffin moms are where it is at. Give them a muffin for a snack, and they will be satisfied and happy. I think you will be too!
Why Fermented Sourdough & Sourdough Discard?
I was gluten free for years after experiencing migraines and headaches anytime I touched gluten. I was also experiencing many skin issues related to an unhealthy gut. A friend told me that they found they were able to enjoy ALL glutenous goodness as long as it was made with a fermented sourdough starter (a gut magic ingredient!). This intrigued me because GF bread was just not doing it for me.
Within 24 hours, I got myself a sourdough starter and began to figure this out. Within a week of eating sourdough fermented breads and baked goods, I boasted of zero migraines/headaches AND even saw my skin clearing up.
Fast forward to now, I bake all our own bread or baked goods by use of an active sourdough starter or with the discard. Either way, my body (and my family’s body!) loves it!
This recipe uses either a sourdough discard or active starter and whichever way you choose to make these, you will reap many benefits!
Here are some sourdough facts for you:
- Sourdough discard goods are easier to digest: It contains a natural bacteria and variety of probiotics which promote a healthy gut and overall, a better digestive system. Basically, very gentle on your gut!
- Blood sugar friendly: With sourdough being fermented, it works against any bad starches and ingredients that can cause your blood sugar levels to rise and spike.
- Full of good acid: The acid in sourdough breads can help your body process foods easier and absorb more minerals, yielding a stronger immune system and better health overall.
- Good for GF sensitivities: In the creation of sourdough bread, gluten is broken down overtime and has changed into amino acids before you enjoy it. This aids in easier digestion and gut health.
- Less preservatives: Sourdough preserves itself naturally using acetic acid, nothing fake here!
- The flavour: Sourdough has a tang and flavour like no other bread. It is hearty, satisfying and extremely delicious.
- Fibrous: Sourdough discard is loaded with fibre to help you feel fuller for longer and lower cholesterol.
- The flavour: Sourdough has a tang and flavour like no other bread or baked good. It is hearty, satisfying and extremely delicious, whether it is fermented or made with sourdough discard.
- Vitamins and minerals: From iron to zinc to vitamin B, sourdough discard contains a variety of essential vitamins and minerals!
Chocolate Sourdough Muffins Ingredients
- Flour: I use all purpose flour from our local organic flour mill.
- Cocoa Powder: Dark or light works here.
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt: I use sea salt.
- Sourdough Starter/Discard: For flavour and health benefits!
- Avocado Oil: Our healthy fat and adds moisture content to these muffins.
- Sugar: Organic white sugar is my favorite for these.
- Eggs
- Sour Cream: For flavour and texture.
- Vanilla Extract
- Milk: We use our local dairy whole milk.
- Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet is our go to!
TIP:
These muffins are extremely versatile and can be made into a loaf or round cake as well!
Feel free to also add in any nut or dried fruit to these during the batter making process.
How To Make Chocolate Sourdough Muffins From Scratch
These have a cold ferment overnight so they must be made the day before you plan on having them. I actually enjoy making the batter the night before time wise! It breaks up the process and reduces my workload from day to day.
The cold ferment will help with the texture and moisture content in the muffins. This can be skipped if necessary but you will have a very different muffin than if you didn’t!
If you have a fancy stand mixer, go ahead and use it. I do not have a stand mixer to boast of so a simple bowl and spoon works well for me in this recipe.
Baker’s Timeline:
Whether you plan on using discard or an active starter, this recipe must have an overnight cold fermentation. If you are tight on time, at least 3 hours in the fridge will help the muffin batter a bit. The setting of the batter during a cold ferment helps with the flavour and texture and moisture of the muffin! Quite a much needed step!
Below is a simple timeline for you to look over so as to have an idea of what making these could look like in your routine.
STEP 1: MAKE THE BATTER
To a large bowl, combine your starter, oil, sugar, eggs, sour cream, vanilla and milk. Use a whisk to stir this very well, until quite smooth. In a medium bowl, combine your flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Incorporate your dry ingredients into the wet, and fold it in with a spindle or spatula until no dry bits are present. Fold in your chocolate chips here. Cover and place into the fridge overnight to cold ferment.
STEP 2: BAKE
Next day, remove your muffin batter from the fridge and prep your muffin tray.
Place about 1/4 cup of batter into each cup. Top with extra chocolate chips if desired and bake for 22-24 minutes.
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How To Store
Keep these at room temperature for 5 days in an airtight container or in the fridge for 10 days in an airtight container.
These also freeze and thaw well.
If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to share and tag me @sarahthereseco on Instagram and come back here to rate and leave a comment!
Chocolate Sourdough Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- ⅔ Cup Cocoa Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 2 Teaspoon Salt
- 150 Grams Active Starter Or Discard
- ½ Cup Avocado Oil
- 1 ¼ Cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- ⅔ Cup Sour Cream
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- ¼ Cup Milk
- 1 ½ Cups Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- To a large bowl, combine your starter, oil, sugar, eggs, sour cream, vanilla and milk. Use a whisk to stir this very well, until quite smooth.
- In a medium bowl, combine your flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Incorporate your dry ingredients into the wet, and fold it in with a spindle or spatula until no dry bits are present. This consistency will be thick and fudgy. Fold in your chocolate chips here.
- Cover and place into the fridge overnight to cold ferment and improve texture and moisture in the muffins!
- Next day, remove your muffin batter from the fridge and prep your muffin tray. Either grease the tray cups well or use muffin liners.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Place about 1/4 cup of batter into each cup. This is a thick batter! I like to place 6 cups dispersed into a dozen muffin tray, giving them space in between with empty muffin cups to help spread heat well and rise better. This is optional. You can fill all the muffin tray cups and these still rise and bake well!
- Top with extra chocolate chips if desired and bake for 22-24 minutes.
- Keep these at room temperature for 5 days in an airtight container or in the fridge for 10 days in an airtight container.
- These also freeze and thaw well.
This recipe was easy to follow and yielded 18 scrumptious muffins! I set the batter in the fridge for 8 hours before baking, and they still turned out great. Thanks for the yummy recipe, Sarah!
WOW! I’ve been secretly waiting for you to come out with a chocolate muffin recipe and it was worth the wait!! SO GOOD!! I will be making these all the time. They are very soft but the top has a slight crisp. The texture is perfect. I actually left the chocolate chips out because I didn’t have any, but it was even delicious without them. Thank you for the awesome recipe, as always!
These are hands down the best chocolate chip muffin I’ve ever tasted! My first sourdough recipe attempt and I’m hooked! Thank you 🥰🥰
This muffins are the best. Most desserts recepies are too sweet and I always have to adjust the sugar. This recepie is amazing. Very chocolatey and the perfect amount of sugar. When I am craving chocolate muffins. This are the muffins that I want
the muffins were very moist and the perfect amount of sweetness with the chocolate chips. They came out looking delicious ,exactly like the ones pictured on the recipe.
I can’t begin to describe how amazing these are! These are the most moist, and flavorful muffins without being too sweet or cupcake like. They’re so fluffy and light and the sourdough component adds so much! I’ve loved every recipe of yours I’ve tried and can’t wait to keep making more!!
I just made these for my kids and they are a huge hit! Delicious and not overly sweet. I added mini M&M’s on the top and they ended up looking like cosmic brownie muffins. I’ll definitely be repeating this recipe.
These chocolate muffins are delightful! They are simple and easy to make and they have the perfect tanginess to sweetness ratio!
so good! I cut the sugar by a half cup because that is all I had left, but still so good! we cut open and smeared homemade raspberry jam on them. yum!
These are the best chocolate muffins! They always come out so tasty-Thank you for the fantastic recipe!
Perfection, as usual. Thanks for another go to muffin recipe, Sarah!
Such a wonderful recipe! I live that discard or active starter can be used. Love the flavor! Great job, Sarah!
Ok…so these were seriously delicious. I am 9 months pregnant and am constantly craving chocolate. Finding this recipe totally fills that craving without the yucky feeling of too much sugar. It is rare to find a baked good recipe that actually tastes like chocolate. Props to you, Sarah!
Prepped a batch of these to have for postpartum and it’s going to take a LOT of self-control to not devour all of them right away!
I didn’t have sour cream or avocado oil, so I subbed plain Greek yogurt and olive oil. I sampled one to see how they turned out, and that is definitely about to turn into two because they are so good!
This muffin recipe is fantastic. While the prep time is a bit long, the instructions are easy to follow. The muffins are rich in flavor and turned out moist and fluffy. My husband and I both loved them. Thank you for sharing, I’ll definitely be making these again!
Awesome recipe! They are moist. The chocolate chips make for the perfect sweetness. Delicious 😋
Loved this recipe! As someone who is super new to sourdough, I appreciated how easily it came together. I made a double batch, which produced 24 muffins and 1 loaf! For the loaf, I baked at 375 for 40 minutes. So yummy! Thank you Sarah!
I didn’t even follow the recipe exactly and they still turned out! Give them a try!
These are absolutely fantastic. Your muffin recipes are my go-to, Sarah. Perfectly balanced in sweetness and texture. Say hello to my newest pregnancy craving.