Table of contents
These Sourdough Strawberry Banana Muffins are made with fresh sweet strawberries, tangy sourdough discard, warm spices, and topped with a buttery, crunchy topping. These muffins are not overly sweet and they bake up light and tender from the addition of moist banana and tangy buttermilk. They’re perfect for a Summer brunch or a delicious way to use up fresh strawberries during their short-lived season. These strawberry muffins or my sourdough rhubarb muffins are a great way to use your sourdough discard.
Wet Ingredients
- Butter is made from churned cream that contains 80% butterfat. European butter is churned longer and has a higher fat content (82%-85%), which is why it yields more flavor.
- Canola oil is a type of vegetable oil made from the seeds of canola plant. It’s low in saturated fat.has a neutral, light flavor that gives baked goods tender texture.
- Sugar is a made by processing the juice of the sugarcane plant. Cane sugar is a natural option that is less processed with a slightly courser texture.
- Brown sugar is granulated sugar combined with molasses, sold as either light brown sugar (with 3.5% molasses) or dark brown sugar (with 6.5% molasses) for a more robust flavor.
- Buttermilk is a cultured dairy product that adds a tangy flavor and creates tenderness in baked goods. When purchasing buttermilk, look for simple, natural ingredients such as “cultured milk”.
- Eggs are produced by female chickens and are important in baking because their proteins provide structure, they act as a natural leaving agent by trapping air that expands during baking.
- Vanilla provides hints of caramel and spice, which enhances the depth of flavor in baked goods. Homemade vanilla is best, or use a high-quality, all-natural brand that contains at least 35% alcohol.
- Strawberries are a type of red berry that grow on low-lying plants in the rose family and ripen in late Spring.
- Bananas are a tropical fruit grown on banana plants that start off green and unripened. When baking, it is best to use bananas with brown spots which add natural sweetness and moisture.
- Sourdough discard is the unfed portion of sourdough starter that is removed before the starter is fed with fresh flour and water.
Dry Ingredients
- All-purpose unbleached flour is made from ground wheat kernels with the bran and germ removed. It has a moderate protein content of 10-12%, making it a versatile option for most baked goods.
- Instant ClearJel is a modified food starch used as a thickener, stabilizer, and gelling agent, that helps retain moisture and produces a light, tender texture in baked goods.
- Baking powder is a leavening agent that contains both an acid, like cream of tarter, and a base, like baking soda to help baked goods rise. Use a double-acting aluminum-free baking powder to avoid a bitter aftertaste.
- Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a leavening agent that, when combined with an acid (like lemon juice, buttermilk, or vinegar) creates carbon dioxide gas to make baked goods rise.
- Cinnamon comes from dried bark from the tropical Asian cinnamon tree and is available as whole cinnamon sticks or ground. There are two types: Cassia which has a warm, sweet flavor, and Ceylon known as “true cinnamon”, which has an intense spicy bite.
- Nutmeg is a warm spice that comes from the nutmeg tree in the Spice Islands. It is available as whole nutmeg, grated or pre-ground.
- Pink salt is a type of rock salt found near the Himalayas, that is minimally processsed and contains trace minerals.
Homemade Ingredients & Substitutions
- Homemade Buttermilk: Add 1 T. vinegar or lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup and add cream or whole milk until it reaches the 1 c. measure line and let it sit for a few minutes before use.
- Homemade Vanilla: Purchase Grade B vanilla beans (also called extract-grade), which have less moisture and a more concentrated flavor. Place 8 oz. of bourbon (or vodka) in glass bottle or jar. Split 5-7 vanilla beans down the middle and add to bottle. Let it sit for 3-6 months in a cool, dark place. As you use it, continue to replace the bourbon and add more beans as it keeps for many years.
- Use cornstarch as a substitution if ClearJel is hard to find. For every 1 T. of cornstarch, use 1 1/2 T. ClearJel. For every 2 T. flour or tapioca, use 1 T. ClearJel. You can find it online here.
- If you don’t have sourdough starter, just substitute with 1/4 c. buttermilk or sour cream.
FAQ’S
No, do not thaw the fruit before adding to the batter, as it can release liquid and can stain the batter the color of the fruit.
Before adding the fruit into the batter, toss in a small amount of flour or cornstarch and gently fold in by hand.
Let muffin batter rest in bowl covered with a towel for 10-15 minutes before scooping into muffin liners to absorb the flour. To get high domes on muffins, start oven at at 25° higher temperature for 10 minutes, then reduce oven for the remaining bake time.
Aluminum muffin pans that are light in color are best for conducting even heat. Lightly spray the top of the muffin pan before putting in the muffin liners. This will prevent the muffins from sticking to the pan in case they spill over the liners.
Place baked muffins in an air-tight container up to 3 days. To freeze, cover in saran wrap and place in freezer-safe container up to 6 months. Thaw on counter in the container for 1/2 hour before opening up the container.
Yes, you can make batter ahead of time and place in a sealed container in the refrigerator and use within 3-5 days.
Dietary Substitutions
For the past 12+ years, I have owned an all-natural specialty bakery converting conventional recipes to gluten free, vegan, wholesome, etc. Read more about it here.
TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE
Here are some tips for gluten free baking
- Use a premium gluten-free flour blend.
- Be sure to let the batter rest to help eliminate grittiness. Even letting the batter sit 15 minutes will yield a light and tender baked good. You can let batter sit in the fridge overnight, and up to 3 days.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons additional liquid (use the same liquid called for in the recipe) to help hydrate the flour.
- Reduce the oven temperature by at least 25° to bake low and slow, since gluten-free flour is delicate and tend to burn before the center is cooked through.
- Gluten-free baked goods have a shorter shelf-life than conventional baked goods and dry out faster. Store in airtight container on counter 1-2 days. The refrigerator tends to dry them out more, so it is best to freeze up to 6 months.
TO MAKE VEGAN/DAIRY FREE
- Swap out the butter with vegan butter. I use Violife Plant Butter.
- To replace the egg, place 1 tsp. of baking soda into your baked good and pour 1 T. white vinegar on top of the baking soda.
- Replace the dairy with unsweetened oat milk
Related Recipes
Sourdough Strawberry Banana Muffins
Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 2 c. unbleached flour
- 1 T. instant ClearJel or cornstarch
- ½ c. brown sugar
- ⅓ c. sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- ¾ tsp. salt
WET INGREDIENTS
- 1 c. banana mashed
- ½ c. sourdough discard
- ¼ c. melted butter
- 2 T. canola oil
- ¼ c. buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp. vanilla
MIX-IN
- ¾ c. strawberries chopped
CRUNCH TOPPING
- ⅓ c. flour
- ⅓ c. oats
- ⅓ c. brown sugar
- ⅓ c. butter room temp
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
Instructions
PREP
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- In a separate bowl mash the banana. Hull and chop the strawberries.
- Melt butter and set aside.
- Make the topping. In a mixing bowl mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon.
MUFFIN BATTER
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
- Add in wet ingredients and mix together until just combined.
- Toss the strawberries in a little bit of flour and then gently stir into the batter. This will help it to not sink to the bottom.
- Let batter rest in bowl 15 minutes with towel over it. Scoop batter into the muffin pan.
BAKE
- Top the muffin batter with the crumb topping.
- Bake at 350° for 25-28 minutes.
- Store on counter in a sealed container up to 3 days. Freeze up to 6 months.
How to pick strawberries
How to pick & preserve strawberries
- It is best to pick fresh fruit early in the morning before the bugs are active and to avoid the sun.
- Wear old shoes because strawberries are grown on the ground in sand and dirt.
- Wear bug spray!
- Be sure to wear long-sleeve shirt to protect your skin from the plants and pants if you plan to kneel down to pick the berries.
- To refrigerate: hull strawberries and put in an air-tight container such as a large mason jar and put in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- To freeze: hull strawberries in a single layer on a 1/2 sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Freeze for 1 hour or until firm, and then place in ziploc bags or vacuum seal them for up to 1 year.
More Muffin Recipes
More Strawberry Recipes
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