Low-sugar Blueberry Protein Muffins
If you love baking with sourdough starter and are looking for a creative way to use your sourdough starter discard, we have a delightful treat for you: Blueberry Protein Muffins with Sourdough Discard!
These muffins include fresh, juicy blueberries and organic whey protein powder for delectably nutritious muffins.
Blueberry Protein Muffins with Sourdough Discard
Sourdough is a beloved ingredient in bread-making and offers numerous health benefits.
The fermentation process used to create sourdough bread enhances its nutritional profile. Sourdough is easier to digest than traditional yeast bread. In sourdough, lactic acid bacteria break down gluten, fructans, and phytic acid. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals with gluten or FODMAP sensitivities.
Muffins are not usually long-fermented, but they can be! I don’t long ferment these blueberry sourdough muffins, but many readers have told me they have successfully fermented the batter overnight in the fridge for easier digestion. You can try fermenting the muffin batter overnight in the fridge before preheating your oven and filling your muffin tin with batter.
Don’t Over-Mix These Blueberry Protein Muffins
One crucial tip when making these blueberry protein muffins is to avoid overmixing the batter. Overmixing can result in dense muffins rather than light and fluffy protein muffins, and the reason behind this is the formation of gluten.
Gluten, a protein present in flour, gives structure to baked goods. However, excessive mixing develops gluten strands, leading to a denser texture. To prevent this, gently mix the dry and wet ingredients until they are just combined, ensuring there are still some lumps and streaks of flour in the batter.
This technique allows the muffins to rise correctly, resulting in a tender crumb.
My other muffin baking tip is always to use a thin metal aluminum muffin tin with paper liners. A metal muffin tin works way better than a silicone muffin pan.
Why Are My Protein Muffins Dry?
Dry protein muffins can result from several factors related to ingredients and baking techniques. Here are some common reasons and tips to help you troubleshoot:
- Too Much Flour: Adding too much flour can make muffins dry. For accuracy, measure your flour correctly using the spoon-and-level method or a kitchen scale.
- Overmixing: Overmixing the batter can cause too much gluten to develop, making the muffins dense and dry. Mix until just combined to avoid this.
- Baking Time: Baking muffins for too long can cause them to dry out. Check them a few minutes before the recipe’s suggested time by inserting a toothpick; it should come out clean but not dry.
- Protein Powder Type: Different protein powders absorb moisture differently. Whey protein, for example, can sometimes make baked goods dry. The blueberries used in this recipe add enough moisture to keep the muffins moist, even with protein powder.
- Low-Fat Content: If your recipe uses low-fat ingredients or substitutes, the muffins may lack moisture. My recipe calls for grass-fed butter, which helps keep the muffins from drying out.
What is the Secret to Moist Muffins?
Adding fruit into muffins is the secret to achieving a moist and tender texture that keeps these baked treats irresistibly soft.
Fruits like blueberries, apples, and cherries naturally contain high water content, which releases moisture as the muffins bake. This moisture infusion prevents the muffins from drying out and enhances their softness. Moreover, fruits contribute to the flavor profile, adding a fresh, natural sweetness that complements the other ingredients.
The natural sugars in blueberries also caramelize during baking, creating pockets of juicy, flavorful bites within the muffin. The pectin found in fruits is a natural thickener, contributing to the moist, luscious crumb. Incorporating fruit elevates the taste and ensures that each muffin is tender and deliciously moist.
Storing Blueberry Protein Muffins
Storing baked blueberry protein muffins properly ensures they remain fresh and delicious. Here are some tips on how to store them effectively:
- Room Temperature Storage:
- Allow muffins to cool completely.
- Place them in an airtight container lined with paper towels to absorb excess moisture.
- Store at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
- Refrigeration:
- If the weather is hot or humid, consider refrigerating muffins.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
- Freezing Muffins:
- Cool muffins completely before freezing.
- Place muffins in a freezer-safe bag or container.
- Label it with the date and freeze it for up to 3 months.
- Reheating Frozen Muffins:
- Remove the desired number of muffins from the freezer.
- Microwave on high for 20-30 seconds or until warm.
- Alternatively, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and heat muffins for 10-15 minutes until warmed.
More Sourdough Discard Muffin Recipes
- Zucchini Blueberry Muffins with Sourdough Discard
- Double Chocolate Cherry Muffins with Sourdough Discard
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins with Sourdough Discard
Things You May Need:
Low-Sugar Blueberry Protein Muffins with Sourdough Discard
A high-protein sweet snack that uses up some sourdough discard? Sign us up! Moist, rich, and bursting with flavor—the perfect baking recipe for blueberry season. Enjoy these blueberry protein muffins for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Cook: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup plain whey protein powder
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups fresh blueberries, slightly mashed
- 1/2 cup grass-fed butter, room temperature soft
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 2 eggs, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° F.
- Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- lightly mash the blueberries with fork.
- In a medium-large mixing bowl, combine the flour, protein powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and blueberries.
- In a separate bowl, combine the butter, sourdough starter, vanilla, whole milk, and two eggs. Whisk until combined.
- Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until everything is just combined. Do not over-mix. The batter should be thick, and it’s okay if there are clumps.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin tins. Optional— top with extra blueberries
- Bake for about 30 minutes total. Rotate the pan halfway through.
- Allow cooling for about 15 minutes.
Notes
- If you do not have protein powder, you can still make these muffins!— Use 2 cups of flour total in the recipe, and omit the protein powder.
These were delicious! I added juice of 1 lemon + zest to add some zing to it.
love that! Blueberry and lemon are fantastic together!
These turned out fantastic!!! My one year old loves them too! They are perfect- crispy on the outside but light and soft on the inside. New favorite blueberry muffin recipe!
Delicious! These muffins have a wonderful crunchy top and are soft and fluffy inside. I fermented the batter overnight in the fridge and they baked great. I also used frozen blueberries from last years’ harvest (just let blueberries thaw at room temp and don’t include excess liquid).
Thanks for leaving a review! I’m glad to hear the overnight batter ferment worked great for you too!
I made these again, but used bananas instead of blueberries and 1/2 whole wheat flour. Still delicious!
I used vanilla protein powder and only 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to its not too vanillily. Came out perfect 👌 they were so moist and I dint feel bad about eating them. I baked a handful for the kids breakfast to grab and go!
Thank you so much for leaving a review and for trying my recipe!
These turned out so great! Loved how they were crispy on the stop but still soft and chewy on the inside. I also used a plant based protein powder and fermented them overnight and they still turned out great
Thank you for leaving a review! I’m thrilled to hear you loved the recipe.
Easy recipe. I use about 1/2 cup pea protein 1/4 cup collagen powder. Leave out some of the flour and add hemp and flax seeds. I used thawed frozen blueberries. Added a ripe mashed banana to the wet ingredients. Also added about 1/2 cup cottage cheese. Dash of cinnamon. Let ferment in the fridge 8-10 hours. Better rise if the batter comes to room temp before baking. Works well for mini muffins too baked for about 15 min.
this is under sourdough discard, but the recipe calls for sourdough starter…so does it have to be active sourdough starter or can it be discard i have in the fridge? can you make these without the protein powder?
You can use active starter or discard from your fridge. Both work. Either way the starter is “discarded” into the recipe because it is not used for rise. You can uses 2 cups flour total and leave out the protein powder.
They turned out great. It made 18 muffins so I’m not sure what went wrong, but I’m not mad.
hmm… maybe your muffin tin is a different size than mine!
We love these! I feed my starter weekly and make these atleast every other week. They really are delish.
Glad to hear y’all are loving the muffins! Thanks for leaving a review!
Made these last week, and they were so good!! For my next batch, I wanted to try with chocolate chips – do you think this will significantly affect how moist they are?
yes! Without the blueberries they will be quite dry. If you want to do chocolate chips, sub the blueberries for some chopped banana maybe? Fresh fruit is necessary.
Could I add a couple extra egg whites to up the protein? Would that make the batter too runny?
It will definitely make the batter wetter, which will change the final texture. I’d say just adjust the egg. You can do 4 servings of egg white instead of two eggs. I haven’t tested the recipe like that though, so I cant know for sure how that will come out.