If you love the flavor of cinnamon rolls but want something quick and easy, these sourdough discard cinnamon roll muffins are the perfect treat! They have all the gooey, spiced goodness of a classic cinnamon roll but bake up in a muffin pan.
Plus, they’re a delicious way to use up extra sourdough discard, which is a lovely balance to the sweet cinnamon-sugar filling. Topped with a rich cream cheese frosting, these muffins are soft, fluffy, and utterly irresistible. Whether you enjoy them for breakfast, a snack, or dessert, they’re sure to be a new favorite in your sourdough baking rotation!
Why I love this recipe
- Same-Day Bake – No need for an overnight rise! These muffins come together quickly, making them perfect for a spontaneous sweet treat.
- Soft, Fluffy, and Irresistible – The muffins bake up light, airy, and perfectly tender, with gooey cinnamon swirls in every bite.
- A Delicious Way to Use Up Sourdough Discard – Instead of throwing away extra starter, this recipe puts it to good use, adding flavor and texture to the dough.
How to make sourdough discard cinnamon roll muffins: step-by-step
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 165 grams milk (warmed)
- 150 grams sourdough discard (brought to room temperature)
- 50 grams sugar
- 1 egg (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 50 grams of unsalted butter (softened)
- 360 grams all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 5 grams salt
For the filling:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
- 70 grams (5 tablespoons) softened unsalted butter
Cream cheese frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese brought to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter brought to room temperature
- 1-2 cups powdered sugar (adjust to your preferred sweetness)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Bench/dough scraper
- Rolling Pin
- Food scale/measuring spoons
- 12 cup muffin pan
- Muffin liners
Instructions
The sourdough discard brioche dough can be mixed by hand or a stand mixer.
- Warm the milk in the microwave for 30-45 seconds and pour it in a mixing bowl.
- Stir in the sourdough discard and sugar until mostly dissolved. Then whisk in the egg and vanilla extract.
- To a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, & salt, and slowly add it to the wet mixture along with the softened butter.
- Mix until the ingredients come together into a shaggy dough, then cover and let it rest for 20–30 minutes to hydrate and relax.
- After resting, knead the dough until it becomes fairly smooth, being careful not to add too much extra flour, as this can alter the final texture. It should remain slightly sticky even after kneading.
- Once complete, cover the dough and let it rest for another 15-30 minutes.
Shaping sourdough discard cinnamon roll muffins
- Line a 12 cup muffin pan with muffin liners and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon, then whisk until evenly mixed.
- After resting, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 20×10-inch rectangle. Tip: flour your rolling pin to avoid it from sticking.
- Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top, then gently press it into the dough to help it adhere.
- Using a ruler or visually estimating, lightly score the top of the dough every 1.5 inches to help guide the cuts and maintain uniformity. Use a pizza cutter to make clean, straight cuts through the dough.
- Roll each cinnamon roll individually and place each one in the muffin pan.
- Bake the sourdough discard cinnamon roll muffins for 23-25 minutes or until the internal temperature is 190-200 degrees F.
- Allow the muffins to rest for 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan.
- While they rest, make the cream cheese frosting.
How to make the cream cheese frosting
- Using your electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed in a medium mixing bowl . Mix until they are well combined and have a smooth, creamy texture. This should take about 2-3 minutes.Pour the vanilla extract in and mix until combined.
- Reduce the speed of your hand mixer to low. Slowly add the powdered sugar, about one cup at a time. This prevents a sugary mess and ensures that the powdered sugar is incorporated evenly into the mixture.
- After each addition of powdered sugar, increase the mixer speed to medium and continue to blend until the frosting becomes smooth and well combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure even mixing (optional: adjust the consistency by adding a teaspoon of milk at a time).
- Top each sourdough cinnamon roll muffin with the cream cheese frosting and enjoy!
- Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. If glazed, keep them in a single layer to prevent sticking.
More sourdough dessert recipes
- Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls (soft & not too sweet!)
- Sourdough Brownies
- Sourdough Blondies
- Sourdough Maple Sugar Cookies
Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Roll Muffins
These sourdough discard cinnamon roll muffins are soft, fluffy, and packed with swirls of cinnamon-sugar goodness—perfect for using up discard while indulging in a bakery-style treat!
Servings: 12 muffins
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Bench/dough scraper
- Rolling Pin
- Food scale & measuring cups
- 12 cup muffin pan
- Muffin liners
- electric hand mixer
Ingredients
For discard brioche dough
- 165 grams milk warmed
- 150 grams sourdough discard room temperature
- 50 grams sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 50 grams unsalted butter softened
- 360 grams all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 5 grams salt
For the filling
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 70 grams (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter softened
For the cream cheese frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1-2 cups powdered sugar adjust to your preferred sweetness
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- The sourdough discard brioche dough can be mixed by hand or in a stand mixer.
- Warm the milk in the microwave for 30-45 seconds and pour it in a mixing bowl.
- Stir in the sourdough discard and sugar until mostly dissolved. Then whisk in the egg and vanilla extract.
- To a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, & salt, and slowly add it to the wet mixture along with the softened butter.
- Mix until the ingredients come together into a shaggy dough, then cover and let it rest for 20–30 minutes to hydrate and relax.
- After resting, knead the dough until it becomes fairly smooth, being careful not to add too much extra flour, as this can alter the final texture. It should remain slightly sticky even after kneading.
- Once complete, cover the dough and let it rest for another 15-30 minutes.
Shaping sourdough discard cinnamon roll muffins
- Line a 12 cup muffin pan with muffin liners and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon, then whisk until evenly mixed.
- After resting, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 20×10-inch rectangle. Tip: flour your rolling pin to avoid it from sticking.
- Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top, then gently press it into the dough to help it adhere.
- Using a ruler or visually estimating, lightly score the top of the dough every 1.5 inches to help guide the cuts and maintain uniformity. Use a pizza cutter to make clean, straight cuts through the dough.
- Individually roll each cinnamon roll and place them into the muffin pan.
- Bake the sourdough discard cinnamon roll muffins for 23-25 minutes or until the internal temperature is 190-200 degrees F.
- Allow the muffins to rest for 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan. While they rest, make the cream cheese frosting.
Make the cream cheese frosting
- Using your electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed in a medium mixing bowl . Mix until they are well combined and have a smooth, creamy texture. This should take about 2-3 minutes.Pour the vanilla extract in and mix until combined.
- Reduce the speed of your hand mixer to low. Slowly add the powdered sugar, about one cup at a time. This prevents a sugary mess and ensures that the powdered sugar is incorporated evenly into the mixture.
- After each addition of powdered sugar, increase the mixer speed to medium and continue to blend until the frosting becomes smooth and well combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure even mixing (optional: adjust the consistency by adding a teaspoon of milk at a time).
- Top each sourdough cinnamon roll muffin with the cream cheese frosting and enjoy!
- Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. If glazed, keep them in a single layer to prevent sticking.
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