Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

I love these mini muffins because they use up a LOT of sourdough discard, and are the perfect (sourdough!) alternative to the store-bought Little Bites. This recipe makes about 4 dozen muffins, so you'll have plenty to freeze - just pop them in a lunchbox or thaw for a snack whenever needed.

These were inspired by the time I bought fun "vacation snacks" for a trip we took over the summer, and my kids encountered Little Bites for the first time. You know the ones - super soft, 4 muffins per pack, and kids go nuts for them.

I've avoided doing the calculation of how many muffins were being consumed daily, but what I did calculate is that if they kept up that pace, and I kept supplying them in our regular, non-vacation life, we would be spending somewhere around $100 PER MONTH on mini muffins.

So, I made some instead.

And I love them not only because they're saving me big bucks, but also because they are a true lunchbox hero! Life feels good when I have a couple bags of chocolate chip mini muffins in the freezer. They have become a staple in my kitchen because pretty much no matter how badly I need to grocery shop, if there are chocolate chip mini muffins available, I can cobble up a lunch my kids will be excited about.

Ingredients

These are very standard muffins, and use the typical formula of mixing dry ingredients, mixing wet ingredients, then combining. There are a few stand out ingredients I will tell you about though:

• Cinnamon + nutmeg - There's a good bit of cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg in these, and they give these muffins just a touch of warmth and spice. When eating one, I never have the thought "these are cinnamon-y" because it's not that distinct, but it does pair really well with the chocolate! This is a deviation from the source of inspiration, so if you want to more closely replicate Little Bites, feel free to omit.
• A whole cup of sourdough discard - Yes, this recipe uses a whole cup of liquidy, sourdough discard. DO keep in mind that if your discard is super sour, it will impact the flavor of your muffins. Tang is great, pungent is not - make sure you smell yours before you use it!
• Butter - A whole stick of butter is melted for these. I love that they use butter, but you can most definitely substitute a neutral cooking oil if you prefer.
• Greek yogurt - Greek yogurt is basically my (not so) secret ingredient for adding moisture, depth of flavor, and a little bit of protein to baked goods. I also love it in this zucchini bread and these waffles.
• Chocolate chips - I highly recommend using mini chocolate chips here! They're sometimes harder to find than regular chocolate chips, but they disperse so much better in the mini muffin.

Substitutions

Here are things I would feel good about substituting in this recipe:

• The add-in - I use chocolate chips always, but you could substitute the same amount of any DRY addition. Any variety of chip would work (cinnamon chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, etc.), or you could do colorful sprinkles if you wanted to make funfetti muffins.
• The butter - As I mentioned above, feel free to substitute ½ cup of any neutral oil you prefer for the butter.

Tips

• Most mini muffin pans can bake 2 dozen muffins at a time. If you have one pan, you'll need to bake these in at least two batches. Be sure to re-grease your pan between each batch to prevent sticking. (I've skipped it before and regretted it!)
• Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to quickly and evenly distribute the batter in the muffin tin.
• Avoid over-mixing the batter - it can make for tough muffins! Fold in the dry ingredients until they're mostly combined with some dry pockets remaining, then fold in your add-ins until evenly distributed.

Storage

Keep these in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature for up to 5 days.

OR, freeze them for up to 3 months. I add them straight from the freezer to lunch boxes, and they're the perfect size to thaw by lunchtime.

Hope I just saved you hundreds of dollars this year with this recipe 😉