There are some recipes you make because you planned ahead, carefully gathered the ingredients, and knew exactly what you were doing.

And then there are recipes born from, “I have sourdough discard. What can I make with this?”

These muffins were the latter.

And they were SO good.

Soft sourdough muffins with vanilla, a cinnamon-sugar swirl running through the middle, buttery coffee cake crumble on top, and just enough vanilla glaze to finish them off.

Basically, cinnamon roll meets coffee cake meets sourdough discard muffin.

And yes, they absolutely deserve a place on the Nurse Connect blog.

Because if we're going to talk about being whole humans outside of nursing, surely that includes eating warm cinnamon muffins on a weekend morning.

Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake Muffins

Makes 6 generously sized muffins

For the muffins

• 100 g (about 1/2 cup) sourdough discard

• 1 large egg

• 60 g (about 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar

• 60 g (1/4 cup) butter, melted and slightly cooled

• 60 g (1/4 cup) milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 120 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the cinnamon swirl

• 25 g (2 tablespoons) brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 14 g (1 tablespoon) butter, melted

Don't worry if this mixture looks more like a thick paste than a traditional cinnamon-sugar mixture. That's exactly what mine looked like, and it worked beautifully.

For the coffee cake crumble

• 30 g (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour

• 25 g (2 tablespoons) brown sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• Pinch of salt

• 20 g (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) butter, melted

For the vanilla glaze

• 30 g (about 1/4 cup) powdered sugar

• 1–2 teaspoons milk

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Let's Make Them!

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease six wells of a standard muffin pan well, or line them with muffin liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, egg, sugar, melted butter, milk, and vanilla until combined.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir just until everything comes together. Try not to overmix.

In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter for the cinnamon swirl. It should form a thick, spreadable paste.

Fill each muffin cup about halfway with batter. Add a little cinnamon mixture to the center of each and gently swirl it through the batter with the tip of a knife or toothpick.

Divide the remaining batter between the muffin cups.

For the crumble, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture forms little crumbs. Sprinkle generously over the tops of the muffins.

Bake for approximately 18–22 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the muffin portion comes out clean.

Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for about 10–15 minutes before removing them.

And I know this because I waited approximately 5 minutes before trying to remove one because I was way too excited to eat it.

It crumbled.

Learn from me.

While the muffins cool, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until you have a drizzle-able glaze. Start with one teaspoon of milk and add a little more as needed.

Drizzle over the slightly cooled muffins.

Then eat one while it's still a little warm.

Obviously.

A Few Notes

No sourdough discard?
This recipe was created specifically as a way to use discard, so that's part of what gives the muffins their texture and slight tang.

Do I need muffin liners?
Nope. I greased my muffin pan and they baked beautifully. Just give them enough cooling time before attempting extraction. See cautionary tale above.

Can I skip the glaze?
Of course. But the vanilla glaze with the cinnamon and crumble is really good, so I wouldn't.

Can I double the recipe?
Absolutely. This small batch makes six muffins, which is perfect when you don't need a dozen sitting around tempting you. Double everything for a standard 12-muffin batch.

Can I make these the night before?

Yes! That's exactly what I did, and they were perfect for an easy morning bake.

Prepare the muffins completely the night before, including the cinnamon swirl and crumble topping. Cover the muffin pan and place it in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, preheat your oven to 350°F and take the muffin pan out of the refrigerator while the oven heats. Then bake as directed.

Because the batter is starting out cold, the muffins may need a few extra minutes in the oven. Start checking them around the 20-minute mark and bake until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the muffin portion comes out clean.

Make the vanilla glaze while the muffins are baking or cooling, then drizzle it over the warm muffins before serving.

This might actually be my favorite way to make them. All the mixing and mess happens the night before, and in the morning you get fresh, warm cinnamon coffee cake muffins with very little effort.

Why Is There a Muffin Recipe on a Nurse Connect Blog?

If you've read my welcome post, you already know the answer.

We're more than nurses.

And sometimes connecting, reflecting, and growing looks like talking about boundaries, identity, nurse well-being, or coaching.

Sometimes it looks like standing in your kitchen on a weekend morning, experimenting with the sourdough discard you couldn't bring yourself to throw away.

There is room here for both.

And these muffins?

Definitely worth making room for.

Connect. Reflect. Grow.

And occasionally, make the muffins.