Name: Einkorn Sourdough Cinnamon Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 7 h 30 min
Yield: 18
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups einkorn all-purpose flour; 1 cup unsweetened kefir; 1 cup Gentle Sweet; 4 tablespoons melted butter; 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk; 1 egg; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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These quick fermented sourdough cinnamon muffins are going to become a fast favorite around your home. Using kefir and einkorn flour, this recipe does not use a sourdough starter, but you will still get sourdough benefits from letting the grains soak in kefir. The end result is a light and slightly chewy cinnamon muffin that is delicious and perfect for a quick breakfast or snack!

As I was concocting this recipe, I began to think to myself, can this recipe be called sourdough if it does not use a sourdough starter?

If you have ever wondered what qualifies as sourdough, I can relate! Sometimes I get 'stuck' on thinking that something can only be labeled as 'sourdough' if it uses my sourdough starter that I work so hard to keep alive!

Although most of my recipes will use a sourdough starter in some capacity, there are recipes that still can be labeled as sourdough without using a sourdough starter! This recipe is a perfect example.

To make the einkorn the most 'gut friendly' I still wanted to ferment it in some way. Kefir is a great way to ferment something because the fermentation process has already begun!

My kids gobbled up this crossover (THM) muffins and they asked for it again the next morning for breakfast, I call that a win!

If you want to learn more about using kefir in a sourdough fermentation process, this is a good article to learn more. Or if you are interested in learning more about the benefits of kefir, read this post by Trim Healthy Mama.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Equipment
Storage
Top tip
FAQ
Related
Einkorn Sourdough Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients

Einkorn All-Purpose Flour
- All-purpose flour will allow these muffins to rise better. You can use whole wheat, but it may not have the puffy look a muffin should. I typically buy my einkorn flour in bulk.
Kefir
- Kefir is a fermented dairy product and it is used in this recipe as a leavening agent. Allowing the kefir and einkorn to sit and ferment gives lovely health benefits to the flour.
Baking Powder and Baking soda
- Used for leavening
Cinnamon
- You can use any type of cinnamon here. I typically try to use Saigon cinnamon, which has the strongest flavor.
Salt
- Salt is simply used here to bring out the flavor. We prefer to use Redmond Real salt.
Butter melted
- Butter is often used to give structure to recipes, which is the case for this recipe.
Molasses
- Instead of using a brown sugar substitute to give this a toffee or caramel flavor, I increased the use of Gentle Sweet and added molasses
Gentle Sweet
- My recipes are all sugar-free and most of them use Gentle Sweet which is a combination of Stevia, Xylitol, and Erythritol. You can learn more about sugar substitutes through this resource page.
Vanilla extract
- Vanilla in this recipe simply adds a hint of vanilla. You can learn how to make your own vanilla here.
Unsweetened Almond Milk
- This recipe would be quite thick if not for the almond milk! This adds moisture content to the dough and helps it properly form into a muffin.
Egg
- Use to help give rise and structure.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Combine kefir and all-purpose einkorn flour. Allow to sit out at room temperature for at least 7 hours or overnight.

Combine the starter and remaining ingredients in a stand mixer bowl. Mix until well combined.

Spoon batter into muffin cupcakes/muffin liners. Only fill ¾ of the way full.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 20 minutes.

Hint: don't overbake these! If you leave them in the oven too long the middles with collapse and you will be left with 'less fluffy' muffins!

Substitutions

Can I substitute the sourdough starter/discard with the kefir?

Yes, you can. If you want to use a sourdough starter or discard instead of kefir use 1 cup of sourdough starter/discard plus 1 ½ cups of all-purpose einkorn flour. Let it ferment for at least 7 hours or overnight.

Can I substitute brown sugar with molasses?

As long as you are using THM-approved brown sugar, then yes. Reduce the Gentle Sweet to ½ cup and add ½ cup of Brown Sugar (like Swerve). If you are not living a sugar-free lifestyle, you can use regular sugar or brown sugar.

Equipment

Glass bowl

Stand Mixer

Measuring cups

Measuring spoons

Spatulas

12 cup muffin tins

Muffin/cupcake liners

You can find all my favorite kitchen products through my Amazon storefront or Like to Know Shop.

Storage

These need to be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator because of the use of an egg.

In our family, I like to keep them out on the countertop for a couple of days and then put the remaining into the refrigerator. Most of the time treats like these are gone before they need to be put in the refrigerator!

Top tip

Using muffin/cupcake liners is really essential in this recipe. I often don't buy them because it just adds to our grocery bill, but the dough is very sticky in this recipe and having the muffin/cupcake liners are a lifesaver! Buying them in bulk is one way to have them around and save a little bit of money!

FAQ

Can I freeze these?

Yes, the best way to freeze these is to flash freeze them in the freezer individually and then place them in a freezer-safe bag. You can do this by allowing the muffins to completely cool and then putting them on a baking sheet inside the freezer until frozen. You can then take them off and put them into a freezer-safe bag. I like using reusable ones when possible

Looking for other sourdough recipes like this? Try these: