These potato flake sourdough gingerbread muffins are perfect for baking around the holidays, but truly are delicious any time of the year. Warm gingerbread spice, rich molasses, and a tender crumb make these muffins feel bakery level without being difficult.
They’re made with a potato flake sourdough starter—active or discard—which gives them a unique flavor without being tangy. If this is your first time baking with potato flake sourdough, this is a great way to start.
For muffins, I usually mix up the batter in the evening, let the fermentation process do its thing overnight, and bake them fresh the next morning. They pair perfectly alongside a cup of coffee!
Why You’ll Love This Muffin Recipe
- Cozy gingerbread flavor with warm spices
- Made with all purpose flour and simple pantry staples
- Naturally fermented for better flavor and texture
- Uses potato flake starter, active or sourdough discard
- Easy recipe with bakery-style results
- Perfect for a simple Christmas morning breakfast or Christmas brunch
Tools Needed
You don’t need anything fancy for this recipe—just a few basic kitchen tools you probably already have.
- Large bowl for mixing
- Medium bowl for dry ingredients
- Whisk or wooden spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Muffin tin
- Parchment liners or parchment paper cut into muffin cup shapes
- Plastic wrap (for covering during fermentation, I don’t recommend a tea towel because it can cause the dough to dry out)
- Wire rack for cooling
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Ingredients
Potato Flake Sourdough Gingerbread Muffins
- 2 ⅔ cups all purpose flour (335 grams)
- ½ cup brown sugar (100 grams)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground clove
- ½ cup molasses
- ½ cup potato flake starter (active or discard)
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted (can swap for butter)
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- If using Greek yogurt, only add 3 tablespoons of yogurt and 1 tablespoon of milk to thin it out some
After fermentation:
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (only use this if you skip fermentation)
- Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling the tops (optional)
How to Make Potato Flake Sourdough Gingerbread Muffins
Before Fermenting
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: all purpose flour, cinnamon, ginger, and ground clove. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, melted coconut oil, potato flake sourdough starter, yogurt, vanilla extract, and molasses until smooth. These are your wet ingredients, and you want everything well combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Stop as soon as there are no streaks of flour—overmixing can affect that soft, tender crumb.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel and allow the batter to ferment at room temperature for 8–12 hours. This slow fermentation helps develop flavor and improves digestibility.
Baking the Potato Flake Sourdough Gingerbread Muffins
After fermentation, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a muffin tin with parchment liners.
Add the baking soda and salt to the fermented batter and mix until combined. I like to sift in the baking soda to prevent clumps.
Fill 12 muffin cups almost to the brim—this gives you that tall, bakery-style muffin. Sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar if desired.
Bake for 5 minutes at 400°F, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 12–14 minutes, until the muffins are set and lightly golden brown.
Remove the muffins from the pan and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
Potato Flake Sourdough Gingerbread Muffins Notes & Tips
- This recipe works beautifully with an active starter or sourdough discard.
- The gingerbread flavor is warm and balanced—not overpowering.
- These muffins store well and make a great breakfast or snack option.
- If you enjoy baking things like potato flake sourdough bread or sweet muffins like banana bread, these will fit right into your rotation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This recipe works with either an active potato flake sourdough starter or discard, as long as the starter is healthy. I still like to allow fermentation either way.
No. Fermentation is optional, but it adds flavor and helps create a softer, more tender crumb. It also helps make the grains easier for your body to digest, so I highly recommend the fermentation if at all possible. If you skip fermentation, add the baking powder before baking.
For best results, ferment the batter at room temperature for 8–12 hours. Many bakers mix the batter in the evening and bake the muffins the next morning. If you need longer, you can place the batter in the fridge and bake after a day or two. This is super helpful for when life gets busy and you can’t bake right when you had planned. If you do this, I would allow the batter to come back to room temperature before baking.
All purpose flour works best for these muffins and gives the most consistent texture. This recipe was developed using traditional flour (unbleached all purpose). However, whole wheat flour would be a great option, as well as freshly milled flour. If using freshly milled flour I recommend using soft white wheat and paying attention to how thick the batter is after fermentation. If it is extremely thick, thin it with a bit of milk before dividing into the muffin tin.
Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. They can also be frozen once fully cooled. They are best slightly warmed in the microwave before eating.
Yes. This is an easy recipe and a great way to use potato flake starter for the first time because the it is not a complex recipe. It is also a great beginner recipes because you don’t have to worry about the bread dough rising like in sandwich loaf recipes. You just let the starter do its thing during fermentation and add in additional leavening agents to help with the muffins rising in the oven.
When you are ready to branch out, give homemade bread or dinner rolls a try!
If you give this recipe a try, I would greatly appreciate if you came back and gave it a 5-star review! It helps me out so much!
I also love seeing all of the delicious creations you make! Share your photo over on instagram or facebook and give me a tag @littletennesseehome
Potato Flake Sourdough Gingerbread Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 ⅔ cups all purpose flour 335 grams
- ½ cup brown sugar 100 grams
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground clove
- ½ cup molasses
- ½ cup potato flake starter active or discard
- ½ cup coconut oil melted (can swap for butter)
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup plain yogurt *
After fermentation:
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder only use this if you skip fermentation
- Turbinado sugar for sprinkling the tops (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: all purpose flour, cinnamon, ginger, and ground clove. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, melted coconut oil, potato flake sourdough starter, yogurt, vanilla extract, and molasses until smooth. These are your wet ingredients, and you want everything well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Stop as soon as there are no streaks of flour—overmixing can affect that soft, tender crumb.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel and allow the batter to ferment at room temperature for 8–12 hours. This slow fermentation helps develop flavor and improves digestibility.
- After fermentation, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a muffin tin with parchment liners.
- Add the baking soda and salt to the fermented batter and mix until combined. I like to sift in the baking soda to prevent clumps.
- Fill 12 muffin cups almost to the brim—this gives you that tall, bakery-style muffin. Sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar if desired.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 400°F, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 12–14 minutes, until the muffins are set and lightly golden brown.
- Remove the muffins from the pan and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
