These sourdough pancakes are my family’s favorite breakfast, hands down! It’s the sourdough discard that gives these pancakes their amazing taste, and light & fluffy texture. They’re quick & easy, cheap to make, and can even be made vegan!
While I’ve been mastering the art of sourdough – includingwhole wheat sourdough bread, no-white sandwich sourdough bread, sourdough biscuits and even sourdough crackers – there’s always been the issue of dealing with the discard.
Do you really HAVE to throw it away?
Doesn’t it seem strange to save money on yeast, only to throw the starter away?
After all, that sourdough starter is made up of flour which you paid good money for, out of your grocery budget, right?
Surely there’s SOMETHING we can do with it?!
Good news – there is!
You can officially stop throwing away your extra sourdough starter because this sourdough pancake recipe specifically needs that sourdough discard!
And the fact that this recipe has quickly become my family’s all time favorite pancake recipe makes me want to keep feeding our starter, just so I have discard on hand at all times!
Here’s why you’ll love my sourdough pancake recipe:
- They’re light & fluffy and packed with the tang and sour flavor known for sourdough
- Quick to make and fast to cook
- ZERO added sugar and no yeast
- Works with any whole grain flour
- Great for big batches and freezer-friendly
- If you have a waffle iron, this mixture doubles as batter for sourdough WAFFLES!
Key Ingredients
- Sourdough starter
- Flour (I use whole grain einkorn because my daughter is sensitive to gluten)
- Vanilla
- Unsalted Melted Butter
- Large eggs
- Milk (not buttermilk)
A complete list of ingredients with the amounts you need (teaspoons, tablespoons, etc.) is located in the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes
Sourdough Starter
As I mentioned, you can’t make sourdough pancakes without sourdough starter, so you need some leftover starter.
- Personally, I don’t discard any of my sourdough starter. I pour it into a jar and keep the jar in the fridge instead. That way I’m not wasting any of the money I’ve spent on flour. Plus, it means I’m halfway to pancakes before I even start cooking!
- This sourdough pancakes recipe needs just over one cup of STIRRED starter, preferably unfed. (Which means you haven’t fed it in the past 4 hours or so and you stirred the starter before measuring.)
Flour
- I’ve tested these sourdough pancakes with both einkorn all-purpose flour and freshly milled einkorn whole wheat flour. You can use regular all-purpose, whole grain flour, or any combination of the two. (I recommend any of these).
- Generally speaking, the pancakes will be lighter and fluffier the more all-purpose flour you use.
- Even when I make whole grain sourdough pancakes, my family still cleans their plates and begs for more. Don’t be afraid to use whole grains!
Vanilla
- If you don’t have vanilla extract, you can use any of these 15 vanilla extract substitutes, or another flavored extract.
- I have maple extract in the pantry because of these maple pecan blondies, and that would be SO GOOD in this pancake recipe.
A Quick Note on Einkorn Flour
I’ve done some digging and as of this writing, the best deals for einkorn all-purpose flour are from Ancient Grains and this seller on Amazon. I usually look them both up before choosing the one that has the better price per ounce.
The best price for whole einkorn berries is also a toggle, between Ancient Grains and Jovial Foods. Use the coupon DWCRUMBS to save you 10% off everything on the site (excluding their book), plus shipping is free for orders over $25.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1. Start with the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl or large bow, melt the butter and let it cool slightly. Then whis in the eggs, milk and vanilla.
Step 2. Add the sourdough starter and stir well.
Step 3. Then add the remaining dry ingredients (including the baking soda and baking powder) and stir well. Let the pancake batter sit, covered, for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the griddle to medium-low heat.
Step 4. When the batter is ready, gently stir and ladle 1/3 cup of batter onto the hot griddle. Let the pancake cook for 2-3 minutes, until the edges are showing signs of being cooked and there are bubbles on the top.
Step 5. Gently flip the pancake to its second side and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes until it’s golden brown. Repeat this process with the remaining batter.
Step 6. Serve hot with your desired toppings. We like butter and pure maple syrup.
FAQs
Technically, “true sourdough” is when the starter and flour have been left to sit and ferment for at least 8 hours. Some say that this fermentation process makes sourdough pancakes healthier than if you didn’t soak for a long period of time.
I do believe that the extended period of soaking time makes the flour easier to digest for some people (you can read more about how that works in this article), but if you don’t suffer from any digestion issues, you should be fine with the 30 minutes of rest time as written in the recipe.
Your pancakes could be gooey for a couple of reasons.
Your batter may have been overmixed, making it gooey.
You are cooking your pancakes on high heat, which cooks the outside quickly, but leaves the center undercooked.
Yes! Here is my standard pancake freezing method:
Put cooled pancakes on a cookie sheet OR cooling rack on a single layer.
Place the cookie sheet or cooling rack into the freezer and let the pancakes freeze as-is for 1-2 hours.
Remove the pancakes from the cookie sheet or cooling and rack and put them in a freezer-safe container.
Note: Freezing them this way lets you pull out just one or two pancakes to reheat when you want them.
Be sure not to place your pancakes all together in a container to freeze them without freezing them individually, because then you’ll have one big clump of frozen sourdough pancakes later on.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Personally, I don’t discard any of my sourdough starter, ever. I pour it into a large jar and keep the jar in the fridge instead. That way I’m not wasting any of the money I’ve spent on flour AND I’m halfway to pancakes before I even start cooking!
- If you have more starter, you can easily double or triple this recipe. (You can even intentionally MAKE extra “leftover” starter by feeding your starter more flour and water the two prior feedings.)
- If you’re making sourdough pancakes for two or sourdough pancakes for one, you can halve this recipe.
- To freeze sourdough pancakes<, let them cool to room temperature and then place them on a baking sheet or baking pan on a single layer and freeze for 2 hours. Then remove to a freezer-safe storage bag.
- Don’t have a griddle? Use a cast iron skillet or follow this tutorial for sheet pan pancakes that are baked in the oven!
Also decide how big you want your pancakes to be!
We made these using a variety of measuring cups…
- ½ cup batter was too much
- ¼ cup batter was too little
- 1/3 cup batter was just right!
I love sourdough, but there’s still so much for me to learn.
My friend Wardee at Traditional Cooking School has been practicing sourdough for YEARS and has a really great resource you may find helpful, Sourdough A to Z.
Or check out these posts:
- How to Make an Einkorn Sourdough Starter
- How to Make a Gluten-free Sourdough Starter
- Simple Sourdough Bread
More Easy Pancake Recipes
Freezer Cooking: Breakfasts
Sign up to get instant access to my Freezer Cooking: Breakfasts Plan, complete with recipes, supply list, and shopping list!Sourdough Pancakes (Using Sourdough Starter Discard)
We love these quick and easy sourdough pancakes using leftover starter. They’re super light and fluffy, freezer-friendly, and can be made vegan too!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 12–14 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Griddle
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk (I used almond milk)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups sourdough starter, stirred
- 1 ½ cups flour (I used whole grain einkorn)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, melt the butter. Let it cool slightly, and then add the eggs, milk and vanilla. Stir well.
- Add the sourdough starter and stir well.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Let the batter sit for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the griddle.
- When the batter is ready, gently stir and use 1/3 cup measuring spoon to ladle pancake batter onto the hot griddle. Let the pancake cook for 2-3 minutes, until the edges are showing signs of being cooked and there are bubble on the top.
- Gently flip the pancake and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Serve hot with your desired toppings. We like butter and pure maple syrup.
Notes
We made these using a ½ cup measuring spoon, a 1/3 cup measuring spoon and a ¼ cup measuring spoon.
- ½ cup batter was too much
- ¼ cup batter was too little
- 1/3 cup batter was just right!
Nutrition
- Calories: 124
Keywords: sourdough pancakes
Oh so good!! Just finished eating them. I want to keep a jar of discard on hand just to make these pancakes!!
Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
You’re most welcome Wendy! 🙂
I tried to use the code DWCRUMBS on Jovial today but it says the code is invalid. Do you have an updated code?
Thank you for letting us know Ashlee. We are looking into this!
I tweaked the recipe for waffles this way…
Paul’s Sourdough Waffles
We love these quick and easy sourdough waffles using leftover starter – inspired by the recipe for oatmeal waffles that came with our first waffle iron, and by the website, Don’t Waste the Crumbs, the writers of which took inspiration from the Perfect Loaf website. These are crisp, super light and fluffy. And tasty!
INGREDIENTS
* 4 Tbsp butter/coconut oil mix melted
* 1 cup milk (I used soy milk)
* 1 cup oatmeal
* 1/8-1/4 cup (2-4 T) molasses
* 2 eggs
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 1 ½ cups sourdough starter, stirred
* ½ cups flour (I used whole grain einkorn)
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 0-1 tsp salt (per your taste in balance with your sodium sensitive hypertension)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the waffle iron
2. In a large bowl, melt the butter.
3. Warm the milk (not hot) in the microwave
4. Mix together and add 1 cup oatmeal
5. Let stand 5 minutes, then add eggs and vanilla. Stir well.
6. Add the sourdough starter and stir well.
7. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.
8. Let the batter sit for 15-30 minutes.
9. Bake the batter in the waffle iron.
10. Serve hot with fruit, maple syrup, cottage cheese, yogurt and/or toppings.
11. Freeze leftovers and toast for a quick repeat of this breakfast delight, or for a dinner desert with ice cream, nuts, chocolate syrup and whipped cream.
★★★★★
My son loves pancakes in the morning for breakfast. But he is the only one who eats them! Is there a way just to make 2 pancakes every morning?? Would it be a mortal sin to use the starter with a pre- pancake mix so that I can make just 2. I see that reheating them is possible but it would take him a long time to eat the all!
Charity, you could refrigerate half the batter and rewarm the rest of the premade pancakes.
I started my sourdough starter journey back in May and have tried all the top rated sourdough pancake recipes because I just couldn’t find the perfect one. My search stop there! These are the very best! They have great flavor and have the perfect texture. Thanks for sharing!
THE best pancakes I have ever made! This recipe gave me the best buttermilk tasting pancakes, super fluffy and just perfect! I used my gluten free sourdough starter with gluten free flours. So yum!
Yay! So glad you like them Ritka!
Sorry–I forgot to rate the recipe in the comment I just posted about the sour dough pancakes. Please add 5 stars or delete my comment and I will repost with the stars added. Thanks.
No worries, Molly! We are happy you enjoyed the recipe so much!
Great! Delicious. I left out the vanilla and baking soda because I didn’t have them and the pancakes worked fine. Thanks for showing me how to use and not discard my sourdough starter!
Glad you liked it, Molly!
I’m vegan and this my all time FAVORITE pancake recipe by far. I half the x1 recipe and it’s perfect for my partner and I with 2 pancakes each. I sub the butter for vegan butter but have also used olive oil when I don’t have any, and use egg replacer for the eggs. They come out super bread-like and fluffy, which I LOVE. I’ve also added blueberries to the batter and they’re the best! Thank you so much for sharing this. This is definitely vegan approved!
★★★★★
♥
Do you have any idea if this would still work if I have a different type of starter? I want to use this recipe and your other (GENIUS) tips for using extra starter but my starter is different (not just flour and water). Thanks!
Yes!! It should work with any type of starter!
Last week I had a lot of discards so I experimented by substituting 4 cups of discard for all the liquid/flour in the recipe and only kept the salt, soda and bp cuz I wasn’t sure if it would rise. Rose so much! And was mildly sour. Today I tried again by omitting the soda and bp. It had a fizzy taste to it which was ok to me but it was a little too sour for my hubby. Then I added 4 tsp of oil and tried it in my waffle maker and it worked well! My 2yo loved it despite the sourness. Next time I’ll add 1 tbsp sugar like the other comment and see how that goes.
These are great experiments, Jaclyn!
I’m baking sourdough bread today. Had just enough leftover starter from this jar and decided to try you pancake recipe. Amazingly delicious! Did not change a thing. Have enough batter that I can refrigerate for another breakfast. THANK YOU for sharing your gift.
These sourdough pancakes change the game for me, don’t think i’ll make regular pancakes as often as these, theyre amazinggg thank you
I will try this soon, but I hope you come out with a waffle version soon. Please let me know! I would also welcome any other recipes that use up a lot of starter discard. 🙂
I’m working on it!! 😉
I have a waffle maker. What changes should I make for waffles? I know you need more butter not sure the amount and what else I need to adjust.
Hi Terri! I haven’t perfected the sourdough waffle just yet, but I’ll definitely post the recipe when I do!
Easy to make. I kept the batter in the fridge overnight and the pancakes were excellent. Added blueberries and walnuts. I didn’t use baking powder or baking soda but will try adding them next time I make them. I halved the recipe and it was enough for 2 people.
★★★★★
These pancakes were delicious on their own, but after mixing in some blueberries and lemon zest they became absolutely perfect. I’ll definitely be doing these again very soon!
I have made this recipe twice. The first time the pancakes were meh. Now I realize it’s because my starter was meh. It was probably 5 days old when I used it in this recipe. We liked it, and it was nice to use the discard (my goal). The second time, REALLY GOOD. My starter is 12 days old and more active. I did add a bit of honey since my family likes a little bit of sweet to their pancakes. I can’t wait to try it again next weekend.
★★★★★
I had unpleasant lumps of baking soda in my pancakes which made them almost inedible. If anyone tried this recipe, I suggest mixing the dry ingredients thoroughly before adding to the wet ingredients instead of adding them to the wet ingredients one at a time.
Amazing recipe, thank you! First time making pancakes and they turned out perfectly. They turned out so light and fluffy – was a great way to use my discard! Would love some more recipes along that line 🙂
★★★★★
Thank you, Nina! We’re so glad you’ve enjoyed it!
Delicious in Belgian waffle maker! I cut recipe in half due to amount of starter and used spelt flour. Lovely, light; a hit with teenage grandson! Definitely a keeper.
★★★★★