Sourdough Pancakes (Using Leftover Sourdough Starter Discard)

These sourdough pancakes are my family’s favorite breakfast, hands down! Quick and easy to mix up with your sourdough discard, these pancakes taste amazing, have that perfect light and fluffy texture, and can even be made vegan!

While I’ve been mastering the art of sourdough – including Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread, Sourdough Sandwich 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?

Surely there’s SOMETHING we can do with it!

You can officially stop throwing away your extra sourdough starter because this sourdough pancake recipe specifically needs that sourdough starter 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 always have discard on hand!

SOURDOUGH STARTER PANCAKES

Here’s why you’ll love my sourdough starter pancakes:

• They’re light and fluffy and packed with the tang and flavor you expect from sourdough
• Quick to mix up 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 too!

INGREDIENTS FOR SOURDOUGH PANCAKE RECIPE

This sourdough pancake recipe uses the discard from your sourdough starter, plus just a few staple ingredients you likely keep in your kitchen.

SOURDOUGH STARTER

As I mentioned, you can’t make fluffy sourdough pancakes without a sourdough starter, so you need some leftover starter (here’s my sourdough starter recipe).

• Personally, I don’t discard any of my active 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.)

YOU’LL ALSO NEED

• Flour (I use Einkorn)
• Melted butter
• Large eggs
• Milk (not buttermilk)
• Vanilla extract (make your own)
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Salt

Psst! Not all salts are made the same! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!).

To make vegan sourdough pancakes, use your favorite non-dairy milk (we like Almond Milk), a vegan butter substitute, and an egg substitute like a flax egg or applesauce or mashed banana.

A QUICK NOTE ON EINKORN FLOUR

I use whole grain einkorn because my daughter is sensitive to gluten. However, this recipe works great with both einkorn or regular wheat 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 flour, whole wheat flour, or any combination of the two. The pancakes will be lighter and fluffier the more all-purpose flour you use.

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 a toss-up between Ancient Grains and Jovial Foods. You can save 10% off everything at Jovial (with exclusions on special promotional items such as cookbooks and new harvest oil) when you use coupon code DWCRUMBS. Plus, get free shipping over $99!

HOW TO MAKE SOURDOUGH DISCARD PANCAKES INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1. In a large mixing bowl, melt the butter and let it cool slightly. Then whisk in the eggs, milk, and vanilla.

Step 2. Add the sourdough starter and stir well.

Step 3. Add the dry ingredients (including the baking soda and baking powder) to the wet ingredients and stir well. Let the pancake batter sit, covered, for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the griddle to medium-low heat. (You can also cook your sourdough pancakes in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Use a bit of butter or coconut oil with each batch to prevent sticking.)

Step 4. When the batter is ready, gently stir and ladle ⅓ 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 is golden brown. Repeat this process with the remaining batter.

Step 6. Serve sourdough discard pancakes hot with your desired toppings.

QUICK SOURDOUGH PANCAKE RECIPE TOPPINGS

We usually stick with butter and maple syrup, but sometimes it’s fun to switch things up!

• When strawberries and blueberries are in season, we add fresh berries to our pancakes, along with whipped cream.
• A drizzle of peanut butter and a sprinkling of chocolate chips makes for a sweet combination.
• Sliced bananas and chopped walnuts are also delicious.
• Spread peanut butter and jam on two pancakes and put them together for a fun twist on a PB&J!

SOURDOUGH PANCAKES RECIPE TIPS & TRICKS

• 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 extra 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 in a single layer and freeze them for 2 hours. Then move them to a freezer-safe storage bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or reheat in a 350F oven for 10 minutes (not the microwave) to avoid an overly chewy texture.
• Don’t have a griddle? Use a cast iron skillet or follow this tutorial for Sheet Pan Pancakes that are baked in the oven!

MORE SOURDOUGH RECIPES AND TIPS

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:

• Sourdough 101: What Is Sourdough and the Benefits of Sourdough Bread
• Sourdough Starter Recipe
  • How to Make a Sourdough Starter
  • How to Make an Einkorn Sourdough Starter
  • How to Make a Gluten-free Sourdough Starter
• Sourdough Bread Recipes
  • Simple Sourdough Bread
  • Einkorn Sourdough Sandwich Bread
  • Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
• Sourdough Discard Recipes
  • Sourdough Biscuits
  • Sourdough Crackers

SOURDOUGH PANCAKES RECIPE FAQS

MORE EASY PANCAKE RECIPES

• Chocolate Pancakes
• Oatmeal Pancakes
• Strawberry Pancakes
• Almond Flour Pancakes
• Sheet Pan Pancakes
• Blender Protein Pancakes

WATCH HOW TO MAKE SOURDOUGH PANCAKES