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
- Sourdough Bread Recipes
- Sourdough Discard Recipes
SOURDOUGH PANCAKES RECIPE FAQS
Should sourdough starter sit overnight before making this sourdough pancakes recipe?
Technically, “true sourdough” is when the starter and flour have been left to sit and ferment for at least 8 hours. 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 these sourdough pancakes still turn out delicious with just 30 minutes of rest time as written in the recipe.
Why are my sourdough pancakes gooey?
Your pancakes could be gooey for a couple of reasons: Your batter may have been overmixed, making it gooey, or you may be cooking your pancakes at too high of a temperature, which cooks the outside quickly but leaves the center undercooked.
Can I make gluten-free sourdough pancakes?
I haven’t tried this yet, but I would guess you could substitute your gluten-free sourdough starter, and use additional gluten-free all-purpose flour, and it would work just fine.
Can I freeze sourdough pancakes?
Yes! Here is my standard pancake-freezing method:
Put cooled pancakes on a baking sheet OR cooling rack on a single layer.
Place the baking sheet or cooling rack into the freezer and let the pancakes freeze as-is for 1-2 hours.
Remove the pancakes from the baking sheet or cooling rack and put them in a freezer-safe storage bag.
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 flash freezing them individually, because then you’ll have one big clump of frozen sourdough pancakes later on.
MORE EASY PANCAKE RECIPES
- Chocolate Pancakes
- Oatmeal Pancakes
- Strawberry Pancakes
- Almond Flour Pancakes
- Sheet Pan Pancakes
- Blender Protein Pancakes
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Sourdough Pancakes (Using 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!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- 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 ⅓ 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 ⅓ cup measuring spoon and a ¼ cup measuring spoon.
- ½ cup batter was too much
- ¼ cup batter was too little
- ⅓ cup batter was just right!
Nutrition
- Calories: 124
Joyce
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.
Sarah
Wow wow wow! This recipe was fantastic. I tweaked it a bit to try and make waffles: I followed everything exactly, then added maybe 2 Tbsp granulated sugar and 1-2 Tbsp avocado oil. I let it sit about 20 minutes (my discard was fairly ripe)…the waffles came out amazingly! Light, fluffy, slightly crunchy on the outside, not sticky at all. My husband said they’re his favorite waffles ever. Thank you!!
Karen @ Team Crumbs
Sarah,
You’re very welcome! We’re so glad you’ve enjoyed!
Donna
Wonderfully light. I used fine stone ground whole wheat for one-quarter of the flour for full flavor, and changed nothing else. Fabulous!
Karen @ Team Crumbs
Hi Donna!
We’re so glad you’ve enjoyed!
Staci
I’ve been looking for ways to use my rye sourdough starter “discard” and stumbled upon your recipe. I made them tonight in my enameled cast iron and they turned out amazing! My kids (and I) absolutely love them! Thank you!
Tiffany
You’re most welcome, Staci!
Karen
These were excellent! I added about a tablespoon of sugar to the mix, and didn’t let it sit at all (hungry kids = hurry up) and they still turned out perfect! I’m making a recipe card right this minute and making this my go-to “starter pancake” recipe. LOL!
Tiffany
Thank you for sharing this with us, Karen! ♥
Phil
Hey – the recipe says these can be made vegan – how?
Tiffany
Hi Phil! Coconut oil, flaxseed egg, and non-dairy milk. 🙂
Brittany
EASY AND DELICIOUS!
Never making normal pancakes again.
I have made these now with vanilla and almond extract. All purpose and whole wheat flour. You can’t go wrong.
Vanessa
Wow, I’ve tried a lot f pancake recipes in my time but these were the best pancakes I’ve ever made! I did add about 1 tablespoon of sugar to the batter, but otherwise as written. Thanks for sharing!
Nancy Carrier
My source for Einkorn wheat is azurestandard.com. It’s not always in stock, but the price is very reasonable.
Rachele Rosi-Kessel
Worked great with GF starter and GF flour mix as well. Delicious!
Karen @ Team Crumbs
Rachele,
Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Sue McMahon
Love these! Made them with my wholemeal flour sourdough starter and 1/2 fine oat meal +1/2 all purpose white flour – a good old mix! Everything else as per your recipe and they were delicious, really good texture and flavour, thanks.
Nancy Barratt
I thought you had an option to use coconut flour and cannot find it now. I made some using the recipe off your site but can’t find it.
Tiffany
I have a recipe for almond flour pancakes, but not coconut flour.
Heather
These are the most delicious pancakes ever! Very easy to make. I’m glad I found something to do with all my starter discard!
Jes
I just made these and they were so great!! So fluffy they rose as they cooked on my cast iron skillet. I omitted baking powder only bc I didn’t have any in my pantry, and halved the recipe bc I was doing some solo cooking. I had to stop myself from eating the last pancake so I could save some for tomorrow! Other notes: I used bread flour from my co-op here in Minneapolis in the batter and topped them with butter and creamed honey. I let them set for about 45 minutes until the batter was bubbling a bit. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Athena
These pancakes are delicious! Have you tried using this same recipe to make waffles?
Tiffany
I have, but they didn’t quite work – too sticky. Waffles need more fat, but I’m working on it!
AlethaO
Made these vegan with soymilk and flax eggs, and coconut oil. So yummy! The only thing was that it seemed way too thick so I ended up adding a lot if water. Maybe my starter is just low hydration? I usually do equal ratios of water:flour:starter. Thanks!
Kristen
I made mine vegan too! Subbed the “eggs” with half a banana and one egg-substitute. Mine were very thick, so I nicknamed them “pancake biscuits” because I ended up cutting them in half and eating it like an English muffin. Still yummy though, haha. I could really taste the baking soda/powder so next time I’ll probably use less of those. And my starter is a 1:1:1 ratio as well
Aamna
I am totally new to sourdough and I really don’t want any of the starter to go to waste! I found your recipe after looking for something that didn’t say it needed to sit overnight and they turned out fantastic! My starter is still a baby, so it hasn’t developed it’s mature flavor, but still, probably some of the best pancakes we’ve made at home! Thank you!
Tiffany
You’re most welcome!
Liz
Im new to making starter. My starter is 5 days old. And this recipe for the discard was AMAZING! We kearned our LO can have Einkorn. Its been 4 years GF. Followed your recipe exactly. THE BEST PANCAKE. It is a total staple in our kitchen now. Thank you!!!
Joanne Bayly
Delicious. I used regular flour. Makes a lot!
Tiffany
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Joanne!
Honey
I adapted the recipe and swapped some ingredients for what was available in my pantry-
Standard whole wheat flour
Gingley oil for butter
no baking soda
no baking poweder
cashew milk for almond milk
cocoa powder for vanilla extract
Jaggery
no eggs
It turned out delicious, light and fluffy. Thank you so much for sharing this. Made my morning! <3
robynd
I have made these with and without letting them sit overnight. I have not used baking powder or soda. I do add sugar because they are a bit more tart than I like. I find that letting them sit overnight makes a lighter and fluffier pancake.
Roman Watkins
Outstanding, these we fabulous thank you for sharing. They were light and fluffy and had the perfect balance of salt. Tasted great plain but we had a few with lemon and sugar for a cheeky great given it was Easter.
Karen @ Team Crumbs
Hi Roman,
We’re so glad you’ve enjoyed!
Leah
My discard was probably a month old. Did not feed. This recipe is outstanding. So light and fluffy. I halved the recipe and it’s till made a lot of cakes. This is a keeper. Question is: can I refrigerate left over batter or is it better to cook pancake and freeze. Thanks for recipe.
Kyare - Team Crumbs
Leah, glad to hear you enjoy this post! If you plan to make pancakes again within a day or two refrigeration would probably be best but if not then I would make and freeze the pancakes either separately or with separators so they do not stick together. They will probably last frozen for a month or so and should be thawed over a 24 hour period in the refrigerator then moved to the counter and cook shortly after.
Lesley Clarke
Loved loved loved these. So easy to make and quick to cook.
They worked out perfectly and was so light and fluffy.
Definitely a recipe to keep and treasure. Thank you
Karen @ Team Crumbs
Hi Lesley!
We’re so glad you loved these!!! 🙂
Tiffany
You’re most welcome!
Dinny
Cant wait to try this, I’ve only just made my sour dough starter. I’m on day 2. I was just wondering what happens as it is winter now so during the day it’s warm but cold overnight. Would that hinder the starter?
Tiffany
If you keep it in a warm-ish place, you’ll be fine. Think, next to the stove, or near the fridge, away from windows where it will be coolest at night. You can also keep it in the microwave or oven, as long as you don’t forget it’s there!
MKS
Just for others to know, made this recipe with a kamut starter and Bobs 1:1 gluten free mix. I also used Bobs egg replacer for the eggs and coconut oil for the butter (Dairy and egg allergies). The best pancakes this home has had in a long time!
Veronica
I made these pancakes this morning using a mixture of flours, plain unbleached, buckwheat and coconut. I also used buttermilk in place of the milk. They were very fluffy but a little dry as I cooked them on my new sandwich toaster whereas I would normally do them in a frying pan with a little coconut oil. Nevertheless they were fine topped with fresh berries, yoghurt and a sprinkle of hazelnut meal. They were just missing the pure maple syrup which I’d run out of and would have helped the dryness I’m sure. Great way to use up all the discard. Thank you for this recipe.
Kyare - Team Crumbs
So happy you made these and liked them.
Vanessa Fisher
Great recipe, very light and fluffy. Good flavour, we were very happy and will definitely use as our regular pancake recipe. Also happy to find an easy and quick recipe to use sourdough discard! Most recipes I found need 24 hours. I’m just not that patient.
Thanks 🙂
Lindsey
The first time I made these, they were delicious, but I left out all the baking powder. They were still fluffy enough though. I made them again today with all the baking powder and they were WAY to strong. Still the recipe without the baking powder is great! Thanks! I’ll keep using it, but leave the baking powder out entirely.
Tiffany
So strange Lindsey, but I’m glad you liked how they turned out!
Nori
Maybe I missed this, but do you need to wake it up if you store the discard in the fridge? And what about feeding it? This post didn’t seem to address that part – it did mention that it needed to be not fed for the recipe. I just started making sourdough starter; I’m a total newb. AI’m on day 3, it’s all bubbly now. I was looking for something to make with the discard (it seems so wasteful). TIA
Tiffany
Hi Nori! No, there’s no need to feed or wake up the discard before using it in pancakes!
Nori
Thank you for the reply ! I didn’t realize I had commented on someone else’s thread till after I commented, Sorry, it wasn’t that obvious since I was on my phone.
Rich Schwartz
We made this recipe today using our sourdough discard, eggs from the farmers market and fresh stone ground hard white wheat flour. Topped them with yogurt, granola, blackberry compote and a drizzle of maple syrup. They were amazing!
Lori Pelto
My discards are fresh, I’m just starting out so I’ll be def using the baking powder.
Sarah
Incredible. Had visions of my children asking me to make these pancakes when they return home from college. They are babies now. As in THIS will be our family pancake recipe. Made a big batch and ate them all day plain and was in heaven.
Karen @ Team Crumbs
Sarah,
That’s so wonderful. Thanks so much for sharing with us. 🙂
Tiffany
Aw, that means so much to me Sarah!! ♥
Monique
Hello,
Do I let the whole batter mix (including eggs) rest overnight in fridge or on counter?
Thank you
Tiffany
Hi Monique – in my recipe, the batter sits on the counter for 30 minutes.
Claire
Can you leave left over batter in the fridge and use it the next day.
Brittany @ Team Crumbs
Hello Claire,
Yes, you can! We’d love to hear how it turns out!
Kristin Stevens
Love that NO SWEETENER is used. What should change if buttermilk is used instead of almond or plain cows milk?
Kyare - Team Crumbs
To substitute buttermilk for milk in a recipe, use 2 teaspoons less baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon more baking soda than called for in the recipe for every cup of buttermilk used.
Plume
Can you please explain how to use 2 tsp less baking powder with buttermilk? The recipe calls for 1 tsp baking powder, so how do use a negative tsp?
Jennifer
These pancakes are fantastic. I’ve made them several times now since I made my starter back in April. Everyone in my family loves them. The best pancakes ever!