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
Keywords: sourdough pancakes, sourdough pancakes recipe, sourdough pancake recipe, sourdough discard pancakes, pancakes
Roy
I have made this recipe a few times now. Delicious!!
I cut the recipe in half because it really makes a lot. Good rising and good flavor!
I also used the waffle experiment that Jaclyn posted about and it came out really good. For some reason they did not brown and look pretty but they were crisp, light and delicious.
★★★★★
Brittany @ Team Crumbs
Hello Roy!
We’re so happy to hear that! Thank you for also sharing your experience with making waffles. 🙂
Carol
I also chose to make waffles out of a 1x batch which made 6 4-section round ones. Nice and fluffy and very tasty. My husband even had seconds, which he never does! Into the freezer with the extras. Looking forward to having them and am happy to have found this recipe.
Beth
I want to make the waffles, however, morning can be rushed. Can I make the batter the night before and put in fridge?
Wendy
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!
★★★★★
SJ - Team Crumbs
You’re most welcome Wendy! 🙂
Ashlee
I tried to use the code DWCRUMBS on Jovial today but it says the code is invalid. Do you have an updated code?
SJ - Team Crumbs
Thank you for letting us know Ashlee. We are looking into this!
Paul Fishman
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.
★★★★★
Charity
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!
Kyare - Team Crumbs
Charity, you could refrigerate half the batter and rewarm the rest of the premade pancakes.
Lindsey Leiby
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!
Ritika
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!
Kyare - Team Crumbs
Yay! So glad you like them Ritka!
Molly Aston
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.
Kyare - Team Crumbs
No worries, Molly! We are happy you enjoyed the recipe so much!
Molly Aston
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!
Kyare - Team Crumbs
Glad you liked it, Molly!
Kristen
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!
★★★★★
Tiffany
♥
Courtney
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!
Tiffany
Yes!! It should work with any type of starter!
Jaclyn
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.
Tiffany
These are great experiments, Jaclyn!
Polly
So you just basically used the discard and salt? That sounds great cause i got a boatload of discard!
Karen @ Team Crumbs
Hi Polly,
The sourdough pancake recipe calls for more than discard and salt. You can find the complete ingredients and instruction on the recipe card in the post. Hope this helps! 🙂
Dorothy
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.
Lauren
These sourdough pancakes change the game for me, don’t think i’ll make regular pancakes as often as these, theyre amazinggg thank you
Jenni Bobicz
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. 🙂
Tiffany
I’m working on it!! 😉
Terri Amos
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.
Tiffany
Hi Terri! I haven’t perfected the sourdough waffle just yet, but I’ll definitely post the recipe when I do!
Deborah Monteiro
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.
★★★★★
Karley
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!
Dana Cataldi
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.
★★★★★
Katie
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.
Nina
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 🙂
★★★★★
Karen @ Team Crumbs
Thank you, Nina! We’re so glad you’ve enjoyed it!