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Ditch the store-bought pancake mix. These sourdough discard pancakes are light, fluffy, and easy to make! Made with leftover sourdough starter discard, these delicious pancakes are family-friendly and ready in under 30 minutes!
If you love homemade sourdough but hate wasting the discard, you're in the right place! My kids love when I bake sourdough bread, because they know it means sourdough starter pancakes in the morning. There's just something magical about a short stack drizzled in maple syrup.
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It's no secret I adore pancakes. I make them at least once a week and I have very high standards for them. They should be light and soft on the inside, with golden brown outsides and just a hint of sweetness. These fluffy sourdough discard pancakes are what breakfast dreams are made of.
I like to top them with fresh berries and whipped cream, but the sky's the limit. If you love a hot breakfast but you're not a morning person, I feel ya! Just know pancakes freeze well for later. Pop a frozen sourdough discard pancake in the microwave or toaster oven, and you've got breakfast ready in just a couple minutes!
👩🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- Use your excess sourdough starter
- Better than regular pancakes!
- Easy recipe for breakfast
- Made with pantry staples
- Simple, no-fail recipe
- Taste tested, kid approved
- Best sourdough pancakes ever!
🥘 Ingredients
This sourdough discard pancakes recipe is made with basic ingredients plus discarded sourdough starter. Here's exactly what you need.
- All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour keeps the pancakes nice and light.
- Whole wheat Flour: Whole wheat flour provides added nutrients and a nutty flavor. I like to use half and half for the best taste, texture, and rise!
- Sugar: Three tablespoons is all you need. After all, maple syrup adds plenty of sweetness.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: You need both of these leavening agents - they're important for fluffy pancakes. Baking powder adds that fluffiness, while baking soda reacts with the sourdough discard and lemon juice for even more rise and lightness.
- Salt: Salt equals flavor, even in sweet recipes!
- Sourdough Starter Discard: Don't throw away your extra sourdough starter! Use your active starter to create light and airy pancakes. You'll need about 1 cup of leftover sourdough discard.
- Almond Milk: I used unsweetened almond milk, but regular milk or another non-dairy milk works too! Soy, rice, cashew, and coconut milk are great options.
- Lemon Juice: Reacts with the baking soda for extra lift.
- Eggs: Eggs provide structure and a moist, tender interior.
- Olive Oil: I love to use heart-healthy olive oil in these pancakes, but feel free to use a neutral oil like vegetable oil. Melted butter or melted coconut oil work great too.
📖 Variations
Sourdough starter discard pancakes are easy to customize! Here are a few delicious variations to try.
- Toppings: Don't forget to add your favorite toppings! Chocolate chips, fresh berries, pure maple syrup, whipped cream, fresh fruit, Nutella, nut butter, and sliced bananas are delicious. If you like savory toppings, try fried eggs, diced ham, or cheddar cheese.
- Sweeteners: For an all natural sweetener, try maple syrup, honey, or coconut sugar instead of white sugar. Or try a 1:1 monk fruit sugar substitute.
- Vegan Sourdough Discard Pancakes: Swap the eggs with flax eggs and you've got vegan sourdough pancakes!
- Gluten Free Sourdough Pancakes: Swap the all-purpose and whole wheat flour for a gluten free all purpose flour blend.
- Overnight Sourdough Pancakes: You can make the batter overnight and just cook the pancakes the next day, when you're ready to eat them! If you want thick, fluffy pancakes, make your pancake batter the day before, but wait to add the baking powder and baking soda until the morning. If you want thinner, but still slightly fluffy pancakes, you can add everything to the batter all at once, and refrigerate it overnight.
🔪 Instructions
This homemade sourdough pancakes recipe is super simple! Here's how to make them.
Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk both flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk Wet Ingredients: In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients.
Combine Wet & Dry: Pour the sourdough mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until a smooth batter forms. Let Batter Rest: Let the pancake batter rest for 10 minutes.
Cook Pancakes: Heat a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Use a portion scoop or a measuring cup to drop 1/4 cup of batter onto the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. You might need to turn the heat to medium-low if your pancakes are cooking too fast. When it's ready to flip, bubbles will begin to pop on the surface of the pancake.
Flip Pancakes: Use a thin set spatula to flip the pancakes and cook on medium-low heat for another 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat until all the batter is used up.
Serve: Enjoy with your favorite pancake toppings!
❓ Recipe FAQs
What can you make with leftover sourdough starter?
If you don't know what to do with sourdough discard, these pancakes are a perfect start. Use it to make pizza crust, quick-breads, crackers, cake, and biscuits! The opportunities are endless. Sourdough recipes have a subtle tang that's delicious in baked goods.
How should I store discard sourdough pancakes?
Let the pancakes come to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave in 20 second intervals until warmed through. Do not overheat, or the pancakes may get chewy.
Can I freeze sourdough pancakes?
Yes, these easy sourdough pancakes freeze well! Wait until they're cool, then place them into a freezer-safe container or Ziplock bag. For best results, freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave in 20 second intervals until warmed through.
What do I serve with sourdough pancakes?
Serve with any of your favorite pancake toppings! Nutella, chopped nuts, berries, whipped cream, maple syrup, and berry compote are great options.
💭 Expert Tips
- Let the batter rest! Baking powder activates as soon as it mixes with a liquid. Rested batter makes fluffier pancakes. You want to be able to see little air bubbles when you drag your spoon through the batter.
- For easy flipping, use an extra wide, thin set spatula and a hot griddle!
- For even more fluffy sourdough pancakes, use active starter that's bubbly and ripe.
- The heat is key: If the pancakes brown too quickly, turn the heat down to medium low. You don't want the bottoms to burn before the insides can cook. I always like to test a mini pancake first so that I don't end up wasting a pancake!
- Use a portion scoop for even and uniform pancakes! It's much easier than a measuring cup.
- Don't overmix the pancake batter. This creates a chewy end result, instead of a light and fluffy one.
- You can adjust the ratio of liquid to flour depending on how thick you want your pancakes to be. Using more flour will give you thick, cakey pancakes, using more liquid will give you thin, crispy and chewy pancakes.
