A quick and easy recipe for fluffy Sourdough Pancakes using sourdough starter or sourdough discard that can be made in just 30 minutes (or fermented overnight). Vegan-adaptable. Video.
Many of you have been asking for ways to use up your sourdough starter discard and I thought I share one of the easiest ways I know. Sourdough Pancakes! These are the best pancakes and have the perfect texture and flavor, way better than regular pancakes!
What I like about this Sourdough Pancake Recipe is that the overnight rising is optional and the pancakes can be whipped up pretty quickly if need be! Nice if you are more of a spontaneous cook like myself. (I do have notes in the recipe card if you would prefer to let this rise overnight in the refrigerator to ferment the pancake batter.)
Sourdough Pancakes Video
Sourdough pancake ingredients:
- Sourdough starter (or sourdough discard) Use hungry starter or fed starter.
- Flour– feel free to experiment here! All-purpose flour, Spelt, Einkorn, Bread Flour, etc.
- Milk: use you milk of choice- regular milk, plant-based milk or even buttermilk.
- Eggs- or sub a flax egg for a vegan option!
- Melted butter or Oil (olive oil, avocado, melted coconut oil)
- Maple syrup– for sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract – use real for the best flavor!
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Salt
Sourdough Pancakes Instructions
The recipe is so quick and easy!
Step 1. Mix the wet ingredients together in a large bowl, then whisk in the dry ingredients. Let stand 15 minutes (or make an overnight sponge -see recipe notes).
Step 2. Heat a cast iron skillet ( or use a hot griddle) over medium-low heat until very very hot. Add oil or a combo of oil and butter to the skillet and swirl.
Step 3. Ladle in a 1/2 cup batter (to make a 6-inch pancake). Flip when golden and small bubbles appear at the surface. Cook until middle puffs in the center, lowering heat if necessary.
Step 4. Keep the sourdough discard pancakes in a warm oven or cover with foil. Repeat with the remaining pancakes.
Expert Tips
- If letting the pancake batter sit overnight in the fridge, wait to add the baking soda and baking powder until right before cooking.
- Wholegrain flours are typically “thirstier” than all-white AP flour, so feel free to add a little more milk if needed to loosen the pancake batter.
Optional Banana Pecan Topping
These maple-glazed bananas and pecans are one of my favorite pancake toppings- a tasty option if you’re keen. Fresh berries are always nice too.
To make the Banana Pecan topping, add butter to the same skillet. Add pecans and a pinch of salt. Saute for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until toasted. Move to one side. Add the bananas. Sear each side of the banana 2-3 minutes, or until golden.
Once the bananas are golden brown, pour the maple syrup over the bananas and pecans, give a stir, turn the heat off and remove the pan from the burner.
Serve the pancakes and top with a spoonful of the Banana Pecan Topping. To me, they taste heavenly!
Serving Suggestions and Storage
The sourdough pancakes can also be served very simply with maple syrup and a pat of butter. Add a sprinkling of cinnamon or nutmeg if you like. Or serve with fresh berries and vanilla whipped cream.
Leftover sourdough pancakes can be frigerated for up to 4 days and reheated in a toaster oven, or place them in the freezer for later.
Variations
Feel free to fold in fresh blueberries or chocolate chips to the sourdough pancake batter, right before cooking the pancakes.
More sourdough discard Recipes!
Enjoy the sourdough pancakes and keep in mind, pancakes are for any time of the week, day or night. No rules! We just had them for dinner last night! So good!
Hope you are having a good week, staying well & staying grounded.
xoxo
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Easy Sourdough Pancakes
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 pancakes 1x
- Category: breakfast, sourdough,
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A quick and easy recipe for fluffy Sourdough Pancakes using sourdough starter or discard that can be made in just 30 minutes (or ferment overnight).
Ingredients
- 2/3 cups sourdough starter (bubbly or hungry, stirred down) 140 grams (room temp is easiest to work with here).
- 2/3 cup milk (or plant-based milk) 140 grams, add more to the desired consistency
- 1 large egg, beaten ( or sub a flax egg, see notes)
- 1 tablespoon oil or melted butter (10 grams)
- 1–2 tablespoons maple syrup (10–20 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (3 grams)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (4 grams)
- Butter or oil for skillet or griddle
- Maple syrup for drizzling
Banana Pecan Topping (optional)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup pecans
- pinch salt
- 1 firm banana, sliced
- 2–3 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Whisk wet ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Mix dry ingredients together in a small bowl. (* see notes if fermenting overnight)
- Gradually add flour mixture to wet mixture, whisking until just combined. If the batter feels thick (wholegrain flours are “thirstier” than white flour), add a little more milk to thin to the desired consistency. (It should pour slowly out of the bowl. ) Let sit 15 minutes.
- Heat a dry skillet over medium-low heat until very very hot. Add oil or a combo of oil and butter to the skillet and swirl. Ladle in a 1/2 cup batter (to make a 6-inch pancake). Flip when golden and small bubbles appear at the surface. Cook until middle puffs in the center, lowering heat if necessary.
- Keep in a warm oven or cover with foil. Repeat with the remaining 5 pancakes.
Maple Banana Pecan Topping
- Add butter to the same skillet. Add pecans and a pinch of salt. Saute for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until toasted. Move to one side. Add the bananas. Sear each side of the banana 2-3 minutes, or until golden.
- Once the bananas are golden, pour the maple syrup over the bananas and pecans, give a stir, turn the heat off and remove the pan from the burner.
- Serve the pancakes and top with the Maple Glazed Bananas and Pecans.
Notes
Overnight: If you want to let the batter ferment overnight, simply leave out the baking soda and baking powder, and then add this to the batter in the morning right before cooking. I like to sprinkle them through a fine mesh strainer, (to prevent any clumps) over the batter, then whisk in. The batter will be light and airy.
Consistency: Depending on the flour you use, the batter can get overly thick. Feel free to loosen with more milk. If pancakes seem too thin, feel free to add a few tablespoons more flour. The batter should be thick-ish but able to pour out of the bowl slowly. It’s a pretty forgiving recipe.
Flax Egg: Mix 1 tablespoon ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons water.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 x 6-inch pancakes – without any toppings
- Calories: 418
- Sugar: 8.6 g
- Sodium: 657.2 mg
- Fat: 17.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 58.5 g
- Fiber: 7.2 g
- Protein: 11.2 g
- Cholesterol: 62 mg
I’ve made these a handful of times now and they are delicious and fluffy. I did increase the baking powder a bit and added another egg. Thank you for such a delicious recipe!!
I just made your no-knead sourdough bread and it is fantastic. I bake by weight though and wanted to make these pancakes. They sound delicious! How much does the 2/3 cup starter weigh? Thank you!
180 grams!
Will try in the morning! Cannot wait!
Sounds great! Can’t wait to try it in the morning!
The very best. Pancakes I’ve ever had with no taste of sourdough.
Amazing pancakes, perfect every time. My family love them so much that every time my daughters come to visit I have to make a batch of batter for them to take home with them. Thanks for this great recipe.
Wonderful pancakes! Thanks so much for the recipe!
I’ve made Bisquick pancakes for years because that’s what my dad always made. But I have now made this recipe with my sourdough discard twice and think it is a fabulous recipe! (Great idea having maple syrup in the batter)! The first time I made it with the bananas and pecans which reminds me of my favorite breakfast item fromJeannine’s in Santa Barbara. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks so much Terry, appreciate this!
Delicious. My husband even commented on how good these are. A great way to use sourdough discard too.
OMG OMG, what an amazing recipe. I have never in my life liked pancakes – I would always substitute toast if a restaurant meal included pancakes. BUT…. these are amazing and I always make enough to include me now (I always used to make only for everyone else).
Ms. Sylvia – quick question… I am having trouble making a great pizza crust. Can I use this pancake recipe and omit the syrup? If so, how could I make it just a little more crunchy – like pizza crust is? Thanks for your help!
Hey Jo- I’m working on a sourdough Pizza Crust Recipe- I don’t think this is easily adaptable for that. But of course, you can try. 😉 It’s just a totally different dough, verses this more of a batter.
Oh goodie….. I’m sooooooooo excited – can’t wait….. sorry, no pressure…. lol lol
Thank you for allllll your hard work to make these recipes so easy for the rest of us. You are amazingly talented.
Awwww thanks!
Mine were thick and kind of heavy, almost like a bun texture. Still very tasty. I’ll play with the liquid next time.
Sorry about that. Yep, maybe more liquid?
OMG, OMG, OMG! Light, fluffy, complex flavor and oh so delicious. This is probably what the settlers’ pancakes tasted like. A whole new level.
What’s to stop one from making other baked goods, like muffins and scones with sourdough discard?!
These were the best pancakes I’ve ever had! (And I’ve made the Food Lab ones and all sorts of others). There is just so much flavor. I used homemade yogurt and a little whey instead of milk.
Great to hear! Thanks~!
OMG, these were the best pancakes I have ever made! My kids are not huge fans of sourdough starter or anything I make with them (the idea just grosses them out!), but boy, they gobbled these puppies up! Mahalo for sharing!
yay!!! 🙌
Made these for a camping trip with my daughter and her friends. Everyone LOVED them! Soooo good!
Yay!!! 🙌
What a great recipe!
I’ve made these lovely pancakes 3 times already and each time they get consumed very quickly.
This one is one to keep!
thanks Lucy!
Really good pancakes. Would not really know they were vegan. Best receipt found so far for pancakes and sourdough. 👍
What did you sub for the egg to make them vegan?
So yummy. And friendly to the novice baker 🙂 Thanks a zillion!
Quick, easy and lucious.
Lovely fluffy pancakes, devoured by the whole family from 2 years old to 52! I love how I can use my sourdough starter up too.
Absolutely delicious! thank you : )
I’ve used two recipes on 2x mode in the last week and discovered the metric measures do not adjust. Just a heads up.
These pancakes, along with the suggested topping, were terrific. I added some nutmeg to the batter, yum.
Thanks Deb, noticing that too. Not sure what is going on.
yummy!
Delicious and so fluffy!
Easy to whip up. Loved that it can be done with any flour (seeing there are shortages out there!). Made them with whole wheat.
Made these with starter discard– they were delicious with a great texture and depth of flavor from the starter. Also so fluffy!
Glad you liked them!
Sylvia, could I make the pancake minus the egg
I wonder if you could try subbing baking powder and apple cider vinegar for the egg? My guess would be to increase to 1 tablespoon baking powder and add 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Add more water if it feels dry? I haven’t tried this so totally guessing here.
Hi, what about a “flax egg”? For those who haven’t heard of this, it is simply ground flaxseed and water, good substitute for an egg! Vegan too!
Of course, give it a try.