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Hello! I’m Anjali. I’m a board certified health coach, author, wife, mom and food lover from the SF Bay area (now living in Seattle, WA!); with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty and fun! Learn more about me here and stay for a while!

Anjali Shah

Fluffy Sourdough Discard Pancakes Recipe

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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!

Fluffy sourdough discard pancakes stacked on a plate, topped with berries.

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 (Learn more: 100 Vegetarian Breakfast Ideas)
  • 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.

Ingredients for easy, fluffy sourdough discard pancakes recipe.
  • 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, blackberry simple syrup, peach simple syrup, whipped cream, apple curd, fresh fruit, vegan 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.

Dry ingredients for flapjacks combined in a bowl.

Whisk Wet Ingredients: In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients.

Batter for sourdough discard pancakes in a mixing bowl.

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.

Wet and dry ingredients for sourdough pancakes mixed together in a bowl.

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.

Sourdough pancakes made with leftovers sourdough starter discard cooking in a skillet.

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.

Flapjacks cooking in a pan.

Serve: Enjoy with your favorite pancake toppings!

Easy sourdough discard pancakes stacked on a plate

❓ 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. You can also serve it alongside some delicious side dishes like this breakfast fruit salad!

💭 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.
Homemade, fluffy sourdough discard pancakes stacked on a plate, topped with berries.

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Fluffy sourdough discard pancakes stacked on a plate, topped with berries.
Print Recipe
5 from 6 votes

Sourdough Discard Pancakes

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!
Prep Time8 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time33 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 159kcal
Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  • In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until smooth.
  • Allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes before cooking.
  • Heat a skillet over medium heat and lightly spray with spray oil.
  • Drop a ¼ cup of the batter into the heated skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes until bubbles start to appear.
  • Turn the pancakes over and continue to cook for another 4-5 minutes.
  • Remove and repeat with remaining batter.
  • Serve with your favorite pancake toppings.

Notes

  • Substitute both flours for gluten free flour to make these pancakes gluten free.
  • To make these pancakes vegan friendly substitute the eggs with flax eggs.
  • Store left over pancakes covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Do not overmix the batter, and let the batter rest! Baking powder activates as soon as it mixes with a liquid. Rested batter makes fluffier pancakes.  
  • 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.
  • 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 2pancakes | Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 208mg | Potassium: 94mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g

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Whether you want a quick smoothie or a more indulgent breakfast spread, we’ve got you covered.

Try some of our favorites like this blueberry pineapple smoothie, these vegan protein waffles, our silken tofu scramble, this avocado toast with honey, or our lightened up oat milk pancakes!

10 responses to “Fluffy Sourdough Discard Pancakes Recipe”

  1. Thank you, I often have discarded starter and sometimes make crumpets but lI oved it in the pancakes too. Plus, a good reason to make pancakes 😉5 stars

  2. These fluffy and fabulous pancakes are a perfect breakfast to start the day. Can’t wait to taste them.5 stars

  3. What a fantastic way to use up discard! Love this. I hate wasting so I really appreciate recipes like this! Thank you!5 stars

  4. I have never made pancakes using sourdough discard! The pancakes looks fluffy and delicious. I’m going to try this for my weekend brunch with the family this weekend.5 stars

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