Perhaps you’ve found yourself with extra sourdough discard and need to use it up? Well you’ve come to the right place! These sourdough discard pancakes are soft and fluffy. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, and more!
Why you’ll love this recipe
These sourdough discard pancakes are so easy to whip up, perfect for if you’re not a morning person. Also, they are so soft and fluffy and pair well with berries, chocolate chips, maple syrup, butter, whipped cream, and more.
What is sourdough discard and can you eat it?
Sourdough discard is the discarded part of an active sourdough starter. People will often take a little discard and either bake with it or get rid of it as a way to maintain a manageable amount of sourdough starter.
Sourdough discard is edible when used in different recipes where it is baked or cooked with.
Why add sourdough discard to pancakes?
When you feed your sourdough starter, the starter grows in volume. To manage the starter, people either remove some of the starter and get rid of or “discard” it. However, one way to not just toss out perfectly good sourdough is to incorporate it into different recipes like this one!
Why make pancakes from scratch?
There are many reasons why making pancakes from scratch is a good idea! Here are a few:
Healthier then store bought
Customizable
Super easy
Delicious
And want to know something else that’s super easy and delicious? Check out my super simple sourdough discard sandwich bread recipe! You won’t regret making it!! đ
Are sourdough pancakes healthier than regular pancakes?
Yes, they have sourdough in them which is easier to digest.
What makes these pancakes so fluffy and soft?
The trick to making these sourdough discard pancakes so fluffy and soft is baking powder.
Ingredient Variations
Sweetener: You can choose from a variety of different ingredients if you don’t want to use white sugar. Maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, chocolate chips, or even fruit all can sweeten up the pancakes.
Flour: Don’t want to use regular flour? No problem! You can swap half, or even all, of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour. Want a gluten free version? You can use a 1:1 gluten free baking blend!
Milk: Feel free to use any milk alternative that’s most convenient to you. Examples of what you could use include: almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, or even try out buttermilk.
Egg Free: Instead of an egg, try out a flax egg.
Butter or Oil: Use a plant based butter or an oil like coconut oil.
Add-ins: You could do classic pancakes with chocolate chips or blueberries, or try adding in cinnamon, grated apple, or even mashed banana to play around with different flavors.
Equipment Needed for Sourdough Pancakes
Pan or skillet (medium or large)
Spatula
Spoon or ladle (for pouring batter into pan)
Measuring cups and spoons
Whisk
A couple of medium mixing bowls
Ingredients for Sourdough Pancakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 sourdough discard
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1 tablespoon of sugar (or sweetener of choice)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of milk (or milk alternative)
1 egg
2 tablespoons of melted butter or oil
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)
Additional add-ins:
1/4-1/3 cup of blueberries of chocolate chips
How to Make Sourdough Pancakes
Makes about 12, medium sized pancakes.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Then set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together sourdough discard, milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract until combined.
Next, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Then, heat a lightly greased pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Pour about 1/4 cup or so of batter into the pan.
At this point, add in any fruit or chocolate chips. What I like to do is just sprinkle them on top of the pancakes in the skillet when they are still doughy and not formed yet.
Next, flip the pancakes once the edges seemed to have set. Let cook for an additional few minutes until golden.
Let the sourdough pancakes cool a little and enjoy! đ
How to store
Fridge: Let the pancakes cool down completely. You can store the pancakes in a airtight container or zip-top bag. They should stay fresh for about 3 days.
Freezer: Another option for an extended amount of storage time is freezing. Start by freezing the pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once they are frozen, transfer the pancakes to a freezer safe bag or container. Place a piece of parchment paper between each layer to prevent sticking. They should stay fresh for about 2 months in the freezer.
Reheating: Feel free to use a toaster, microwave, or oven to reheat.
Sourdough Pancakes
Equipment
- Pan or skillet (medium or large)
- Spatula
- Spoon or ladle (for pouring batter into pan)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
- A couple of medium mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 sourdough discard
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 tablespoon of sugar or sweetener of choice
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of milk or milk alternative
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons of melted butter or oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Then set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together sourdough discard, milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Next, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Then, heat a lightly greased pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Pour about 1/4 cup or so of batter into the pan.
- At this point, add in any fruit or chocolate chips. What I like to do is just sprinkle them on top of the pancakes in the skillet when they are still doughy and not formed yet.
- Next, flip the pancakes once the edges seemed to have set. Let cook for an additional few minutes until golden.
- Let the sourdough pancakes cool a little and enjoy! đ
Notes
Can I make the batter ahead of time?
Yes! You can mix everything together except for the baking powder and the baking soda. Store in the fridge and when ready to use add the baking powder and baking soda right before cooking.
Making the batter ahead of time is a perfect hack if you know you are going to have a busy morning or day ahead!
Additional FAQ’s
Can I make the batter the night before? Yes, mix everything together except for the baking powder and baking soda. Add the baking soda and baking powder right before cooking and you’ll still get fluffy, delicious pancakes!
What does sourdough discard do in pancakes? Sourdough discard adds an extra depth of flavor, a subtle tang. Also, it adds a bit of extra nutrition and helps you to reduce waste.
Can I use fed sourdough starter instead of discard? Yes, definitely! Just note that the flavor might be a little more mild and the batter might be a little more bubbly/active.
Can I double or triple this recipe? For sure! This recipe works well for crowds and/or meal prepping and saving for later.
What kind of pan is best for pancakes? A cast iron skillet is what I like to use and what I think works best. However, most pans will be just fine. Just be sure to grease the pan before cooking the pancakes.
Are these pancakes sweet? These pancakes have a very slight sweetness to them. However, you can easily scale up or scale down the sweetness based on you preferences. If you add in chocolate chips or fruit, that will make it sweeter. Alternatively, skip the sugar all together for pancakes that are less sweet.
Can I add protein to the pancakes? Yes, you could try adding a spoonful of Greek yogurt to the batter or serve eggs, meat, nuts etc. on the side!
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My favorite skillet!
These were so delicious! My family scarfed them down in record time!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed them!! đ
I adore sourdough for so many things and in pancakes it’s so good. Love all your recipes and so glad I got to try this one!
What a great use of discard! I also love knowing exactly what is in my pancakes, rather than a mess of ingredients from store bought ones. Great post!
These sourdough pancakes look absolutely delicious! đ Iâve just started my sourdough journey and have been looking for fun, family-friendly ways to use my discard. This is perfect! I love how simple and wholesome the ingredients are. Canât wait to make a batch this weekend for a cozy Saturday morning breakfast. Thank you for sharing your recipe and your heart behind it!
Ooh, I love a good pancake and these look delicious! I’m definitely going to try these out.
My family loves pancakes, and we have them every weekend, but I have never made sourdough pancakes. These look pretty easy to make, especially to a relative novice of sourdough like myself. I’ll give these a try.
I donât know why I never thought to use it in pancakes. We have an active starter so I will definitely try this next time!
YUM! These pancakes look amazing! Nothing better than using sourdough in the batter!
Sourdough pancakes sound delicious! I just a tradition of making chocolate chip pancakes on Saturday mornings for my family, so I’ll need to try out this recipe some weekend!
These look so perfectly fluffy! Pancakes are my death row meal đ
Oh, do these look so very tasty! Great idea to make the pancakes with sourdough discard. I’ll have to try this next time I make pancakes, they look so perfect. Love your recipe and that fork full of pancakes picture is a sure seller! Yumm!