Fluffy, tangy, naturally fermented, and freezer-friendly—these sourdough pancakes are the perfect way to use up your sourdough discard without wasting a thing.
These Sourdough Discard Pancakes will actually change your life. They have so much flavor and come together in minutes. When you start to make sourdough bread, you will learn that your starter grows FAST. When you feed it, you should also be discarding some of the starter to keep it healthy and bubbly. This sourdough discard is what you keep in a separate jar and not throw away! You can make SO many goodies with sourdough discard like these pancakes, bagels, buns, pretzels, and more.
If you are new to sourdough making and bread, check out my post on Organic Sourdough Bread.
BE SURE TO SAVE THIS RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD FOR LATER!
Why You’ll Love These Pancakes
If you’ve been looking for the best way to use up that sourdough discard sitting in your fridge, these pancakes are it. They are:
- Light, fluffy, and full of flavor
- Naturally fermented and easier to digest
- Made without refined sugar
- Perfect for meal prep and freezer-friendly
- Kid-approved and easy to customize
Sourdough discard gives these pancakes a unique depth of flavor and tender texture that you just can’t get from a standard pancake recipe.
Why You Should Be Eating Sourdough
Easy to Digest
The bacteria-yeast composition will start to breakdown the starches found in the grains before it even reaches your stomach!! Most of the work is done before you consume, making it much easier on your gut.
Lower Glycemic Index
Sourdough is fermented in a way that depletes bad starches within it. Your blood sugar won’t rise drastically upon eating it.
Better for Gluten Sensitivity
The longer fermentation time for sourdough bread means that much of the protein gluten is broken down into amino acids before you consume it.
Provides Healthy Bacteria
Sourdough is fermented in a way that fosters more beneficial bacteria in the bread and in your body when you eat it.
Made with 2 Simple Ingredients
Real sourdough starter contains only 2 ingredients: flour & water, and salt.
Macros & Nutrients
Sourdough is packed with nutrients, healthy carbs, protein, fiber, iron and vitamins like potassium, folate & vitamin B. It is not crazy high in calories either.
How to Make an Organic Sourdough Starter from Scratch
- 50g organic, all-purpose flour
- 50g warm filtered water
- Large mason jar – make sure it is large because your starter will GROW!
- Mix the flour and starter in your mason jar until fully incorporated (it needs to be mixed very well!).
- Cover loosely with the mason jar lid. Store in a warm environment for 24 hours. I like to store mine in the oven with the light on so it’s nice and warm. Don’t accidently turn your oven on though lol!
- Repeat this process every 24 hours for 4 days and on day 5, it should very very bubbly and ready to use! Make sure you use your starter in your bread when it is nice and active. I feed my starter before bed and then use it in the morning for bread.
How to Care for your Starter
I know this sounds kind of silly, but your starter is like a little child! You have to take really good care of it to keep it alive. The longer it is alive and you keep it going, the stronger the sourdough taste you get! I legit had a sourdough starter baby sitter when I went to Europe for a month.
If your starter is stored in the fridge (after you get it going of course) you only need to feed it every 6-7 days to keep it alive (100g water & 100g flour). If you store it at room temperature, it needs to be fed every 24 hours. Unless you plan on making a loaf of bread every day, I don’t recommend keeping your starter on the counter. It will grow faster than you can make bread! Storing it in the fridge slows it down and makes it more manageable. I make one loaf per week. I take the starter out of the fridge the night before, let it get to room temp and then feed it. In the morning, I start making the bread.
Before you feed it take a few spoonful’s out. Place it in a separate jar and place it in your fridge. This is your discard!! Don’t let it go to waste. You can make sooo many things with your discard!
Sourdough Discard Pancake Ingredients
- 3/4 cup organic all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup of sourdough starter discard
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, or milk of choice (almond milk keeps this recipe dairy-free)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg (large, organic)
- 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- Optional: Cinnamon, Blueberries, Chocolate Chips, etc.
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Add in the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Preheat a pan or griddle over medium to medium-low heat. Lightly spray or butter the surface.
- Form 6 pancakes out of the pancake batter and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on each side. Serve with your favorite maple syrup, fresh berries, etc. and enjoy!!
Feel-Good. Taste-Good Food.
How To Store Leftovers
You can store your leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for 3 days. Just pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds or so to reheat. You can also freeze these sourdough pancakes for up to 3 months.
FAQs
Is sourdough discard healthy?
Sourdough discard is rich in beneficial bacteria and lower in phytic acid, which can make nutrients more bioavailable and easier to digest than conventional flour.
Can I make these vegan?
Absolutely! Swap the egg for a flax egg (1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 tbsp water) and use a plant-based milk.
Check Me Out on Social Media
I post all my recipes on social media as well and you can stay up to date on what I am up to! Also, I love seeing people try my recipes! When make these, snap a picture, and share it to your socials. Tag @cookingkatielady and #cookingkatielady so I can admire your masterpiece and share with others!
These pancakes are a staple in our house—and one of my favorite zero-waste recipes. They come together fast, freeze beautifully, and have the best tangy flavor thanks to the sourdough discard. Whether you’re feeding your family or just yourself, this recipe will quickly become a weekend go-to.
healthy sourdough pancakes, sourdough discard recipes, sourdough discard pancakes, healthy pancake recipe, freezer-friendly pancakes, no waste sourdough recipe, gut-friendly pancakes
Description
Fluffy, tangy, naturally fermented, and freezer-friendly—these sourdough pancakes are the perfect way to use up your sourdough discard.
Ingredients
Instructions
-
In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Add in the wet and mix until just combined.
-
Preheat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Lightly spray or butter the surface.
-
Form 6 pancakes and cook for about 3 minutes on each side. Serve with your favorite syrup and enjoy!!
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Servings 3
Serving Size 2 pancakes
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 179kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 2g4%
- Saturated Fat 0.5g3%
- Cholesterol 71.7mg24%
- Sodium 628.6mg27%
- Total Carbohydrate 31.8g11%
- Dietary Fiber 1.6g7%
- Sugars 1g
- Protein 7.6g16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Did you make this recipe?
The next time you make it, snap a picture, and share it to your socials. Tag @cookingkatielady and #cookingkatielady so I can admire your masterpiece and share with others!:)
Please note that my nutrition label is approximate and can have slight rounding.
User Reviews
Loved This Sourdough Discard Pancake Recipe! I looked through multiple recipes before choosing this one. I wanted one without sugar because that’s really unnecessary. I made this recipe for Father’s Day breakfast and it was a big hit! They were delicious! Both my husband and son loved the pancakes!
Hey Lyy! Thanks so much for your review. These are my all-time favorite pancakes!
LOVE THESE!
Whenever I make them mine come out more like English muffins and honestly that is exactly what I was looking for! When a fresh batch is made they are gone by the end of the day! Made 3x more this morning- planning on freezing a few for later in the week.
I am so glad you love them! These freeze and reheat great! Thanks for sharing:)