All-Discard Sourdough Pancakes

BySarah | Grains & Greens Kitchen Posted on

Sourdough discard pancakes with no added flour or overnight fermentation. Light, fluffy, dairy-free, and lightly sweetened with honey and cinnamon.

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A stack of golden brown Sourdough discard Pancakes on a light blue plate sitting on a counter with chipped white paint and a colorful tea towel to the side.
Top down view of a plate of stacked sourdough discard pancakes, set on a chipped wooden surface, draped with a patterned tea towel.

Sourdough pancakes are the ultimate entry point into discard recipes. They take something familiar and turn it into something tangy, elevated and just a little bit fancy.

If you’re in the midst of growing a starter or keep your mature starter on the counter, you’ll probably have copious amounts of sourdough discard at your disposal. Pancakes are the easiest way to put it to good use and these all-discard pancakes pack a double punch: they use up a whopping 460g (just under 2 cups) of discard in one fell swoop, need no extra flour, and are a great, no-wait recipe to make if you’ve been rescuing very sour discard with my discard-reset method!

Why You’ll Love This Discard Pancake Recipe

Reliable: Sourdough usually comes with rules and schedules, but discard recipes are a lot more forgiving. No watching the clock, no fancy terms, just mix and go for instant big flavor.

Adaptable: Don’t have quite enough starter in the fridge? Make up for the difference and add extra (fresh) flour and water. And if you keep your starter the no-discard way and don’t have any discard sitting in the fridge: just grow enough fresh starter overnight and use it in the morning!

Quick but Fully Fermented: Fermenting flour makes grains easier to digest. It breaks down gluten and phytic acids, and makes nutrients more bio-available. That’s why many people sensitive to gluten can still tolerate recipes made with sourdough perfectly fine.
Using all discard and no extra flour means you don’t have to wait for your batter to ferment. Just mix, cook, and enjoy!

Naturally Dairy-Free: Ever been stuck mid-recipe because you just realised you’re out of milk? Me too.
That’s why all you need for these sourdough pancakes is discard, eggs, and a neutral oil. No milk, butter, or anything else you just ran out of.

A stack of golden brown Sourdough Discard Pancakes on a light blue plate. You can see the fluffy, light texture of the finished pancakes.
A stack of golden brown Sourdough discard Pancakes on a light blue plate sitting on a counter with chipped white paint and a colorful tea towel to the side.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Sourdough Discard: You can use discard straight from the fridge, or grow some fresh starter overnight.
If your discard is smelling very sour, you can reset it overnight.

Coconut oil: I prefer neutral (refined) coconut oil for an unclouded flavor, but you can use any other neutral oil you have on hand.
Unrefined coconut oil or melted butter (if you don’t need them dairy-free) work as well, but they compete with the sourdough flavor a little more.

Cinnamon: It naturally enhances the sweetness without having to add more honey or sugar to the batter (so you can safely pour maple syrup on your stack of pancakes instead).

Honey: I love the combination of honey and cinnamon in these, but you could also use maple syrup or plain white sugar if you prefer.

Tools You May Need

Small nonstick or cast iron pan: I love using a small 20cm (8-inch) pan and completely filling it with batter to make larger pancakes. It cuts down on a lot of flipping.

Medium bowl: One medium bowl is all you need.

Wire whisk: To make sure that the ingredients are combined thoroughly before adding the baking soda.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Pancakes

it’s easier than you think!

Step 01

Mix Batter

Closeup of All-Discard Sourdough Pancake Batter in a white ceramic bowl. It's still flat and fills only half of the bowl.

Preheat a (cast iron) skillet on medium low heat.
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except baking soda and whisk until well combined.

Step 02

Add Baking Soda

Closeup of sourdough pancake batter in a white ceramic bowl. It's frothy and bubbly and reaches all the way to the top of the bowl.

Add in baking soda and whisk gently to combine. The batter will foam and rise immediately. Don’t overmix once this starts!

Step 03

Cook Pancakes

closeup of sourdough pancake batter in a frying pan. there are a lot of bubbles on top and the sides are just starting to set and brown.

Lightly brush your pan with coconut oil and pour in the batter. Fry until the edges are starting to set and there are many bubbles visible on top (2-3 minutes max).

Step 04

Stack Until Done

A stack of golden brown Sourdough Discard Pancakes on a light blue plate. You can see the fluffy, light texture of the finished pancakes.

Once you can release the sides by sliding a spatula underneath, gently flip the pancake to fry the other side for another minute or until golden brown. Stack the pancakes on a plate as they finish cooking.

Tips & Troubleshooting

  • Since this recipe uses 100% discard, very sour discard will result in a tangier pancake. If you prefer a milder flavor, you can:
  • Use my discard reset method to fix super sour fridge discard
  • Use fresh discard (no more than a few days old)
  • Feed your starter the night before and use it while still active
  • Use less discard, and replace the rest with equal parts fresh flour and water
  • Before you add the baking soda, make sure that there is enough room left in your mixing bowl for the batter to expand. It will froth up a lot. If you’re already near the top, change bowls!
  • Pancakes are ready to be flipped, when there are a lot of little bubbles on top. The edges should be starting to set and turn golden. If you can slide a spatula underneath and loosen the pancake from the pan, it’s ready to flip!
  • Preheat the pan well, but keep the heat down on low to medium-low. Pancakes should be golden and fluffy by the time they’re cooked through, not flat and crispy.
  • I find stacking baked pancakes on a plate as I go is more than enough to keep them warm, even without covering with a tea towel. If you want, you can also keep them warm in a low oven until you’re ready to serve.

Variations

Spices: Replace the cinnamon with other spices you love, like cardamom, or pumpkin pie spice.

Add-Ins: Try adding fresh berries or chocolate chips to the top of the still-wet batter before flipping in the pan. (Raspberries and chocolate chips are pure bliss.)

Grain Swap: Try feeding your starter a different grain (fresh milled or store-bought flour) for a twist. Spelt pancakes are especially lovely.
You don’t need to feed your whole starter with a different flour. Just grab a bowl and mix some of your starter and a different flour to ferment overnight. It’s fun to try something new!

Closeup of a single All-Discard Sourdough Pancake on a blue plate sitting on a chipped white wood surface. The dark golden pancake is drizzled with maple syrup and topped with five cut strawberries
Closeup of a single Sourdough Discard Pancake on a blue plate sitting on a chipped white wood surface. The dark golden pancake is drizzled with maple syrup and topped with five cut strawberries

How to Serve Sourdough Discard Pancakes

Our favourite pancake toppings include (but are not limited to):

I love baking these into bigger pancakes and serve them as one big stack on the table, for everyone to serve themselves. Little stacks look cute, but I find them fussy to eat.

How to Store & Freeze Leftover Sourdough Pancakes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Make sure to reheat them briefly in a microwave or toaster, as the coconut oil will go solid in the fridge and make the pancakes feel tough. Don’t worry, they’ll go back to soft and pillowy once they’re warmed through again!

I’ve never frozen pancakes myself, but The Pioneer Woman has a great guide on how to do it!

Recipe FAQs

Yes! These are all-discard pancakes, which means you don’t need any extra flour at all. The flour in your sourdough starter is all that’s needed to make soft, fluffy pancakes. It’s a great way to use up a lot of discard!

Just make up the difference by mixing equal parts flour and water. Or feed your starter the night before and use it the next morning—it works just as well!

Yes, you can use cold discard straight from the fridge. Just make sure to give it a good stir before measuring it into your batter.

They can be! Thanks to natural fermentation, sourdough can be easier to digest and may reduce gluten and phytic acid. Of course, the health factor also depends on your toppings.

Older discard builds up more acidity. For a milder flavor, use fresh discard (from the same day or the day before), start fresh by feeding your starter and using it at peak, or use my discard-reset method to fix very sour discard first!

If you make these sourdough discard pancakes…

I’d love to hear how they turned out!

P.S. If you enjoy all-discard recipes, you might also love this Sourdough Discard Cherry Clafoutis!

happy baking!

Sourdough Discard Pancakes (No Flour, Dairy-Free)

Fluffy sourdough discard pancakes with no added flour or overnight fermentation. Dairy-free, lightly sweetened with honey and cinnamon, and a simple way to use up discard. Freshly fed starter also works as a bonus option.
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A stack of golden brown All-Discard Sourdough Pancakes on a light blue plate. Underneath is a counter with chipped white paint and a colorful tea towel to the side
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time:5 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
Total Time:25 minutes
Servings:4 people
Calories:270kcal
Equipment
  • Small Nonstick or Cast Iron Pan - (20cm/8-inch)
  • medium bowl
  • Whire Whisk
Ingredients
  • 460 g sourdough discard - (just under 2 cups) can be straight from the fridge, or use active starter
  • 2 large eggs
  • 50 g refined coconut oil, melted - (¼ cup) other neutral oil/melted butter
  • 1 tbsp honey - sugar, or maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking soda - add separately!
Instructions
  • Preheat a cast iron skillet on medium low heat, if using. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except baking soda and whisk until well combined.
  • Add in baking soda and whisk gently to combine. The batter will foam and rise immediately. Don't overmix once this starts.
  • Lightly brush your pan with coconut oil and pour in the batter. Fry until the edges are starting to set and there are many bubbles visible on top (2-3 minutes max). Once you can release the sides by sliding a spatula underneath, gently flip the pancake to fry the other side for another minute or until golden brown.
  • Stack the pancakes on a plate as they finish cooking. Serve with fresh fruit, maple syrup, honey or Greek yogurt.
Notes
  1. Very sour discard will result in a tangier pancake. If you prefer a milder flavor, you can:
      • Use my discard reset method to fix super sour fridge discard.
      • Use fresh discard (no more than a few days old).
      • Feed your starter the night before and use it while still active.
      • Use less discard, and replace the rest with equal parts fresh flour and water.
  2. Before you add the baking soda, make sure that there is enough room left in your mixing bowl for the batter to expand.
  3. Preheat the pan well, but keep the heat down on low to medium-low.
  4. Stack baked pancakes on a plate as you go to keep them warm, or collect on a plat in a low oven until you’re ready to serve.
Author: Sarah | Grains & Greens Kitchen
Serving: 1stack | Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it turned out!

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5 from 3 votes

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Recipe Rating




5 Comments

    1. 5 stars
      Yep, these are very good. On dough mixing day I use my leftover Tartine levaine and make these for breakfast.

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    This was such an easy recipe! My family loved them! I love that this recipe does not call for extra flour so we don’t have to ferment it longer. I have a gluten sensitivity so anything that is either long fermented or only uses sourdough discard is perfect for us.

    Reply