Crispy Gluten Free Sourdough Waffles

Crispy gluten free sourdough discard waffles with corn & sweet rice flour—golden, high-protein, gum-free, and easy dairy-free or vegan swaps.

This is a spin off of the crispy waffles I’ve been making for many years. They’re my go to whenever I make a custard based ice cream and am left with 5 egg whites as a result.

Back when I first made them, I based them on a gluten free recipe – not because I had to, but because they were the crispiest waffles I had ever come across, and they made a perfectly balanced base for everything you could wish for: from powdered sugar, to jams and compotes, to Sunday morning breakfast superlatives involving massive amounts of Greek yogurt, sliced fruit, chocolate shavings and maple syrup.

Or, you know, you could just melt a scoop of that ice cream you’ve been making on top of a still-hot waffle. Just saying.

While I’m still trying to circle in on our favorite gluten free flour blend for making sourdough bread, we get to enjoy more and more gluten free discard recipes that already work out wonderfully (like these super fluffy Gluten Free Sourdough Pancakes).

Now that I find myself in a stage of life where we actually depend on gluten free staple recipes, I’m thankful that my grain curiosity had me dive into gluten free baking on more than one occasion in the past.

I’m also grateful that my trusty old recipe adapted seamlessly to including gluten free sourdough discard. It adds just another lovely layer of flavor, without compromising the texture of these waffles.

Why You’ll Love These Gluten Free Sourdough Waffles

Overnight Fermentation (Optional)

The waffle batter can easily be mixed at night and fermented until morning, if you prefer a deeper sourdough flavor and fully fermented grains.

Mix wet and dry batter ingredients, cover, and ferment overnight — it’s that easy. In the morning, all you need to do is whip the egg whites while the waffle iron preheats, fold them in, and you’re good to go.

Proof that sourdough does not need to be complicated.

Tools You May Need

Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer For whipping egg whites to soft peaks.

Silicone Spatula For folding in egg whites into the batter gently.

Digital Kitchen Scales Baking always benefits from accurately measuring ingredients by weight. It’s even more important in gluten-free baking, where even small variances can make or break a recipe.

Waffle Iron I prefer thick Belgian waffles, but any waffle iron will work.

Wooden Fork (Optional) Very handy for removing hot waffles without scratching the iron.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Gluten Free Sourdough Discard I feed my starter brown rice flour and find that its discard turns bitter if it sits in the fridge for a long time, so I recommend using discard that’s less than a week old. You can also use active starter.

Milk I use whole milk, but a gluten-free plant milk can be used for dairy free waffles.

Egg Whites The recipe calls for 5 egg whites — perfect if you’ve been making ice cream and need to use up a lot of egg whites!
If you want or need these egg-free, use whipped aquafaba instead!

Tapioca Starch Also called tapioca flour.

Sweet White Rice Flour Also called sweet rice flour, sweet glutinous rice flour or mochiko. It’s bright white and powdery and has a sticky starch that works wonders in gluten free baked goods. You can also find it in Asian supermarkets or some health food stores.

Corn Flour (NOT corn starch!) Make sure to use corn flour, which is more finely ground than cornmeal. In the UK, corn flour refers to corn starch, so don’t confuse these either. You’re looking for a bright yellow flour, ground from dried corn.

Vanilla I’m baking in Europe, so vanilla sugar is my favorite go to for a rich vanilla flavor. You can use vanilla extract instead.

Coconut Oil or Ghee I prefer refined coconut oil, which is neutral in flavor. You can also use ghee, for a more buttery taste.

How to Make Gluten Free Sourdough Waffles

01

Combine Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Set aside.

02

Mix Wet Ingredients

Warm coconut oil and milk in a large bowl in the microwave (or in a pot on the stove), until the oil is fully melted. Stir in sourdough discard and vanilla extract (if using) and whisk until the oil is fully integrated into the batter.

03

Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients

Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir to combine. The batter will be thick at this point—that’s okay!

Optional: Ferment Overnight

You can cover and ferment the batter overnight at this point, for more sourdough flavor and gut-health benefits.

04

Whip Egg Whites

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.

05

Fold In Egg Whites

Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter in batches of three. Fold in until just combined, being careful not to over mix.

06

Cook Waffles

Preheat your waffle iron according to manufacturer directions. Depending on your type of iron, cook waffles on medium heat for 1-1½ minutes on each side. They should be gently bronzed and golden and feel crispy to the touch.

07

Cool and Serve

Transfer the cooked waffles to a baking rack in a low oven until ready to serve.

Variations

These can be adapted in so many ways! Here are a few highlights:

They also adapt seasonally:

How to Serve Gluten Free Sourdough Waffles

How to Store

Waffles are best enjoyed fresh.

Store cooled waffles in an air tight container at room temperature for up to two days. They’ll firm up just a little and loose some of their crisp, but you can easily revive them in a toaster or microwave.

Recipe FAQs

If you make these Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Waffles…

I’d love to hear how they turned out!

Adapted from The Bojon Gourmet.

Crispy Gluten Free Sourdough Waffles

Discover the perfect gluten-free sourdough discard waffle recipe! Made with corn and sweet rice flour, these waffles are crispy, high-protein, and completely gum-free. Ideal for those seeking a healthy, dairy-free, or vegan breakfast option. Plus, enjoy the flexibility of an overnight batter!

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Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:10 minutes mins

Total Time:20 minutes mins

Equipment

• Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer - For whipping egg whites to soft peaks.
• silicone spatula - For folding in egg whites into the batter gently.
• Digital Kitchen Scales - For accurately measuring ingredients.
• Waffle Iron  - Thick Belgian or regular heart waffles.
• Wooden Fork (Optional)  - For not scratching the waffle iron.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 120 g corn flour - (¾ cup + 2 tbsp)
• 130 g sweet white rice flour - (¾ cup)
• 30 g tapioca flour/starch - (¼ cup)
• 1 tbsp vanilla sugar - or use raw cane sugar instead
• 2 tbsp raw cane sugar
• 1 tbsp GF baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Wet Ingredients

• 240 ml whole milk - (1 cup)
• 55 g refined coconut oil or ghee, melted - (¼ cup)
• 130 g GF sourdough discard - (½ cup)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract - skip if using vanilla sugar

Other Ingredients

• 5 egg whites - or 10 tbsp aquafaba
• coconut oil - for greasing the waffle iron

Instructions

Combine Dry Ingredients

• In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Set aside.
  120 g corn flour, 130 g sweet white rice flour, 30 g tapioca flour/starch, 1 tbsp vanilla sugar, 2 tbsp raw cane sugar, 1 tbsp GF baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp cinnamon

Mix Wet Ingredients

• Warm coconut oil and milk until the oil is fully melted. Stir in sourdough discard and vanilla extract (if using) and whisk until the oil is fully integrated into the batter.
  240 ml whole milk, 55 g refined coconut oil or ghee, melted, 130 g GF sourdough discard, 1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients

• Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir to combine. The batter will be thick at this point—that’s okay!

Optional: Ferment Overnight

• You can cover and ferment the batter overnight at this point, for more sourdough flavor and gut-health benefits.

Fold In Whipped Egg Whites

• Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.
  5 egg whites
• Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter in batches of three. Fold in until just combined, being careful not to over mix.

Cook Waffles

• Preheat your waffle iron according to manufacturer directions. Depending on your type of iron, cook waffles on medium heat for 1-1½ minutes on each side. They should be gently bronzed and golden and feel crispy to the touch.
  coconut oil

Cool and Serve

• Transfer the cooked waffles to a baking rack in a low oven until ready to serve.

Notes

• Make sure to use corn flour, which is more finely ground than cornmeal. In the UK, corn flour refers to corn starch, so don’t confuse these either. You’re looking for a bright yellow flour, ground from dried corn.
• Fold in whipped egg whites in batches of three, so you’ll loosen up the batter without deflating them too much.
• Don’t cook waffles too long. They should be gently crispy on the outside but not fully firm.
• Use wooden utensils to remove the hot waffles from the iron, so you don’t scratch anything.
• Make them dairy-free by using plant milk and coconut oil.
• Make them egg-free by swapping aquafaba for the egg whites.
• Make them vegan, by using both dairy-free ingredients and whipped aquafaba.
• Store cooled waffles in an air tight container at room temperature for up to two days. Revive quickly in a toaster or microwave.

Servings: 6 large Belgian waffles

Calories: 336kcal

Author: Sarah | Grains & Greens Kitchen