Made with simple ingredients, these Sourdough Discard Pancakes are the best vegan pancakes I’ve ever had. They’re fluffy, have a fruity taste, and are so light that it’s super easy to eat a whole batch by yourself!
Sourdough pancakes are made with sourdough discard, but you can also use an active sourdough culture to make them if you like. They taste just a bit yeasty and have some fruity hints, courtesy of the applesauce - but they definitely don’t taste like apple pancakes.
My sourdough pancakes are free of eggs, so if you’re looking for an eggless pancake recipe, you’ve just found your new favorite! In fact, these are vegan sourdough pancakes, free of any milk, buttermilk, or butter.
Looking for more sourdough discard breakfast recipes? Sourdough crepes have a delicate, tangy flavor, and are delicious to have in the morning!
Ingredients
If you still don’t have a sourdough starter and are looking to start your own, I have all the tips you need along with a step by step and huge FAQ in my sourdough starter guide.
You can make this recipe in less than 30 minutes, and it serves 2 people well, with 3 pancakes for each. There’s no need to let the batter rest overnight, as this recipe uses a fair amount of sourdough discard and baking powder to make the pancakes fluffy and airy.
You can let the batter rest overnight in the fridge, though.
I made this recipe with zero animal ingredients, but if you’re wondering if there are any possible ingredient substitutions:
- You can substitute oil for melted butter (it won’t be vegan);
- The same applies to oat milk. You can use any other milk (again, if using dairy milk, it won’t be vegan);
- The applesauce can be substituted for an extra-large egg if you don’t have applesauce available and are not looking for a vegan recipe.
How to make it from scratch
Not a lot of secrets for this recipe: it's super easy to prepare these pancakes.
Step 01. Start by mixing all the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Mix both of them together and stir only until there are no dry spots remaining. Don’t overmix, or they won’t be soft.
Step 02. For frying, heat any frying pan you have and spray it with cooking oil to prevent the pancakes from sticking to the bottom. If you have a nonstick pan, you may omit the cooking spray/oil.
Step 03. Pour about ¼ to ⅓ cup of batter into heated pan. Mine is large enough for two pancakes at a time, and it usually takes 2 to 3 minutes on the first side and then 1 to 2 minutes more after flipping for them to be ready. Less than that, and you’ll probably end up with an uncooked pancake in the middle.
Always cook them using medium to low heat, never on high heat. If you use high heat, the bottoms will be done before your pancakes are fully cooked inside.
About the batter
This batter is a bit thicker than normal pancake batter. I usually use a spoon and my finger (wash your hands!) to pour the batter into the frying pan. I don’t really measure how much batter I use for each pancake, but I would guess about ⅓ cup for each one.
If you prefer a more pourable batter, you can increase the amount of oat milk to ⅔ cup instead of ½ cup. Just don’t use more than ¾ cup of milk, or your pancakes won’t be as tall and fluffy. The more milk you add, the less tall your pancakes will be.
One last tip: for thick, tall pancakes, use the batter as soon as you make it. If you let the batter rest overnight, you risk the baking powder losing its properties. If so, you might not get a super fluffy, deliciously light, and tall pancake.
They usually never last for more than one day in this house, but if you need to know, they’re good for about 2 to 3 days if kept in an airtight container after cooling.
Can my sourdough pancakes be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze them after baking! These frozen sourdough pancakes reheat pretty well: just make sure to wait until they’re cooled before freezing them. Use an airtight container to store them, or a Ziploc bag suitable for freezing. Also, never freeze uncooked batter.
To freeze pancakes, you can either use parchment paper to separate each one so they don’t stick together or freeze them individually on a baking sheet for 30 minutes to 1 hour before packing them all together.
How to thaw them: you can microwave each one for about 30 seconds, or just pop them in the toaster. I prefer the latter option.
Why are my sourdough pancakes gooey?
Two things could have happened here: you might have (really) overmixed your batter, or you used too high temperature to cook your pancakes.
Remember: just stir the ingredients together until you can’t see dry spots anymore. Some lumps are okay. And never cook your pancakes using high heat, or they will be ready before evenly cooked and probably gooey in the middle.
What to eat with sourdough pancakes?
So many possibilities! I like to have mine with berries and maple syrup, but you can have it with maple syrup only, your favorite fruit, or a berry compote.
I love to have it topped with granola, and have some great granola options for you:
- peanut butter and banana granola tastes just like banana bread and is delicious with these pancakes!
- If you're a coconut person, you should definitely try my tropical coconut granola;
- Now my favorite: spring granola with apricot! This recipe uses honey, but for a vegan diet, you can substitute honey with my vegan honey alternative.
Although this recipe uses brown sugar, the pancakes are just slightly sweet. So if you’re thinking about having these pancakes with savory options, know that they are also great with them!
Looking for more easy sourdough discard recipes? Try my sourdough tortillas! They’re super easy to make and last for days.
If you tried this Sourdough Discard Pancake Recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating to help me out and let me know how it goes in the comments below!
📖 Recipe
Fluffy Sourdough Pancakes
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ cup oat milk
- ⅓ cup applesauce
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Stir to blend the dry ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, combine the sourdough discard, oil, oat milk and applesauce. Stir until blended.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir until batter is smooth and no dry spots are left. Careful to not overmix here, little lumps are ok. Batter will get supper puffy and you’ll be able to hear the bubbles when you stir it.
- Heat a frying pan or skillet pan. Spray cooking oil if needed so pancakes won’t stick.
- Pour about ¼ to ⅓ cup of batter into heated pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until golden, on medium low to prevent bottom from burning. If the bottom is getting too brown before 2 minutes, the temperature is too high: lower it. Flip and cook for another 1 or 2 minutes on the other side or until golden. Don’t try cooking them in less than 3 minutes, or you’ll risk getting undercooked pancakes.
- Top sourdough pancakes with your favorite toppings. Serve them warm.
Melissa
We aren’t vegan but I wanted to save my eggs for something else. Used whole milk, a little vanilla and a little cinnamon and served with fresh berries (no butter or syrup) and they were a HUGE hit.
Tatiana Kamakura
Hi Melissa,
That sounds absolutely delicious! It’s great that the pancakes were such a hit, and fresh berries are always a perfect touch. Cheers!
Bea
I’m excited to try this recipe! Is there any other substitute to applesauce other than an egg? Appreciate any help on this!
Tatiana Kamakura
Hi Bea,
You can try this recipe with the same amount of mashed bananas. Haven't use any other substitute than bananas or, if not making it vegan, eggs. Hope that helps!