These fully fermented sourdough pancakes are fluffy and tender with irresistible, crispy edges. Made with six simple ingredients, they are not only easy and quick, but also so delicious when topped with butter, maple syrup, raw honey, or fruit topping.
These fluffy sourdough pancakes are deliciously light and fluffy with a little bit of crispiness at the edges and the tangy, delicious flavor of sourdough. Our family is already a huge fan of pancakes, and it’s easy to see why this particular recipe is a family favorite. Add toppings like homemade blueberry sauce or homemade whipped cream with a sprinkling of chocolate chips or fresh berries to make an extra special weekend morning treat.
And while butter, maple syrup, and fresh fruit are always excellent options, you can even go for savory toppings, like an over-easy fried egg or crumbled sausage. Eggs, sausage, and pancakes all pair wonderfully with maple syrup!
If you’re familiar with sourdough, you’re aware that fermented sourdough recipes require some waiting to allow for the fermentation. Recipes like my English muffin recipe, sourdough cinnamon rolls, or sourdough Italian bread are pretty typical examples. It’s always worth the time invested!
If you’re not familiar with sourdough, I have plenty of resources on how to make your own sourdough starter from scratch, how to maintain your starter, and how to use sourdough starter.
However, this delicious recipe requires no waiting. There is no added flour, just the fed, fermented, active, and bubbly starter and a few other ingredients to make the perfect pancakes. As long as you have two cups of starter that was fed in the last 12 hours, you’re good to go!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Simple ingredients – With a mature starter and simple pantry staples, you have the tools for the best homemade sourdough pancakes.
Delicious sourdough flavor – The fed and fermented sourdough starter provides that subtle sourdough taste that works so well in baked goods.
Chewy, fluffy texture – These pancakes are thick and fluffy, perfect for absorbing butter and syrup. Sourdough also yields a chewier texture than regular pancakes.
Ingredients
Sourdough starter – Use a bubbly, active starter that has been fed within 4-12 hours of starting the recipe. While you could use leftover sourdough discard, the pancakes won’t be very fluffy.
Oil – Use a neutral oil or swap it out for melted butter. To make these pancakes dairy-free, stick to a neutral oil.
Honey – You can use sugar or brown sugar in place of honey, if you prefer.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Sourdough Pancakes
Step 1: Mix the sourdough starter, eggs, oil, honey, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the baking soda last and watch the starter foam up.
Step 2: To achieve those crispy pancake edges, preheat a tablespoon of oil or butter in a cast-iron skillet on medium heat. After it is hot enough to produce a sizzle, pour 1/2 cup of batter right onto the hot oil. At this point, turn the stove down to medium-low heat so that the pancake can cook through without the bottom burning. Remember the “flip only one time” rule.
Step 3: After the top is nice and bubbly and no more bubbles are being produced, give the pancake a flip. The first side may take 2 to 3 minutes. After flipping, cook for another 30 seconds to a minute on the second side, until cooked through and golden brown.
Step 4: Keep the cooked pancakes in a warm place as you finish the rest of the batter. You can use a heat-safe dish in the oven on the lowest heat setting. Serve warm with your favorite pancake toppings and enjoy! Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days.
Tips
- The key to those crisp edges is cooking the pancakes in a preheated cast-iron skillet or frying pan with melted oil or butter. Cook on one side for about 30 seconds, flipping only when the top is bubbled. You should only flip once!
- If you plan to add blueberries or chocolate chips, place them into the uncooked side while the cakes are cooking. I find that if the chocolate or blueberries actually make contact with the skillet, the pancakes tend to stick. This is why I don’t stir them into the batter.
- You can prepare this batter the night before, but I recommend waiting until the next morning, just before cooking, to add the baking soda. It’s a great way to get a jumpstart on a healthy and tasty breakfast.
- The first pancake rarely turns out well. No worries. This is the time to adjust the heat to make sure it is not too hot or too cool.
- You can tell a pancake is ready to flip when all the bubbles have popped and no more bubbles are forming.
- If you need a gluten-free option, try this recipe for sourdough buckwheat pancakes.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, just lay the cooled pancakes on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze them for 1-2 hours. Stack the frozen pancakes and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Placing parchment paper between pancakes can be very helpful to prevent them from sticking. Freeze for several months, reheating in the oven, toaster oven, or toaster until warmed through.
Yes. You can make this batter the night before and keep it stored overnight in the refrigerator. However, I would recommend waiting to add the baking soda and whisking it in right before you start cooking. Overnight sourdough pancakes have an even stronger flavor and more fermentation benefits.
This is most likely an issue with the cooking process. Under-cooking the pancakes can cause them to be gummy, as well as the pan being too hot. If the pan is too hot, the outside of the pancakes will cook much faster than the inside.
Sourdough starter is perfect for baking sourdough bread, desserts, breakfasts, and more. Here are some of our favorite ways to use sourdough starter.
Pizza crust
Flatbread
Whole wheat bread
Chicken pot pie
Biscuits
Waffles or blueberry pancakes
Baked donuts
Sourdough discard is generally more runny in consistency, which results in flatter pancakes. When I make sourdough discard pancakes, I add flour to the batter, which changes the other ingredients, as well.
More Sourdough Recipes from the Farmhouse
- Sourdough Orange Cinnamon Rolls
- Sourdough Cinnamon Star Bread
- Sourdough Croissant Bread
- Sourdough Bundt Cake
- Sourdough Lemon Cake
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
The Best Sourdough Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups active sourdough starter
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- neutral oil for frying
Instructions
- Mix the sourdough starter, eggs, oil, honey, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the baking soda last and watch the starter foam up.
- To achieve those crispy pancake edges, preheat a tablespoon of oil or butter in a cast-iron skillet on medium heat. After it is hot enough to produce a sizzle, pour 1/2 cup of batter right onto the hot oil. At this point, turn the stove down to medium-low heat so that the pancake can cook through without the bottom burning. Remember the “flip only one time” rule.
- After the top is nice and bubbly and no more bubbles are being produced, give the pancake a flip. This may take 2 to 3 minutes. After flipping, cook for another 30 seconds to a minute, until cooked through and golden brown.
- Keep the cooked pancakes in a warm place as you finish the rest of the batter. You can use a heat-safe dish in the oven on the lowest heat setting. Serve pancakes warm with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Notes
- The key to crisp edges is cooking the pancakes in a preheated cast-iron skillet with melted oil or butter. Only flip them once!
- If you plan to add blueberries or chocolate chips, place them into the uncooked side while the cakes are cooking.
- You can prepare this batter the night before, but I recommend waiting until the next morning, just before cooking, to add the baking soda.
- The first pancake rarely turns out well. No worries. This is the time to adjust the heat to make sure it is not too hot or too cool.
- You can tell a pancake is ready to flip when all the bubbles have popped and no more bubbles are forming.
- If you need a gluten-free option, try this recipe for sourdough buckwheat pancakes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I Loe how simple and delicious these are
So yummy! This is our new favourite pancake recipe!
I have not made the pancake recipe yet, but did make your waffles last night. I DON’T have a cast iron waffle maker, only have an electric. Very disappointed with the results. The waffles were tough and not crisp. The leftover waffles were reheated in my airfryer the next morning and were much better.(still tough but crispy exterior). I’m of the impression that the electric waffle iron DOES NOT GET HOT ENOUGH.
For topping on either waffles or pancakes, don’t use butter and syrup, instead use sour cream (lots) and Maple Syrup. Try it, you won’t be disappointed.
Your pancakes are next…done in a Cast Iron fry pan.
I JUST made my first batch of sourdough pancakes. The more I made the better I got at the timing. This is this first thing I’ve made with my first sourdough starter. I couldn’t believe how delicious they were! I didn’t put honey in them, out of caution for my baby. But he loved them and my husband loved them! I’m so exciting to make more and to try all of these recipes you have blessed us with! Thank you so much Lisa!
So glad you enjoyed it and congrats on your first sourdough recipe!
These were delicious! Love the honey idea isn’t them
Anybody else have problems with the batter not foam up after adding the baking soda?? Sometimes it will for me and other times it doesn’t care to.
Oh that is so strange. I’ve never had that happen. Do they still taste ok?
I have been watching your channel for a believe a few months now. I’ve been so inspired- cutting fresh flowers from our property, wearing an apron, maple syrup in my coffee, using my cast iron pans that sat under the oven for years and now FINALLY making sourdough! I’ve been wanting to try it since everyone got into it during Covid but was definitely intimidated but you made it seem possible even when I thought I better wait until I don’t have 2 under 2. I just got my starter to day 7 and made our 1st batch of pancakes! Delish!! I added vanilla and cinnamon. Going to try bread tomorrow. We’ve had chickens, horses, dogs and a garden for years, but I’m learning to try new skills for our family and dreaming of one day owning a dairy cow. Thank you for sharing all your wonderful knowledge! I want to encourage you to share your faith more and I’ll be praying for you and your family Lisa. God bless!
Thank you for your kind words!
Loveee this recipe, my family loves it. Sourdough pancakes have been a hit since I started sourdough. I’ve followed this recipe exactly how it is but right now I am currently out of coconut oil is there what can I substitute that with?
If you don’t have coconut oil, you can swap it out for melted butter.
These have become a go-to for our family!
Hi Lisa, thanks for the amazing recipes. Starting to find more recipes I can make for my gluten intolerant toddler, so I really appreciate the inspiration to have my own sourdough starter! I’m so old fashioned and love a cook cookbook I can flip through. Would you consider releasing a cool book?? Lots of love from New Zealand!
Thank you for the kind words! I think it would be fun to do a cookbook. Maybe in the future!
I want one!