Light, tender and a delight to enjoy for breakfast on a slow morning, this Sourdough Vegan Pancakes recipe is made with Sourdough Starter Discard for a tangy flavor and tender texture. Like my easy Sourdough Biscuits, these pancakes are simple to whip up and can be made overnight or same day! | Disclosure: This recipe is brought to you by Bob’s Red Mill.
Fluffy and Delicious Vegan Sourdough Pancakes
Pancakes touch all the comfort food buttons. They’re fluffy, tasty, and so satisfying drizzled with maple syrup and served with your favorite toppings. They’re even better when shared with those that you love. No one’s late to the breakfast table in our home when pancakes are being flipped on the griddle!
While we love a Classic Sourdough Discard Pancake Recipe, these vegan pancakes are just as tasty and fluffy as their egg and dairy full counterpart!
This Recipe Is
- made with simple ingredients
- egg and dairy free
- same day or overnight pancake batter
Sourdough discard pancakes are perfectly simple to make for a lazy morning. If you make vegan sourdough discard recipes, you’ll love this recipe. So, gather your family and whip up some pancakes!
“These are the best pancakes I’ve ever had. I like pancakes, so I’ve had a lot. My husband usually only eats a second pancake to be polite, and he ate THREE!”
J.C.
Ingredients Make All the Difference
Choosing high quality ingredients is important for flavor and texture. It’s a reflection of the love and attention that goes into each recipe I create for my family, friends and the Vanilla And Bean community.
Made in partnership with Bob’s Red Mill, I’m excited to share their pantry staples with you, highlighting a brand I trust. I use Bob’s Red Mill Organic Unbleached All Purpose Flour in this pancake recipe and many others. It’s a high quality flour that produces consistent results every time.
At a Glance: How to Make Same Day or Overnight Vegan Sourdough Pancakes
There are two ways to approach when you make sourdough pancakes: same day or overnight. Same day pancakes are just so convenient, but planning ahead with overnight pancakes pays off in the flavor department!
For Same Day Pancakes:
- First, whisk the dry ingredients.
- Second, in a separate bowl whisk the wet ingredients.
- Third, gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Next, allow the batter to rest for 15-20 minutes.
- Last, spoon onto a griddle and bake.
For Overnight Pancake Batter: you’ll mix all the ingredients, except the baking powder and baking soda, the night before. Rest overnight, then mix in the leavening agents in the morning. Allow the batter to rest for 2-3 minutes, stir down and bake!
Top these easy sourdough pancakes with favorite seasonal toppings like sweet cherry compote, stewed apples, fresh summer berries, blueberry compote, stewed pears, sliced bananas, or simply with pure maple syrup.
Good To Know Tips
How I Made these Pancakes Vegan: For egg free pancakes, I utilize unsweetened apple sauce rather than chia or flax seed in this recipe for its ability to add structure and moisture with a neutral flavor, and without compromising texture. For dairy free sourdough pancakes, I use homemade cashew milk or almond milk and plant butter or coconut oil.
Flour Substitution: I tested this recipe with 100% all purpose flour and also substituted up to half of the flour by weight with whole wheat flour. Whole wheat adds a nutty flavor and offers whole grain goodness to these tasty pancakes.
Blueberry Pancakes: For blueberry studded pancakes, gently nudge fresh blueberries on the pancake batter once baking on the griddle. Flip, then finish baking through.
Traci’s Tips
- Temperature Control: Set the griddle to 350F or a skillet on medium low heat. The temperature will fluctuate a bit, so adjust heat as needed keeping in mind to bake low and slow.
- Hot Enough: To see if the griddle/pan is hot enough, flick a few drops of water on it. If the drops sizzle and evaporate fast, the cooking surface is ready. You can also make a tiny pancake to test the pan!
For more recipes using Bob’s Red Mill Organic All Purpose Flour and other pantry staples, head to their website.
Sourdough Vegan Pancakes (overnight or same day)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup (220 grams) Unbleached All Purpose Flour I use Bob's Red Mill, Organic
- 2 tablespoons Organic Cane Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder aluminum free
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon optional
- 1/2 cup (135 grams) Sourdough Discard 100% hydration stirred down
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) Unsweetened Apple Sauce
- 3 tablespoons Coconut Oil melted, warm or melted vegan butter**
- 1 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons (315 grams) Plant Milk I use unsweetened homemade cashew milk
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- Real Maple Syrup and Vegan Butter for Serving
Instructions
For Same Day Pancakes (see notes below for overnight pancakes):
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sourdough discard, apple sauce, oil, milk and vanilla until the ingredients are incorporated.
- Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing until no dry flour patches remain. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick and a little lumpy.
- Cover the batter with a tea towel and rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. This rest aids in flour hydration and fluffy pancakes.
- To Bake: Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet on medium heat to 350 Fahrenheit (176 Celsius). There's no need to oil or butter the pan if using a nonstick pan. If not using a nonstick pan, lightly oil or butter the pan. Before scooping the batter, stir it down. The batter will be thick. Scoop the batter up using a measuring cup (1/4 cup / 50 grams) and scrape the batter onto the griddle. Use the back of a spoon to spread the batter thinish to about 4 inches in diameter. If your batter is a bit thinner, that's okay, as this can vary depending on season and type of flour use. When bubbles start appearing towards the center of the pancake and the edges begin to look dry, gently lift the edge of the pancake to see if it's golden-brown. This should take about 2 1/2 minutes. Bake a little longer if needed. Flip the pancake and bake until the underside is golden-brown and is cooked through, about 2 1/2 minutes.
- Keep the pancakes warm in a 200F oven until ready to share or even better, share right off the griddle with vegan butter, real maple syrup and top with seasonal fruit/berries, sweet cherry compote, blueberry compote, stewed pears or stewed apples.
- To Freeze: Freeze individual pancakes flat on a parchment lined sheet pan, then stack in a storage container until ready to use. Reheat in a 350 Fahrenheit oven wrapped in one layer and in foil so they don't dry out for oven for about 5-8 minutes, or until heated through.
I love baking but making great pancakes has always eluded me until now. Thank you for this recipe.
Best news ever, Nikki! Thank you for your note and giving a new pancake recipe a go! Day made!
I just mixed the battery up but now I have an unexpected errand that will keep me away for an hour or two. I’m hoping they will still be good to cook when I get back.
Hi Phyllis! How’d your pancakes turn out?
I just finished baking my first batch of these spectacular pancakes. They are crispy on the outside and spongy on the inside, just like a good loaf of sourdough bread, and they have a lovely, delicate sourdough flavor. I made the overnight version. The batter had sat for almost 24 hours and I was worried it might have been sitting too long, but it was fine. The batter was also very easy to handle in the pan because it’s spongy and doesn’t stick. Thank you for this keeper recipe!
Hiii Joan! Thank you for your note and giving the pancakes a go! Your description is spot on… spongy on the inside with a delicate sourdough flavor. Noted on 24 hours! Amazing!
Delicious flavor, fluffy yet delicately chewy, satisfying and filling.
This recipe produces the best pancake I’ve ever had. It’s got flavor complexity and superb texture but isn’t fussy. In fact, it’s quite forgiving. I used 50 g of aquafaba in place of the applesauce since I didn’t have it on hand and it was still perfection. Not only a delight eating them but they were satiating. I don’t even know how I will go back to non-sourdough pancakes!
Hi Viv! SO glad you’re enjoying the fluffiness, texture and flavor of the pancakes. Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go!
These are perfection! My kids beg for them every morning.
Love hearing this, Meg! Thank you for your note and giving the pancakes a go!
PS: This recipe is my go to from now on. Thanks again…so much appreciated!!! 💗
Hi Chrysoula! Love hearing this! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go. I’m so with you on the applesauce vs banana. 😀
Have made these wonderful, light, & fluffy pancakes twice now…as they’re absolutely yummylicious with pure maple 🍁 syrup, & mixed berries on the side!!! Both my husband, & I are long time vegans…we love this recipe…in fact I believe it’s the best we’ve ever had!!! The first time I made them was with applesauce…Mmmm, delicious. I made them for a second time yesterday. I only had 2 Tbsp of applesauce left, so mashed a ripe banana in with the applesauce. Both ways were a real winner 🥇 although I prefer the taste more with using all applesauce. 😋🤩😋 I always use Madagascar vanilla paste which really enhances the flavour of all baked, or in this case, cooked goodies. Thank you so much for sharing your mouthwatering recipe with us!!! 🤗
Whoops; Correction. Discard not Starter!
These were AMAZING! Thank you for the tip of weighing the starter in grams instead of just measuring 1/2 cup. This is now on our frequent rotating recipes! My only mistake was not doubling this recipe:-) Next time.
Love hearing this, Karen! Thank you for your feedback and five star review. Doubling sounds soooo good!
We really enjoyed this recipe! I made the same day version but substituted avocado oil for the coconut. I appreciated the weight measurements – no messing with measuring cups! Next time, would love to try the overnight pancakes if I could ever remember to plan ahead. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Lynn! Thank you for your note and tip! Yes, do try the overnight oats… there’s a bit more flavor. Hooray for no messing with measuring cups!
These are the best pancakes I’ve ever had. I like pancakes, so I’ve had a lot. My husband usually only eats a second pancake to be polite, and he ate THREE! No egg and no dairy too (necessary for us thanks to allergies), and yet they held up well and had a very “normal” texture. Many vegan pancakes I’ve tried ended falling apart and/or grainy. I did the overnight version and let it sit all day and made them with dinner. These are definitely a new favorite.
Really really terrific recipe, and I’ve tried a ton of dairy free, egg free pancakes in my day. Thank you!!
Best note ever! Thank you Kate! Hooray for tasty pancakes 🙌🏻
Excellent sourdough discard pancakes! I made the same day version. I used Country Crock plant butter sticks, almond milk and I used half white whole wheat flour and half regular white flour. I didn’t add the cinnamon. They came out fantastic. My 17 year old son, commented that they were “really good”!
Hi Alice! Thank you for your note, sharing your sub tips and, I love that you used whole wheat white flour FTW! So excited you and your son enjoyed the pancakes!
Excellent pancakes! They had good flavour, puffed up nicely, and had good texture.
I used half whole wheat pastry and half all purpose flour. Although the coconut oil was liquid when I put it in, it became a more solid lump after adding the cold milk and didn’t mix in well as a result. I might try a different oil next time.
Hi Martina! Thank you for giving the pancakes a go and sharing your whole wheat pastry flour tip! Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Be sure the coconut oil is warm to the touch before mixing it into the other ingredients. That’ll help with incorporating it into the mix. You can also pop the batter into the microwave for about 5-10 seconds to melt the coconut oil again if needed.
I made these yesterday and they were delicious! My family also liked them. I’m always happy about sourdough discard recipes since I hate wasting food. The only thing I changed in this recipe was using mashed banana instead of apple sauce because I didn’t have any.
Hooray, Lucie! Super happy to read your note and that you and your family enjoyed the pancakes. Thank you for your tip about the mashed banana! Love it! I’m with you on wasting food.
Made these today, my husband loved them! This recipe is a keeper. I enjoyed them with plain unsweetened almond yogurt and fresh blueberries. Delicious!
Hi Sherri! Thank you for your note and giving the pancakes a go! SO happy to hear… and that your husband loved them :D