These sourdough vegan pancakes are the best way to use up the accumulated sourdough discard. These pancakes are better than conventional pancakes. They are soft, fluffy, tender, and delicious. I have kept the recipe very simple, and approachable.
You must be having all the ingredients already in your pantry and if you took the discard out of the fridge, let us get making these healthy and delicious sourdough vegan pancakes for breakfast or brunch today.
I make them at least once a week to put my sourdough discard to use. Over the 7 years of sourdough baking, I have never thrown away the sourdough discard.
If I am alone and lazy and do not want to engage in any recipe especially for the sake of consuming the sourdough discard. I just fry the sourdough discard to make a quick fried bread for the breakfast. Do give one of these 5 fried sourdough starter recipes a try. These are the vegan savory sourdough pancakes. All of these recipes are quick, easy, and delicious.
Why should you try this vegan sourdough pancakes recipe?
- These pancakes are fluffy,
- They are healthy: high in fiber and omega 3 fatty acids.
- This recipe is egg-free.
- The most simple yet flavorful pancakes.
- This recipe is a wholesome vegan recipe.
- Best way to put the stored sourdough discard to use.
- It has a mix of whole wheat ( from the starter) and all-purpose flour.
Ingredient notes for the best sourdough pancakes
Sourdough starter or sourdough discard:
I use this recipe with sourdough discard. The older discard will be sour and can make the pancakes also sour. The best is to use the sourdough discard that is less than a week old. You can use whichever starter you have. It could be fed on whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, spelt flour, or rye flour. All will work well in this recipe. I have used a whole wheat sourdough discard to make pancakes.
If you want to make this recipe using a ripe sourdough starter instead of a sourdough discard, reverse the flour and sourdough discard ratios. It means using 70 g of mature ripe sourdough starter and 175 g flour. You will need more milk to make the batter for the sourdough pancakes recipes.
Flour:
I have used all-purpose flour in this sourdough vegan pancakes recipe. You can simply replace it with whole wheat flour if you want to make these pancakes a little more fiber-rich.
Do not use bread flour, it makes gummy pancakes due to the high protein content in them. The other pastry flours make fluffy pancakes, but they will crumble like cake. So, our best options are all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Try to use unbleached and organic flours as it is crucial for sourdough cultures to thrive.
To make gluten free vegan pancakes, use almond flour or any other gluten free flour. Most flours will work for pancakes.
Plant-based milk
You can use whatever plant based milk you like to make these dairy free sourdough pancakes. Be it oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, or vanilla milk. They should all be okay. I use unsweetened soy milk in my sourdough vegan pancakes.
If you are not vegan, you can use whole, milk instead. Or try this eggless pancake recipe.
Ground flax seeds/ Flax meal
Flax seeds are a superfood. They are rich in fiber and omega 3 fatty acids. It also gives a decent amount of proteins. A must in vegan and vegetarian diets. I always add a spoon or two of flax seeds and chia seeds to my pancakes. In this recipe, I have just used flax seeds.
A quick tip. Ground Flaxseeds can go rancid very quickly if kept exposed to the air. So always store in an airtight container.
You can ground them at home or use the store-bought flax meal. I have just dropped the flax meal in the batter as such. But you can also mix it in a double quantity of water and let it soak for 10 minutes. Then you can use this flax egg in the recipe.
Oil
The fats act as a tenderizer and make these sourdough vegan pancakes soft. Since the fat percentage is low in plant-based milk, we have to augment that by adding some oil. You can use some coconut oil(melted), melted vegan butter, or any vegetable oil that you like.
Baking powder
Ensure that your baking powder is not expired. Sourdough starter and the baking powder will cause the leavening in the pancakes. But since we are using the sourdough discard, which is in the lag stage, most heavy lifting will be done by baking powder. You can also add a pinch of baking soda if you want. But try giving this sourdough vegan pancakes recipe a go as it is.
Sugar
I always add some sugar to my pancake mix. I have used beet sugar here. You can use whatever vegan sugar you use. Sometimes I use vegan brown sugar.
Spices
I have used just cinnamon powder in these sourdough vegan pancakes. You can add some nutmeg or the gingerbread spice mix.
If you are a fruit lover, drop in a handful of blueberries.
How to make fluffy vegan sourdough pancakes using the discard?
Step 1 Preparing the sourdough starter discard
This step is a kind of meal prep thing. Mostly we keep our discard stored in the fridge. But for making the pancakes we need the sourdough discard to be at room temperature. So, bring out the sourdough discard, measure, and keep it aside. Make the batter when the starter reaches room temperature and start showing some activity.
Step 2 Making the batter for sourdough vegan pancakes
In a bowl combine flour and baking powder. Mix well and set it aside. Then take a large mixing bowl and add the sourdough discard to it. Then add the rest of the ingredients, beet sugar, salt, cinnamon powder, oil, soy milk, and flax meal. It is a simple dump-in and mixes recipe.
Now put the flour and gently combine everything using a folding motion, just until no dry patch of flour is left. The key is not to overmix the batter. Overmixing leads to gluten development, which can make pancakes gummy. And nobody wants gummy pancakes.
Step 3 Making the pancakes
Heat is a crucial factor in getting perfectly fluffed up pancakes. The skillet should be hot before you pour in the batter for the first pancake. Use a crepe pan or a non-stick griddle pan for easily making pancakes.
In my opinion, cast iron makes perfect pancakes. I use some butter to grease the skillet and then heat it at medium heat.
Heat whichever skillet or pan you are using. Grease it with oiled tissue paper. When the pan is hot, add ⅓ cup of batter to the skillet. Let it cook over medium heat and flip when you see bubbles forming and popping. Cook for another minute or two at medium heat till it turns golden brown. Remove from the pan and serve with your favorite toppings.
Pro tip here is to be quick and do not let the batter rest too much. The baking powder is the key leavening agent in our sourdough vegan pancakes. It is slow acting. The more we rest the batter, we are losing the fluff from the pancakes that are to be cooked.
How to serve sourdough vegan pancakes?
The best old way to serve pancakes is to top them with some good butter and dunk them in maple syrup!
Or try some chocolate syrup, agave, or nut butter. Add some fresh fruits of your choice. I usually top my pancakes with some strawberries are raspberries.
What all can you add to the batter to make the vegan pancakes fancier?
This sourdough vegan pancakes recipe is just what a quick and go-to pancake recipe should be. But at the same time, it has the versatility to become fancy and decadent as and when the need arises.
A few options that I have tried are:
- Sometimes I add some chocolate chips and nuts. Have you tried chocolate stuffed pancakes? They are delish.
- Use some herbs and spices to make more aromatic and flavorful pancakes. Nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, gingerbread spice mix, etc.
- Add chopped fresh or dried fruits, nuts, or seeds. Blueberries, strawberries, bananas are my favorite in the fresh fruit category. Also, I like to add chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, chopped walnuts, and pecans.
- Use vanilla milk, coconut milk, almond milk to change the taste and feel the difference.
- Replace half the soy milk quantity with condensed fruit juice and get wowed.
Frequently asked questions
This sourdough vegan pancakes recipe is small and will not have any leftovers. But let us assume that you doubled or tripled the recipe to make a big batch. And you end up having a few leftover vegan pancakes.
The easiest way is to put them in an airtight box and refrigerate them for 2-3 days. Before storing the pancakes ensure that they are completely cooled, else they will create condensation in the box.
For prolonged storage put the leftover pancakes in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Squeeze out the excess air and zip the bag and cover it in a foil. Label and freeze these sourdough vegan pancakes for months.
How to reheat the frozen pancakes?
For reheating the frozen or freezer-stored pancakes, my go-to way is to put them in the toaster. You can also microwave or reheat them in an oven at 350 0F while covering them with foil.
Another quicker and hassle-free method is to use an air fryer. I love my air fryer. I air fry my squash and veggies. And even make the garlic bread in an air fryer.
To air fry, the frozen pancakes spread them in an air fryer in a single layer and air fry them at 375 0F for 6-7 minutes, while flipping the pancakes hallway in between.
You can surely use the ripe sourdough starter to make sourdough vegan pancakes. But the quantity of the starter needs to be reduced considerably. For making the below-illustrated recipe, use 70g of ripe sourdough starter and 175 g of all-purpose flour. You will certainly need more milk to make the batter. These quantities will work if you are using the batter instantly like any pancake recipe.
But if you plan to let the sourdough vegan pancake batter rest and use the leaving power of the sourdough starter, then you might want to reduce the quantity of sourdough starter even more.
Well for the recipe this size, you don’t have to worry about keeping them warm. They will stay warm until you are done making the last one. But if you are doubling or tripling the recipe, and serving a big tribe, the oven is your best resort.
Preheat the oven to 260 0F and place the baking tray lined with parchment paper. Drop in the pancakes as they cook. When ready to serve, pull out the tray and serve warm and delicious pancakes to everybody.
To make these sourdough vegan pancakes fluffy and avoid gummy pancakes there are three key things that you need to be avoided.
* Do not use high protein flour, they make gummy pancakes.
* Avoid overmixing the batter. Overmixing leads to gluten development, which can make the pancakes gummy and chewy.
* Ensure the baking powder is active and do not let the batter rest for long. Start making the pancakes immediately as you make the batter.
Quick Notes for making the fluffiest sourdough vegan pancakes
- Make sure that the sourdough starter discard is at room temperature. Take it out of the fridge 2 hours ahead of making the pancakes.
- Bring the milk to room temeprature before adding in the recipe. ABsically all the ingredinets should be at room temperature.
- For getting the best results with this sourdough vegan pancakes recipe, add a double quantity of water to the ground flax seeds and let rest for 5 minutes before incorporating it into the batter. Flax seeds absorb a lot of water. So, when you add them to the batter, they will thicken the batter over time. Now, by the time you are making the last pancake, your batter will be thick. Therefore, to maintain uniformity in your pancakes, consider soaking them beforehand.
- This vegan sourdough pancake recipe can be enhanced to any extent. Add fruits, nuts, chocolate chips, and seeds of your choice to lift the recipe. Add allspice, nutmeg, or ginger to spice up your mix. Try replacing cinnamon with cardamom. It is a nice and refreshing flavor.
- Replace soy milk with an equal quantity of dairy milk to make the recipe vegetarian.
- Use melted butter to grease the cast-iron skillet for making the best pancakes. Always preheat the skillet before adding the batter. The baking powder needs heat to react and fluffs the pancakes. But if the batter is poured on a cold skillet, the first pancake might not fluff up well.
Suggested readings: Few vegan recipes that might interest you
- Garlic cilantro sauce: A vegan lime-cilantro sauce recipe
- Vegan hamburger buns: The quickest vegan bun recipe
- A quick Vegan version of the Green Papaya Salad Recipe
- Dairy free bread: The best whole wheat vegan milk bread
- Soya chunks burger patty
Let me know how you liked these sourdough vegan pancakes. Share your opinions in the comment section below. Do not forget to share and save.
Till then,
Make it delicious!
Sourdough vegan pancakes recipe card
Sourdough vegan pancakes: Made with discard
Ingredients
- 70 g all-purpose flour ½ cup+ 2 tbsp
- 175 g sourdough Discard 4-5 days old about ¾ cup
- 100 g milk little more than ½ cup
- 2 tablespoon ground flax seeds flax meal
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil/ vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon beet sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- A pinch salt
Instructions
Bring all the ingredients to room temperature
- Take out the sourdough starter discard and milk from the fridge and let them come to room temperature.
Making the batter
- In a bowl combine flour and baking powder. Mix well and set aside.
- Take a large bowl and add the sourdough discard to it. Then add the rest of the ingredients: beet sugar, salt, cinnamon powder, oil, soy milk, and flax meal. Mix well.
- Now put the flour and gently combine everything using a folding motion, just until no dry patch of flour is left. Do not overmix the batter.
Making the pancakes
- Heat a skillet and grease with oiled tissue paper. When the pan is hot, add ⅓ cup of batter to the skillet. Let it cook over medium heat and flip when you see bubbles forming and popping. Cook for another minute or two at medium heat till it turns golden brown.
- Remove and serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Make sure that the sourdough starter discard is at room temperature. Take it out of the fridge 2 hours ahead of making the pancakes.
- Use whole milk at room temperature.
- For getting the best results, add a double quantity of water to the ground flax seeds and let rest for 5 minutes before incorporating it into the batter. Flax seeds absorb a lot of water. So, when you add them to the batter, they will thicken the batter over time. Now, by the time you are making the last pancake, your batter will be thick. Therefore, to maintain uniformity in your pancakes, consider soaking them beforehand.
- This vegan sourdough pancake recipe can be enhanced to any extent. Add fruits, nuts, chocolate chips, and seeds of your choice to lift the recipe. Add allspice, nutmeg, or ginger to spice up your mix. Try replacing cinnamon with cardamom. It is a nice and refreshing flavor.
- Replace soy milk with an equal quantity of dairy milk to make the recipe vegetarian.
- Use melted butter to grease the cast-iron skillet for making the best pancakes. Always preheat the skillet before adding the batter. The baking powder needs heat to react and fluffs the pancakes. But if the batter is poured on a cold skillet, the first pancake might not fluff up well.
- Do not over mix the batter.
- Let the griddle heat before putting the batter.
- The easiest way is to store the leftover pancakes is to put them in an airtight box and refrigerate them for 2-3 days. Before storing the pancakes ensure that they are completely cooled, else they will create condensation in the box.
Amanda
They were better than the egg pancakes. I am questioning why we even add eggs to pancakes. They were spot on.
Ms
Would it work if I substituted whole wheat flour for apf in this recipe? Do you suggest any changes if I do so? Thank you!
Meenakshi
Hey there, apf would work just fine.
Suhasini Prabhu
So glad i found you! i have been looking for an egg-free discard pancake recipe. These came out great!