Sourdough Banana Pancakes are not only a delicious twist on a classic breakfast recipe but also an easy one, perfect for engaging young kids in the kitchen. These fluffy pancakes are a great way to start a leisurely weekend morning!
With the health benefits of sourdough and the rich flavor of bananas, these fluffy sourdough pancakes quickly became one of our favorite things to make for breakfast!
And if they go wrong for some reason...you can still tear them up and spin them into Kaiserschmarrn!
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Ingredient
- all-purpose flour: the base for our pancake batter, providing structure.
- caster sugar: adds a subtle sweetness without overpowering.
- salt: enhances the overall flavor. I like to use real salt without unnecessary additives.
- baking soda: helps create a fluffy texture in our pancakes.
- bananas: overripe bananas are best for a rich flavor, similar to banana bread.
- sourdough starter discard: utilizes leftover starter for a tangy twist, promoting gut health with its wild yeast.
- milk: brings together the wet ingredients; you can use almond milk for vegan sourdough banana pancakes.
- eggs: binds the ingredients together; for a vegan option, explore vegan alternatives.
- melted butter: adds richness; coconut oil can be a substitute for a different health profile.
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Sourdough Banana Pancakes
In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas until pureed. Add sourdough discard, milk, eggs, and melted butter to the mashed bananas. Whisk to combine.
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Gently fold the flour mixture into the wet mix, aiming for medium lumps for that perfect texture of the pancakes.
Heat a non-stick skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat, using a little butter or oil. Pour the batter (about ¼ cup for 1 pancake) onto the hot cooking surface, forming pancakes.
Cook for 2-3 minutes until bubbles form, then flip and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown.
Hint: for measuring the pancake batter, I used a ¼ cup measure. However, if larger pancakes are your preference, opting for a ⅓ or ½ cup measure would be ideal. In my pan, I cooked two pancakes at the same time. Depending on the size, you might be able to cook three smaller pancakes at once or just one if they are larger.
Substitution Notes
- Replace dairy milk with almond milk for a dairy-free version.
- Use coconut oil instead of butter for a vegan alternative, both for the batter and for frying. Make sure to swap out the eggs too for vegan banana pancakes with a tang of sourdough!
- for a gluten-free option, opt for a gluten-free sourdough starter and flour.
- if you're one egg short...its OK. Use only two eggs. It will still work!
Variations & Add-ins
- Sprinkle chocolate chips or fresh berries into the batter for extra flavor. Blueberries are my favorite addition since you can incorporate them into the batter and they are not flying everywhere (which happens if you only put them on top of pancakes and serve them to young kids!).
- Serve with maple syrup (or honey!), fresh fruit, or even a dollop of firmer yogurt - skyr is perfect for this, and if you don't know what it is, you're missing out!
Tools You'll Need
- large mixing bowl
- whisk
- non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet (I bought one on sale for less than 20$ and it serves me SO well!
- spatula
- measuring cups and spoons or a kitchen scale
💭Crucial Success Tips
- allow the batter to rest: before cooking, let the pancake batter rest while your skillet is heating up. This resting period, ideally around 5 minutes, allows the sourdough discard to activate the baking soda in the batter to completely.
- grease correctly: for beautiful browning, lightly coat the griddle with vegetable oil. Even nonstick griddles require a bit of oil to prevent sticking.
- timing the flip: patience is key when flipping pancakes. Wait until the right moment: the edges should start to look matte, and the surface should show broken bubbles. This indicates that the pancake is about two-thirds done on the first side. Flipping too early can prevent the pancakes from rising fully and setting properly, compromising their fluffy texture.
- turn up the heat if you want thinner pancakes: cook the pancakes on medium-high heat if you decide to want them a bit thinner.
FAQ
Yes, with simple swaps like almond milk and vegan alternatives for eggs.
Absolutely, store them in an airtight container or freeze them for later use.
No worries if you don't have any leftover sourdough discard. Just make sure to stir down an active starter before using it if you are measuring in cups! Since an active starter will be bubbly, the mistake of using too little of it can happen quickly if you are measuring all those bubbles as well!
More Sourdough Discard Recipes
Looking for other sourdough discard recipes like this? Try these:
📖Printable Recipe
Fluffy Sourdough Banana Pancakes
Equipment
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 whisk
- 1 non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet
- 1 spatula
- 1 Measuring cups and spoons or a kitchen scale
Ingredients
- 2 bananas mashed
- 1 cup milk
- 3 eggs large
- 1.25 cup sourdough starter discard
- 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
- 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon cinnamon ground
- 1 tablespoon sugar (if you prefer your pancakes sweeter, add more!)
- 2 tablespoon butter melted (for batter)
- additional butter or oil (for frying)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas until pureed. Add sourdough discard, milk, eggs, and melted butter, to the mashed bananas. Whisk to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
- Gently fold the flour mixture into the wet mix, aiming for medium lumps for that perfect texture of the pancakes.
- Heat a non-stick skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat, using a little butter or oil. Pour the batter (about ¼ cup for 1 pancake) onto the hot cooking surface, forming pancakes.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes until bubbles form, then flip and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
How To Store Banana Sourdough Pancakes
Leave them at room temperature only if you plan to eat them in an hour or two.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Freeze pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet before transferring into a freezer bag for longer storage. Use a piece of parchment paper in between pancakes to prevent them from sticking if you are freezing them together without freezing them on a baking sheet prior.
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