Sourdough Discard Sheet Pan Pancakes
If you ever wondered what to do with your sourdough starter discard, I've got a delicious answer: sheet pan pancakes! These fluffy, golden pancakes are perfect for busy mornings, no flipping individual pancakes, no stress, just pour, bake, and enjoy.
Quick Look: Sourdough Discard Sheet Pan Pancakes
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🍳 Cook Time: 20 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 30 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 10
- 📊 Calories: ~202 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- 🔥 Cook Method: Oven-baked on a baking sheet.
- 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: Soft, fluffy, and slightly tangy with a mild sweetness and classic pancake flavor baked into one thick, tender sheet.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy – beginner-friendly, simple mixing and baking.
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Make-Ahead Sheet Pan Pancakes
I like to mix up all the ingredients for these fluffy sourdough pancakes the night before, so I can get a healthy and filling breakfast on the table in 15 or 20 minutes the following morning. The other benefit of making it the night before is that the flour you add to the recipe becomes fully fermented by the sourdough starter. This makes these pancakes easier to digest. If, however, you forget to mix them up the night before, you can still whip them up in the morning, and they cook up just fine.
What is sourdough discard?
Sourdough starter discard is fermented flour and water that has to be removed or discarded from your sourdough starter before you can feed your starter more flour and water. It should never actually be thrown out (or discarded) though, because it can be used in hundreds of different recipes. I always try to keep a fair amount of sourdough discard in a jar in my refrigerator. That way anytime I want to make these sourdough discard pancakes or any other discard recipe, I can do so quickly. Most recipes that call for sourdough discard rely on something else to actually “raise” the end product if applicable. In this case, we’re using baking powder and baking soda as the leavening agent to make light and fluffy pancakes.
What are the health benefits of sourdough?
Anytime you add a fermented element like sourdough to a recipe, it becomes more nutritious because it contains live probiotics and good bacteria that help with gut health and digestion. Gluten and phytic acid are naturally present in wheat, and are usually what is to blame for people not being able to digest gluten well. When the grain is fermented through the sourdough process, the gluten and phytic acid are broken down, making it easier to digest. A lot of people that struggle with gluten intolerance (not people with celiac), can digest food made with sourdough without any issue, especially if the recipe is allowed to sit out for a few hours and “long ferment”.
In addition, phytic acid is an anti-nutrient that blocks absorption of the nutrients found in wheat. During the sourdough fermentation process, the phytic acid gets broken down and the nutrients are more bio-available to the body. This is why baking with sourdough is so important for our health.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy: this easy sourdough pancake recipe takes just minutes to whip up, and without the hassle of flipping regular pancakes, these are the best pancakes for busy mornings. Feeding a whole crowd? Mix up a double or triple batch and feed everyone in no time.
- Delicious: the tangy taste of the sourdough, along with the creamy buttermilk give these pancakes a delicious flavor and a fluffy texture. Once you try these pancakes, you won’t need to search for another recipe.
- Healthy: because they are made with sourdough discard and can be mixed up the night before, your body will get all the benefits of a long fermented probiotic-rich meal.
- Flexible: If you are missing one or more of the ingredients, you can substitute a similar ingredient and still get a good result.
- Hearty: these homemade pancakes are sure to stick to your ribs and keep you going all morning, no matter how much work you have to do.
For more of our favorite sourdough discard recipes, check out the sourdough portion of our website:
Ways to enjoy these sheetpan pancakes?
- You can make them in the summer, and add fresh berries and whipped cream on top of the pancakes.
- Slathered with homemade butter from our Jersey milk cows and topped with pure maple syrup and whipped cream.
- Drop bananas, strawberries, blueberries, or other fresh or frozen fruit onto the batter before baking for a delicious treat.
- If you’re looking for something extra delicious, make buttermilk syrup to cover these yummy pancakes.
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Ingredients
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here
Tools
How to Make The Best Sourdough Sheet Pan Pancakes
Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Then add in all the wet ingredients.
Stir well using a danish whisk.
Cover and let the batter ferment at room temperature overnight, OR bake right away. Leaving it set overnight will give you all the long fermentation health benefits from the sourdough.
The next morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a sheetpan with parchment paper or grease it with butter and evenly pour the pancake batter in.
Add fruit to the top if desired.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is a light golden brown. Then remove from oven and enjoy with your favorite toppings.
If you try these easy sheet pan pancakes, let me know by leaving a comment. And if you like it? Give it a 5 star rating!
Tips
- Try different variations like blueberries, chocolate chips, or pumpkin to add a yummy twist to these pancakes.
- I like to use buttermilk in my pancake recipe because it makes them even more fluffy and adds a greater depth of flavor. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can just use regular milk or add a little bit of lemon juice to the milk and let it set for a couple minutes to make imitation buttermilk. You can also use dairy free milk in this recipe, and it will still turn out fine.
- You can use any kind of fat in this recipe. Melted butter, coconut oil, beef tallow or regular oil. Wanting to make it oil free? Try using applesauce in place of the oil. It’ll turn out just fine.
- It’s important to use a mix of baking powder and baking soda for the fluffliest pancake
- You can use sugar, honey or maple syrup as sweetener and they will turn out amazing
- Don’t skip the vanilla. This along with cooking them in butter is my favorite part of the recipe
- Watch the bubbles on the top as they are cooking, as soon as the bubbles start to pop, they are ready to flip.
FAQ
More Recipes Like This
Sourdough Sheet Pan Pancakes
Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Cups and measuring spoons
- 1 whisk
- 1 Rubber Spatula
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Cast iron or non-stick skillet I like to use a cast-iron skillet as it gives the pancakes a beautiful crisp exterior and is a healthier option.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Unbleached all purpose flour
- 3 Tbl. Sugar or other sweetener
- 1 ½ Tsp. Salt
- 3 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 ½ Cups Sourdough discard
- 2 ¼ Cups Buttermilk
- 3 Eggs
- 3 Tbl. Fat melted butter , beef tallow, or coconut oil
- 3 Tbl. Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Then add in all the wet ingredients.
- Stir well using a danish whisk.
- Cover and let the batter ferment at room temperature overnight, OR bake right away. Leaving it set overnight will give you all the long fermentation health benefits from the sourdough.
- The next morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a sheetpan with parchment paper or grease it with butter and evenly pour the pancake batter in.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is a light golden brown. Then remove from oven and enjoy with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Try different variations like blueberries, chocolate chips, or pumpkin to add a yummy twist to these pancakes.
- I like to use buttermilk in my pancake recipe because it makes them even more fluffy and adds a greater depth of flavor. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can just use regular milk or add a little bit of lemon juice to the milk and let it set for a couple minutes to make imitation buttermilk. You can also use dairy free milk in this recipe, and it will still turn out fine.
- You can use any kind of fat in this recipe. Melted butter, coconut oil, beef tallow or regular oil. Wanting to make it oil free? Try using applesauce in place of the oil. It’ll turn out just fine.
- It’s important to use a mix of baking powder and baking soda for the fluffliest pancake
- You can use sugar, honey or maple syrup as sweetener and they will turn out amazing
- Don’t skip the vanilla. This along with cooking them in butter is my favorite part of the recipe
- Watch the bubbles on the top as they are cooking, as soon as the bubbles start to pop, they are ready to flip.
So good
Excellent easy recipe.