Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Pancakes (and Waffles!)

Light, fluffy, gently tangy, and made from one simple batter.

Every Saturday morning at our house, there are pancakes. It’s been that way since my girls were tiny, and these are the ones we make: one simple batter, a jar of sourdough discard from the fridge, and breakfast that disappears off the plate.

Ready to go deeper with your GF sourdough?


Join my free workshop, 3 Secrets to Successful GF Sourdough. You’ll learn the three foundations every gluten-free sourdough baker needs: a happy, active starter, flour blending (no 1-to-1 blend required), and the temperature piece most bakers are never told. When you register, I’ll send my written GF starter guide straight to your inbox. After the workshop, you’ll get three more discard recipes too: buttery crackers, soft sugar cookies, and banana chocolate chip muffins.

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My gluten-free baking actually started with a pancake.

About a month after my daughter and I went gluten free, I made her a boxed GF pancake mix. She was one. They came out dry and flat-tasting, nothing like what I wanted to be putting on her plate.

So I started tinkering. That first day I added pureed fruit and almond meal, hoping to fix the texture and flavor. It was better, but I knew it could be good. I kept tweaking, eventually blending my own flours, until I finally got it right.

All that baking turned into giving bread and treats to friends. Then friends started ordering cakes, which became a farmers market stand. When my little home oven couldn’t keep up across multiple markets, I opened a dedicated gluten-free bakery and café.

A lot has changed since then. But pancakes on Saturday mornings have stayed constant, now with three girls in tow.

What makes these worth trying.

Light and fluffy, not dense.
Let the batter rest for 5–10 minutes after mixing. You’ll see bubbles rise to the surface. Leave them be; that’s where the fluff comes from.

Real flavor.
Sourdough discard brings a gentle tang, balanced with a little sweetness and the warmth of whole-grain flour. These taste like pancakes in their own right.

Tender and moist.
It comes down to the flour. No 1:1 blend here, just light buckwheat and psyllium husk for moisture and structure, with easy swaps below.

Made to work for your kitchen, for your body.

In my years running a gluten-free bakery, I learned that very few people avoid just one thing. Many of my customers were also avoiding dairy or a particular grain. So every recipe I create comes with flour swaps built in. If buckwheat doesn’t work for you, use sorghum, rice, or millet. These pancakes are naturally dairy free with any nondairy milk, and they’re meant to fit your table, whatever that looks like.

Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Pancakes / Waffles
Serves 6–8 · Gluten free · Dairy free option

Ingredients

  • 265 g (about 1 cup) sourdough discard
  • 2 eggs
  • 275 g/mL milk*
  • 56 g/mL oil*
  • 28 g sugar or honey
  • 134 g light buckwheat flour*
  • 5 g salt
  • 10 g baking powder
  • 10 g psyllium husk
  • Optional: 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Measure out your discard. It can be from a fresh feed or a jar that’s been waiting in the fridge for a few days.
  2. Mix the discard with the eggs, milk, oil, sugar, and vanilla if using.
  3. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder right on top of the wet ingredients, adding the psyllium husk last. Whisk well so the psyllium doesn’t clump.
  4. Let the batter rest for 5–10 minutes to thicken. You’ll see bubbles rise to the surface, which is exactly what you want. Don’t stir again or knock them down.
  5. While it rests, preheat your skillet on low.
  6. Scoop a tablespoon for silver dollar pancakes or ¼ cup for palm-sized ones. Cook until bubbles form on the edges, then flip and cook another 1–2 minutes, until the center bounces back when pressed. If it dents and doesn’t pop back up, give it a little longer.
  7. The batter will keep thickening as it sits. Don’t stir it or add water. Just keep scooping and cooking.
  8. For waffles: Use the same batter and cook in your waffle iron following the manufacturer’s directions.

Serve warm with your favorite toppings.

Substitutions

  • Milk: Dairy, nondairy, or even water, though some kind of milk gives more flavor.
  • Oil: I use olive oil, but any light oil or melted, cooled butter works.
  • Light buckwheat: Swap for sorghum, rice, or millet flour.

Loved these? There’s more where they came from.


In my free workshop, 3 Secrets to Successful GF Sourdough, I’ll show you how to keep a starter happy and active, blend your flours with intention, and get temperature right so your bakes rise. After the workshop, you’ll get three more discard recipes: crispy crackers (egg free and easily dairy free), soft sugar cookies, and banana chocolate chip muffins.

Teach me the three secrets!
NICE TO MEET YOU

Hi, I'm Katy!

I've been exactly where you might be right now. My journey with food intolerances began when I hit an all time low after my first kiddo in 2010. I wasn't sure what I could even eat, I lost 20 pounds, I was feeling frustrated, lonely, and mad at my body.

I bought a gluten free pancake mix that was dry and flavorless but thought, "hey, it's something." I started tweaking it and making it better. I learned how the different flours worked together and what substitutions I could use. The kitchen became my calm place.

Baking for myself and daughter turned to baking for friends, selling at farmers markets, and ultimately opening my own award-winning gluten free bakery in 2014.

Now I use what I've learned to help people just like you bake in their own kitchen. I’ll show you how to incorporate baking sourdough into your life so your kitchen can become your calm place too.