Learn how to make the perfect homemade sourdough waffle recipe. Crispy on the outside, and nice and fluffy on the inside.
If you have been following along for a while, you know how much I love my sourdough starter.
I made it over 10 years ago. Actually, I don’t even know exactly how long ago, but now it is a good, mature starter. We make so many things from it!
You definitely need a starter of your own. Learn how to make one from scratch here.
This recipe is a lot like my sourdough pancakes, just with a few, very slight tweaks. It is super delicious, has the most amazing flavor, and our family loves it.
These easy sourdough waffles are perfectly crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside.
Serve them warm with some blackberry syrup and butter (YUM), or for a more classic flavor, try some maple syrup and whipped cream.
Cooking With Cast Iron
You all know how much I love cast iron cooking; it’s all we use in our house, so today I’m going to show you how to make these sourdough waffles in the cast iron waffle maker.
If you are new to cast iron cooking, make sure to check out How To Season Cast Iron And Cook With It Too.
You can definitely use a regular waffle maker, but this is what we use. Once you get used to cooking with cast iron, you may never turn back.
Another thing I love about the cast iron waffle maker is that seasoning makes it naturally non-stick, so you don’t have to worry about harmful non-stick coating that is commonly found on electric ones.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
Why is sourdough healthier?
Fermented grains are healthier than non-fermented grains. This is because non-fermented grains contain phytic acid, which makes it more difficult for your body to digest and absorb the nutrients from grains.
The fermentation process, like when making sourdough, “pre-digests” the grains for you, breaking down the phytic acid, making the nutrients in the grain more bio-available to your body and easier to digest.
Many people who cannot tolerate grains well find that they can tolerate sourdough starter if it has sat out on the counter and fermented for at least 24 hours.
Tips For Making Sourdough Waffles:
- Be sure to use a well-seasoned cast iron waffle maker, so that nothing sticks.
- When measuring out your ingredients, do the oil first, and then measure out the honey in that same tablespoon so the residual oil makes the honey slide out nicely.
- When using a cast iron waffle maker, be sure the iron is preheated on both sides and greased well before placing waffle mix in it.
- Don’t overfill it; it will spill over the sides. Depending on the size of your waffle maker, will determine how much batter you will need to add..
- Don’t open it until it is done. If it starts to stick in the middle, close it back up quickly and cook it a little longer.
- You don’t want to flip the waffle maker too often, otherwise you lose that crispy texture on the outside and nice fluffy texture on the inside. So only flip it once.
- Check out these potato waffles and cheddar waffles, too.
FAQ:
Can you freeze homemade waffles?
Yes, these freeze great! Double or triple the batch, make extra, and then freeze the rest.
Lay them on a cookie sheet and freeze flat before placing them in a storage container so they don’t stick together. Or just place parchment paper between each one.
Can you use butter instead of oil?
Yes. Either butter or oil work well with this recipe. I love the crispiness that coconut oil gives, but butter would also give it a delicious flavor.
Are sourdough waffles healthy?
Yes. They contain healthy fermented grains and whole food ingredients. They are a great way to keep tummies full and fuel the day.
What can I use discarded sourdough starter for?
There are so many things you can make with sourdough discard: waffles, pancakes, pizza, biscuits, muffins, and much more. Check out over 30 sourdough discard recipes.
Why are my homemade waffles not crispy?
Most likely the waffles are not crispy because the waffle maker was not preheated before adding the batter. Also, if you are stacking up the waffles as they cook, they tend to get soft from the steam of the other waffles.
To keep them crispy, add them to a baking sheet in a single layer and keep them in the oven on warm without stacking them. Finally, add oil. The oil in this recipe lends itself to crispy waffles.
Ingredients you will need:
Sourdough starter: This can be active starter or a sourdough starter discard. I prefer active starter, but discard will work. This is a great way to use up excess sourdough starter. If using discard, make sure it is fresh and recently fed. One reason I love this recipe so much is that I can just wake up and make it without really planning ahead of time. It doesn’t need to be started the night before like most sourdough recipes.
Eggs: Preferably pasture raised, but any will do.
Oil: I used coconut oil (I like my waffles extra crispy, so I like to add the extra oil to give them that crispiness). You could also use melted butter.
Salt: Don’t skip this. Salt brings out so much flavor and sweetness in dishes.
Cinnamon: This is optional, but adds that delicious warm flavor.
Honey: I like to use unrefined sweeteners whenever possible. You could also substitute with maple syrup.
Vanilla: Yummy, warm delicious vanilla flavor. You can easily make your own vanilla extract at home.
Baking soda: Make sure there are no clumps. This gives the rise and as soon as the baking soda hits the starter you will see it
Tools you will need:
Waffle maker or I use this cast iron one
Measuring cups and spoons
Large to medium mixing bowl
Mixing spoon or silicone spatula
How To Make Sourdough Waffles
Feed the sourdough starter the night before.
The next morning, preheat a waffle maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions or for cast iron, over medium heat.
In a large bowl, add fed sourdough starter (discard will also work), eggs, oil, salt, cinnamon, honey and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
Add in baking soda and stir. I like to add this at the end to make sure there are no clumps. Once you add this, your batter will get nice and fizzy.
Grease the waffle maker (I like to use avocado oil or coconut oil) and spoon batter into the hot waffle iron. Mine takes 1 cup of batter.
Cook it for 3-4 minutes on one side and flip. Cook for another 3-4 minutes on the other side. It will usually stop steaming when it is ready. It should be golden brown.
Open it. If it is sticking at all or seems uncooked, cook for another minute or two and try again. Tip: the first waffle rarely turns out perfect. That is ok, adjust the temperature or time the next time.
Serve your delicious sourdough waffles with butter, maple syrup, fresh berries, fresh fruit, whipped cream, chocolate chips, or whatever your favorite toppings are.
Our Favorite Waffle Toppings:
- Peanut Butter
- Strawberry syrup
- Blackberry syrup
- Whipped cream
- Pure maple syrup
- Honey
- Mixed berry syrup
- To make it a meal, top with our favorite sourdough fried chicken.
Check out our other family favorite sourdough recipes:
- Sourdough Pizza | Mini Pizzas on Sourdough English Muffin
- Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread
- Easy Sourdough Flatbread
- Cinnamon Maple Sourdough Apple Pie
- How to Make Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Thank you! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Sourdough Waffles
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups active sourdough starter
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon oil, I used coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat cast iron waffle maker.
- In a large bowl, add fed sourdough starter, eggs, oil, salt, cinnamon, honey and vanilla. Mix well.
- Add baking soda and stir.
- Grease the waffle maker and add a bit of batter to it making sure not to overfill it.
- Cook it for 3-4 minutes on one side and flip. Cook for another 3-4 minutes on the other side.
- Open it. If it is sticking at all or seems uncooked, cook for another minute or two and try again.
Notes
- When using a cast iron waffle maker, be sure the waffle iron is preheated on both sides and greased before placing waffle mix in it.
- Don’t overfill it; it will spill over the sides. In my waffle maker, it takes about a cup of waffle batter for one perfect waffle without spilling over.
- Don’t open it until is done. It will start to stick in the middle, close it back up quickly and cook it a little longer.
- Active sourdough starter means the starter was fed with flour and water and let sit at room temperature long enough for it to be nicely fermented and bubbly. Around 4-12 hours.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh my goodness! These were a hit with my family! I have made them 3 times. The first time was a learning experience. I left the waffles in my waffle maker for 6 minutes and they came out like a crispy fried French fry. We trashed them all until I discovered that in my waffle maker, it takes 3 1/2 minutes total cook time for perfectly cooked waffles! Tonight I discovered that I can use week old unfed discard straight from the frig. With the warm melted coconut oil and the baking soda, it rose quickly. We are going to try freezing them too. Hopefully that works out nicely!
This recipe is so easy and waffles came out light and fluffy. Wondering can this recipe be made without eggs?
I’ve not personally tried it, but it should work!
We love these and the pancakes! When I first made the pancakes my husband said they were the best pancakes he’d ever had! Quite a compliment from him. Thanks for all you do!
Just devoured my first waffle from this recipe and I’m hooked! I was a little suspicious about using just starter and no extra flour or milk or anything, but they are so fluffy and delicious! Perfect for days like today when I’m just not up for making a whole loaf of bread. I’m not a fan of honey so I swapped it for maple syrup and I added a little cardamom as well. So good! Definitely saving this recipe!
These waffles are a staple in my house. We have them weekly. I sub oil for butter and they are so delicious! Thank you!
I make these for a friend who is celiac, and they are great. When I’ve used half the batter I add some cocoa powder to the second half, and make chocolate waffles.
Was a bit skeptical just using starter and no extra flour, but they turned out wonderfully. I hadn’t discareded in a while and had fed the starter last night, so I had PLENTY of starter to use.
Can you add flour to stretch these? We have 8 kiddos, so we’d need a lot of starter to make enough
When I want to double a recipe like this one I just take some or my starter out and feed it before using it in the recipe, it might not be as active but that way you maintian the right flour to water ratio versus adding extra flour to the original recipe.
Oh my!! These are amazing! I served them to my 19 year old son and he said this was the best waffle he’s ever had! I used avocado oil instead of coconut oil (just because I didn’t want any coconut flavor) and they turned out beautifully with such a unique and delicious texture. I have been devouring your blog and YouTube channel and I so appreciate your lifestyle and help. Thank you and keep up the good work!
Best waffle recipe ever. Thank you so so much! The waffles were very fluffy and delicious. It was the first baking session with my sourdough.