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.
This is probably the best tasting waffles I’ve ever had! They are husband approved lol. Are you also to use this batter for pancakes as well?
You may be able to, but here is my pancake recipe! https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/our-favorite-sourdough-pancakes-recipe
Do u have a starter recipe
Yes! Here it is.
When I make my starter I don’t think I get enough flour in because it splits and is very so I just add moreflour and it seems to reciver.
Do you melt the coconut oil before adding to the recipe?
Yes.
This is our favorite waffle recipe! So easy and the cinnamon flavor with the sourdough richness is the bomb. My 5 kids are always excited about these.
So glad you all enjoy it! Have a great day!
I don’t see any flour in this waffle recipe? just 2 cups of starter. Is that right.
Added a medium cooked and mashed sweet potato to the recipe. Yum! Yum! Yum!
You say 2 cups of active starter. Is that 2 cups when it is bubbly or 2 cups after it has been stirred? Actual weight would be beneficial with this description.
Thank you!
By the way, I make a lot of dishes from your recipes and what I’ve seen on YouTube. I am always very pleased with the results.
When it is bubbly. For weight measurements you can reference my conversion chart here: https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/baking-conversion-chart
I used sourdough discard for the waffles and they were great. Thanks for finding ways to use the discard. I will be trying some of your other recipes shortly.
So glad you enjoyed them! Hope you enjoy the other discard recipes, too.
I am NOT understanding.
Both your pancakes and waffles are under the sourdough discard recipes. However, when you get to the actual recipe, it says active sourdough starter.
Which is it?
It is very confusing.
You are able to use active or discard starter. Because they both have baking powder in it, it’s a leavening agent, so that causes it to rise!
hi i see here that you say they both have baking powder but I just see soda
in the waffles is that correct? thank you
I’m not sure where it says that. I looked over the post and am only seeing baking soda. I may have accidentally said it in a comment. But they are only baking soda.
i’ve been making homemade waffles for years and they were always just ok. i actually preferred frozen waffles! recently i’ve been using more fermented recipes for the health benefits and tried this recipe. these are literally better than “regular” waffles, and better than any waffles i’ve had in a restaurant! i love my sourdough starter but if i could only keep it around for one recipe, it would be this one! i keep a very small starter, so i give it a big feed prior to making this, and i usually do part buckwheat flour when i’m planning on making waffles! it adds a really nice nutty flavor and i feel it makes them lighter in texture. thank you lisa!!