Sourdough blueberry pancakes have all the best qualities of this breakfast favorite; they’re tender, fluffy, golden, and buttery with a mild sourdough tang and bubbly pockets of fresh blueberries.
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There’s so much to love about this recipe. These pancakes have amazing flavor and texture. They’re buttery and tender, with the lightest sourdough tang, just enough to know the discard is there.
The discard adds moisture and is put to good use when I make up a big batch! These freeze well and are easily served as a future breakfast when doubled or tripled.
We always have plenty of discard, so you’ll often find sourdough discard cinnamon rolls in the oven, sourdough discard English muffins kept on the countertop, or a batch of sourdough chocolate chip cookies ready for snacking.
I love that this recipe offers another great opportunity to incorporate a kitchen staple in a super tasty way. If you’re not into sourdough yet, learn more about it with my post on how to care for a sourdough starter!
This sourdough pancake batter is made up quickly, and it’s essentially a one-bowl recipe. (The butter needs melted separately, but otherwise, it’s all in one bowl!) Mix it up gently, cook them on a hot griddle, then serve with butter and pure maple syrup – or your own favorite toppings – for a delicious breakfast.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Quick breakfast – These tasty blueberry pancakes can be mixed up and cooked right away, which means a pancake breakfast doesn’t have to be saved for a weekend brunch.
Basic ingredients – Made with simple pantry staples, chances are you don’t have to run to the store to make this recipe. You also know everything that goes into your food, unlike the complicated ingredients list on a box of pancake mix. Straightforward and simple, but so delicious.
Tender, fluffy pancakes – This isn’t your average pancake recipe. The sourdough adds a deeper flavor and a tender texture, and the blueberries add bright little pockets of sweetness.
Ingredients
Sourdough discard: You can use active sourdough starter for a milder flavor, or sourdough discard for a stronger tang.
Milk: Any kind of milk will work here.
Flour: I use unbleached, all-purpose flour.
Butter: Butter should be melted and cooled a bit before adding to the batter. Salted or unsalted is fine.
Blueberries: Berries can be fresh or frozen.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Sourdough Blueberry Pancakes
Step 1: Begin by melting 1/4 cup (half of a stick) of butter and setting it aside to cool. Add flour, salt, and baking soda to a large bowl and combine.
Step 2: Add the sourdough discard, milk, eggs, cooled butter, and honey to the dry ingredients, then whisk until just combined. The batter may still be somewhat lumpy which is just fine.
Step 3: Heat the skillet over medium heat. Add a small amount of butter to the hot skillet, then ladle about one-third of a cup of batter onto the melted butter. I like to use a measuring cup for this. Sprinkle over a few blueberries, arranging them evenly over the pancake.
Step 4: Cook until the edges begin to set and bubbles appear across the batter. This may take several minutes. Flip, then continue to cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side. Keep the cooked pancakes in a warm oven until ready to serve. Serve warm with more fresh berries, fruit topping, homemade yogurt with honey, or maple syrup.
Tips
- Avoid overmixing the pancake batter, and aim to only flip them once while cooking. Too much stirring, or flipping too many times, can cause the pancakes to be flat.
- For thinner, less fluffy pancakes, you can add a splash more milk to thin the batter.
- Start your skillet out on medium-high heat, but if the pancakes are cooking too hot or burning easily after the first round or two, reduce the heat to medium-low or low heat.
- To get things moving quickly, I use more than one skillet and have lots of pancakes cooking at once.
- You can swap the blueberries out for raspberries, chopped strawberries, blackberries, or oven chocolate chips.
Recipe FAQs
You can tell a pancake is ready to be flipped when the edges begin to set and multiple bubbles develop across the top of the batter.
Cooled pancakes can be placed in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for several days, or in a freezer-safe bag or container (separate them with parchment paper so they don’t stick together) for several months.
To reheat from refrigerated, the oven or toaster are great options. To reheat from frozen, let them thaw and then place on a cookie sheet in the oven at a low temperature to warm up.
Sourdough discard can be used in so many recipes! For inspiration, browse my list of 15+ healthy sourdough discard recipes.
Fresh berries can be stirred gently into the pancake batter right before you cook them.
Frozen berries will change the color of your batter if stirred in (they still taste great!). If you want to avoid purple pancakes, you can sprinkle the frozen berries on top of each pancake as they cook. Use a spoon, or you’ll end up with purple fingertips!
More Sourdough Recipes from the Farmhouse
- Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
- Sourdough Cheese Waffles
- Easy Sourdough Dutch Baby Pancake
- Sourdough Coffee Cake
- Sourdough Discard Scones
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Sourdough Blueberry Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup sourdough discard, active will also work. 63 g
- 1 1/2 cups milk, or water 366 g
- 1 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour, 245 g
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup butter melted, 57 g
- 2 tablespoons honey , or maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3 g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
For frying:
- 2 tablespoons butter, 24 g
Instructions
- Begin by melting 1/4 cup (half of a stick) of butter and setting it aside to cool. Add flour, salt, and baking soda to a large bowl and combine.
- Add the sourdough discard, milk, eggs, cooled butter, and honey to the dry ingredients, then whisk until just combined. The batter may still be somewhat lumpy which is just fine.
- Heat the skillet over medium heat.
- Add a small amount of butter to the hot skillet, then ladle about one-third of a cup of batter onto the melted butter. Sprinkle over a few blueberries, arranging them evenly over the pancake.
- Cook until the edges begin to set and bubbles appear across the batter. This may take several minutes. Flip, then continue to cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side. Keep the cooked pancakes in a warm oven until ready to serve.
- Serve warm with more fresh berries, fruit topping, homemade yogurt with honey, or maple syrup.
Notes
- Avoid overmixing the pancake batter, and aim to only flip them once while cooking. Too much stirring, or flipping too many times, can cause the pancakes to be flat.
- For thinner, less fluffy pancakes, you can add a splash more milk to thin the batter.
- Start your skillet out on medium-high heat, but if the pancakes are cooking too hot or burning easily after the first round or two, reduce the heat to medium-low or low heat.
- To get things moving quickly, I use more than one skillet and have lots of pancakes cooking at once.
- You can swap the blueberries out for raspberries, chopped strawberries, blackberries, or oven chocolate chips.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Will this work with your potato flake starter? I’m assuming just adjust the milk for consistency?
Yes.
My first attempt at sourdough discard pancakes! Absolutely delicious!!
Absolutely delicious! I made a double batch so we could enjoy them all week. Thank you for the outstanding recipe!
Super duper tasty!! My new go to for pancakes! I wonder if they’ll be just as good with whole wheat flour instead of the unbleached AP flour! I’ll have to test our some variations soon! I normally add bananas or pumpkin to my batter with rolled oats and flax seed! We shall see… but overall 10/10 recipe thank you Lisa!! (My 2.5 year old is also named LisaNicole but we call her Lisa for short!)
Have made this recipe twice both times it has they have turned out excellent. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Great recipe! They are the perfect pancakes indeed.
I did them whit a mix 660-40 of all pourpose flour and whole wheat flour; We couldn’t stop eating, thte texture is incredible.
We make a lot of pancakes and waffles but this ones my doughter said are the best she tasted ever.
Thank you for sharing.
Love from Argentina
I’ve made other sourdough starters and had some success with them, but that was years ago, and I could never keep my starter going; it became a drudgery. Made these pancakes this morning from my discard on the 5th day and my husband couldn’t stop raving about them. I’m looking forward to making more deliciousness in the days, weeks, months ahead. Thank you for your recipes!
Love these pancakes they are delicious!