Sourdough Banana Pancakes

A stack of pancakes made with sourdough discard, topped with banana slices.

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These sourdough banana pancakes are soft, flavorful, and a great way to use up sourdough discard. The mashed bananas adds moisture and sweetness, while the discard adds a subtle tang. If you want to let the sourdough flavor shine even more, you can cover the surface of the batter and refrigerate it overnight. It’s a simple way to give the discard more time to ferment with no extra work required.

Traditional overnight sourdough pancakes usually start with an overnight sponge (just discard, flour, and liquid), with everything else mixed in the next day. That method still works well, but I find this approach is more straightforward and still delivers great flavor with less fuss.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Course: Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: sourdough banana panckes, sourdough discard banana pancakes

Servings: pancakes

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

2 to 3 bananas 1 cup mashed; 227 grams, plus extra for topping
¾ cup sourdough discard 170 grams
¾ cup whole milk room temperature, 170 grams
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter melted (or olive oil)
1¾ cups all-purpose flour 210 grams
2½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl (you’ll need 1 cup mashed or 227 grams). Whisk in the sourdough discard, then stir in the milk, eggs, sugar and melted butter (or olive oil), and whisk until smooth.
Place a sifter over the bowl and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Sift the dry ingredients directly into the wet mixture, then fold everything together until just combined.
Try not to overmix. Fold the batter just enough so you don’t see dry streaks of flour. The batter should be fairly thick. If you prefer thin pancakes, add a splash of milk.
Let the batter sit for 5 to 10 minutes to hydrate before cooking. If you want to prep ahead, you can cover the surface of the batter with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. That’ll allow the sourdough to ferment a little longer and deepen the flavor.
Set a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add a small pat of butter. Once it melts and starts to sizzle, scoop in the batter (about ¼ cup per pancake).
Cook until the edges look set and bubbles start forming in the center, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes, until the pancakes are cooked through.

Notes

The thickness of the batter can vary depending on your sourdough discard. If you're using older discard that's more runny, the batter will be thinner. If your discard is fairly fresh (just a day or two old), it tends to be thicker, and so will your batter. Either way is fine, just adjust with a splash of milk, if needed to get the consistency you like.
Overnight option: If you’d like to do a longer fermentation, you can cover the surface of the batter with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. It’s an easy way to let the sourdough discard ferment a little longer and develop a more complex flavor.
Cook the pancakes over medium heat so they have time to cook through without getting too dark on the outside. Flip when you see bubbles forming and the edges starting to look set.
Leftover pancakes can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage. Reheat in a toaster, toaster oven, or microwave in short bursts.
Add-ins: Feel free to fold in extras like chopped walnuts, candied pecans, chocolate chips, or blueberries after mixing the batter. Just don’t overdo it, too many add-ins can weigh the pancakes down.
Serving ideas: Try topping these with extra banana slices or chopped candied walnuts.

This recipe was adapted from my buttermilk banana pancakes.

Nutrition