These Sourdough Banana Pancakes are soft, fluffy and full of proper banana flavour, with just enough sourdough tang to make them more interesting than your usual homemade pancakes. They are made with sourdough starter discard, ripe banana and a few basic pantry ingredients, and you can either make them the same morning or let the batter rest in the fridge overnight.
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During our kitchen remodel, I somehow kept feeding my sourdough starter as if I still had a normal kitchen. So I ended up with lots of extra sourdough discard and very few ways to use it, other than pancakes and slow cooker sourdough bread recipes. Not a bad thing, as it turns out, because these sourdough discard banana pancakes instantly became one of our favourite things. Dare I say, maybe even better than my classic sourdough pancakes.
Recipe Highlights
TASTE & TEXTURE: Soft and tender, with proper banana flavour.
WHAT'S SPECIAL: Same-day or overnight batter options + food waste reduced (discard + sad bananas)
SEB'S RATING: Better than classic pancakes
Why Cold Ferment Sourdough Pancake Batter?
Cold fermenting sourdough banana pancake batter is a great way to develop more flavour with very little extra work. The sourdough discard brings a gentle tang, while the mashed ripe banana adds natural sugars, moisture and sweetness.
Leaving the batter in the fridge overnight gives the flour time to hydrate, the banana flavour time to settle in, and the bacteria in the sourdough starter discard a chance to do their quiet little thing. It also makes the next morning easier. Pancakes before coffee should involve less work wherever possible.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Sourdough discard: Use 100% hydration sourdough discard. This means it has been fed with equal parts flour and water by weight. Active sourdough starter can also be used if that's what you have.
- Ripe banana: Overripe bananas are best here. The more spotty and sad-looking, the better the flavour. This is the perfect way to use up one of those bananas nobody wants to look at anymore. Have more ripe bananas and sourdough discard? Try our Sourdough Banana Bread or Sourdough Banana Muffins next!
- Milk: Whole milk gives a lovely soft texture, but semi-skimmed milk works too. For dairy-free pancakes, use oat milk or almond milk.
- Plain flour: Regular plain flour, also known as all-purpose flour, works best. You can swap part of it for whole wheat flour, but the pancakes will be a little denser.
- Honey: Optional, but it adds a little sweetness. Brown sugar or maple syrup can be used instead.
- Butter: Melted butter gives the pancakes richness. Coconut oil works well if you want a dairy-free version.
- Egg, salt and baking powder: The egg helps bind the batter, salt balances the sweetness, and baking powder is the leavening agent that gives you fluffy pancakes. We are not relying on the wild yeast here to make pancakes fluffy.
Find ingredient quantities, detailed instructions (with an overnight option) and nutritional information in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Variations
Add a splash of vanilla extract for a sweeter flavour, a pinch of cinnamon for warmth, or a handful of chocolate chips if your sourdough breakfast is already heading in a dessert direction.
Step-By-Step Method
1. For the overnight option, add the sourdough discard, mashed banana, plain flour, milk and honey to a large mixing bowl.
2. Whisk everything together until mostly smooth, then cover the bowl with a plate or plastic wrap and place it in the fridge overnight.
3. For the same morning option, mix the sourdough discard, mashed banana, flour, milk and honey in a large bowl.
4. Whisk the egg, melted butter and a pinch of salt into the batter until fully combined and smooth enough to pour.
5. Just before frying, whisk in the baking powder so it can do its best work in the hot pan.
6. Preheat a large frying pan, cast iron skillet or pancake griddle over medium heat with a little butter, a little oil or cooking spray.
7. Pour one small ladleful of batter per pancake and let it spread naturally, leaving space between each one.
8. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until bubbles cover most of the surface, then flip and cook the second side for 1-2 minutes until golden brown.
Repeat with the remaining batter. Keep the cooked pancakes warm under a clean kitchen towel or in a low oven while you work through the batch.
Recipe Tips For Best Results
- Add the baking powder last. Once it touches the wet ingredients, it starts reacting. For the best fluffy texture, whisk it in just before frying.
- Don't add more flour too early. The batter may look a little loose at first, but sourdough banana pancake batter thickens slightly as it rests, especially overnight.
- Cook over medium or medium-low heat. Banana contains natural sugars, so these pancakes brown faster than classic sourdough pancakes. A hot pan can give you burnt outsides and undercooked middles. Deeply unhelpful behaviour from a pancake.
- For a stronger sourdough tang, start at room temperature. You can leave the batter at room temperature for 2-4 hours before placing it in the fridge overnight.
- Use very ripe bananas. Overripe bananas give the best flavour and sweetness. If your banana is still firm and polite-looking, it is not quite ready for its pancake destiny.
- Make a double batch if needed. This recipe makes about 6-8 small pancakes, or 4 medium pancakes, serving 2 people (or 1 very hungry person).
Topping Ideas
Keep these banana sourdough pancakes simple with a little butter and maple syrup, sliced banana, fresh berries, Greek yoghurt or a drizzle of honey.
For something cosier, try cinnamon sugar, peanut butter, toasted walnuts or pecans, apple compote, or a little brown sugar melted into butter.
For a more dessert-like stack, add caramelised banana, toasted coconut, Nutella or thick yoghurt with maple syrup and chopped nuts.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Active sourdough starter can be used instead of sourdough discard. The flavour may be slightly milder if your starter has been recently fed, but the recipe will still work well.
Cool the cooked pancakes completely, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a toaster oven, dry frying pan or microwave until warmed through.
Yes. Cool the pancakes completely, then freeze them in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag or airtight container. You can reheat them straight from frozen in a toaster, toaster oven or low oven until hot all the way through. No need to thaw unless you want to.
Yes, but use less. For this recipe, replace the ½ teaspoon baking powder with ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda). Whisk it in just before frying, the same way you would with baking powder.
The caveat is that baking soda needs acidity to react properly. If your sourdough discard is quite tangy or you have fermented the batter overnight, it should work well. If your discard is very mild or freshly fed, baking powder will give more reliable results. Too much baking soda can also leave a soapy taste, so this is not the moment for enthusiastic measuring.
More Sourdough Discard Breakfast Recipes
Hope you enjoyed this sourdough banana pancake recipe! If you love finding different ways to use sourdough discard, especially before the day has properly started, here are more easy sourdough recipes to try next.
Sourdough Banana Pancakes (With An Overnight Option)
Equipment
- Balloon Whisk
- Pancake Griddle, or Large Frying Pan(s)
Ingredients
- 100 g (½ cup) sourdough discard 100% hydration
- 80 g (1 small) ripe banana mashed
- 60 ml (¼ cup) milk
- 50 g (½ cup) plain flour all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon honey optional
- 15 g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 egg small/medium
- a pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
For Overnight Option:
- In a large bowl, whisk together sourdough discard, mashed banana, flour, milk and honey (optional). Cover with a plate or cling film (plastic wrap) and leave in the fridge overnight.
For Same Morning Option:
- If you haven't made part of the sourdough pancake batter the night before mix the sourdough discard, mashed banana, flour, milk and honey (optional).
***Continue For Both Options:
- Whisk in an egg, melted butter and a pinch of salt to the batter. Lastly, just before frying, whisk in baking powder.
- Preheat a large frying pan (or two) or a pancake griddle with a little oil or butter brushed over the surface.
- Pour one small ladleful per pancake and let the batter spread out naturally. Make sure you don't overcrowd the pan and keep them apart, so they don't merge with each other.
- After about 2 minutes, bubbles cover most of the surface of the pancakes. It's a cue to flip them over and fry again for 1-2 minutes.
- Repeat with the remaining batter. Keep the cooked pancakes warm by covering them with a clean kitchen towel or in a low oven, whilst you work through the batter.
Nutrition
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