Gluten Free Sourdough Pancakes | Sourdough Discard Recipes | Best Fluffy Pancakes

Gluten Free Sourdough Pancakes are fluffy with a soft, tender crumb. They have a perfectly balanced flavor profile between sweet and that classic sourdough "tang".

You will need gluten-free sourdough starter discard to make these pancakes, and preferably from a superfine brown rice flour or sorghum flour starter. If you don't have a gluten-free sourdough starter, you will first need to make one and can find out how with my guide on How to Make a Gluten Free Sourdough Starter.

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Looking for More Gluten Free Sourdough Recipes?

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Have fresh or frozen berries on hand? Try my Berry Maple Syrup - Easy Homemade Pancake Syrup

What is sourdough discard?

Sourdough discard is the inactive portion of starter you remove before every feeding. Remember, you don't actually throw this portion away but store it in a jar in the fridge. The discarded portion of starter is considered inactive. This is because the wild yeast and bacteria have already consumed all of the energy - the flour and water - and no new energy is added to it. Because the discard is no longer active, it can be used in recipes that don't need yeast to leaven them. Think of all the baked goods you can make that don't need rise time - brownies, cookies, banana bread and other quick-breads, crackers, etc.

These gluten free sourdough pancakes are one of my go-to recipes to use up the sourdough discard I keep in the fridge. I often double this recipe and freeze servings of pancakes (in stacks of 2 or 3s) to have ready in a pinch for those mornings where I didn't really plan out anything to eat. Stocking up your freezer with sourdough goodies like these pancakes is a great way to keep food on hand without too much work.

Can I use 2 week old gluten free sourdough discard?

Yes/it's totally up to you! The older the discard, the more sour the flavor will be. It's recommended to use newer discard for sweet recipes such as pancakes, and older discard for more savory recipes such as crackers, etc. Honestly, I've used two week old discard in pancakes and didn't notice a difference. It really depends on your starter - the flours you use, hydration ratio, and frequency in which its maintained.

One tip for preventing overly sour discard is to pour off any hooch that collects on the top instead of mixing it in.

What are the benefits of eating gluten free sourdough?

Sourdough is known and loved for its health benefits. While sourdough does contain the gut-friendly bacteria lactobacillus, these probiotics are killed off in baking so it doesn't translate to probiotic absorption. However, sourdough is still a fermented food, meaning the bacteria and wild yeast living within the starter predigest the starches in the flour, making the food easier to digest for you as well as potentially keep your blood sugar more stable. For these reasons, it is believed that sourdough can improve or help ease the gut.

For those living with Celiac Disease (like myself), we tend to ingest a lot of rice in many different ways and forms. Sourdough can give you the opportunity to ingest more different types of grains, including sorghum, millet, or buckwheat.

Ingredients for Gluten Free Sourdough Pancakes:

Wet Ingredients:

• Sourdough discard (unfed starter)
• Buttermilk. Make it yourself by adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. For dairy-free, use a neutral plant milk such as almond milk. Important: Use room temperature buttermilk to prevent the melted butter from hardening in the batter.
• Eggs
• Unsalted butter. For dairy-free, use a plant based butter such as Earth Balance.
• Pure vanilla extract
• Neutral oil for cooking the pancakes. I prefer to cook my pancakes in a little bit of oil because it crisps up the edges real nice. If butter is more your jam, feel free to switch it up.

Dry Ingredients:

• High quality gluten-free all purpose flour containing xanthan gum. I prefer to use Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 (the blue bag) for this recipe. King Arthur Measure for Measure works, but tends to be drier, so you might need to add a touch more liquid to the batter.
• Granulated sugar, or honey or maple syrup
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt

Optional Mix-In's:

Feel free to add in your favorite pancake mix-in's such as chocolate chips, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, or chopped nuts.

How to Make Gluten Free Sourdough Pancakes:

• Whisk all of the dry ingredients except for the sugar in a medium-sized bowl; flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar. Add in the sourdough discard, eggs, vanilla, and room temperature buttermilk. Whisk until well combined and smooth.
• Add in the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. For thick, fluffy pancakes: The batter should be relatively thick and bubbly. For flatter pancakes: stir in an additional ¼ to ½ cup buttermilk or regular milk to thin it out some.

• Allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes while the skillet is preheating.

• Add in 1 tbsp. of cooking oil to the skillet and heat until shiny. Pour ⅓ cup of batter per pancake (or ¼ cup for less thick pancakes) onto the hot skillet. Leave at-least 1-2" of space in-between pancakes. Cook pancake until the edges begin to firm up and until the bubbles on the top start to pop. You can use a spatula to check on the color of its underside. Flip once lightly browned, and cook on the remaining side a few more minutes or until cooked through.

• Repeat with remaining batches of pancakes, refreshing the skillet with another tablespoon of oil when needed.

• Serve warm with butter and maple syrup, or other favorite toppings.

Equipment

All you really need to make Gluten Free Sourdough Pancakes is a large, flat griddle or cast iron skillet. A spatula is also always a must.

Don't want to make a starter from scratch? This Sourdough Starter Culture packet gives you a head start with a dehydrated gluten-free sourdough starter culture and directions to follow to maintain it for years to come. I love this website because there's also cheesemaking, yogurt, kombucha, and fermented vegetable kits. (Use the code WONDERS15X on Cultures For Health's website to get 15% off!) The GF starter is also available for purchase on Amazon here.

How to Store Gluten Free Sourdough Pancakes:

You can store these pancakes in the fridge and/or freezer and reheat as needed.

When storing in the fridge: Keep in an airtight container to prevent from drying out and eat within 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds per side with a wet paper towel over top.

For storing in the freezer: Separate the pancakes into stacks of two or three and wrap in plastic wrap and place in a gallon bag. Take out as needed and reheat in the microwave for 30-45 seconds per side with a wet paper towel over top.

Notes on Gluten Free Sourdough Pancakes:

• Make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. For dairy-free, use a neutral plant milk such as almond milk. Important: Use room temperature buttermilk to prevent the melted butter from hardening in the batter.
• For best results, allow the batter to sit for 10 minutes before cooking the pancakes. This helps the starches absorb the liquid, preventing any grittiness.
• You will need gluten-free sourdough starter discard to make these pancakes, and preferably from a superfine brown rice flour or sorghum flour starter. If you don't have a gluten-free sourdough starter, you will first need to make one and can find out how with my guide on How to Make a Gluten Free Sourdough Starter.

Have you tried my Gluten Free Sourdough Pancakes? Give this recipe a 5-star rating!

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