These ultra Fluffy Sourdough Banana Pancakes are made with sourdough starter and two bananas for a stack of pancakes that are thick, fluffy, and naturally sweet.
Breakfast is a great way to use up sourdough starter discard, particularly for pancakes or waffles, like these Crispy Sourdough Waffles, or depending on the time of year, Pumpkin Sourdough Waffles.
These pancakes are ultra fluffy because they use three different ways to create air in the pancakes: sourdough starter, baking powder and baking soda, and a homemade buttermilk using milk and vinegar (the lactic acid combines with the baking soda creating air bubbles).
This recipe makes 16 medium sized pancakes, plenty for a family of four. Bananas and sourdough also work really well together in these Sourdough Banana Muffins and Sourdough Banana Bread.
Top the warm pancakes with a little butter and a drizzle of maple syrup.
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✏️ Recipe Testing
I tested this recipe while listening to Jack Johnson’s Banana Pancakes song, perfect for a relaxed weekend morning. I love how sweet these pancakes are because of the sweetness of the bananas, which allows you to add a little less granulated sugar to the batter; a process I worked through when testing the recipe.
The flavor of the pancakes is very dependent on the ripeness of your bananas. You can use ripe bananas for a relatively mild banana flavor, or very overripe bananas for a very strong banana flavor (or anywhere in between).
🛒 Ingredients
Below are the ingredients needed to make these Fluffy Sourdough Banana Pancakes.
- Milk: I recommend whole milk, but I use 1% milk all the time when that’s all we have on hand, and it works great.
- White Vinegar: It may seem like a strange ingredient, but when you combine it with the milk, it makes a kind of homemade buttermilk, which, along with the sourdough starter, creates super fluffy pancakes. If you do not have vinegar, you can omit it, but it does help to use it. Don't worry, using vinegar does not make the pancakes taste like vinegar.
- Bananas: Use 2 medium bananas. For a stronger banana flavor choose overripe bananas, rather than just ripe bananas. The more ripe the bananas, the stronger the banana flavor. Though, overripe bananas are not actually sweeter than ripe bananas. See my Guide to Banana Bread for more details.
- Eggs: Use large eggs, pasture-raised if possible.
- Butter: Melted. Be sure it cools to room temperature before adding it to the batter. I use salted butter.
- Sourdough Starter: This can be active sourdough starter or sourdough discard. If you have extra starter, make Strawberry Sourdough Scones or Blueberry Sourdough Scones.
- Flour: Use all-purpose unbleached flour.
- Sugar: For subtle sweetness in addition to the sweetness of the bananas. If you like much sweeter pancakes, you can increase this from 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: For extra leavening.
- Salt: To enhance flavor.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
📝 How to Make Fluffy Sourdough Banana Pancakes
Below are the step-by-step instructions and photos for how to make Fluffy Sourdough Banana Pancakes.
Note: The recipe card with instructions, ingredient list, and quantities is included further below these step-by-step photos.
Step 1. Milk and Vinegar: In a small to medium sized bowl, combine the milk and vinegar. Let it sit for 15 minutes. This creates a sort of homemade buttermilk and helps to make the pancakes extra fluffy. It won't make the pancakes taste like vinegar.
Step 2. Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and vinegar, mashed bananas, eggs, butter, and sourdough starter.
Step 3. Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and combine.
Step 4. Start the Pancakes: Bring a large sauté pan to medium heat. I always use a setting of "4" out of "10", or just below medium heat. Add a small sliver of butter and swirl it around the pan.
Add the pancakes using ¼ cup worth of batter per pancake, fitting roughly 3 pancakes to the pan. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes until golden brown on the bottom.
When making the pancakes, I like to add three pancakes to my large sauté pan using a quarter cup measuring cup (you could also use an ice cream scop) to portion out each pancake. This proportion works really well for my kitchen setup, but if you have a griddle or different sized pan you can certainly make larger or even smaller pancakes.
Tip: The pancakes are ready to be flipped when the bubbles on the top start popping and the edges of the pancake look set.
Step 5. Flip the Pancakes: Flip the pancakes over and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes. The bottoms should be a light golden brown. Set the pancakes aside on a plate and cover with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
Repeat with the remaining batter, adding a small pat of butter each time, swirling it in the pan before adding the next set of pancake batter.
To serve, add butter while still warm and top with maple syrup.
💖 If You're Looking For More Sourdough Discard Recipes, You May Love These:
If you tried this Sourdough Banana Pancakes Recipe or any other recipe on my site, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I'd love to hear from you!
Fluffy Sourdough Banana Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- 1 cup mashed bananas about 2 medium bananas
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tablespoon butter melted and cooled to room temperature
- ½ cup sourdough starter (110g)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (280g)
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the milk and vinegar. Let sit for 15 minutes.
- Add the mashed bananas, eggs, melted and cooled butter, and sourdough starter, and whisk to combine.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and combine.
- Bring a large sauté pan to medium heat (heat setting of #4 out of #10). When it is at medium heat, add a small sliver of butter. Then add ¼ cup of batter per pancake to the pan. Cook for 2-4 minutes. The pancakes are ready to be flipped when the bubbles on the top start popping and the edges of the pancake look set. The bottoms should be a nice golden brown. Flip and cook for 1-2 more minutes or until the bottom is a light golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve warm with butter and maple syrup.
Notes
- Bananas: For a mild banana flavor choose ripe bananas, but for a stronger banana flavor choose overripe bananas. The more ripe the bananas, the stronger the banana flavor. Overripe bananas are not actually sweeter than ripe bananas.
- Milk: I recommend whole milk, but I use 1% milk all the time when that’s all we have on hand, and it works great.
- White Vinegar: It may seem like a strange ingredient, but when you combine it with the milk, it makes a kind of homemade buttermilk, which, along with the sourdough starter, creates super fluffy pancakes. If you do not have vinegar, you can omit it, but it does help to use it. Don't worry, using vinegar does not make the pancakes taste like vinegar.
- Sourdough Starter: This can be active sourdough starter or sourdough discard.
- Pancake Size: You can use a measuring cup to portion out the size of the pancakes. I use a ¼ cup measuring cup for each pancake. You could also use an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter onto the pan. I find that ¼ cup batter per pancake works well for my kitchen set up and it makes it easier to cleanly flip the pancakes, but you could always use more or less batter to make larger or smaller pancakes.
- Flipping the Pancakes: Flip the pancakes when the bubbles on the top start popping and the edges of the pancake look set.
- Test Pancake: When making pancakes its always worth making a single "test pancake" first. This will help you to know if the heat needs to be turned up or down or if you prefer your pancakes thinner (add more milk) or thicker (add more flour).
Sue says
when do you incorporate the sourdough starter?
Lauren says
Hi Sue, Thanks for the question. Add the sourdough starter along with the mashed bananas, eggs, and melted but cooled butter. I updated the recipe card to reflect this. Thanks!