These sourdough crepes are super light with crispy edges and just a slight tangy flavor from the sourdough discard! You can eat them plain with just a dusting of powdered sugar, or stuffed with your favorite sweet or savory fillings! They're the perfect fun treat for weekend breakfast or brunch!
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Why You'll Love These Sourdough Discard Crepes!
These sourdough crepes are sure to be your new favorite weekend brunch recipe that the whole family will love!
- A great way to use up leftover sourdough starter discard!
- Super easy to make and can be partially prepped the day before!
- A great base recipe that can be customized however you like!
- Delicious with both sweet or savory fillings!
- This recipe can easily be doubled and leftovers stored in the freezer for an easy future breakfast!
You might also like these sourdough discard pancakes or these sourdough discard blueberry muffins!
Ingredient Notes
You just need a few ingredients to make these sourdough discard crepes!
Sourdough Starter - I typically use leftover sourdough discard to make these crepes because I always need to use up extra discard, but ripe active sourdough starter works just as well! For these crepes, it's best if you have a 100% hydration starter. However, if you have a stiff starter, you'll just need to add a little extra milk.
Eggs - There's no good substitute for eggs in crepes because they're such an important part of binding them together so they don't break.
Butter - Instead of melted butter in the crepe batter you can substitute melted coconut oil.
Sugar & Vanilla - These are optional, so just leave them out if you're wanting to make savory crepes!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Sourdough Crepes
The sourdough crepe batter can either be prepped the night before (my personal preference for more flavorful crepes) or the same day! Both methods yield delicious perfect crepes!
Overnight Option
The night before you want to make the crepes, mix together the sourdough starter discard, milk, and sugar in a medium sized bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight. Tip: if you want your crepes to have even more sourdough flavor, let the batter ferment in the fridge overnight!
In the morning, add the batter, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and salt to a large blender. Blend until the batter is very smooth and well combined (you can also use an immersion blender instead). The crepe batter should be a thin, pourable consistency similar to heavy cream. If the batter is too thick, add in milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Let the batter rest for about 20 minutes before cooking.
Same Day Option
Add all of the ingredients (sourdough starter discard, milk, sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and salt) to a large blender. Blend until the batter is very smooth and well combined (you can also use an immersion blender instead). The crepe batter should be a thin, pourable consistency similar to heavy cream. If the batter is too thick, add in milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
Let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes but up to 2 hours before cooking.
To Cook
Heat a crepe pan or non-stick skillet over medium heat. It's important to make sure the pan is nice and hot before you start cooking, or else the crepes will stick.
*I like to grease my pan with coconut oil because of the high smoke point and mild flavor. But you can also use cooking spray.
Pour about ¼ cup of batter onto the middle of the skillet and slowly swirl the pan until the batter spreads into a very thin, even layer.
Let cook for about 60-90 seconds or until the batter is set. [Make sure the crepe is fully cooked before you flip it, or else it might break].
Then gently flip the crepe and cook on the other side for 30-60 more seconds.
Transfer to a plate and then repeat with the remaining batter.
The crepes will cool quickly once removed from the skillet so they're best served immediately. To keep warm, place the sourdough crepes in the oven at 200°F until ready to serve.
Enjoy with your favorite sweet or savory fillings!
Sourdough Tips & Tricks
If you've never baked with sourdough before, it can be a little tricky. But don't worry, I have a full Sourdough Starter Guide all about making and maintaining a sourdough starter! I also have a full guide on different types of flour you can use to make sourdough and of course a guide on how to make a Beginner Homemade Sourdough Loaf. Below are a few quick tips and key terms you need to know.
- Sourdough Starter - A culture of wild yeast and bacteria that leavens and flavors sourdough bread. I use what's called a "liquid starter" versus a stiff starter. This means the starter is made with equal parts flour and water and should be a consistency similar to cake batter.
- Sourdough Discard - The portion of your starter that is discarded when feeding your starter (can be used in tons of recipes like sourdough discard blueberry muffins or sourdough pancakes).
- Ripe Starter - A starter that's ready to be used in baking. Your starter is ripe roughly 6 hours after feeding and will have doubled in size, have lots of visible bubbles, and a fresh acidic aroma.
Weigh your ingredients! For all my sourdough recipes, I measure the ingredients in grams because it's much more accurate! I highly recommend getting a kitchen scale if you don't already have one! However, I have included alternate US customary measurements for your convenience.
Use an oven thermometer! Just because your oven says it's 350, doesn't mean it is! If your oven hasn't been calibrated recently, it can be as much as 30 degrees off, which will negatively affect all breads and baked goods! An oven thermometer is the easiest/cheapest way to ensure your oven is always at the proper temperature.
Easy sourdough recipes for beginners! If you've never made sourdough bread before, I recommend starting with some simple, no-fuss recipes like my sourdough naan or sourdough bagels! But if you're already a pro, I have a ton of fun sourdough recipes you can try!
Crepe Pans
You don't technically need a specific crepe pan to make these sourdough crepes, but I highly recommend it! Crepe pans have very short sides, which makes spreading and flipping the crepes much easier. However, most nonstick skillets should do the trick if that's all you have. [My favorite crepe pan happens to be a super cheap one from ALDI, so just keep your eye out for deals!]
A good nonstick crepe pan won't much greasing, but I always grease it anyway to be on the safe side! I like using coconut oil for crepes because it has high smoke point and subtle flavor. You can also use a neutral pan spray or ghee, but I don't recommend butter as it's more likely to burn.
You also want a long, thin spatula for flipping crepes! A specific crepe spatula makes flipping SO much easier and the crepes are less likely to break.
Crepe Topping Ideas
My favorite way to eat these sourdough crepes is with homemade whipped cream and mixed berry compote. It's super simple and absolutely delicious!
This is just a base sourdough crepe recipe, so you can jazz them up however you like! These crepes are delicious plain with just maple syrup! But there are a ton of fun topping combinations!
Sweet Crepes
- Homemade whipped cream
- Fresh berries
- Powdered sugar
- Sliced bananas and pecans
- Homemade berry compote or jam
- Apple butter
- Nutella
- Homemade caramel sauce
- Peanut butter and chocolate chips
- Marshmallow fluff
- Lemon curd and whipped cream
Savory Crepes
I also love a good savory crepe! Just omit the sugar and vanilla from the batter to make the crepes. Savory crepes are delicious topped with a creamy bechamel or hollandaise sauce!
- Roasted potatoes, sausage, and eggs
- Spinach, mushroom, and gruyere
- Roasted veggies and mascarpone
- Smoke salmon and cream cheese
- Bacon and egg
- Tomato, pesto, and goat cheese
The options are truly endless!
Recipe FAQ's
Stack leftover crepes with small pieces of parchment paper between each layer (so they don't stick together). Then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Stack leftover sourdough crepes with small pieces of parchment paper between each layer (so they don't stick together). Then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in an airtight freezer bag in the freezer for up to 2 months (try to squeeze out as much excess air from the bag as possible before freezing). Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
You can reheat crepes on pan on the stove for a minute or two or until warmed through. Or in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
You can use either sourdough discard or active sourdough starter!
Crepes are essentially just very light, thin pancakes with crispy edges that are made without any leaveners. Whereas pancakes are much taller and fluffier.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Sourdough Crepes
Special Equipment
Ingredients
- 227 grams sourdough starter discard
- 61 grams whole milk
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, omit for savory crepes
- 2 large eggs
- 57 grams unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, omit for savory crepes
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- The crepe batter can either be prepped the night before (my personal preference for more flavorful crepes) or the same day! Both methods yield delicious perfect crepes!
Overnight Option
- The night before you want to make the crepes, mix together the sourdough starter discard, milk, and sugar in a medium sized bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight. Tip: if you want your crepes to have even more sourdough flavor, let the batter ferment in the fridge overnight!
- In the morning, add the batter, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and salt to a large blender. Blend until the batter is very smooth and well combined (you can also use an immersion blender instead). The crepe batter should be a thin, pourable consistency similar to heavy cream. If the batter is too thick, add in milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Let the batter rest for about 20 minutes before cooking.
Same Day Option
- Add all of the ingredients (sourdough starter discard, milk, sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and salt) to a large blender. Blend until the batter is very smooth and well combined (you can also use an immersion blender instead). The crepe batter should be a thin, pourable consistency similar to heavy cream. If the batter is too thick, add in milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes but up to 2 hours before cooking.
To Cook
- Heat a crepe pan or non-stick skillet over medium heat. It's important to make sure the pan is nice and hot before you start cooking, or else the crepes will stick. *I like to grease my pan with coconut oil because of the high smoke point and mild flavor. But you can also use cooking spray.
- Pour about ¼ cup of batter onto the middle of the skillet and slowly swirl the pan until the batter spreads into a very thin, even layer.
- Let cook for about 60-90 seconds or until the batter is set. [Make sure the crepe is fully cooked before you flip it, or else it might break].
- Then gently flip the crepe and cook on the other side for 30-60 more seconds.
- Transfer to a plate and then repeat with the remaining batter.
- The crepes will cool quickly once removed from the skillet so they're best served immediately. To keep warm, place the sourdough crepes in the oven at 200°F until ready to serve.
- Enjoy with your favorite sweet or savory fillings!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
AMao says
These turned out so delicious! The whole family loves this recipe and it’s become a staple breakfast dish in our home.
Colleen Mathews says
Great recipe. Fast and easy to make. Tastes great!
Liz says
I love this recipe. I have made it 4 times in the last month. It uses up a fair amount of my sour dough starter and it tastes great! Makes the perfect amount of crepes for me and my two daughters.
YvetteVancouver says
Awesome recipe Kayleigh!
I used whet protein isolate instead of milk.
The crêpes turned out amazing. Loved the flavour and texture. I prefer a slight taste of vanilla so I would use half the vanilla next time. I used the same day method.
Thank you!
Sadie says
Excellent crepes and a great way to use up excess discard. The batter spread easily with no holes and the cooked crepes were thin and fluffy. I did a 6 hour ferment at room temperature.
Rachael says
Thanks for a great sourdough crepe recipe! I fed my starter double to make enough volume to double the recipe. Fermenting in fridge overnight did wonders for the texture and flavor. My starter is a bit watery so I added a couple of TBSP of flour to the batter on cook day to help the batter come together more. Cooked on a cast iron skillet on low-med and it worked great once up to temp.
Carol says
Absolutely delicious!!!
monica says
these were super simple and delicious
Tiffany says
Best ever! Wouldn’t change a thing.
Yasemin says
My first sourdough crepes were success, thank you for the great and easy to follow recipe
Susan says
Right on!! Great use for discard and yes I am interested in your savory fillings for these crepes!
KT says
These are great. Really easy to make and love using up my discard. Used milk instead of buttermilk. Doubled the batch and froze the extras for future easy dinners.
Susan Bayes says
Consistency was excellent, but a little too sour for me. I did the overnight rest, so perhaps will skip that next time. Or else use regular milk instead of buttermilk. I will definitely try again because I like using up a chunk of starter rather than just a little bit, as some recipes call for.
Brooklyn says
I always love your sourdough recipes 🙂
Jessica says
These were a huge hit in our house today. We love a good sourdough recipe. I hope you will post more great options for us! Thank you!
Kyleigh Sage says
Yay!! I’m so glad you like them! I’m always working on more sourdough recipes 🙂