These sourdough discard waffles are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside with just a little bit of tang from the sourdough starter. You can eat them plain with butter and maple syrup, or add blueberries, chocolate chips, or whatever you want! They're the perfect easy treat for weekend breakfast or brunch!
These sourdough waffles on their own are just barely sweet so that they're the perfect vehicle for sweet maple syrup!
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Why You'll Love These Sourdough Waffles!
These sourdough waffles are sure to be your new favorite breakfast recipe that both adults and kids 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 toppings.
- 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 crepes!
Ingredient Notes
You just need a handful of ingredients to make these crispy sourdough waffles!
Sourdough Starter - I typically use leftover sourdough discard to make these waffles because I always need to use up extra discard, but ripe active sourdough starter works just as well!
Buttermilk - If you don't have buttermilk you can use either regular whole milk or half & half. You can also make your own buttermilk if you want! For every 1 cup of whole milk, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice! Simply stir the milk and lemon juice together and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes before adding to the batter.
Butter - Instead of melted butter in the waffle batter you can substitute melted coconut oil.
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Sourdough Waffles
The sourdough waffle batter can either be prepped the night before (my personal preference for more flavorful waffles) or the same day! Both methods yield delicious crispy waffles!
Overnight Option: The night before you want to make waffles, mix together the sourdough discard, flour, sugar, and buttermilk in a large bowl. Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight. [Tip: if you want your waffles to have even more sourdough flavor, let the batter ferment in the fridge overnight!] You can keep this batter in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Same Day Option: Mix together the sourdough discard, flour, sugar, and buttermilk in a large bowl. Cover and let rest for 30-60 minutes to give the flour time to hydrate.
In the morning (or after the batter has rested), whisk together the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla and add to the flour mixture. Then add in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined. The batter should be thick but pourable (if the batter is too thick, add more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time until a pourable consistency is reached).
Be sure to preheat your waffle maker, then cook the sourdough waffles according to the manufactures instructions for your specific waffle maker. [Most standard size waffle makers will use about ¾ cup of batter and cook your waffles in 4-6 minutes.]
Repeat with the remaining batter.
To keep warm and crispy, place the sourdough waffles in the oven at 200°F until ready to serve. For best results, place them on a baking sheet topped with a rack so air can circulate around the waffles and keep them from gettin soggy.
Drizzle the warm sourdough discard waffles with maple syrup (or your preferred toppings) and enjoy!
Waffle Irons
To make waffles at home, you need a waffle iron! Luckily there are a ton of options of different sizes and price points. My favorite waffle maker is Breville Smart Waffle Maker! It's a little pricey but makes the best crispy waffles and is easy to clean! However, you can use whatever waffle maker you prefer.
Whatever you choose, just be sure to properly follow the manufacturers instructions of the best results!
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!
Topping Ideas
like! These waffles are delicious plain with just butter and maple syrup! But there are a ton of fun topping combinations!
- Homemade whipped cream
- Swap maple syrup for honey or fruit syrup
- Fresh berries
- Powdered sugar
- Sliced bananas and pecans
- Homemade berry compote or jam
- Melted chocolate drizzle
- Add blueberries or chocolate chips to the batter
- Nutella
- Homemade caramel sauce
- Peanut butter and chocolate chips
I also love using these sourdough waffles to make southern chicken & waffles! My fried buttermilk chicken tenders are the perfect pairing!
Recipe FAQ's
Store the leftover waffles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Yes! Separate the waffles with pieces of parchment or wax paper so that they don't stick together. Then wrap tightly and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
You can reheat the sourdough waffles in the oven or toaster! Reheat on a baking sheet at 350°F for 5-10 minutes or until warm. Or reheat in the toaster until crispy!
You can use either sourdough discard or active sourdough starter!
It depends on your specific waffle maker, but generally this recipe makes 10 5-inch square waffles or 6 6-inch round Belgian waffles. If you're making mini waffles it should make about 12.
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.
More Sourdough Breakfast Recipes You Might Like!
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Recipe Card
Sourdough Discard Waffles
Special Equipment
Ingredients
- 227 grams sourdough starter discard
- 240 grams all purpose flour
- 480 grams buttermilk , substitute whole milk plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 57 grams unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Waffle Batter
- The sourdough waffle batter can either be prepped the night before (my personal preference for more flavorful waffles) or the same day! Both methods yield delicious crispy waffles!
- Overnight Option: The night before you want to make waffles, mix together the sourdough discard, flour, sugar, and buttermilk in a large bowl. Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight. [Tip: if you want your waffles to have even more sourdough flavor, let the batter ferment in the fridge overnight!] You can keep this batter in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Same Day Option: Mix together the sourdough discard, flour, sugar, and buttermilk in a large bowl. Cover and let rest for 30-60 minutes to give the flour time to hydrate.
- In the morning (or after the batter has rested), whisk together the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla and add to the flour mixture. Then add in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined. The batter should be thick but pourable (if the batter is too thick, add more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time until a pourable consistency is reached).
To Cook
- Be sure to preheat your waffle maker, then cook the sourdough waffles according to the manufactures instructions for your specific waffle maker. [Most standard size waffle makers will use about ¾ cup of batter and cook your waffles in 4-6 minutes.] Repeat with the remaining batter.
- To keep warm and crispy, place the sourdough waffles in the oven at 200°F until ready to serve. For best results, place them on a baking sheet topped with a rack so air can circulate around the waffles and keep them from gettin soggy.
- Drizzle the warm sourdough discard waffles with maple syrup (or your preferred toppings) and enjoy!
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.
Gerri says
Does this recipe work with a Belgium waffle maker? Made them today and the taste was delicious, but did not cook evenly. Wondering if the Belgium maker is the problem.
Also, can these be made with whole wheat flour?
Kyleigh Sage says
Every single waffle maker is different so it's hard to say what the issue could've been, but generally cooking for a little longer is always helpful! Also if your waffle maker allows you to control the temperature, you can reduce the temperature a little bit and cook a couple extra minutes and that should help.
As for whole wheat flour, yes but it absorbs a little bit more liquid than all purpose flour, so you may need to add an extra 2-4 tablespoons of liquid if the batter seems too thick.
Michelle says
So easy and delicious, I will never make another type of waffle again!
Mikyla Meckelson says
I am swimming in sourdough discard since staring my "Herbert" This is a fantastic way to use up the extra discard! They were easy to make and I easily made them vegan! Delicious!