An easy, one-bowl recipe for light and crisp homemade sourdough waffles using leftover sourdough discard. The batter can be made overnight or on the same day- it’s up to you.
If you like my sourdough pancakes, make homemade sourdough waffles next. This simple recipe transforms ordinary sourdough discard (or active starter) into crisp, golden waffles with a sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar to finish.
I love to double or triple this recipe and freeze extras- it’s a huge time saver for busy mornings. Just toast and go! Serve with your favorite fresh fruit and spoonfuls of barely-sweetened whipped cream.
Good To Know
- Use recently fed starter. Not all sourdough discard is created equal. It should smell fresh (not sour) for best flavor. Check out Sourdough Discard 101 for more info.
- Do not overcrowd the waffle iron. Use 1/2 cup + a few spoonfuls of batter per waffle. Adding too much causes steaming, making the waffles doughy instead of crispy!
- Make it ahead. Rest the batter overnight or make it on the same day. The overnight option enhances the flavor.
- Don’t omit the baking powder. It neutralizes the acidity in the sourdough starter, while also helping the waffles rise and stay fluffy.
- Prevent sticking: Fully preheat your waffle iron and coat with cooking spray before each waffle to keep their structure intact.
Sourdough Waffle Variations
- Dairy Free: use plant milk (unsweetened vanilla almond milk is delicious) and swap out the butter for olive oil or vegan butter.
- Vegan: use the dairy free options above with an egg replacer.
More Sourdough Discard Recipes To Try
- Best Sourdough Pancakes
- Easy, No-Roll Sourdough Scones
- Ultimate Sourdough Banana Bread
- Puffed Sourdough Crackers
- Homemade Sourdough Blueberry Muffins {Overnight}
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Amazing Sourdough Waffles {Overnight or Same Day}
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 3-5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 Delicious Waffles 1x
- Category: Sourdough Discard Recipes
- Method: Waffle Maker
- Cuisine: Breakfast
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Adapted from my book Artisan Sourdough Made Simple, you’ll love my easy, one-bowl recipe for light and crisp homemade sourdough waffles using leftover sourdough discard. The batter can be made overnight or on the same day- it’s up to you. The cinnamon-sugar makes these sourdough waffles extra special.
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
- 1 tsp (3g) cinnamon
Sourdough Waffles
- 1/2 cup (120g) sourdough discard (see note below)
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk, whole, 2%, or plant milk of your choice, plus more as needed to thin out the batter
- 3 tbsp (42g) unsalted butter, melted, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup (120g all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp (12 g) sugar
- 2 tsp (10g) baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- Cooking spray, for coating
Toppings
- 1 cup (165g) cubed pineapple
- Handful of mixed seasonal berries
- 1/4 cup (30g) coconut flakes, optional
- Pure maple syrup, to serve
Instructions
- Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a shallow bowl.
- Preheat your waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Add the leftover sourdough starter, milk, 2 tbsp (28g) of melted butter, and egg into a large bowl. Whisk well to combine.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, and continue to whisk until smooth. If the batter seems too thick, add more milk as needed to thin out the texture. *Note: The amount of milk needed will depend on the consistency of your sourdough starter.
- Lightly coat the waffle iron with cooking spray. Ladle some of the batter into the pan (don’t overfill; if will be a huge mess!). Cook for 3-5 minutes or until golden and crisp.
- Transfer to a cutting board and brush lightly with some of the remaining 14 g (1 tbsp) melted butter.
- Press the waffle into the cinnamon sugar to coat on both sides. Repeat to cook the rest of the waffles.
- To serve, top your waffles with the fresh fruit of your choice and coconut flakes, if using. Enjoy with sweet maple syrup on the side!
To Freeze:
Arrange cooked and cooled waffles on a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze. Once fully frozen, transfer to zip top bags and freeze for up to 2 months. To serve, pop them in the toaster until golden and crisp.
Comments
Pamela White says
Artisan Sourdough Made Simple is an absolute must have sourdough cookbook! Our family LOVES this cinnamon & sugar sourdough waffle recipe. We will never be able to eat waffles any other way! I always make extra and freeze them. I’ve been asked for this recipe by everyone who tries them!
Emilie Raffa says
Pamela, thank you. I appreciate your support and kind words! 🥰
Andrew says
Amazing, thank you so much :)
💖 Emilie loved this comment!
Pam says
I just made these delicious waffles! They’re light and fluffy. Perfect!
💖 Emilie loved this comment!
Marguerite says
Great recipe. Light and crispy. I squeezed some lime juice in mine. Served with maple syrup.
Emilie Raffa says
Love the idea of lime juice. Sounds delicious!
Sophie W. says
My son is allergic to eggs but not to dairy. So I made this recipe with whole milk and flax egg. My son is 4 and has never had a waffle before, he absolutely loved it. My daughter who is 11 and most definitely had egg waffles before said it was delicious and I should make them more often. Win, win. Thank you!
Ramya says
These were incredible! I’m relatively new to sourdough and discard recipes and many of your recipes are excellent. These were the best waffles I’ve ever had!
megan landreth-smith says
Hey! can i use self raising flour for these? if so how do i adjust baking powder?
Vickye says
Amazing recipe!!! FYI, I didnt have milk so I subbed it with 1/4 cup of yogurt + 3/4 cup of water, be aware that I also added protein powder so I suggest more yogurt less water if you decide to sub :)
Nancy Pletcher says
I made these Sourdough Waffles tonight and they were delicious! My husband said they were the best waffles he has ever had. I added a few drops of vanilla in the batter before cooking.
Joell P says
This recipe and the pancake recipe are my two favorites for using sourdough starter (or discard) when not baking bread. I usually add a quarter cup of dry oats and a tablespoon of flax meal to the mixture to add a little more nutrition for my grandchildren 😉
Wendy says
These are so delicious! 😋. I don’t think I’ll ever make a “regular” waffle again.
Any nutrition facts available for this recipe?
Becky says
These are the best waffles we’ve ever had!
Helene says
Delicious! Easy for a brand new sourdough baker. I used a quarter cup of whole wheat flour and 3/4 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour. I used 2tablespoons of 5% plain Greek yogurt for an extra tang and not quite a full cup of 2% milk.
Stacy says
I’ve made this waffle two times and the third one is in the fridge at the moment. I made the chocolate version by adding 5gr of cocoa powder, left the batter in the fridge for 48 hrs or so and they turned out absolutely delicious!
Baking Scientist says
Yums! thanks for sharing! 😁
Emilie Raffa says
You’re very welcome!
Kaitlin says
Made for the first time today! I love the pancake recipe and several other recipes from the book and website. Should have used warm milk and/or a room temp egg, but I had my child patiently waiting for breakfast. It did make the butter act funny so there were small clumps in the batter but they were so yummy! Recipe made 14 small waffles with the mini Dash maker.
Brenda says
My husband and I make these waffles all the time. They have become our favorite. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Bethany says
I’ve been making this recipe from your cookbook for over a year. My children love them, and they’re very adaptable! I’ve made them with einkorn flour, subbed in some whole wheat flour, added flax meal and even protein powder. I usually add some vanilla extract because we love the flavor it gives. They always come out delicious!
Laura E says
I’m pretty new to the sourdough world.
I don’t know what I did wrong but my waffles were very flat (thin). My daughter loved them anyway and ate 4. I mixed the batter last night, adding the baking powder in before cooking this morning. I’m wondering if mixing cold milk and melted butter (causing butter to harden in little balls) was the problem (?)
Daphne says
Is anyone available to help? I left my waffle batter in the refrigerator for an extra day and when I pulled it out, the batter had a dark gray film across the top. I mixed it in and it’s currently straining but is it still safe to cook?
Cindy says
If I wanted to add pecans, how much would I add to this recipe please? Thank you!
Lesley says
Can I ask a question – after an overnight ferment, is this safe to keep at room temp all day, or does it need refrigerated?
Lisa B says
So quick! So good! Saved this recipe and it will be my go – to!
Thanks!!!!
Kate says
I made half with the cinnamon sugar topping and half without, both were delicious but it is hard to compete with the cinnamon sugar coating. Two thumbs up from my 3 and 6 year old boys!
Pam says
This turned out wonderful
Lori says
This was my first time doing anything with the sourdough discard and these waffles are indeed AMAZING! Came out very light and fluffy. I skipped the cinnamon sugar and simply used maple syrup for topping. Delicious!
Emilie Raffa says
This is SO great to hear! Aren’t they nice and light? A far cry from some of the doughy ones I’ve tried 🤣 Thanks for sharing your feedback, Lori!
Laurie Lehman says
Can you use buttermilk for the milk ingredient?
Rebekah Worth says
My husband and I love these waffles! I have your cookbook and spilled all over my recipe and was so glad to find it online. Thanks Emilie!
Emilie Raffa says
Omg haha… yay! I’m glad it worked out. Thank you Rebekah! 🥰
Emily says
My go-to waffle recipe!!! The absolute best!!
Gracie says
I’ve tried lots of sourdough waffle recipes and this is my fav! The cinnamon sugar is a treat but they are delicious without, as well. So easy and love that the batter only has 1 tbsp of sugar. Thanks, Clever Carrot!
Emma says
Not sure what I’ve been doing my whole life without these waffles. Delicious!
Melly says
Attempted to make but my waffles turned out bitter. What did I do wrong?
Sof says
The recipe calls for 3T butter but the instructions say 2T, which is correct?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! It’s 3 tbsp, divided. Two tablespoons of melted butter go in the batter. The remaining 1 tablespoon is reserved for adhering the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the waffles, if using.
Annemarie says
Tasty waffles. I added blueberries. I noted that the volume measurements and my scale readout in grams were off considerably. I’ll have to check my scale with another to ensure it’s calibrated. Thank you for the great recipe.
Mary says
Just perfectly yummy waffles. I’ve made them several times & always excellent. In fact love your book & have given it to 5 friends. Only thing I’m trying to find is how to incorporate pumpkin & how much into these. Suggestions? Do you a a recipe to share? Thank you
Boong Grimard says
I made them this morning, using buttermilk as run out of milk and WOW ! turn out excellent, light, fluffy, yummy. My husband said no more waffles outside the home. Thank you for sharing. LOVE LOVE it !
Loretta says
I made these with gluten free flour and they were absolutely amazing. Excellent recipe. Thank you
Emilie Raffa says
Oh wow! Thanks for sharing! What GF flour did you use? Was it a blend?
Loretta says
I have tried many. My favorite is Bob’s Redmill 1:1 with King Arthur’s 1:1 a close second.
Leslie says
Best waffles I’ve ever eaten!
Carolyn says
These were great! I hadn’t made waffles in a couple years, but since I just started on my sourdough journey, I figured I should try them with my discard. I have a hard time actually discarding my discard!!! I served them with sliced strawberries and a bit of whipped cream. Yum!
Luisa says
absolutely perfect!!!!
this is by far the best waffle recipe ive ever tried!! seriously!
i always thought waffles were just meh but omg with this recipe they’re all i want to eat
i must have really good karma to have been given the opportunity to eat this
Emilie Raffa says
So glad you liked it! Thanks Luisa!
Jam says
If making the night before, does the battery need to go in the fridge or sit out?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! I would put it in the fridge.
Jam says
Thanks so much, much appreciated
Jam says
Hi Emilia,
Just wanted to let you know that I made the waffles (overnight method, added raising agents in the morning) and they came out AMAZING!!!! My family will never accept anything else. So light. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe, I’ve just ordered your book
Emilie Raffa says
Yay! That’s incredible. Thank you for sharing this with me!
Tina Kefala-Pitsillos says
Amazing recipe! That’s one to keep!
Emilie Raffa says
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Yesenia says
I’m giving this recipe five stars just because it’s an awesome base recipe. I was distracted which caused me to heat bridge instead of my waffle machine. So, I made pancakes with it.
I doubled the recipe and used a mix of cultured buttermilk and whey. Vanilla is lovely in pancakes/waffles, so I added it to taste. One teaspoon of baking soda gives a crisp exterior to waffles and a crisp edges to pancakes that hold butter well. I used cultured butter.
My kids loved them! We will never go to regular pancakes, again.
Katie S says
Amanda says
If I’m making these the night before, do I make the batter with all the ingredients, including the baking powder? Or do I add the baking powder in the morning?
Thank you 😊
Gabriel says
I just made these this morning (first time using a waffle maker, too, so it was a bit of an experiment to see if the batter was too thick, etc) and they turned out delish. I actually made a second batch, this time with 100% whole wheat (I had to add a little more milk because it was too thick) and those were even better (and healthier, some will say). I added some vanilla extract and a little grated orange peel to the batter for extra fragrance and we’re still eating them!
KT says
We made these with three different starters and flours, (gluten free, whole wheat and bread flour/all purpose) and they were all amazing. I love your artisan bread cookbook! Please write a sourdough dough discard cookbook. In my opinion, your recipes are the best, and most reliable. Thanks for teaching me how to make sourdough starters, amazing bread and other yummy foods!
Renee says
Love these so much. I always ferment the batter overnight and easy to whip up in the morning. I’ve even kept the batter in the fridge for several days before cooking and it’s still perfect. It takes me all of 15 minutes from start to finish in the morning to add soda and powder and cook 5 delicious waffles for the kids. Fluffy and tangy. Waffles freeze beautifully.
Julie says
this recipe made delicious waffles! I have tried many before without being convinced but this one was really delicious. Will definitely make again. My only tweak was adding some vanilla extract.
Nicola Megyesi says
Great waffle recipe
This has become my go-to waffle recipe. Turns out perfectly every time.
Double the batch though if you’re cooking for a family.
In my Cuisinart Belgian waffle maker, I only get about 4, waffles.