Sourdough Lemon Blueberry Pancakes (Printable view)

Fluffy, tangy pancakes bursting with blueberries and a bright lemon zest twist.

# What You Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 1 cup sourdough discard, unfed at room temperature
02 - 1 cup milk
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for cooking
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - Zest of 1 lemon
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

→ Dry Ingredients

08 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
09 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
10 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
11 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Add-ins

13 - 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, unthawed if frozen

# How To Make:

01 - In a large bowl, whisk together sourdough discard, milk, eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice until thoroughly combined.
02 - In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, stirring just until combined. Leave some small lumps; do not overmix.
04 - Fold blueberries into the batter.
05 - Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly brush with butter.
06 - Pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto the skillet. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and edges appear set, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
07 - Flip pancakes and cook the other side for 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
08 - Transfer finished pancakes to a plate and keep warm. Repeat cooking process with remaining batter, adding more butter to skillet as needed.
09 - Serve warm with optional toppings such as maple syrup, fresh blueberries, or powdered sugar.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Your sourdough discard finally gets a starring role instead of being composted, turning kitchen waste into something genuinely delicious.
  • The lemon brightness cuts through the richness without being sharp, while blueberries burst with natural sweetness in every bite.
  • These pancakes are fluffy and satisfying but cook in less time than you'd expect, perfect for when you want something special on a weeknight.
02 -
  • Don't overmix the batter no matter how tempting it is to smooth out those lumps; lumpy batter turns into fluffy pancakes while overmixed batter becomes dense and rubbery.
  • If you're using frozen blueberries, toss them in a teaspoon of flour before folding them in to prevent their juices from bleeding blue throughout your pancakes and turning the batter gray.
  • The sourdough discard should be at room temperature and unfed, not recently refreshed; active bubbling starter can affect the rise and make your pancakes too cake-like.
03 -
  • If you want to push the lemon flavor even further without making them taste artificial, add a half teaspoon of lemon extract to your wet ingredients alongside the zest and juice.
  • Keep your griddle at a steady medium heat; if you notice pancakes browning too quickly on the outside before bubbles form, lower the heat slightly for the next batch because every stove behaves differently.
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