Sourdough Lemon Blueberry Pancakes (Printable)

Fluffy pancakes with lemon zest and blueberries, featuring a sourdough base for subtle tang.

# What You'll 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 additional 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 Cook:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sourdough discard, milk, eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice until fully incorporated.
02 - In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring to distribute leavening agents evenly.
03 - Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture using a spatula, stirring only until combined. Leave some small lumps in the batter for optimal texture.
04 - Fold blueberries into the batter carefully to avoid crushing them and creating discoloration.
05 - Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly brush with butter to prevent sticking.
06 - Pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto the heated surface. Cook for 2-3 minutes until bubbles form across the surface and edges appear set.
07 - Flip pancakes carefully and cook the reverse side for 1-2 minutes until golden brown throughout and cooked through.
08 - Transfer cooked pancakes to a plate and maintain warmth while repeating with remaining batter, brushing skillet with additional butter as needed.
09 - Plate warm pancakes and offer with optional accompaniments such as maple syrup, fresh blueberries, or powdered sugar.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You finally have an exciting way to use that sourdough discard instead of watching it accumulate guilt in your fridge.
  • The lemon and blueberry combo feels fancy enough for brunch guests but simple enough to make on a random Tuesday morning.
  • These pancakes are genuinely fluffy thanks to the natural tang of the sourdough, which is honestly better than relying on buttermilk alone.
02 -
  • Overmixing is the enemy of fluffy pancakes, and I learned this the hard way by making dense, tough discs more times than I care to admit—lumpy batter is your friend.
  • The lemon zest truly makes the difference; extract or juice alone won't give you that bright, fresh flavor, so don't try to skip it.
  • If your sourdough discard is freshly fed and bubbly, these pancakes will be even lighter, though unfed discard works perfectly fine too.
03 -
  • If you're using frozen blueberries, toss them lightly in a teaspoon of flour before folding them in to prevent them from sinking and creating dark streaks through your batter.
  • The sourdough discard doesn't need to be freshly fed; unfed discard that's been sitting in your fridge for days actually works beautifully and gives a deeper tang.
  • Medium heat is your friend here—high heat will burn the outside before the inside cooks through, while too-low heat makes them dense and pale.
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