Sourdough Banana Walnut Pancakes

Sourdough Banana Walnut Pancakes, yes, that is what I said! Fluffy, tender, and crunchy with hints of banana bread.

Who couldn’t love these fabulous flapjacks? These pancakes are amazing and so easy to make with ingredients you probably have in your kitchen right now if you are a sourdough baker. The balance of the bananas with the walnuts and the tang of sourdough is perfection. The cinnamon gives a hint of banana bread to these delicious flapjacks, which adds to their fantastic flavor. I almost never seem to eat my bananas before they turn too ripe for my taste. It seems they go from green to very ripe overnight. I always end up either freezing the overripe bananas to save for making banana bread, or I throw them out, as I can only freeze so many. Here is a different and fabulous way to use up those pesky overripe bananas. If you are a sourdough baker, you will have an extra starter that you need to discard. This is a perfect way to use the discard.

I have been in love with sourdough pancakes ever since my youngest brother took me to this fabulous roadside cabin restaurant in the foothills above Salt Lake City. I had never really tried sourdough pancakes before. That roadside restaurant changed my life. I swear they were the best pancakes I had ever had. And I have been a huge fan ever since. Growing up in the west, I had heard of settlers making sourdough pancakes along their travels from the east. Many travelers had a jar of sourdough starter bubbling away in their wagons. It was the best way to have some freshly made goods like biscuits and pancakes along the trailside.  Once they finally got to California, sourdough only stayed a staple in the San Francisco Bay Area. Sourdough baking in the form of the incredible bread we all now love and crave (especially if you’re from the Bay Area).

I find it a shame that sourdough pancakes lost their broad appeal because they are an incredible experience. Maybe it was because Pioneers were tired of eating sourdough Pancakes every day for months…lol. Sourdough gives just a little bit of a tang and a nice lift to the batter. I have posted my recipe for plain sourdough pancakes a while back, and it is still a fantastic recipe.  This recipe for Sourdough Banana Walnut pancakes takes pancakes to a higher level. The bananas and walnuts do not overpower but add complexity and balance. Truly, these are heavenly. Why have I not done this before!? The batter comes together very quickly if you have a sourdough starter laying around. There is always extra discard you must figure out what to do with. Or you end up putting it down the drain. Sourdough Banana Walnut Pancakes is a perfect way to use up some of that discard.

Finally, we see things getting back to a more normal way of life. Though we still need to think of others and be safe in our choices. It feels like we will be able to experience more of the joys of life. Be safe and smart out there. Well, that is all for this week. If you have some sourdough starter and a bunch of overripe bananas, make these sourdough Banana Walnut Pancakes. You will not regret it!

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Sourdough Banana Walnut Pancakes

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

 

Sourdough Banana Walnut Pancakes are a treat for breakfast! Light fluffy and with crunchy walnuts, these make a dreamy breakfast. Fantastic to use up extra sourdough starter.

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana, sourdough, sourdough discard, sourdough pancakes, walnuts

Servings: 10 pancakes

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 2 eggs slightly beaten
• 1 cup sourdough starter
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas 2-3
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
2. Whisk the milk, eggs, sourdough starter, melted butter, vanilla, and mashed banana together.
3. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients.
4. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and combined.
5. Stir in the chopped walnuts
6. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray it with cooking spray or melt a dab of butter in the skillet.
7. Ladle about ½ cup of the batter in the hot skillet. Or a large griddle. You can cook more than one at a time in a large rectangular griddle.
8. Cook for about 2-4 minutes, until golden. When the top of the pancakes is bubbling and holes a ½ inch or so from the edge do not close back up, it is time to flip. Cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side.
9. Remove the pancake to a plate and proceed with the remaining batter.
10. Keep your eye on the heat so it's not too high and burning the outsides of the pancakes while leaving the inside undercooked.
11. Serve with maple syrup and a pat of butter.

Recipe Notes

These pancakes are fantastic when made fresh, but you can also keep them in the fridge overnight and reheat them in a frying pan or in a toaster.