Easy Sourdough Crepe Recipe With Discard Or Active Starter

This sourdough crepe recipe is light, lacy, and perfect for sweet or savory toppings. It’s a great way to use up sourdough starter discard! Plus, with simple ingredients and an easy recipe, the crepes come together in minutes.

Sourdough crêpes are one of those magical recipes that feel fancy but are incredibly simple to make, especially when you already have active sourdough starter on hand. Whether you’re using bubbly, active starter or discard straight from the fridge, this is the best sourdough crepes recipe!

These crêpes use a natural fermentation process, which gives them a delicate tang and makes them easier to digest. You only need a handful of pantry staples — eggs, milk, flour, and your starter. The batter can be made ahead of time, making it perfect for a slow breakfast or last-minute dinner. Plus, the texture is absolutely dreamy: thin, soft, and flexible, with beautifully crispy edges if you want them.

These french-style pancakes are a delicious way to use up discard, and the whole family loves to choose their favorite fillings. It’s the perfect weekend breakfast.

If you’re already baking sourdough bread, homemade crepes are a natural next step. And if you’re new to crêpes, don’t worry! They’re easier than sourdough discard pancakes and far more forgiving. Once you try them, you’ll be making sweet crepes with jam and yogurt and savory crepes with ham and cheese. This will quickly become one of your go-to recipes. The choice of fillings is endless!

Some of our other favorite sourdough recipes and breakfast recipes include sourdough chocolate chip scones, fresh milled flour blueberry muffins, rosemary sourdough with a fried egg, sourdough English muffins, and breakfast tacos with sourdough tortillas.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Use up your discard: This is a fantastic zero-waste way to use your leftover sourdough starter. There is no feeding or rising required. Sourdough discard recipes are always a hit in my book. (We also love discard cinnamon rolls and pumpkin bread!)

Super versatile: Sweet or savory, breakfast or dinner, these delicious sourdough crepes are ready to be dressed up however you like. We love to use a cream cheese filling and top with fresh fruit, especially fresh berries. You can also fill with peanut butter and top with sourdough granola!

Make-ahead friendly: The best part is that the batter can be made the night before or even stored for a couple of days, giving you a ready-to-go option for busy mornings.

What Is A Sourdough Crepe Recipe?

Sourdough crêpes are a naturally fermented version of classic French crepes, made using sourdough starter instead of (or in addition to) some of the flour and liquid. Crepes are essentially very thin pancakes. They are pliable instead of fluffy — more like a soft wrap or delicate pancake. The sourdough adds a subtle tang and improves digestibility through fermentation.

The tender crepes cook quickly in a skillet or crepe pan and can be stacked, rolled, or folded with any number of fillings. Think of them as the rustic, whole-food cousin to traditional crepes — a delicious recipe that is a little more wholesome, a little more flavorful, and totally worth making from scratch.

Sourdough Crepe Recipe Ingredients

• Sourdough starter (active or discard): Either works! It adds flavor and acts as part of the liquid and flour in the batter.
• All-purpose flour: Gives the crêpes structure and stretch; whole wheat works too, but will be slightly more dense.
• Milk (dairy or non-dairy): Thins the batter and helps it cook into that signature thin, delicate layer.
• Eggs: Add richness and help bind the batter.
• Salt: Enhances flavor and balances sweet or savory fillings.
• Butter or coconut oil (for cooking): Prevents sticking and adds delicious flavor.

A full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below

Tools You May Need

Cast iron pan – I like cast iron, but any nonstick pan works just. fine.

How To Make Sourdough Crêpes

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter, flour, milk, eggs, and salt until smooth. The batter should be thin and pourable — like the consistency of heavy cream. Add more milk if needed. You can also use an immersion blender to get a really smooth batter.
2. Let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes (or cover and refrigerate overnight for extra flavor and digestibility).
3. Heat a nonstick skillet or cast iron skillet over medium to medium low heat and lightly grease with a little butter or oil.
4. Pour in 1/4 cup of sourdough crepe batter, quickly swirling the pan to spread it into a thin layer.
5. Cook the first side for 1–2 minutes until the edges lift and the underside is golden brown. Flip and cook on the second side another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
6. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining batter, greasing the pan as needed.
7. Fill with your favorite toppings and serve warm.

Recipe Tips

• Make the batter ahead: A rest period (even just 30 minutes) helps improve texture and digestibility — but overnight is even better.
• Thin batter = better crêpes: If the batter feels too thick after the first crepe, add a splash more milk until it pours easily. Also, use only about 1/4 cup batter at a time.
• Practice makes perfect: A little practice with making crepes will have you making perfectly thin crepes!
• Stack with parchment: Place parchment or wax paper between crêpes if storing to prevent sticking.
• Storage: To freeze, stack with parchment paper between each and freeze in plastic wrap and an airtight container. Reheat in a skillet or toaster oven.

Sourdough Crepe Recipe Variations

• Whole wheat version: Swap all or half the flour with freshly milled whole wheat for a nuttier flavor and more fiber.
• Sweet vanilla crêpes: Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1–2 tbsp maple syrup to the batter for dessert-style crêpes.
• Savory herb crêpes: Add chopped chives, thyme, or parsley to the batter for a perfect wrap for eggs, veggies, or ham and cheese.

Recipe FAQs

I hope you love this recipe!

These sourdough crêpes are one of my favorite ways to use up starter and feel a little fancy at the same time. Whether you’re rolling them with jam or filling them with eggs and cheese, they’re sure to be a hit at your table.

Sourdough Crepes

Yield: 12 crêpes (about 8 inches each)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

This sourdough crepe recipe is light, lacy, and perfect for sweet or savory toppings. It's a great way to use up sourdough starter discard! Plus, with simple ingredients and an easy recipe, the crepes come together in minutes.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup sourdough starter (active or discard)
• ½ cup all-purpose flour (or whole wheat for a heartier version)
• 1 cup milk
• 3 large eggs
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• Butter or olive oil for cooking
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional for sweet crepes)
• 1–2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey (optional for sweet crepes)

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter, flour, milk, eggs, and salt until smooth. The batter should be thin and pourable — like the consistency of heavy cream. Add more milk if needed. You can also use an immersion blender to get a really smooth batter.
2. Let the batter rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (or cover and refrigerate overnight for extra flavor and digestibility).
3. Heat a non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet over medium to medium-low heat and lightly grease the bottom of the pan with a little bit of melted butter or oil.
4. Pour in 1/4 cup of batter into the preheated pan, quickly swirling in a circular motion to spread it into a thin layer.
5. Cook the first side for 1–2 minutes until the edges lift and the underside is golden. Flip and cook another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
6. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining batter, greasing the pan as needed.
7. Fill with your favorite savory or sweet fillings and serve warm.

Notes

• A rest period (even just 30 minutes) helps improve texture and digestibility — but overnight is even better.
• If the batter feels too thick after the first crepe, add a splash more milk until it pours easily. Also, use only about 1/4 cup batter at a time.
• Swap all or half the flour with freshly milled whole wheat for a nuttier flavor and more fiber.

Recommended Products

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  Ceramic mixing bowls
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  Sourdough baking kit

Other Sourdough Recipes You May Enjoy…

• Sourdough Chocolate Hazelnut Star Bread
• Overnight Sourdough Bagels
• Sourdough Calzones
• Easy Sourdough Bread Bowl
• Flavored Sourdough Bread
• Sourdough Bread No Dutch Oven
• Soft Sourdough Pita Bread

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