Easy Overnight Sourdough Waffle Recipe

Our favorite sourdough waffle recipe yields waffles that are slightly sweet and have a mild tang. Letting the batter ferment overnight adds the most amazing flavor!

We love them with whipped cream and fresh berries. But they are equally tasty with buttermilk syrup or maple syrup.

I got this recipe from a neighbor almost two decades ago. I started making them even before I knew anything about making sourdough. So even if you’ve never made sourdough bread, you can master these waffles!

You will need either active starter or sourdough starter discard. You can get some from a friend, make your own sourdough starter, or even buy it.

HOW TO MAKE OVERNIGHT SOURDOUGH WAFFLES

1. OVERNIGHT REST – Mix the cup of starter, water, and flour in a large mixing bowl. Cover and let sit on the counter for 8-12 hours or overnight.
2. BATTER – The next day, let the eggs come to room temperature. Whisk the soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, oil, and egg yolks into the fermented mixture.
3. EGG WHITES – In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the waffle batter.
4. COOK – Heat your waffle iron until it is piping hot. (I love this belgian waffle maker!) Brush it with oil and add about 1/2 a cup of batter. For soft waffles, cook until golden brown, for crisper waffles, cook until light brown.
5. SERVE – Serve these delicious sourdough waffles hot with syrup, cream, fruit, or even savory toppings if you prefer.

Leftover waffles?

Store any extra waffles in the refrigerator for 2-3 days in an airtight container. I recommend reheating them in a toaster, air fryer, or toaster oven so they crisp up again.

If you have excess sourdough starter, you can make a double batch and freeze the extras. Let them cool completely. Then flash-freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet and transfer them to freezer zipper bags.

They will last in the freezer for 2-3 months, and you can heat them up for a delicious breakfast on a busy day!

SOURDOUGH WAFFLE RECIPE TIPS:

• The secret to crispy waffles is a hot waffle iron. If you have to, let it come back up to temperature in between each waffle. I also recommend cooking them until they are dark golden brown. Pale waffles get soggy pretty quickly.
• If your waffles start to stick, brush more oil on the waffle maker, or spray it with cooking spray.
• Beating egg whites does take a little extra time, but it makes the fluffiest, best waffles!
• To keep your waffles hot and fresh, preheat your oven to 200°. Arrange the cooked waffles in a single layer on a baking sheet. I like to place a wire rack between the layers. Using this method, everyone at the table can have hot waffles at the same time!

VARIATIONS:

• Instead of oil, you can use melted butter or even coconut oil.
• Add any mix-ins you like or simply sprinkle them over the batter on the waffle iron. Chocolate chips, blueberries, and chopped nuts are all yummy.
• A teaspoon of vanilla extract adds great flavor.
• For even heartier waffles, replace some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.

MORE PANCAKE & WAFFLE RECIPES:

• Peanut Butter Waffles
• Oatmeal Waffles
• Waffles of Insane Greatness
• Fast Waffle Recipe
• Cinnamon Roll Waffles from Scratch
• Swedish Pancake Recipe
• Chocolate Chip Pancakes
• Diner Pancake Recipe
• Homemade Blueberry Pancakes

Slightly sweet, slightly tangy, and always fluffy, these are the best sourdough waffles! They are a great way to use up leftover sourdough starter.