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👍 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Easy sourdough breakfast recipe and way to use sourdough discard.
Made with 100% einkorn flour and can use freshly milled, all-purpose, or whole grain einkorn flour.
Einkorn flour and sourdough are easier to digest with a complex, nutty flavor.
Light and fluffy sourdough waffles with a crispy exterior.
Can long ferment the batter overnight or whip it up in the morning.
Top with any of your favorite toppings or fillings, such as bananas, maple syrup, whipped cream, berries, or chocolate chips.

Taking bite out of sourdough einkorn waffles with a fork.

🌾 What is Einkorn Flour?

Einkorn flour is an ancient grain that’s been cultivated by humans for thousands of years. Sometimes it’s called the original wheat as it hasn’t been hybridized like modern wheats.

People love einkorn flour because it is nutritious and easier to digest, as it has a shorter gluten structure than modern wheats. It is not gluten-free.

I love the einkorn flour from Grand Teton Ancient Grains because they’re a regenerative family farm and everything is 100% organic with a delicious fresh flavor. Their flour even has the dates of when it was milled!

Einkorn has a beautiful orange hue with a nutty, buttery flavor.

Once you get your hands on einkorn flour, you can use it in my Beginner’s Einkorn Sourdough Bread, 100% Einkorn Sourdough Sandwich Bread, or cook the grains for salads or bowls, such as my Einkorn Salad with Radicchio & Oranges.

Other delicious ancient grains include spelt flour (use in this Spelt Sourdough Bread or Spelt Sourdough Focaccia), emmer flour (Emmer Sourdough Bread), and buckwheat flour (Buckwheat Sourdough with Pumpkin Seeds).

Bag of Grand Teton Ancient Grains All-purpose Einkorn Flour

🛠 Tools Needed

Baking scale
- Flour and sourdough starter can weigh differently from person to person, so weighing your ingredients will help you replicate a recipe and be more accurate.
Waffle Iron
- Most waffle irons are non-stick, but you should still spray with non-stick spray to prevent sticking.
- You can use this batter for round, square, or other waffle iron shapes.
Spatula & Whisk
- Can whisk the egg whites with an electric hand mixer for ease and speed.
Mixing Bowls

🛒 Ingredients Needed

Please see below for my ingredient recommendations and potential substitutions.

Einkorn flour
- You can use all-purpose, whole grain, or freshly milled einkorn flour for this recipe.
- I love Grand Teton Ancient Grains einkorn flour because it is a regenerative organic family farm and the flour is extremely fresh and delicious.
Salt
Baking Powder: Keeps the waffles light, fluffy, and rise high.
Baking Soda: Interacts with the sourdough discard to rise and helps with browning.
Granulated Sugar
- Assists with browning and adds just a bit of sweetness.
- Substitute with coconut sugar, raw sugar, or date sugar.
Whole Milk
- Can substitute with plant-based milk.
Unsalted butter, melted
- Adds richness, aids with a crispy exterior, and the fat helps prevent sticking to the waffle iron.
- Substitute with neutral oil like avocado, coconut, or vegetable oil.
Sourdough Discard
- Can use bubbly, active sourdough starter or discard for this recipe.
- If you don’t have an active sourdough starter, learn how to make one in a week following my how to make a sourdough starter guide. See my top sourdough starter tips and other sourdough discard recipes.
Eggs, separated
- The trick for light and fluffy Belgian waffles is to separate the egg yolks and egg whites. Then, whip the egg whites to medium peaks like meringue and fold them into the waffle batter.
- You can use cold or room temperature eggs, but I find that room temperature egg whites whip a little faster and easier.
Vanilla Extract
- For flavoring. Can substitute with ½ teaspoon of almond extract.

🧇 How to Make Sourdough Einkorn Waffles

Follow this detailed recipe guide as you make these light and fluffy einkorn sourdough waffles.

1. Combine the Dry Ingredients

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the einkorn flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar. Set aside.

Bowl of mixed dry ingredients for sourdough einkorn waffles with a whisk.

2. Whisk the Wet Ingredients

If you haven’t already done so, separate the egg yolks and egg whites. Separate one egg at a time in separate small bowls in case any yolks break.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, vanilla, melted butter, and sourdough discard together.

Bowl of mixed wet ingredients for sourdough einkorn waffles with a whisk.

3. Whip the Egg Whites

You can whip the separated egg whites by hand with a whisk or with an electric hand mixer for ease.

Whip until the egg whites reach medium peaks. This means that the egg whites are silky smooth with lots of tiny air bubbles and the peaks fall over slightly when you lift the whisk out.

Why Whip Egg Whites for Waffles?

Whipping the egg whites for waffles incorporates more air into your waffle batter, resulting in light and fluffy waffles. It aerates the waffles, making them more tender.

It’s an easy step that will make your waffles so much lighter like Belgian waffles! The science behind the process is similar to creaming butter and sugar together, as seen in recipes like Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Pound Cake or Sourdough Sugar Cookies.

4. Mix the Sourdough Einkorn Waffle Batter

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix.

Then, use a spatula to gently fold in the whipped egg whites until completely incorporated. To fold, gently pull batter from the bottom of the bowl, lifting it over the egg whites, and then turning the bowl to ensure even distribution.

Avoid overmixing so you don’t deflate the egg whites.

This waffle batter is very airy and may be looser or wetter than your typical waffle batter. This is normal! Einkorn has a weaker gluten structure compared to other modern wheat flours, so it’ll be less dense.

Adding Inclusions: Now’s the time to fold in any of your favorite waffle fillings, such as sliced bananas, blueberries, or chocolate chips.

Spatula folding whipped egg whites into sourdough einkorn waffle batter.

Bowl and spatula with sourdough einkorn waffle batter.

5. Cook the Einkorn Waffles

Every waffle iron is a little different, so follow the instructions for your specific iron.

I spray mine with non-stick spray between each waffle and pour about ½ cup of waffle batter onto the iron.

The recipe makes 8-9 large waffles.

To keep them warm and crisp while you make more waffles, you can keep them on a baking sheet in your oven at 200ºF to prevent sogginess or serve immediately.

Pouring sourdough einkorn waffle batter onto a waffle iron with a scoop.

Waffle iron, sourdough einkorn waffle batter in a bowl, and a plate with a cooked waffle.

How to Store and Serve

The sourdough einkorn waffles are best eaten the day they’re made.

If you have extras, wrap the individual waffles in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store them in the refrigerator for 3 days. Reheat before serving.

For longer-term storage, freeze in a freezer-safe bag for 2-3 months. Reheat in a toaster oven or oven.

I like to serve the sourdough waffles with real maple syrup, a slab of softened butter, and fresh berries, if available. These are easy to make for a crowd and great for weekend breakfasts or brunch.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Can I double the recipe?

Yes. Double all of the ingredients to make 16-18 large waffles.

Do I have to whip the egg whites?

You’ll still get delicious waffles if you don’t whip the egg whites, but the simple extra step makes them so much lighter and fluffier.

Can I make the batter overnight?

Yes, you can make the cake batter ahead and store in the refrigerator for up to a day. However, the egg whites will lose their aeration, so I would whip and fold them in just before making or skip this step and mix whole eggs into the batter.