Got some overripe bananas and sourdough discard to use up? This banana nut sourdough discard waffle recipe will take care of it all in one go.

While the recipe is written to use 1,000g of sourdough discard and 4 overripe bananas, you can easily scale it to use, say, 250g of discard and 1 overripe banana. I wrote this recipe so that all ingredients are easily divisible by 4 for simple scaling.

Bonus: these are just as delicious as they are practical. Plus, we don’t add any fresh flour, so all the flour in this waffle battle is pre-fermented, making it easy on the gut. Let’s get into it!

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Why You’ll Love These Banana Nut Sourdough Discard Waffles 

• Uses up those spotty bananas: Bunch of overripe bananas sitting on the counter begging to be used? These waffles are the perfect way to give them new life.
• No sourdough waste: Discard is just the extra starter you’d normally toss before feeding. This recipe gives it a purpose and turns what might’ve gone in the trash into breakfast for the week. 
• Super practical recipe: Quick to mix, easy to cook, and even easier to reheat. Pop them in the toaster straight from the freezer and they crisp right back up.
• Kid-approved: My kids go crazy for waffles. Waffles are on repeat at least once a week in our house and I love that this changes up the flavor a bit for us.

• Scalable recipe: Only have a little discard? Great! Have a full container? Even better. Every ingredient scales up or down in 250-gram increments so you can make exactly what you need.
• Endless add-ins: These are a riff on my original sourdough discard waffles. The classic banana-nut here is a win, but chocolate chips are always welcome. You can even do both. (Looking for a fall version? Try these pumpkin spice discard waffles — so good.) 
• Make-ahead friendly: One batch can mean breakfast for the whole week. Freeze, toast, done.

Ingredients 

• Unsalted butter (melted): I like to use a high-quality butter for flavor. European-style is my go-to, but any unsalted butter will work.
• Overripe bananas (mashed): The more spots, the better! Overripe bananas add natural sweetness and keep these waffles extra soft inside.
• Sourdough discard: Best if your discard is between 1–10 days old. Using discard means no waste and gives the waffles that light, tangy flavor. And cold from the fridge is great. If you don’t usually keep discard on hand, you can also use an active starter that you’ve fed and is now at its peak.
• Eggs: Help bind everything together and give the waffles their lift. See substitutions below for an egg-free option. 
• Vanilla extract: A must for banana recipes. It brings out the sweetness and ties all the flavors together. You can sub for vanilla paste in a pinch!
• Brown sugar: Adds a touch of caramelly flavor and slightly lifts the sweetness.
• Cinnamon: I never skip cinnamon. It’s cozy, warm, and adds to the banana flavor so nicely. 
• Pinch of salt: Always needed. Balances the sweetness and rounds out the flavor. (I usually use Redmond’s Real Salt, my favorite!) You can get 15% off with my affiliate link and code TSG15.
• Baking soda: This reacts with the sourdough discard and gives these waffles their rise and fluffy texture.
• Walnuts or pecans (or chocolate chips): Classic banana-nut is hard to beat, but you can swap in chocolate chips, do both, or skip the nuts altogether. Totally up to you.

Substitutions 

• Eggs: One of my test bakers for the original discard waffles used flax eggs because of an allergy, and said they turned out amazing. To make one flax egg, mix 1 tbsp ground golden flaxseeds with 3 tbsp warm water and let it sit until it gels.
• Nuts: You can use whatever you have on hand… walnuts, pecans, even hazelnuts work. Just chop them up first. If you’ve got a nut allergy, skip them altogether (or make your kids very happy and double up on the chocolate chips instead). 
• Sourdough discard: No discard? No problem. You can use an active starter that’s been fed and is now at its peak.
• Brown sugar: Maple syrup, regular sugar,  or honey can be swapped in.
• Cinnamon: I think I’m cinnamon’s #1 fan, but you can easily swap in another spice you love. Nutmeg, allspice, clove, ginger, or cardamom would all be fun to try. Or you can leave the spice out altogether.

Equipment

• Waffle maker: I recently downgraded to this Cuisinart waffle maker, and I absolutely love it. And yes, you read that right – we previously had the All-Clad, which is about 3x the price. But the Cuisinart’s plates are removable and dishwasher-safe, which makes all the difference for me. It also cooks faster.

• Mixing bowl: this large bowl fits the waffle batter perfectly. It’s also the perfect size for a double batch of sourdough bread.
• Whisk: my favorite whisk from OXO.
• Half sheet tray: perfect for freezing your waffles. These sheet trays from USA Pan are amazing.
• Parchment paper: I love these sheets of parchment that are pre-cut to fit half-sheet trays. You only need these if you plan to freeze your waffles. The parchment goes between each layer so they don’t freeze together.
• Freezer bags: for your frozen waffles! I typically flash-freeze them for 1-2 hours on that sheet tray, then transfer them to freezer bags.

How to Make Banana Nut Sourdough Discard Waffles

This is one of my favorite ways to use up sourdough discard and those overripe bananas sitting on the counter.

These banana nut sourdough discard waffles come together fast, freeze so well, and can handle breakfast for the whole week. 

Step 1: Preheat  Your Waffle Iron

Turn your waffle iron on now so it’s hot when the batter’s ready. 

If your iron has multiple settings, go medium–high for crisp edges and a soft center. Wait for the ready light (or one full preheat cycle) before you start.

Step 2: Mix the Batter 

In a large bowl, melt 113 g butter and let it cool slightly. Add 340 g mashed overripe bananas (about 4 medium bananas) and whisk together until smooth. 

Then, whisk in 2 tsp vanilla extract, 80 g brown sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.

Add 1,000 g sourdough discard (cold from the fridge is fine) and whisk until smooth and no streaks of banana remain.

Finally, add 4 eggs and whisk until everything comes together.

Step 3: Add the Baking Soda to Activate the Batter

Sprinkle in 2 tsp baking soda and whisk vigorously. After about 10 seconds, you’ll see the batter turn lighter and fluffier. That’s the baking soda reacting with the acid in the sourdough discard to create little air bubbles.

From this point on, be a bit gentler when mixing or folding so you keep all that lift in the batter.

Step 4: Fold in the Add-Ins

Switch to a spatula and gently fold in 200 g chopped walnuts (or pecans, or chocolate chips, or nuts + chocolate if you’re feeling it).

Try not to overmix here; you still want to keep all that air you just created in the batter.

If you like a lot of texture or sweetness, you can double the add-ins. The nuts give structure and crunch. And the chocolate? Well, it melts just enough to make each bite a little indulgent. 

If you skip one add-in, just double up on the other. And if you decide not to add anything at all, the waffles are still really delicious on their own.

Step 5: Cook the Waffles

If your waffle iron gets sticky, give it a light brush of neutral oil or melted butter first.

Add enough batter to cover the grid without overflowing (about ⅓ cup per waffle), close the lid, and cook according to your waffle maker’s instructions.

I usually let these cook a little longer than normal to get that golden, crisp exterior and soft inside. Every waffle maker runs a little differently, so test one first to find your perfect timing.

Step 6: Serve & Enjoy

Carefully remove each waffle and let them rest on a cooling rack for a few minutes before serving.

If you’re eating right away, add a pat of butter, drizzle with warm maple syrup, and maybe sprinkle a few extra chopped nuts or chocolate chips on top. 

Some fresh slices of banana on top with a little cinnamon sprinkled on is also so pretty!

Tips for Better Waffles

• Scaling the recipe: If you’re scaling the recipe up or down: for every 250 g of discard, you’ll use 1 banana. It’s designed to be easy to divide, so no major math headaches required.
• Age of discard: Use discard that’s about 10 days old or fresher. Anything older can taste a bit bitter once cooked.

Deep-dive on sourdough discard age: I’m often asked: how old can my sourdough discard be before I shouldn’t use it in recipes?

The answer depends on what state your starter was in when it went into the fridge.

I feed my starter when it’s at peak – before it fully deflates and gets acidic. That means the “discard” going into my fridge is actually an active, healthy starter. This extends how long I can use it in recipes (usually up to 3 weeks for me).

However, if you’re putting deflated, acidic-smelling starter into your discard jar, that timeline is much shorter – typically 10 days or less.

The best test? Your nose. If your discard smells bitter, overly acidic, or just plain unappetizing, skip using it in recipes.

• Mix that baking soda well: Make sure it’s fully whisked in. Any pockets left behind can give a chemical or bitter taste.
• Smell check: If your discard smells harsh or unpleasant, skip it. Fresh discard should smell tangy and slightly sweet.
• Crunch check: Lost a little crunch and crispiness? Pop your waffles in the toaster for a quick refresh, and they’ll crisp right back up.

Note: I recently switched from my All-Clad waffle maker to a Cuisinart, and I’m honestly shocked by how much I love it. It heats faster, cooks more evenly, and gives those crisp edges every time. All at about a third of the price! 

How to Store Your Banana Nut Sourdough Discard Waffles

The only way to store these waffles, in my opinion, is in the freezer!

I like to make a big batch of these so breakfasts are ready for the week. They’re such an easy grab-and-go option, especially for busy mornings.

Here’s how to freeze them:

1. Arrange your cooked waffles in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2. Place another sheet of parchment on top, then add another layer of waffles.
3. Keep layering until they’re all stacked.
4. Slide the tray into the freezer and flash-freeze for about an hour.
5. Once frozen, transfer the waffles to a freezer bag or an airtight container.

These will keep well for several months. When you’re ready to eat, pop one straight from the freezer into your toaster. No thawing needed!! 

FAQs

Other waffle variations to try:

• Fast & Easy Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Discard Waffles
• Fast & Easy Sourdough Discard Waffles

Conclusion

These banana nut sourdough discard waffles have quickly become a favorite around here. 

I love that they use up both extra bananas and discard in the most delicious, practical way. And my kids would exist on waffles if I let them, so this gives a little variety to my original sourdough discard waffle recipe!

If you make them, let me know how they turn out in the comments below, or tag me on Instagram. I love seeing your bakes! 

Also, drop any new flavor variation ideas below – I’d love to keep adding ideas to the sourdough discard waffle collection.

More sourdough breakfast recipe ideas:

• Fluffy Sourdough Discard Pancakes (Almost No Added Flour)
• Pantry Clean-Out Sourdough Discard Granola Recipe
• Wildly Soft Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls (No Tang)
• Cozy Pumpkin Spice & Maple Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls