These fluffy vegan pancakes are so delicious and they are actually good for you because they're whole wheat!
Healthy pancakes may sound like an oxymoron, but they are very possible. Something I proved to you 12 years ago with these quite perfect Vegan Pancakes that just happen to be whole wheat.
Over the years, many of you have made these and some of you have returned to tell me how much you love them. I can't agree more. This is probably the breakfast I make most often in my kitchen, and it really is a foolproof recipe, and one I've hardly changed over the dozens of times I've made these pancakes for family and friends.
I will admit that I have one pancake recipe that tops this one healthwise-- my Blueberry Sourdough Pancakes. I do love those pancakes with a passion for that reason, but there's one problem with anything sourdough: time. With sourdough pancakes, as with sourdough waffles, you need to remember to start your batter the night before. If you don't, there are no shortcuts.
These vegan pancakes taste just as good though. And they are even easier to make. You can put the batter together in under 10 minutes, and after that making them is a breeze.
Table of Contents
Expert tips
- To make these pancakes, I use whole wheat pastry flour. Whole wheat pastry flour, which is made from a light whole grain, is low in gluten and a perfect substitute for all-purpose flour in most baked goods, other than delicate cakes and breads. At the same time it also adds to the nutritive value of any food it goes in because it contains large amounts of fiber and protein.
- I have had readers tell me that they used regular whole wheat flour in this recipe with great results. You can try that, of course, but my advise, if you are using regular whole wheat flour, would be to mix it half-and-half with unbleached all purpose. That way your pancakes will be soft and tender and fluffy, while still being healthy.
- These vegan pancakes are so tender and fluffy because they are "buttermilk" pancakes -- vegan "buttermilk," that is. And I make that by adding a couple of teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in the nondairy milk and letting it stand for a minute or two before adding it to the other ingredients.
- The "eggs" here are flax eggs, of course, made by adding two tablespoons of flax meal to six tablespoons of water. For this recipe you don't have to use separate containers to make the vegan "buttermilk" and the flax eggs. You can throw in the milk and apple cider first, add in the flax meal and measure out the water into the same bowl, and continue adding the other wet ingredients.
- When you mix a pancake batter, always mix until the wet and dry ingredients are just mixed together. The batter can be lumpy, that's fine. Don't take a whisk and try to beat everything to smoothness, because that will just beat air into your batter and strengthen the gluten in the wheat, leaving you with dense pancakes. Not good.
- Finally, this is a basic pancake recipe. You can make this as is and serve it with maple syrup and some fruit and everyone will thank you for a fabulous breakfast. But you can also tailor this recipe to your liking:
- Stir in fruit like blueberries or strawberries (leave the blueberries whole and chop the strawberries before adding them to the batter).
- You can also add lemon juice and zest to the batter to make lemony pancakes
- Add cinnamon for a holiday flavor that goes perfectly with cold weather and hot coffee.
- Or add dry ginger for gingerbread pancakes.
Ingredients
- Whole wheat pastry flour (or a mix of regular whole wheat flour and all purpose flour. I really encourage you to try using all whole wheat pastry flour because it gives you tremendous flavor and nutrition).
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Nondairy milk (I used almond): I used oat milk. Almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk are all fine.
- Apple cider vinegar: This helps create a "buttermilk" effect in the pancakes, making them light and fluffy.
- Flaxmeal: Flax adds more heart-healthy fiber and nutrition and is a great replacement for eggs in this recipe.
- Maple syrup: Maple syrup is wonderful here, but any sweetener, including sugar and agave, are fine.
- Pure vanilla extract: For more delicious flavor.
How to make vegan pancakes
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In another bowl, add the nondairy milk and apple cider vinegar. Let it stand for a couple of minutes, then add the flaxmeal and water and whisk well. Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract and mix.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a spatula or the whisk until everything just comes together. The batter should still be lumpy but you shouldn't have any obvious patches of dry flour.
- Heat a nonstick or cast-iron griddle. Spray with cooking spray or coat lightly with oil. Using a ⅓rd cup measure, scoop up the batter and pour on the hot griddle. Cook until bubbles appear at the top of the pancake and the underside is golden-brown. Flip over and cook the other side until it is lightly browned as well.
- Serve hot with fruit and maple syrup.
I make this pancake every time I get a request for breakfast pancakes. It has the nutrition my family needs and great flavor. Time and time again I come back to this recipe.
-Karen
Serving suggestions
- With maple syrup.
- With fruit and vegan whipping cream.
- Serve with the walnut apricot syrup I shared in my vegan crepes recipe.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, they will be even fluffier with white flour and will taste wonderful.
You can skip the flax meal and instead add ¼ cup applesauce or vegan yogurt.
To freeze the pancakes, flash freeze them first by placing them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once they're frozen, place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. You can freeze the vegan pancakes for up to four months. Thaw and reheat on the griddle or in the microwave before serving.
You can also store leftover pancakes in the fridge for up to four days.
More vegan breakfast recipes
Vegan Pancakes
Equipment
- Griddle
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups almond milk (or another nondairy milk)
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon flaxmeal
- 6 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In another bowl, add the nondairy milk and apple cider vinegar. Let it stand for a couple of minutes, then add the flaxmeal and water and whisk well. Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract and mix.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a spatula or the whisk until everything just comes together. The batter should still be lumpy but you shouldn't have any obvious patches of dry flour.
- Heat a nonstick or cast-iron griddle. Spray with cooking spray or coat lightly with oil. Using a ⅓rd cup measure, scoop up the batter and pour on the hot griddle. Cook until bubbles appear at the top of the pancake and the underside is golden-brown. Flip over and cook the other side until it is lightly browned as well.
- Serve hot with fruit and maple syrup.
Recipe notes
- Pancakes with maple syrup and perhaps some fruit on the side is the perfect breakfast.
- These vegan pancakes would also be delicious with the walnut apricot syrup I shared with my vegan crepes recipe.
- To freeze the pancakes, flash freeze them first by placing them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once they're frozen, place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. You can freeze the vegan pancakes for up to four months. Thaw and reheat on the griddle or in the microwave before serving.
- You can also store leftover pancakes in the fridge for up to four days.
Karen Watkins
I make this pancake everytime I get a request for breakfast pancakes. It has the nutrition my family needs and great flavor. Time and time again I come back to this recipe. Thank you, Vaishali!
Vaishali
Karen, that’s so great to hear. So happy you love the pancakes! It’s our go-to breakfast as well.🙂
Amina
These were delicious! I want to make these for my kids on school-day mornings. How long can I store the wet ingredients combined in the fridge? My plan was to whip up the wet and dry ingredients the night before and store them separately to ease the workload in the morning. Do you have any experience with this? Thanks! 🙂
Vaishali
Hi Amina, you can store the wet ingredients in the refrigerator for up to three days, no problem. Mix with dry just before you make the pancakes so the baking soda and powder get activated. So happy you loved the pancakes. 🙂
Michelle
I try new recipes as different health issues arise for family members and was looking for one with no eggs or dairy. This was excellent! I only had whole wheat flour, so I mixed in white flour (can do half-half, but did more ww than white). Worked beautifully!
Vaishali
Hi Michelle, so happy to hear! These taste good even with plain ww flour but they are a bit dense so I recommend mixing them in with apf. Happy they turned out well for you. ❤️
Arne
This is a great recipe. I made it exactly as directed and even the non-vegan members of the family loved it. Thanks!
Vaishali
So happy to hear!
Adrienne
so i made these just now because i was craving for pancakes that arent too dairy or ovrly sweet or buttery and OMG!! my kids and i devoured them!! I added some fresh blueberries and strawberries and my last 4 scoops i added some cinnamon and everyone ate it! Its on my list now!!! Thank you for recipe!!!!!!
Vaishali
So happy you liked them!
Nima
hi Vaishali,
Can i just use whole wheat flour and not use white flour/all purpose flour
Alocasia
These are on the griddle right now. I followed the recipe exactly, but the batter is watery. Any idea what I did wrong? Can I possibly salvage the batter that I haven't cooked yet? Thanks.
Vaishali
Add a bit more flour if the batter is too thin. But don't make it too thick-- a slightly thin batter will help make fluffier pancakes that are not too doughy.
Alocasia
Thanks. As thin as they were, they were delicious.
Krithika
What are your thoughts on adding a touch of cocoa powder to this?
Vaishali
Yes!!
Vethamalar
For non vegans, can we substitute the almond milk with fresh cow’s milk for this recipe? In this case is the apple cider vinegar still required?
Vaishali
You can use any milk in this recipe, but plant milk works best.
Anusha
I am hitting myself on the head for not having tried these before. They rock! I cannot wait to try other substitutions with this.
Pio
Hi Vaishali! Thanks so much for this recipe. It is by far the best pancake recipe I've made. The pancakes are so fluffy and flavourful.
I do use 100% organic whole wheat flour, rather than pastry flour, instead of canola oil (which is unhealthy), I use extra virgin olive oil and you can't taste it once cooked. I also use sweetened almond milk instead of soy and instead of making the flax eggs I just add ground up flax seeds to the liquid and follow the rest of the recipe from there. Oh, and I cook them in coconut oil.
Thanks so much! This recipe rocks!
Bhanu
Hi, just made these but there was a bit of bitter after taste. I used whole wheat flour instead of pastry flour and almond milk instead of soy. What could be causing that bitter after taste?
Vaishali
Whole wheat flour is far more strong tasting than the pastry flour, so that would be it. If you don't want to use pastry flour it's best to go with half whole wheat and half all purpose.
alli
Thanks for the recipe. I used energy egg replaced instead of flaxmeal and it worked great.
Anonymous
Very tasty! I'm new to the vegan lifestyle and am always on the lookout for familiar recipes for an easier transition. This definitely fits with my taste buds! I didn't have whole wheat pastry flour so I used 1 cup of whole wheat flour with 1/2 cup of cake flour (kept the texture fluffy and tender). Even added a pinch of cinnamon and ginger just to make it a little fancier! Thanks for the recipe!
Anonymous
Amazing tasty and delicious pancakes.Great with vanilla . This was the first time I used vanilla and I was glad I did. For a few of my pancaked I added grated apple. There is nothing I would add or take away! Best of all the edges were crispy and brown ..yummy