Who doesn't love pancakes for breakfast? These fluffy vegan pancakes are not just delicious, they are actually good for you because they're made with whole wheat and flaxmeal. And they are ready in under 30 minutes. A soy-free, nut-free recipe.
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.
Tips for the best vegan pancakes
- 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 flaxmeal 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 flaxmeal 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 the 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.
What to serve with vegan pancakes
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, they will be even fluffier with white flour and will taste wonderful.
You can skip the flaxmeal 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 delicious vegan breakfast recipes
- Vegan Sourdough Blueberry Pancakes
- Vegan Potato Sauerkraut Pancakes
- Savory Black Eyed Peas Sweet Potato Pancakes
- Vegan Double Chocolate Pancakes
- Savory Apple Potato Pancakes with Thyme
- Vegan Waffles
Vegan Pancakes
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.
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
Anonymous
Can you add hemp protein powder to these, if so, how do you incorporate it in recipe?
Anonymous
Can I use maple syrup instead of sugar? If so, how much? Thanks!
Vaishali
Yes, substitute the same amount. You can also leave out the sugar altogether.
Julie
Awesome recipe. I added a couple tablespoons of finely chopped pecans and a Cup of fresh blueberries. I also only had vanilla soy milk so I used that. They were fantastic. Even my husband liked them and he is very much NOT a vegan. He topped his with butter and apricot syrup. I used a scant amount of agave suryp and like I said, they were awesome, thanks!
Mike @TheIronYou
I woke up craving pancakes (the last one I had was like 4 months ago) and found your awesome recipe. They're really less carbageddon than classic one but without sacrificing the taste!
Thanks for sharing this!
Peace
Mike
minal
Thank you for sharing this recipe and many others! You've inspired me to cook and blog more about amazing foods that happen to be vegan. Keep up the great work.
Jessica
Thank you so much, these pancakes were amazing! I didn't have flax meal so I ground up some flax seeds with the water called for in my mini food processor and it was just fine. What a yummy, healthy, recipe, looking forward to trying more now that I found your site!
jaemi
Love this recipe! It's healthy and it tastes good! It was really fast to make for my kids this morning before school. And my kids loved it! Healthy is nothing, if my kids refuse to eat it. So your pancakes were a smashing success! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I'll definitely be making it again!
Izzy
Hey Vaishali,
Just wanted to let you know I made these again today for my in-laws and they were such a hit, I featured you on my blog.
Izzy
I'm a very recent Vegan. Only 3 weeks ago did I go vegan cold turkey from being a carnivore.
I had a real hankering for pancakes, which I haven't really made in years... anyway I tried this recipe, not really expecting much. I mean it's flax and whole wheat after all.
I followed the recipe except for 2 things. I had no vanilla, so I omitted it, and I had no canola oil, so I used melted vegan margarine.
This is seriously SO good that my husband and I almost scarfed down the whole batch. Even if I weren't vegan, I would still use this recipe.
Pancake Dude
I must try out your pancake recipe tomorrow for the kids, thanks!
Sabrina
These pancakes are delicious! I have been vegetarian for quite a while and just recently decided to try out the vegan world and so far I love it! I am still trying to find my faves for main dishes (like pancakes!). I originally didn't have pastry flour so I mixed half and half white and wheat flour. They turned out ok but a little dense. I went and bought the pastry flour and it made a big difference! These are my new fave. Thank you : )
Vaishali
Srividya, Icchic, Thanks, and glad they turned out well for you! Happy holidays 🙂