Fluffy Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes

4.88 from 98 votes

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These fluffy vegan whole wheat pancakes take just minutes to make with basic ingredients for an easy and delicious breakfast.

Stack of fluffy vegan pancakes topped with blueberries, walnuts and maple syrup on a plate.

Made with whole wheat flour, they’re quite filling too and can even be made sugar-free if needed. Enjoy a big stack for breakfast (or dinner!) with all your favourite toppings like fresh fruit, chia jam and maple syrup.

If you’re a pancake-lover, you’ll also want to try these vegan chickpea flour pancakes, vegan chia seed pancakes, gluten-free vegan buckwheat pancakes and berry banana pancakes.

Ingredient Notes

This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.

  • Whole Wheat Flour: The recipes uses 100% whole wheat flour but all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour or a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour will also work.
  • Baking Powder: Be sure to use baking powder, not baking soda. For the best fluffy pancakes, make sure your baking powder is active. You can quickly test it if you’re unsure but adding 2 tsp to 1/2 cup of hot water. If it fizzes, you’re good to go!
  • Liquid: You can use any kind of plant-based milk (almond milk, soy milk etc.) or just water. I don’t notice much different between milk and water, so I usually just use water to keep it super simple.
  • Sweetener: You can use maple syrup, coconut sugar, cane sugar or for sugar-free pancakes, stevia, monk fruit sweetener or erythritol.
  • Flavour Enhancers: Vanilla and cinnamon are optional but add extra flavour.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

I like to use a fork or whisk to help break up any lumps of flour and help thoroughly distribute the baking powder and salt. This is important for a fluffy result!

Overhead view of a bowl of dry pancake ingredients in a bowl, a small dish of vanilla and a bowl of almond milk.

Step 2: Start heating a non-stick skillet, pancake griddle or crepe pan over medium heat. Add your liquid to the dry ingredients and gently fold until all the flour is wetted.

The batter will be quite thick and almost foam-like, but still pourable. This is perfect and means the baking powder is working.

Quick Tip: Let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes while you wait for the cooking surface to heat. This is key for fluffiness.

Overhead view into a medium mixing bowl of thick whole wheat pancake batter.

Step 3: Once the pan is hot, use a bit of non-stick cooking spray, if needed, then add approximately 1/3 cup portions of the batter to the pan.

Let them cook until the edges appear dry, firm and golden brown, and small bubbles are starting to appear in the batter. This should take about 4-5 minutes.

Flip and cook for another 30-90 seconds until cooked through and brown on both sides.

Repeat until you’ve used up the remaining batter. If you like, you can keep them warm in the oven at a low temperature until you’re ready to serve.

Plate of golden brown, fluffy whole wheat pancakes.

Notes and Tips

For Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes: For a slightly tangy buttermilk flavour and a bit more rise to your pancakes, you can add 1-2 tsp of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or white vinegar to the non-dairy milk and let it sit for 2-3 minutes before adding it to the batter.

FAQs

Do these need a flax egg?

Nope! This recipe works without eggs or an egg substitute like a flax egg but you can add one if you’d like for a bit of extra nutrition.

For pancake recipes that use flax, try my quinoa flour pancakes or coconut blueberry pancakes.

Do I need to grease the pan?

It really depends on your pan. I have a pan that will work without any oil or cooking spray but another that needs it otherwise my pancakes will stick.

If needed, I recommend dabbing a paper towel in avocado oil, olive oil or coconut oil to lightly grease your cooking surface or using light coating of nonstick avocado, olive or coconut oil spray.

Can you freeze these?

You can, so feel free to make a double or triple batch and stash some in the freezer.

I suggest freezing them on a baking tray first then transferring them to a freezer bag or airtight container. Otherwise, freeze them with a small square of parchment paper between each one to prevent them from sticking together.

The frozen pancakes can be thawed briefly at room temperature then reheated in the oven, a toaster oven, microwave or even popped in the toaster.

Fork digging into a big stack of whole wheat pancakes on a plate. The pancakes are topped with walnuts, blueberries and maple syrup.
Stack of fluffy vegan pancakes topped with blueberries, walnuts and maple syrup on a plate. A fork rests on the plate.
4.88 from 98 votes

Whole Wheat Fluffy Vegan Pancakes

By: Deryn Macey
This whole wheat vegan pancake recipes is sure to be your new go-to for easy, fluffy and delicious pancakes.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
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Ingredients 

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour, 120 g
  • 1 tbsp baking powder, 12 g
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 250 ml
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup, 30 ml
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon, optional
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, optional, 5 ml

Instructions 

  • Mix together the whole wheat flour, baking powder, sea salt and cinnamon (if using) in medium mixing bowl using a fork or whisk to help break up any lumps of flour and distribute the baking powder and salt.
  • Add the wet ingredients (non-dairy milk and maple syrup) and gently mix until all the flour has been mixed in. The batter will be thick and slightly lumpy.
  • Let the batter rest for at least 5 minutes while you heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat.
  • If needed, lightly oil the pan with coconut oil or olive oil or spray with a light coating of non-stick cooking spray, then scoop approximately 1/3 cup portions of the batter onto the pan. Cook the pancakes until the edges look dry, firm and golden brown and bubbles are appearing, then flip and cook for another 30-90 seconds until thick, fluffy and browned on both sides.
  • Repeat with the remaining batter then serve right away with your favourite pancake toppings like fresh fruit and maple syrup.

Video

Notes

Please note the conversions do not adjust if you double or triple the recipe so please make sure to calculate those manually if you increase the recipe.
Sweetener: Maple syrup can be substituted with your choice of sweetener such as coconut sugar, cane sugar, brown sugar or for sugar-free pancakes, stevia, monk fruit sweetener or erythritol.
Liquid: Almond milk can be substituted with any non-dairy milk (except canned coconut milk) or water.
For Buttermilk Pancakes: Use all-purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour and add 2 tsp lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or white vinegar to the milk and let sit for a few minutes before adding to the batter.
For best results, make sure you active baking powder. If you’re unsure if your baking powder is still good, you can test it by by mixing 1 teaspoon of baking powder with 1/3 cup hot water. If the baking powder is fresh, the mixture should fizz.
Add-Ins: Try mixing up to 1/2 cup fresh blueberries or 4 tbsp vegan chocolate chips into the batter or dropping a few onto each pancake after you’ve added the batter to the pan.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/2 of recipe, Calories: 276kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 3g, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 12g
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Originally published January 26, 2014.

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264 Comments

  1. 2 stars
    Very thin, tastes and texture were fine, conversion only work of partial ingredients, there are only weights for half of them and they donโ€™t work in conversion at all. Also, way too many adds on your page. It kept reloading because of them and I had to continually relocate where I was at in the recipe.

  2. 5 stars
    I am new to making vegan food and not really all that excited about it, but I thought these pancakes were great! I followed the recipe exactly. Next time I will try adding bananas.

    1. They definitely won’t work with a 1:1 substitution of coconut flour. The recipe needs further adjustment for that. Coconut flour is tricky for pancakes and best combined with an additional flour like a gluten-free flour blend or all-purpose flour, or you need to add eggs.

  3. 5 stars
    120 grams of my whole wheat flour is not equivalent to 1 cup for me. I am trying this recipe tomorrow, should I weigh the flour by cups or grams for a better outcome?

  4. 5 stars
    These were divine! ย I used gluten free flour, โ€œbuttermilkโ€ oak milk (added lemon juice to the oak milk) and toped with fresh berries. ย 

    Thanks for the recipe!