Fluffy Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes
These fluffy vegan whole wheat pancakes take just minutes to make with basic ingredients for an easy and delicious breakfast.
Introduction
This easy pancake recipe only takes a few minutes to whip up with simple ingredients. They might just be the best vegan pancakes around! You’ll love how light and fluffy they are.
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 chickpea flour pancakes, chia seed pancakes, buckwheat pancakes and berry banana pancakes!
Ingredient & Substitution 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.
This recipe is essentially just 3 ingredients: whole wheat flour, baking powder and a sweetener. The liquid can be water or milk and cinnamon and vanilla are optional!
- 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
Scroll down to find the complete written recipe. This section features a quick, visual reference of the steps for making these.
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!
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Serving Ideas
Below are some yummy ideas for topping your pancakes:
- Toasted coconut flakes or coconut bacon.
- Quick chocolate sauce: Mix melted coconut oil and cocoa powder together at a 1:1 ratio then sweeten to taste with maple syrup, agave syrup, liquid monk fruit sweetener or stevia. Melted chocolate chips or dark chocolate also works.
- Date caramel, date paste or homemade caramel sauce.
- Nuts: Walnuts, pecans or slivered almonds.
- Sautéed apples or baked apple slices.
- Caramelized banana or sliced banana.
- Nut or seed butter like peanut butter, almond butter, tahini or coconut butter.
- Maple syrup or agave syrup (tahini and maple syrup is amazing together!).
- Chocolate chips: For chocolate chip pancakes, mix 4 tbsp into batter or sprinkle a few onto each pancake once you add the batter to the pan.
- Fresh or thawed frozen berries. For blueberry pancakes, gently fold up to 1 cup fresh berries into the batter or drop a few fresh or frozen berries onto each pancake after you add the batter to the pan.
- For a special occasion, like Christmas or Easter morning, try them toped with coconut whipped cream and strawberries.
- Blueberry Chia Jam
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Whole Wheat Fluffy Vegan Pancakes
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This whole wheat vegan pancake recipes is sure to be your new go-to for easy, fluffy and delicious pancakes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (120 g)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 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
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.
Notes
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 Size: 1/2 of recipe
- Calories: 276
- Sugar: 12 g
- Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 57 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 9 g
Originally published January 26, 2014.
Just made them and my husband and I both agreed that they are delicious. Tomorrow we’ll put the 2 leftover’s in the toaster for a quick breakfast.
Thanks!
Does this recipe really use 1 Tablespoon of baking powder? Are you sure it’s not a teaspoon?
Thanks.
Yep, I’m sure. You can use less if you want – 1 tbsp is for maximum fluffiness. Enjoy!
I made these too this morning! So easy and delicious. And they did resemble yours, but I was too hungry to take a picture! Plus maple syrup and apple chunks. Thank you for a great recipe!
I have tried so many different pancake recipes, both before and after going vegan, and these are far and away the best. I now quadruple the recipe and freeze them for weekday pancake goodness. They heat up perfectly. The only modifications I’ve made have been cutting the salt in half and adding 1tbls of apple cider vinegar. This morning, I discovered that we were out of all plant milk accept for chocolate oat mik. It was there happiest of accidents. I decided to lean into it by adding Trader Joe’s mini marshmallows (vegan!) and vegan chocolate chips. Such a wonderful treat.
Fun!! I’ve never made pancakes with chocolate milk, I’ll have to try that! So glad you enjoy the recipe.
These were delicious!! Not dense like other whole wheat pancakes I’ve tried in the past. Kids gobbled them up! My new pancake recipe!
Fantastic! So glad to hear that! Thanks for the review 🙂
We’ve made these pancakes almost every Saturday for over a year now and our family absolutely loves them. Recently we made a switch from regular whole wheat flour to whole wheat pastry flour and it has made the pancakes super soft. Best Vegan/WFPB pancakes we’ve found thus far!!! Highly recommend!!!
Awesome!! I’m so happy to hear that. I love this recipe too. Thanks for the flour tip!
delicious ♡ best vegan pancake recipe I found so far. thank you Deryn for sharing
Best simple pancake recipe I’ve tried, and there has been quite a few! So easy to make with everyday ingredients and I used the Superstore brand President’s Choice organic whole wheat flour. Both my husband and our 2 1/2 year old granddaughter loved them and she’s a very picky eater even with pancakes!
Her exact words “ mmmm tasty, I wike them” . We had ours with a few pieces of walnuts and fresh raspberries and she had hers cut into strips which she dipped in maple syrup.
Three 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻, one from each of us
Aww, that is so cute! I’m always so happy when a pickly toddler loves one of my recipes – they’re the toughest critics! 🙂 Thanks for the review, I’m so happy to all enjoyed them. Those toppings sound delicious.
Awesome pancakes! I made these this morning cuz I woke up STARVING!!😂. I made them with water, because there was no almond milk in the house, and also added a tsp of flaxseed. My sister liked them too, so this recipe goes on the repeat list. I mentioned that next time, we could try using almond milk, and she said nope, they were good just like this. Thank you!
Super easy! Didn’t even need to grease my pan. I’m trying to cut out all oil so was pleased that these turned out so well!
Yes! These are the best, aren’t they! I love how easy they are. Thanks for trying them and the kind rating, it’s much appreciated!
I bought the one from sprouts, whole wheat with flaxseed, it was okay. MY husband and I are both plant-based eaters. You’re recipe is better and fluffy We love it ? to the bone! I made some yesterday morning for breakfast and I’m making it again! And over again. I’m so glad my husband was craving for pancakes, that led me to this delicious recipe. Btw, I added ground flaxseed. There ya go! It’s yummy in our tummy.
Awesome! Love these too, such an easy, yummy recipe! So glad you both enjoy them. Thanks for the message!