AJ and I have gone through a lot of pancakes. A lot.
It started way back when we had just begun dating. I went to his house one morning (or was I already there? wink) and he whipped up a batch straight from a Marie Calendar’s bag of mix and served them to me piping hot with a bunch of syrup. I thought he was ahhhh-mazing.
And then! Get this. Then he goes, “Don’t think you’re special or anything.. I do this all the time.” HA! Way to make a girl feel special. Boys, don’t take a lesson from him… or do. Apparently it worked.
Anyhow, these pancakes are really the result of lots of trial & error in the pancake R&D lab. I’ve gone completely gluten free before with melt-in-your-mouth coconut flour pancakes, but I wanted something heartier, with a depth of character and “oomph.”
They’ve got a mix of AP flour, whole wheat flour, and oat flour, which I find gives them the best flavor, texture, and nutritional profile. The powdered sugar is also a texture thing; I’ve found it makes the batter lighter and more subtly sweet than regular white sugar.
We used chopped strawberries in these, but blueberries and apples are also right at home. If you are using frozen fruit, I’d suggest dropping the batter onto your griddle first, then individually placing the berries. This keeps them from turning your batter all sorts of fun colors.
Unfortunately I do tell you to sift the dry mix before you add the wet. This is for two reasons: 1) it breaks up the powdered sugar, which likes to stick together in little clumps, and 2) it makes the batter lighter. If you don’t have any way to sift (even through a fine-mesh strainer works!), just take a whisk and whisk the crap out of the dry ingredients for about 2 minutes. Try not to throw the mix all over the counter.
My Favorite Whole-Grain Vegan Pancakes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 pancakes 1x
Description
Our favorite pancake recipe from lots of trial and error! Fluffy yet filling, the mix of whole-grain ingredients will keep you satisfied all morning. Fresh fruit brings these to the next level!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/4 cup oat flour
- 2 Tbsp vegan powdered sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp melted vegan margarine (I used Earth Balance)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Heaping 1/2 cup fresh or frozen and defrosted fruit (I like chopped strawberries or blueberries)
Instructions
- Combine the ground flax and water in a small bowl to make a flax egg. Set aside to thicken.
- Combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar in a pitcher-style measuring cup to make a vegan buttermilk substitute, and set aside.
- Add the flours, powdered sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a medium bowl. Sift once, or stir vigorously with a whisk for about 2 minutes.
- Add the melted margarine, flax egg, and vanilla to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the milk mixture and stir to combine. Pour the dry ingredients over top and stir until just combined. If you are using fresh fruit, you can go ahead and gently fold it in now. Otherwise, add a few pieces to each pancake as soon as you pour the batter onto the griddle.
- Set batter aside for about 5 minutes to thicken. While the batter rests, place your griddle or a large frying pan over medium-low heat and grease liberally. If the batter seems to thick can add a bit of water, but be careful not to over-mix.
- Drop 1/3 cup batter onto the preheated griddle or skillet. It should sizzle a bit, then calm down. Cook until the edges are cooked and the bottom is golden-brown. Flip and cook a few more minutes until golden.
- Serve with a generous amount of margarine, maple syrup, and powdered sugar on top!
Notes
You can replace the margarine with canola oil if desired. I usually do this when I am feeling lazy and don’t want to melt the margarine. The pancakes will be slightly less delicious, though.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Comfort Food
Keywords: pancakes, vegan, light, fluffy, best
What about you? What do you like to top your stack with? Fruit? Syrup? Let us know in the comments below and if loved the recipe, please give it a rating too!
If you loved these stacked on your plate, these other pancake recipes will be right up your alley:
- Homemade Vegan Pancakes Dry Mix
- Apple Cinnamon Pancakes (Vegetarian)
- Cornmeal Pancakes with Sweet Corn
- Whole Grain Buttermilk
- Overnight Yogurt
Photos by Raquel Smith, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on June 4, 2014. Last updated: January 1, 2020 at 7:02 am.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Raquel Smith
Raquel is a whole foods enthusiast, an avid mountain biker, and a dog lover. She works by day at Food Blogger Pro and formerly maintained her food blog "My California Roots" (now merged into Foodal).
These look really good! We make our pancakes vegan, too, but we use spelt flour. Isn’t amazing how tender and fluffy they are without eggs?
Yes! I love how easy it is to replace eggs when baking vegan. So much cheaper, healthier, and you can eat all the dough/batter you want!
Ooh love the sound of these!! I’ve been trying to get my vegan pancake game back on–I’ll have to try these. I totally agree with loving how powdered sugar changes the texture, along with oat flour. So tender! Also, I giggled at AJ’s comment–smooooth. But hey, if it worked more power to him! 😉