Vegan Pecan Pie Pancakes with Brown Sugar Syrup

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Is Thanksgiving really over? Tell me it isn’t true.

Vertical closeup image of a stack of pecans topped with toasted chopped pecans, on a white plate, with a white background, printed with orange and white text.

Tell me I have more time before I have to rush and buy all my Christmas presents, last minute.

Tell me I’m not already late in putting up our Christmas lights, and getting a tree, and putting up all sorts of delicate sparkly glass balls on it that break as soon as you look at them.

Tell me nooooooo!

A hand drizzles a brown syrup from a metal measuring cup onto a stack of pancakes below that are topped with chopped nuts, on a white plate, with a white cloth background.

Okay. Deep breath. I think I’ve calmed down a little bit.

Thanksgiving is over, and today is all about online shopping, scoring some sweet deals, and starting to think about one of my favorite things about the winter holiday season…

Chopped nuts toasting in a large, heavy frying pan.

Because it’s officially time to put up Christmas lights and kill a poor pine tree so it can spread happiness and piney smells throughout our house for the next month, that means it’s ALSO time to start making all the sweet things.

Like cookies!

And Pecan Pie Pancakes. Yup, I went there.

A beige batter is being stirred by a wire whisk in a large glass mixing bowl.

This recipe was one of those things that popped into my head with no forethought, and nothing that I can remember in particular that inspired it.

I just woke up one Saturday morning, made a pot of coffee, and decided that Pecan Pie Pancakes sounded like a good idea.

A really, really good idea.

And in true Raquel fashion, I of course had to make them vegan.

What else do I do? I’ve exhausted my gluten-free coconut flour pancake recipe!

Overhead shot of a small metal measuring cup and a small nonstick saucepan with margarine and brown sugar at the bottom and a spoon resting on top, on a folded white kitchen towel with a blue stripe.

And they turned out AMAZING. Realllly good. Good enough that you could totally serve them on Christmas morning and your family would love you for it.

To emulate the classic pecan pie flavors, I used some warming cinnamon and nutmeg in the batter, and topped them with a brown sugar syrup instead of maple syrup.

You guys. This brown sugar syrup. It’s where it’s at!!!

And it’s so easy to make. You just combine brown sugar, a little vegan margarine, and some light corn syrup in a pan and warm it until the sugar is just about dissolved.

A spoon drizzles a brown liquid syrup into a small saucepan on a brown cork trivet, on top of a folded white kitchen towel.

If you’re about to close this tab because I just recommended you use corn syrup, just remember that high frustose corn syrup is the much maligned sugary liquid – not regular ol’ corn syrup.

Poor regular ol’ corn syrup has gotten such a bad rap because of its high-fructose cousin, but I swear it’s not bad. Want to know why?

Fructose is the problem.

Oblique overhead shot of a stack of vegan pancakes topped with toasted pecans, on a white plate beside a white ramekin of brown sugar syrup, on a white cloth with a blue stripe, with a fork to the right of the frame, on a white background.

See, when you metabolize sugars, glucose uptake into cells is regulated, where it is then turned into glucose-6-phosphate, and then into fructose.

Fructose in and of itself isn’t bad for you, not any worse than regular table sugar, at least. It’s the sugar that’s naturally found in fruit and honey.

The problem with fructose is that its uptake into cells is not regulated when it’s coming from outside the cell.

So, while healthy, normally functioning cells know how much glucose they’ve taken up, and how much they should take up in a given time period, fructose totally bypasses that regulatory cycle and enters of its own free will. And that’s the problem.

Overhead shot of pancakes topped with pecans on a white plate, on top of a white kitchen towel with a blue stripe, with a small white dish of brown sugar syrup, a fork, a container and measuring spoon full of cinnamon, and scattered nuts.

If you want me to go into why lack of regulation is a problem, shoot me an email. I’d be happy to explain it. For those of you who just came here for this pecan pie pancake recipe, I’m going to move on. Okay?

So, yeah. Cinnamon, nutmeg, pecans, and brown sugar syrup = pure winter morning bliss. They also taste remarkably similar to pecan pie in combination. Just imagine eating a pecan pie in the form of a pancake. Pretty incredible, right?

Six pancakes topped and surrounded by chopped pecans are stacked on a white plate, on a surface topped with a wrinkled white cloth.

They’re also made with half whole wheat, so even if I haven’t convinced you and you still feel like you’re committing some sort of health sin by eating corn syrup, you can take comfort in the fact that these are made with whole grain flour, which includes healthy dietary fiber and nutrients.

‘Nuff said.

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Closeup closely cropped shot of a stack of pancakes topped with chopped and toasted pecans, on a white background.

Vegan Pecan Pie Pancakes

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  • Author: Raquel Smith
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 6 pancakes 1x
Print Recipe

Description

With a sweet brown sugar syrup and topped with toasted pecans, these made-from-scratch vegan pancakes will remind you of your favorite holiday pie.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Brown Sugar Sauce:

  • 3 Tbsp vegan margarine (I used Earth Balance)
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Pancakes:

  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
  • 3 Tbsp water
  • 2 Tbsp canola oil
  • 3 Tbsp brown sugar sauce
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • Cooking oil spray

Instructions

To Make the Sauce:

  1. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and set over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the margarine is melted, then continue to cook for 1 more minute. Remove from the heat.

To Make the Pancakes:

  1. Mix the flax seed and water together in a small bowl to make a flax egg. Set aside.
  2. Combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices in a medium bowl. In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine the almond milk, flax egg, and all of the remaining ingredients except the pecans. Stir to mix well.
  3. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and whisk together just until no lumps remain.
  4. Set a heavy skillet or griddle on the stove over medium heat. Cast iron is a nice option for these, if you’re a fan. Let it warm for a few minutes, then turn the heat down to medium-low.
  5. Spray with spray oil, then add the batter to the pan 1/3 cup at a time. Let cook until the edges just start to get dry, and the pancakes are golden brown on the bottom. Flip, then cook for another 1-2 minutes until golden brown.
  6. While the pancakes cook, place the pecans in a dry skillet over medium-high heat and toast while stirring constantly until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  7. If necessary, re-warm the sauce briefly, until heated through. Serve topped with chopped pecans and drizzled with brown sugar sauce.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Pancakes
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Breakfast

Keywords: vegan, vegan pancakes, pecan pie, pecan

Pancakes are the epitome of homemade weekend comfort food for me, and when you pair that with a not-s0-subtle reminder of one of my favorite holiday pies, I’m totally sold. And I know that you will be too!

For even more pancake deliciousness, you can check out all of our delicious from-scratch favorites here.

When will you serve these scrumptious flapjacks? Tell us in the comments below, and don’t forget to give this recipe a five-star rating if you loved it!

Looking for more tasty pancake recipes? Some of these should tickle your tongue:

Photos by Raquel Smith, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on November 30, 2015. Last updated: October 25, 2020 at 12:59 pm. With additional writing and editing by Allison Sidhu.

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.

The staff at Foodal are not medical professionals and this article should not be construed as medical advice. Foodal and Ask the Experts, LLC assume no liability for the use or misuse of the material presented above. Always consult with a medical professional before changing your diet, or using supplements or manufactured or natural medications.

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).

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