Vegan Pancakes

Start your morning with these charming, fluffy, delicious vegan pancakes. Trust me; you will not know these are plant-based. Totally egg and dairy free, these vegan pancakes are made with simple ingredients—a great way to start your morning. At any rate, who does not like pancakes for breakfast? I love pancakes! I believe there is no time of day when pancakes are not “the perfect” meal option, morning, noon, or night.
Wonderfully light and fluffy, golden brown pancakes drizzled with warm maple syrup spell happiness like nothing else. It’s hard not to smile as these beautiful pillows of pure joy puff up on the griddle.

Surprisingly, most countries have some type of pancake in their meal repertoire; some have thin pancakes, others thick, some have sweet pancakes and others savory; regardless of where you come from, American pancakes are becoming increasingly popular across the globe. And why not? They practically ooze charm and comfort and with names such as hotcakes, flapjacks, and griddlecakes, how can you not? Pair with fresh fruit, berries, maple syrup, and vegan butter.

As a matter of fact, we came across American-style pancakes thousands of miles from America’s shores and very far from civilization this past summer. We were hiking in the mountains of Norway. Around a bend, we came across this charming summer cabin, surrounded by hundreds of goats, where they served hungry hikers “lapper”, you guessed it, American pancakes. Thick and fluffy pancakes, served with fresh strawberry jam or goat cheese, your pick — an extraordinary sight so far from home.

There is nothing like a warm breakfast to start the day. Here are some other breakfast recipes you might like:

• Crispy Baked Hash Browns
• Pumpkin Breakfast Recipes
• Vegan Crepes
• Easy Healthy Overnight Oats
• Oat Waffles
• Silver Dollar Pancakes

Vegan Pancake Ingredients:

• Plant Milk: unsweetened almond milk. Not all plant-based milks will curdle. Sometimes the milk will contain ingredients that prevent curdling, don’t worry, the pancakes may be less fluffy, but they will still be delicious. Try a different brand next time if that is the case.
• Fresh Lemon Juice: fresh lemon juice curdles the milk and makes a fluffier pancake. It also adds brightness to the taste.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor and aroma to the pancakes.
• Flour: All-purpose flour is most commonly used to make pancakes, but you can substitute half of it with white whole wheat flour to make a healthier pancake.
• Sugar: This recipe uses all-natural cane sugar, but you can also use brown sugar, maple sugar, or coconut sugar.
• Salt: Just a pinch of sea salt goes a long way. You can omit the salt if you are trying to decrease salt intake.
• Baking Powder: the rising agent, makes the pancakes nice and fluffy.
• Golden Ground Flaxseed: adds fiber and nutrients to the pancakes and acts as a binder. This is an optional ingredient, but I personally like to add some extra fiber and nutrients when possible, and it works great in these pancakes.
• Coconut Oil, melted: (optional), adds flavor and richness.
• Toppings: vegan butter, maple syrup, berries or bananas.

How to Make Vegan Pancakes: 

Step one: In a small bowl, mix almond milk and fresh lemon juice. Let sit for 10 minutes. When the milk is curdled, add the ground flaxseed and vanilla extract.  

Step two: In a medium-sized bowl, sift the flour and add sugar, salt, and baking powder. Stir to combine. 

Step three: Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour the curdled milk into the center. Gently stir to combine while adding the coconut oil, being careful not to overmix. It should be lumpy.

Step flour: Cook the pancakes on a hot griddle until golden brown on each side, about a minute for each side.  

Step five: Serve with your favorite toppings like maple syrup, fruit compote, and fresh berries.

Variations and Substitutions

• Substitute all-purpose flour with white whole wheat flour for a healthier pancake
• Change the shape for a different look: Silver Dollar Pancakes
• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes
• Flavor combinations: add a pinch of cardamom to the batter for a different flavor.  

Allergy-Friendly Options:

Gluten-free: Substitute an equal amount of flour with 1:1 Gluten-free flour
Nut-free: Use soy milk instead of almond milk and substitute coconut oil with canola oil
Oil-free: replace coconut oil with apple sauce
Soy-free: Naturally soy-free

Tips for making the Best Vegan Pancakes:

• Straightaway, when making vegan pancakes, cooking them as soon as the wet and dry ingredients are mixed is super important. The chemical reaction that occurs as the wet and dry ingredients interact creates that fluffy pancake.
• If cooking a whole bunch of pancakes before serving, consider keeping them warm in the oven at the lowest temperature until ready to serve.
• Be gentle when flipping the pancake to avoid flattening the pancake. With this in mind, watch for the bubbles on top to pop before flipping the pancake to the other side.

Common Mistakes and Troubleshooting:

• Do not overmix: Overmixing will develop the gluten in the flour, making the pancakes tougher and denser. You want to maintain a few lumps, as this will keep the pancakes fluffier.
• Cook pancakes on a hot griddle: this will give that golden crust on the outside and a soft, delicious inside. To test if your griddle is hot enough, splash a couple of drops of water on the griddle and see if it sizzles.

• Don’t let the batter sit for a long time before cooking the pancakes.
• If the batter is too wet, the pancakes could be flat. Consider adding a little extra flour, a tablespoon at a time.
• If the batter is to dry, the pancakes will be heavier and denser; consider adding extra plant-based milk, a tablespoon at a time.

How to Store Vegan Pancakes:

• On the Counter: a few hours.
• In the Fridge: In an airtight container or bag for a few days, though, it would be good to refresh by placing them in the toaster for a couple of minutes before eating.  
• In the Freezer: In an airtight freezer container or bag for up to 3 months. This is the preferred method of storage in our house. It makes for a quick warm, easy breakfast. Remove the number of pancakes from the freezer and pop them in the toaster for a warm, comforting breakfast.  
• Reheating pancakes: In either the toaster or microwave.

FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions:

Do I need oil or margarine in the skillet?

Good question! Generally, you should not need to add oil or margarine to the pan when cooking pancakes. However, it does depend on the quality of your griddle or skillet. A coated or well-seasoned skillet should not require oil. But should the pancake stick to the skillet or griddle, use a little plant-based margarine or cooking oil in between each pancake.

Can I make the batter ahead of time?

No, the result would be flat pancakes. You could, however, combine the dry ingredients by themselves and the wet ingredients by themselves and mix the two right before cooking.  

Can I make the pancakes ahead of time?

Yes, but they may not taste as fresh or be as fluffy.  

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