Vegan Pancakes
Start your morning with these fluffy Vegan Pancakes. These are the best pancakes ever, and you’d never know that they’re plant-based! Totally egg- and dairy-free, this easy recipe is made with simple ingredients and can be frozen for grab-and-go breakfasts on busy mornings.
☆☆☆☆☆ Briana commented: “These are incredible! I make them every week and freeze them. I pop them in the toaster before work in the mornings, just delicious!”
These Are the Fluffiest Pancakes Ever!
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!
This is the best recipe for vegan pancakes, in my opinion. They’re simple to make, are made with just a handful of basic ingredients, and are a crowd pleaser every time.
What’s more, these pancakes are dairy-free, egg-free, and plant-based. If you need to keep them gluten-free too, you can swap out the all-purpose flour with a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour.
Top your pancakes with maple syrup or get fancy by spreading some healthy strawberry jam, blueberry jam, cashew butter, or apple butter on top. Let me know how you end up topping your stack of flaxseed pancakes!
Ingredient Notes
- Almond milk + lemon juice: The secret to creating super fluffy pancakes without using dairy milk is to make a mock vegan buttermilk by mixing fresh lemon juice and non-dairy milk together. I love using my homemade almond milk here, but any unsweetened almond milk from the store works too.
- 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 heartier pancake.
- Sugar: This recipe uses all-natural cane sugar, but you can also use brown sugar, pure maple sugar, or coconut sugar.
- Vanilla extract: Adds flavor and aroma to the pancakes. You can also use vanilla bean paste for a deliciously strong vanilla flavor.
- Baking powder: The rising agent that makes the pancakes nice and fluffy.
- Golden ground flaxseed: Acts as a binder so that we don’t have to use any eggs. This is an optional ingredient, but I personally like to add some extra fiber and nutrients when possible!
- Coconut oil: Adds flavor and richness. You can also use melted vegan butter, olive oil, or vegetable oil.
Chef Tip: Not all non-dairy milks will curdle when mixed with the lemon juice! Sometimes plant-based milks contain ingredients that prevent curdling; if that happens, don’t worry, the pancakes may be less fluffy but they will still be delicious!
How to Make Super Fluffy Vegan Pancakes
As you can see in the photos, these vegan buttermilk pancakes are SUPER fluffy. This is a very basic recipe, but I use a couple cooking tricks to achieve the perfect pancake.
Step 1: Make the Vegan Buttermilk
The secret to making the fluffiest pancakes is making vegan buttermilk. Simply add fresh lemon juice to almond milk and wait for the milk to curdle. This will create the fluffy texture we all want in our pancake recipes.
Step 2: Make the Pancake Batter
I like to sift my dry ingredients to remove any lumps before whisking them together in a big bowl. Then, I make a well in the middle of the flour and pour the curdled milk into the center.
The batter is gently stirred while the melted coconut oil is poured in to ensure everything gets evenly combined without accidentally over-working the flour.
Step 3: Cook the Pancakes
Cooking the batter 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 is what creates that fluffy pancake.
Be gentle when flipping the pancakes to avoid flattening them. You’ll know they’re ready to flip when the bubbles on top pop!
Chef Tip: If cooking a whole bunch of pancakes before serving, consider keeping them warm in the oven at the lowest temperature until ready to serve.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overmixing the batter: 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.
- Not preheating the griddle or skillet: A properly preheated griddle or skillet is the only way to create 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.
- Your batter if too thin: The pancakes could turn out flat if your batter is too wet. Try adding a little extra flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thicken.
- Your batter is too thick: If your batter seems dry, the pancakes will be heavier and denser. Consider adding extra plant-based milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin out the batter.
Ways to Customize Your Pancakes
- Change the shape: For a sweet breakfast treat, make a loved one smile by making heart-shaped pancakes. Or surprise the kids by making animal-shaped fluffy vegan pancakes. Or make my favorite silver dollar pancakes for the cutest breakfast addition to any brunch celebration.
- Swap out the flour: Substitute the all-purpose flour with white whole wheat flour to make whole wheat pancakes.
- Add your favorite mix-ins: Gently fold fresh blueberries, carob or chocolate chips, mashed banana, chopped nuts, or poppyseeds into the batter for a fun flavor variation.
- Substitute nut butter for the oil: Almond butter, peanut butter, or your favorite nut or seed butter are all options.
Recipe FAQs
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.
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.
Yes, this recipe also makes delicious waffles! Cook in a waffle maker until slightly golden brown and top the waffles with your favorite toppings.
More Easy Vegan Breakfast Ideas
Fluffy Vegan Pancake Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 Pancakes 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Start your morning with these fluffy vegan pancakes. These are the best pancakes ever, and you’d never know that they’re plant-based! Totally egg- and dairy-free, this easy recipe is made with simple ingredients and can be frozen for grab-and-go breakfasts on busy mornings.
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon ground golden flaxseed (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons all-natural cane sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (optional)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the almond milk and fresh lemon juice. Let sit for 10 minutes. When the milk is curdled, add the ground flaxseed and vanilla extract.
- In a medium-sized bowl, sift the flour and add sugar, salt, and baking powder. Stir to combine.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture 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.
- Cook the pancakes until golden brown on each side. Serve with warm maple syrup and fresh fruit.
Notes
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 applesauce
To store: Let cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container or bag for 2 to 3 days.
To freeze: Pancakes can be stored in an airtight freezer container or bag for up to 3 months. This is the preferred method of storage in our house. When ready to eat, remove the number of pancakes from the freezer and pop them in the toaster for a warm, comforting breakfast.
To reheat: Simply pop them in the toaster or microwave in 20-second increments until warm.
These vegan pancakes sound absolutely delicious! I love how versatile they are with different flour and flavor options. Thanks for sharing the recipe and helpful tips.
John Wright
Thank you so much, John! I really appreciate your kind comment.
Looking so good. I would like to try this one. Thank you chefani.
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the recipe! It is one of my favorites!
Fantastisk oppskrift. Tusen takk Ani for alle disse gode oppskriftene.
Tusen takk, Bestemor!
Hi Ani! Love your recipes! I’ve made this recipe so many times (the silver dollar version) and I love them more than regular buttermilk pancakes. Thanks again!!!!
Hi Callie! Thank you so much for your sweet comment! I am so happy to hear that you liked my vegan pancake recipe. It is one of my favorite recipes! Thank you for trying my recipe and for the 5-star review.
We love your pancakes. They were so delicious!
Awww… Thank you so much for your sweet comment and for the 5-star review! I am so happy you enjoyed my vegan pancake recipe. Thank you for trying it.
These are incredible! I make them every week and freeze them. I pop them in the toaster before work in the mornings, just delicious!
I love hearing that! Thank you so much, Briana! Freezing and toasting them in the morning is such a smart idea. I’m so glad you’re enjoying them every week!