Super Simple Vegan Pancakes
These vegan pancakes are easy to make, requiring only 7 basic ingredients! These eggless pancakes are absolutely delicious, too. They're just the best!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
I’ve been laying low since I got home after a month of being away. Hibernating, if you will. Reveling in the quiet and making coffee without worrying about waking someone. Making pancakes over and over. Spending lots of quality time with my dog Cookie, the pancake thief.
It’s been lovely. My pancake endeavors have paid off, too. I realized the other day that I don’t have a basic pancake recipe on the blog, so here we are. Meet my new favorite pancake recipe. It’s easy, healthy and vegan, to boot!
How to Make the Best Vegan Pancakes
Basically, I reduced my gingerbread pancake recipe to its most essential formula, then I traded almond milk for cow’s milk and olive oil (or coconut oil) for the butter. I was concerned I’d taste olive oil in the finished product, but I really can’t! Coconut oil works as well, but it solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, so olive oil is the easier choice.
I tried a “buttermilk” version as well, with almond milk combined with a tablespoon of vinegar and lesser amounts of baking soda and baking powder. Even with the vinegar to react with the baking soda, the pancakes tasted terribly bitter. I’m still mystified. I scratched the buttermilk idea and carried on with one tablespoon baking powder as the leavener, which works great.
I omitted the eggs completely, surprisingly without any downsides. Just to be sure, I tried a version with flaxseed to replace the egg, but it didn’t make any difference. The batter gets nice and bubbly thanks to the baking powder, then it fluffs up on contact with the hot cooking surface like flatbreads typically do.
Without that eggy flavor, the remaining ingredients get to shine through. As such, this vegan pancake recipe produces remarkably delicious pancakes.
Whole Wheat Flour Tips
Bob’s Red Mill sent me their organic whole wheat flour, which imparts a lovely, lightly nutty flavor. Bonus? Since it’s higher in fiber and protein than all-purpose flour, these pancakes are more likely to stick with you until lunch.
Speaking of whole wheat flour, if yours tastes bitter, your flour has gone bad! Whole wheat flour is not inherently bitter, but because it contains all of the good-for-you natural oils present in wheat, it can go bad more quickly than processed flours. For best longevity, buy quality flour and store it in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place, like the refrigerator or a cabinet.
Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments!
If you love this recipe, be sure to check out the two pancake recipes in my cookbook, which both have vegan options. Looking for more vegan breakfast recipes? Here are a few of my favorites:
- The Very Best Granola
- Vegan Banana Nut Scones
- Homemade Bircher Muesli
- My Favorite Chia Seed Pudding
- Apple Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Watch How to Make Vegan Pancakes
Simple Vegan Pancakes
These easy vegan pancakes are my favorite basic pancakes! Who knew that eggless, whole grain pancakes could be so fluffy?! Feel free to throw in some add-ins like blueberries or chocolate chips, if you’re so inclined. Recipe yields 6 modestly-sized pancakes (perfect for 2 servings), so multiply as necessary.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour*
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup almond milk or dairy-free milk of choice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or sugar of choice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- More oil to grease your pan/skillet, if necessary
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or another mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract until thoroughly blended. (If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with the cold milk, gently warm it in the microwave just until it liquifies again.)
- Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture. Stir until combined, so only a few lumps remain (don’t over-mix or your pancakes will be tough!). If you’d like to mix in any totally optional add-ins (like chocolate chips or blueberries), gently fold them in now. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes so your pancakes will be nice and fluffy.
- Meanwhile, if you’ll be using an electric skillet, heat it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Otherwise, heat a heavy cast iron skillet or nonstick griddle over medium-low heat. You’re ready to start cooking your pancakes once the surface of the pan is hot enough that a drop of water sizzles on contact.
- If necessary, lightly oil the cooking surface with additional oil or cooking spray (I don’t oil the surface of my non-stick griddle and my pancakes turned out great).
- Using a ¼-cup measure, scoop the batter onto the warm skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until small bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes (you’ll know it’s ready to flip when about ½-inch of the perimeter is matte instead of glossy), and flip. Cook on the opposite sides for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding more oil as needed. You may need to adjust the heat up or down at this point. Serve the pancakes immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven.
Notes
Adapted from my gingerbread pancake recipe.
*Flour options: All-purpose flour should also work fine here.
*Make it gluten-free: Readers report that Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free all-purpose flour works great.
Leftover pancakes? Pancakes make great leftovers! Store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze them for months. To warm, wrap a short stack of pancakes loosely in a paper towel and gently reheat in the microwave until warmed through, flipping and re-wrapping the stack halfway through.
Make-ahead option? I don’t recommend mixing pancake batter and storing it in the refrigerator overnight. You will have better luck mixing the dry ingredients separately from the wet ingredients, as directed in step 1, then storing those two components separately (store the wet mixture in the fridge). When you’re ready to make pancakes, begin with step 2. This technique will work better if you use olive oil, since coconut oil solidifies when chilled.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I woke up wanting pancakes and was without anymore eggs, milk (dairy and coconut), and baking powder. I followed this recipe as closely as possible to the items I did have. Here’s what I mixed and the final product tasted so amazing, like a Mexican dessert.
1 Cup all purpose flour (I was out of my coconut flour)
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan Salt
*added a sprinkle of Cinnamon
1 Cup Water
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar (out of my organic raw sugar and white sugar)
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
Made these this morning for my non vegan father’s birthday. Everyone loved them, they taste just like normal pancakes, with a low key maple syrup flavor. Thanks!
Hi, Kate!
Thanks for the recipe. I did some this morning with my homemade vanilla almond milk. I added some cacao nibs and it tasted pretty good topped with some warm maple syrup. I am not vegan, but I enjoy simple recipes like this one especially when I have these ingredients at hand.
Thank you, Elizabeth! I’m so glad you enjoyed the pancakes. Your version sounds awesome!
These turned out SO DELICIOUS! Going to try some more of your recipes now, thank you! :)
Hi Kate, just wanted to let you know that I have just tried your pancakes with a little adjustment – my youngest can’t eat Gluten so I made them using 1/2 buckwheat flour and 1/2 gluten free flour (rice, potato and corn) The whole family loved them!
Thank you for sharing your recipes
Best wishes
Lara
Just made these with my toddler and we both LOVED them!
Absolutely amazing pancakes!) My ‘non-vegan’ friends stated it was delicious – and THAT means something! So good!:)
I was so excied for these! I halved the recipe and, of course, I added 2 tbsp of olive oil instead of 1 they didn’t turn out very well haha. I actually used half flax meal and half all purpose flour (don’t have whole wheat) and they taste great they were just kind of soggy! But I’ll try again tomorrow!
Followed this recipe to the letter & my batter was so thick I couldn’t even get it out of the whisk. When I finally did, the pancakes would not even form on the pan, they just sizzled hot batter all over my kitchen, even on a low heat… Tried adding more milk, tried lower & higher heats, etc… Took 2 1/2 hours, & I eventually just had to throw the whole batch out :/
Try using bobs whole wheat pastry flour its whole white wheat and it lighter than red wheat. That’s what I use and the pancakes have been coming out fine every time.
These were so amazing and super easy to make. Kid and Mom approved (I run a home daycare). Thank you!
My post on fb for them:
https://www.facebook.com/crunchycompassion/posts/604464773091477:0
Delicious!! Made them and they worked out perfect.
Awesome, thanks David!
Thanks for this recipe. We are on a vegan challenge at the moment and where glad to find something else for breakfast than oats. Greetings from Austria
Thanks, Kat! I’m glad you enjoyed the pancakes.
This recipe is the simplest, most successful vegan pancake recipe I have tried yet. I tried this recipe months back and it failed; I didn’t read the directions and let the batter sit for 5 minutes. So the pancakes didn’t rise or cook all the way through. Fast forward…., I restumbled upon this recipe and actually read it. To my amazement it worked though most recipes I’ve tried, fail. My family and I agave enjoyed theses pancakes 4-5 times now. Question Kate, how did you know to let it sit?
Hi Devona! I’m so glad these pancakes are turning out well for you now. Sometimes pancakes need a little rest (especially oat flour pancakes) so the grains have time to soak up some moisture and the leavener can get a jump start.
Ok thanks for the tip, I do occasionally use oat flour… I love the flavor it adds. Do you have any other recipes like this one, Im vegan and don’t use all purpose flour or regular baking soda/powder. Meaning when I bake it requires some finesse. But this recipe worked great with the leavening agent I utilize.
Hi Devona, here are all of my vegan recipes, organized by category. I usually use baking powder or soda in my baked goods so they will probably need some tinkering.
Love your recipes! Thank you!:)
Thank you, Jessica! I appreciate it!
I was a little skeptical about another “you-name-it”-free recipe, but this one actually was really great! Easy to make, easy to follow and tastes just like normal pancakes. We plan on using this one again, for sure!
These were prefect. Thanks for sharing!
Heads up. Try using salt to ‘ grease the pan’ instead of oil next time you make pancakes. You can even use salt in a new sock, tie it of and use that for as long as you want to run on the pan when it’s hot in between pancakes. Works like a charm and your pancakes come out perfect. Try it and let me know what you think!
Made these this morning they were delicious! Highly recommended!!
Hi! I just made this recipe and I am so happy with the results! I used regular flour, granulated sugar, almond/coconut milk, followed the directions, and they came out amazingly fluffy and delicious. Thank you so much!!
Hello I’d love to make these pancakes but I’m in the UK and we don’t use cups to measure. It’s really hard to convert and I’ve not had great results in the past trying to work it out. Can anyone tell me what weight of flour and what volume of milk this would need? Thank you.
Made these this morning for the first time, also first time making vegan pancakes. They are sooooooooooo good! I had extra and just ate one cold, no syrup, and it was crazy good. So glad I found an easy vegan pancake recipe!
I googled “best vegan pancakes” and DAYYYYUM! These are the best I’ve tried!
My man wants to eat less animal products, like me, and your recipe is a home run!
Thank-you!
Best vegan pancake ive found!! How about a vegan waffle recipe? :-)
Thank you, Susan! My favorite waffles can be made vegan, just check the recipe notes. :)
Thanks! I’m following the VB6 plan and it’s nice to find a vegan pancake recipe.
I was just thinking of making these on Christmas morning (maybe with some frozen berries tossed in), but in a 9 x 13 pan so I don’t have to man the griddle while we’re getting ready for church. Do you think that would work, and if so, how long would I bake it?
These pancakes are delicious! I added a little cinnamon and nutmeg to the batter and served them under an apple compote and they were better than any restaurant breakfast I’ve ever had. My husband and I are recent vegans and it’s recipes like this that make it so easy and delicious! Thank you!
I love pancakes and this recipe is amazing! They are moist, fluffy and delicious. The maple syrup in the mix make these pancake melt in your mouth. Thank you for a great recipe!
I added a flax “egg” and even my anti vegan son gobbled up a half a batch.
I just made these and they were great! I’ve definitely had my fair share of vegan pancakes that did not turn out very well. So I’m glad I finally found a good recipe! Thanks!
The best pancakes ever! Thank you for creating and sharing this recipe!
My son made these pancakes for us this morning. He has been looking for a good vegan pancake recipe, frustrated by others with bad texture. These were perfect! Delicious and fluffy!
Thank you so much!
These turned out wonderfully! Thanks so much for the simple and tasty recipe!
Yes! Glad the recipe lived up to its name.
Made these again today, didn’t have almond milk on hand, so I just used water and they still turned out really well! Letting the batter sit for 5 min makes all the difference :)
I made this with Bob Mills garbanzo bean flour and coconut sugar and they came out great. They were delicious with vegan butter and maple sugar on top.
Ooh, sounds mouth-watering. I’m glad your variation worked out!
these were very good. even my carnivore husband liked them.
Yesss! I love converting carnivores (if only for one meal ;) )
These turned out amazing!! I can never make vegan pancakes turn out–or translate the fluffiness of a “real” pancake, but these were wonderful.
Thanks, Jess! Glad to hear you enjoyed these. For maximum fluffiness, be sure not to over mix!
These are the best vegan pancakes I’ve ever had!
What an honor! Thanks, Robyn!
Awesome! I just started my vegan journey and these were simple and delicious. Very easy to mix up and cooked up great! Even my grandson enjoyed them!
Happy you liked it, Barb! All the best on your new adventure into vegan territory :)
I wanted to go out to breakfast on this lazy Sunday morning, but as usual I remembered how difficult it is to find a healthy, satisfying vegan breakfast out. But I wanted something a little on the sweet side and these pancakes were amazing. All I had on hand was a little bit of whole wheat flour and a bag of chick pea flour. It definitely wasn’t a problem though. My husband, son, and I thought they were delicious. Thank you for sharing such an easy, no fuss recipe. My husband said it was better than any restaurant breakfast!
Ahh, so many compliments in one comment! Thank you so much, Aimee! Happy this worked with what you had on hand.
Just made these for brunch and they are so good! I added 1 egg to this recipe and found that I had to add a lot more coconut milk than was suggested in the recipe to get them to the right consistency. They are really tasty, not soggy, and simple to make. Thanks for sharing!
Hi, I just stumbled onto this recipe and wanted to try it over the weekend. I only have extra virgin olive oil, does this work the same? Also, we buy the low fat vanilla almond milk. Didn’t know if I needed a “thicker” almond milk for the recipe.
Ugh, my pancakes turned out horrendous! I don’t know why, but whenever I try to make pancakes with other than the standart ingredients it doesn’t end well. At first, it had a good consistency and it looked like it could work, but when I tried to flip it to the other side, it began to tear. I couldn’t do anything with it, it just turned into a big mess. I’m not at all saying your recipe is bad, I simply don’t understand what I’m doing wrong.
I just try those vegan pancakes for the first and I love them. I put some blueberries with the mixture and It was delicious.
Thanks for sharing that with us.
Can’t wait for more vegan’ ideas!!
Thanks, Audrey! I’m so happy you liked them. Those blueberries sound great.
I LOVE this recipe!! My son is allergic to eggs and my youngest daughter doesn’t tolerate dairy so these have become my go-to pancakes. Sometimes we add 1/2tsp cinnamon and my kids sneak in and them off the table before I have can even finish making the batch. Thanks for sharing such delicious recipes!
You’re welcome, Kate! I’m happy this works for your kids’ needs. :)
No joke the best and most successful pancakes I’ve ever made!! I was very skeptical as even before going vegan I never managed to make pancakes that were as fluffy and tasty as I would have liked but I absolutely LOVED these. So fluffy honestly.
I made it with regular flour (shh I know it’s not very healthy), olive oil and some vegan white sugar. Took so little time and ended up with amazing results. Serving sizes were good as well!
I’m so happy these came out fluffy and delicious, May!
Best pancakes ever. I try to have a “vegan week“ every now and then, but even during “normal“ weeks I now only make these pancakes. I make them with almond and banana slices – yumm!!
Happy to hear these are on regular rotation, Kathi. Thanks for commenting!
Can I substitute baking powder for baking soda?
I don’t think so, no.
Turned out perfect. You know it’s a good pancake when you can try it with no syrup. I use this recipe every time for my pancakes now! Thanks for sharing!
I am very happy with this recipe .. Came out soooo good ! thanks .
I’m so glad!
Hello Kate!
Your recipe sounds (and looks) amazing! What adjustments should I do if i were to include oat bran? Do I just add the bran or make it a substitute to a portion of the flour? Thank you!
Hi Kaye, I think you could add up to maybe 1/2 cup without making other adjustments.
What pan do you have for making pancakes? Thanks!
Hey Kelly! I use a Cuisinart electric folding griddle that has been discontinued, unfortunately, but there are lots of others like it on the market. I find that it’s a lot easier to make a big batch of pancakes quickly on an electric griddle. A non-stick skillet would work; I have a hard time maintaining the right temp on a cast iron griddle.
Made these this morning with regular white flour, turned out delicious!
Saving this recipe :) thanks!