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 was a little taken aback by how runny the batter was but I just went with it and they still tasted amazing! Even these crispy good edges. I did blueberries:)
I’m glad you liked it!
The absolute BEST vegan pancake recipe I’ve EVER tried!!!
THX, Kate
I am a big pancake fan. We are in the first week of our vegan journey and I absolutely loved these pancakes.
Found this recipe when trying to find a good vegan pancake recipe to take the place of my old milk/egg based version. This one is wonderful! They were fluffy and received my kiddos approval! I used melted vegan butter instead of the oil and ended up adding a bit more almond milk, as I like a thinner pancake mix. This may end up being my go-to weekend pancake recipe! Thank you!
I tried it and it was great! I shared this recipe on one of my Facebook groups.
Wonderful! Thanks, Staci.
THE BEST EVER EASIEST VEGAN PANCAKES!!!!!!!!!! The struggle is over… add warmed up frozen berries(they turn into a hot jam) ALSO THESE ONES ACTUALLY COOK!!!
Well, thank you! I’m glad you like them so much. If you would want to leave a star review, I would really appreciate it!
Finally! Easy to make, fluffy Vegan pancakes. Many thanks. I added a smashed banana to the mix.
You’re welcome!
Oatmeal
Banana
Used water, no almond milk
Baking soda
Cinnamon blend
Olive oil
Honey
Blend, pour on plate
Microwave 2 minutes. Yum
I only have coconut flour. Would that work?
Unfortunately, that will not work as it is not a 1:1 substitution. It will be pretty dry.
I just made these for dinner & they are delish! I was worried about the olive oil tasting funny, but it didn’t. My teen chowed them down and asked for them in the morning too LOL. I did use unsweetened vanilla coconut milk which added flavor, but the bob mills flour was great! I wish I could upload the image :)
That’s a win! I’m glad the flour worked well.
Hi Cookie and Kate,
My boyfriend asked for a pancake breaky and these did the trick! (It’s hard finding good vegan pancake recipes.) I added some blueberries which made them extra tasty. Thanks for a great recipe! I’m looking forward to trying your paella soon. :)
– Jenelle (and Reed)
Wonderful, Jenelle! I’m glad this was just what you needed. Thanks so much for the review!
I love this recipe! It’s my new favorite healthy pancake recipe! I also add chopped apples and they are so amazing, thank you for sharing! I usually double the recipe and save the extras for later in the week…they microwave really well and taste just as good a day or two later. :)
Chopped apples sound delicious! Thank you for sharing, Amanda.
These are delicious.
Do you double the amount of baking powder when doubling the recipe, or would that be overkill?
Yes you should.
My boyfriend and I tried this recipe this morning and it was fantastic! We are trying to go plant based so we reduced the oil from 2tbsp of oil to1tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp. of almond milk. We were happy the pancakes were fluffy and slightly sweet. We coupled the pancakes with vegan apple sausages and had vegan pigs in a blanket! Nice treat that we both haven’t had in years! Thanks so much for your website. You have really helped us stay on our plant based diet!
You’re very welcome! I’m happy the blog is a great resource for you. Thanks for your review!
these turned out amazing! I added 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and every time i poured the batter into the pan i added 3 thin banana slices :) the pancakes turned out so crispy on the outside and thin but still fluffy! They don’t really look like your pancakes in the photos but I’m happy with my results!
That sounds wonderfully tasty! Thanks for the review.
Thanks so much for the recipe. Just did it with all purpose flour (only one I had), topped it with vanilla flavour soy yogurt and Berries… Amazing!!
You’re welcome!
Best pancake recipe EVER! They have everything you want in a pancake.
This will be a staple for me.
Thank you, Simone! I’m really glad you like them so much.
I was looking for something healthy to for breakfast and came across your recipe. I found it very easy so I decided to try it out & I loved the results. Pancakes were so soft and fluffy. I topped them with honey. My grandma too loved them. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe with us.
Love
Khush xoxo
PS – can you please share the recipe for eggless oats muffins? Any kind of flavoured muffins would do.
I’m glad you liked them! Thanks for the review. Check out my muffin recipes. In the notes section, I offer different options for varying dietary needs. https://capital-fly.pro/tag/muffins/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Excellent basic recipe to work from. For my wife, I add blueberries by hand after the initial pour of batter on the griddle. Keeps the batter from turning blurple (blue/purple)! When we double the recipe, we use half almond flour and half whole wheat flour for a bit of a nutrient boost.
Thanks for sharing, Paul!
These are great! Made the recipe exactly as written and they came out light and delicious. I’m sharing this with our daughter.
Great! Thank you.
I want to make it for my 18 months old baby but without baking powder. Is there anything else that I can use? Or will just skipping it out still produce something tasty for her?
You really need baking powder to make this work. Sorry, SJ!
I threw in some chopped pecans I had lying around, and served them with a banana on the side, and breakfast was born! They turned out perfectly fluffy, and I was perfectly happy.
Thanks for sharing, Rebecca! I appreciate the review.
I felt like making pancakes this morning although I had never made pancakes before. These were a success! I used all purpose flour and olive oil. The olive oil I have quite strong and the taste came through a little, so next time I’ll try with coconut instead, but they were still good! Light and fluffy.
Also, my only pan used to be non stick but it’s now a nightmare, and I don’t have any appropriate ustensil to flip the pancakes, but I found a way. I cut two circles of parchment baking paper to line my pan. I poured the batter on one of the circles in my pan, cooked the first side of the pancake, slid it out on a small plate, placed the second circle on top of the uncooked side of the pancake, flipped the plate over the pan, picked the first circle off the pancake and get the second side to cook. I was afraid it would not cook properly with the paper but it was all right! Nothing sticked and the pancakes turned out great! The moisture makes the paper ruffle a bit under the cooking pancake and creates tiger-like patterns on it, which I found amusing.
Anyways, thanks for the recipe! It was easy and made for a very enjoyable breakfast. I’ll definitely make more of them soon!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you found something that works for you, Lydie. Thanks for the review!
My new favorite recipe! I have made these pancakes everyday this week! Today I am trying it in the waffle iron.
Yes! How did they go in the waffle iron? Thanks for your review!
I made these for a pancake breakfast with a neighbour and her kids, and they were really good! I of course added my usual add-ins to up the nutrition for my kids (hemp seeds, chia seeds, and flax). They were quick to whip up, and did not disappoint!
Wonderful, Becky! Thanks for your review.
By the way, your dog is beautiful! Australian Cattle dog, right? I love those dogs, they are so intuitive.
Thanks, Becky! She half schipperke and half dachshund/Australian koolie mix.
I made this recipe with unbleached all purpose flour and OMG these are the best pancakes I’ve ever had! I’m always scared when I try new recipes online because healthy usually equals bland, but these don’t lack any flavor! thank you!!
I love hearing that! Thanks for your comment, Courtney. I appreciate the review!
BEST pancakes ever, vegan or not! I added a pinch of cinnamon to my batter but other than the recipe was totally perfect. Saved for future reference :)
Love to hear that, Hayley! Thanks so much for sharing. I really appreciate it.
Perfect! Love that this recipe is so simple with easy healthy ingredients. Didn’t need to top it with maple syrup. It’s just great with fresh strawberries blueberries and bananas. My kids loved them too!
Love that! Thanks, Gina.
Kate,
I made half of a recipe of these wonderful pancakes, using oat flour rather than whole wheat flour. Love the crispiness using my electric skillet. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe!
Lovely, Dawna! Thanks for sharing and for your review.
These were amazing!! I loved them and so did my parents (who aren’t even vegan!) I will definitely make these again. Thanks for getting my whole family to sit together at the table for once!
Great, Olivia!
Hi,
My son and I really enjoyed the pancakes. I had to change the recipe a little because I didn’t have Olive oil, so I use avocado oil instead. I also used less maple syrup (1 1/4 Tsp). Although I slightly changed the recipe, the pancakes came out PERFECT!!! Thanks so much for sharing
Dee
I’m really glad you and your son enjoyed these, Dee! Thanks so much for sharing. I appreciate your review!
Just found this recipe last weekend, it’s too easy for how delicious they are. I’m gonna get fat from eating these too often.
Great to hear, Matt!
My son and I love making these pancakes together. Thanks for the easy recipe.
You’re welcome, Anne! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Hey! I tried to make this recipe but unfortuneatly I wasn’t able to finish them as the pancakes stuck solidly to the pan! Please tell me what I did wrong!? :(
Hi Mark! I’m sorry to hear that. Did you lightly grease your pan first?
I’ve made these twice now — thanks for a simple and (so far) foolproof recipe! They worked well with all purpose flour but whole wheat was even tastier. Even my non-vegan boyfriend liked them.
Wonderful, CF! Thanks so much for letting me know what you thought.
I just made these and since I have a picky 2.5 year old son and a picky 35 year old husband, I snuck in chia seeds and flax seeds and added a little cinnamon, banana chunks and dairy-free chocolate chips. AH-MA-ZING. They’re all gobbling them up as I type!
Delicious, Anna! Thank you for sharing and letting me know you loved this one.
I’m sorry but I was really hoping to love these but I found them thick, bland and even a bit bitter. The batter, even after adding more almond milk, was too thick to pour and just fell in a blob in the skillet. I’ve been cooking for over 50 years, so I’m sure I followed the recipe correctly. :(
I’m sorry to hear you were disappointed. Thanks for letting me know!
These are actually the best vegan pan cakes I’ve made
Love to hear that! Thanks, Nita.
LOVE,LOVE, LOVE these pancakes. Just made with white whole wheat and my youngest loved them too . I admit I lied to her when she asked “Are these your healthy pancakes?” It was worth it when she declared them delicious. Thanks Kate.
That’s too funny! Thanks for sharing, Terri.
I tried this recipe using the gluten free flour. It turned out amazing!!!! Thank you so much..
I’m glad they worked so well gluten free!
Finally a vegan pancake that isn’t gummy! The only change I made was to sub maple syrup for date sugar and an extra 2 tbsp of almond milk. I served these with a hot blueberry compote and a drizzle of maple syrup. Delicious!
Hooray!! I’m glad you loved this version, Julie. Hot blueberry compote, delicious!
We added fresh blueberries to these and they turned out just perfect!
Sounds delicious, Ashley!
This recipe is definitely the best vegan pancake recipe I’ve tried!
I’ve been making it practically every weekend since I found it.
Love to hear that! I’m a pancake lover myself. I appreciate the review, M.
My husband and I stayed with my daughter and her family for a couple of days. She made these pancakes the first morning and we both liked them so much we asked for them the second morning. We are not vegan and don’t always care for some of the meals she serves. These were such a winner that they are the only pancakes I make now.
Love to hear that, Theresa! Thanks for your review.
i found the batter to be runny, so the pancakes came out really thin. I gradually added more flour to the mixture after each few I poured to help. BUT the flavour was DELISH!!!!!
Thank you, Nellie!
These were my first vegan pancakes. Turned out really well and will definitely be making them again! I mixed oat flour with all-purpose flour, used vanilla flavour soya milk with some water. Next time I’ll try to go for less baking powder though, because the taste is a bit too strong for me.
Thank you for sharing, Patricia! Make sure you are using aluminum free, that should help with the baking powder taste.
The pancakes tasted great, but the amount of baking soda is a little high.
Oh no, Anna! It’s baking powder, not soda. They are two different. That might help next time!
Just made this recipe for breafast today and totally loved it!!! Light and fluffy and perfect flavor! I made the batter totally sugar or maple syrup free to give it a more neutral flavor and they tasted great! Made half batch with fresh blueberries and half plain. We are in love with the result in both! This will become a go to recipe for sure!
Thanks so much for sharing.
You’re welcome, Susanna! Blueberries would be a nice addition.
Very delicious! I used AP flour and put sliced strawberries in the pancakes as they cooked! A perfect vegan pancake imo, sweet and fluffy
I’m happy to hear that, Emma! Thanks for your review.
Very good.. very simple..I now know how to make pancake from scratch also it’s vegan. I just added pinch of salt and turmeric powder.. Thank you for sharing
You’re welcome, Linda!
Can this be used with white whole wheat flour?
Best vegan pancakes I’ve tried!! So fluffy and good. Thanks for the recipe (:
You’re welcome, Kat!