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 changed the oil to avocado and only added one tablespoon and only added one tablespoon of real maple syrup, and these were hands-down the BEST pancakes I’ve ever had, vegan or otherwise. They have amazing flavor, they are fluffy– they are like a dessert! Thank you!!!
You’re welcome! I’m happy you loved them with your adaptions, Michelle.
We recently switched to the Vegan life. We have been doing more Forks over Knives, which removes oil as well….. thus pancakes have been dismal and take way too long to cook and make.
Found this recipe and WOW!! What a wonderful, delightful quick and easy recipe. My dear husband’s tastebuds were transported to heaven once again ❤️. I think a little oil will not hinder our steps to remain healthy for the long haul. I have written the recipe down and will use it once a week if not more. Thanks so much!!
I’m glad you loved it! Thanks for your review, Sheri.
Hi! Is the batter supposed to be really thick? I couldn’t even pore it out of the 1/4 cup..
It is similar to traditional pancake batter. Did you by chance let the batter rest at all? You did add the 1 cup milk of choice and oil, correct?
I let it rest while I was heating the pan heat up. Yup, 1 cup of milk and oil. I left out the maple syrup, that’s the only change I made. I will try again! Thank you for your reply :)
I’ve made this recipe multiple times and LOVE it! I usually put blueberries in mine. This is my go to recipe. Thank you!!
This is a great go-to recipe. Thanks for sharing, Zahra!
Can we use millet flour?
Unfortunately, I don’t think that would work well. Sorry, Maddie!
I made a half batch for myself. These are the best pancakes I’ve had in years! I used coconut oil in the recipe and it was delicious! So quick and easy to make, I can see myself making these every day haha. Thanks!
Hooray! I love to hear that. Thanks for taking the time to review, Lita.
I want to try this recipe this weekend. Would it be okay to substitute unsweetened applesauce for the oil? Im trying to keep oil to a minimum.
I haven’t tried it with this one. You could see what others may have done by searching the comments, Maria.
I actually did try it with unsweetened applesauce instead of oil and it worked very well.
Great! Thanks for sharing, Maria.
I always accidentally end up making your recipes (don’t always pay attention to the link I’m clicking), and they never disappoint! (I try to be refined sugar free, and my toddler and I are currently dairy and egg free, among others, due to minor allergies).
These are by far the BEST pancakes I have ever made (though part of that is due to learning not to over-mix the last few years).
Recipes like yours give me confidence in the kitchen, especially with using alternative ingredients.
Thank you, Kate <3
Now to see what recipes you have for scones. :-)
(oh, I also subbed 1 1/3 cup white flour)
I’m happy you are enjoying the recipe, Genevieve! Thank you for your review.
THIS IS HORRIBLE IT DOESNT WORK
I’m sorry you had a poor experience, Amber. What seemed to be your issue?
I love this recipe 5☆delicious
Fell apart and too much baking powder. Least favorite of the vegan pancake recipes I’ve tried.
Hi Lauren, I’m sorry these didn’t work for you. You used 1 tablespoon correct? Did you allow them to cook long enough before flipping them?
I love Pancakes! I’m so in love with this :) They look delicious
I love pancakes, too! Thanks for your review, Harsha.
Delicious and easy!
Great to hear, TW!
So good! I used Anita’s sprouted whole wheat flour and about 1/3 Bob’s red mill 1 to 1 flour and they turned out amazing- toddler approves! Thanks for making our Saturday morning easy and delicious!
Great to hear this recipe worked so well with that combination of flours!
Do you have any idea the nutrition facts? I would love to make these! I just would like to know the carbs, fats, and protein content. :)
Hi Shelby! Make sure you allow cookies in your browser. It’s working at the moment, but has had trouble recently. My team is working to resolve the issue. Also, you could try a different browser if you are having issues. Sorry for the inconvenience!
I’ve made these twice. Love, love, love them! I reduce the oil and maple syrup to 1 tbsp each and the flavor and texture is perfect for my taste. Thank you!
I’m so glad you love them, Lorie!
Thanks for sharing this recipe! Can I use this recipe for sheetpan pancakes?
You’re welcome! I don’t have a recipe for that and haven’t really tried that way. I would be curious to hear how it works!
These are delicious! Recently found out I’m allergic to Milk, so no butter either. I love pancakes and was so happy I can still have them. I usually suck at making them because they come out raw in the middle. These were perfect. I actually made good pancakes haha!
I’m happy you can have these! Lots of my recipes you can use oil and a non-dairy milk with, if you are looking for another recipe in the future!
I made these with soy milk and used cinnamon when I discovered we were out of vanilla — still so good. Was surprised that we couldn’t taste the olive oil. Really easy, light, fluffy.
I’m glad you still loved them, Sara! I appreciate your review.
I made this for my husand, son and myself and they came out amazing! I added vegan chocolate chips and frozen strawberries! They are light, fluffy and full of flavor! I will definitely be making these again!
Made this recipe. Added banana. Delicious!! Thanks for putting the recipe together ☺️. With delicious vegan recipes it makes being a vegan so much easier.
I doubled the recipe, poured the batter into a sheet pan and baked at 450F for 10 min in my Breville compact oven. It turned out perfect! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m going to make this. I have liquid coconut oil. (It wont solidify). Will that work as well?? Thank you!!
How did it turn out? Did it work?
Thank you! We are celebrating International Pancake Day tomorrow at school and we have a student with an egg allergy. I tried a batch of these tonight and they are wonderful. I am so thankful for your recipe. Everyone will be able to be able to eat a pancake or two!
How fun! I’m glad these are able to be enjoyed by all the kiddos!
Our Pancake Day was a hit! I read Eric Carle’s book, “Pancakes, Pancakes!” and then I took a spatula and flipped pancakes so that the students could catch them on a plate. (I had made some pancakes the night before.) Everyone got a chance to catch a pancake or two. We then mixed the batter and I then made pancakes for all. The smell filled the room and wafted out into the hallway, making passers-by very hungry. It was a wonderful way to share the joy of cooking with our students. Without the eggs, everyone was able to indulge in eating the pancakes from your wonderful recipe. Thank you, again!
This came at wonderfully! It was so good the first day that we slipped in a new lunch plan for the leftovers the second day of our family visit.
My mom is on low sodium for kidney and high blood pressure. I can’t eat dairy or eggs. That left homemade with adjustments. There are NO low sodium brands out there.
My mom was wolfing them down, which she hasn’t been doing lately. My dad ate a hearty amount. I did think they were a little sweet myself so I might do with less sugar next time. But I thoroughly enjoyed them.
I left out the salt altogether. Use regular white flour all-purpose. Used to low sodium baking powder, but next time we’ll try the special ener-g brand no sodium baking powder. Olive oil. And 2t cane sugar and1 maple syrup, until I realized I was low on maple syrup and switch to cane. For the mix I used cashew milk that was low sodium. It added to the sweetness. Was it hard to find low sodium milks. Later to make it thinner I used a soy milk. I cooked them in nutr-something coconut oil with buttery taste. It’s a responsibly grown company with no sodium. I used high quality vanilla.
I pre mix the dry in the wet and store them separately for two days. The wet in the refrigerator the dry on the counter. Use a whisk on the wet after I softened it a little in the microwave I mixed everything together and let it sit.
The batter bubbles, they come up light and fluffy. I added a bunch of soy milk to water it down a bit so they would come out thinner, our family’s preference.
Here’s the kicker. I left the leftover batter overnight in the fridge. It was bubbling when I pulled it out. I added some soy milk too thin and they came out as good as the day before.
I did 3 cups of flour and 3 cups of cashew milk and then realized it was about twice as much batter as we needed for three people.
Cooked on medium heat. Some of the time some medium-high. You do have to have the patience to let them to brown.
It took a while to cook a pile but then I put them in the 1200watt microwave for I think a minute and they warmed up fine. Not longer than a minute.
I couldn’t eat in in in restaurants due to a low immune condition so we had to cook at home. I was completely out of receipes for pancakes but I really wanted them for my birthday. And this recipe save the day. The put everybody in a good mood two days in a row. As well as being easy, very doable, tasting like pancakes not like a vegan knock off, very malleable into our low sodium needs, and I really was amazed at how many pancakes my 100 lb mom packed down.
Thank you for your detail, Curls!
Oops, so many typos. I’ll be making these again! Thank you!
I made them this morning and they were FABULOUS :) added chocolate chips!
Thanks for your review, Nina!
Absolutely love these vegan pancakes!! They are so delicious and taste even better than animal product pancakes <3
I’m glad you do!Thanks for your review, Coco.
We are recent vegans and my kids are forever grateful for you pancake recipe. “oh mom, I can eat this!!” Thanks!
Hooray! Thanks for commenting, Amanda.
These are amazing!! So fluffy and great flavor ❤️
Thanks for your review, Alexi!
YUM! Not vegan, but vegan curious, and these were BOMB. Added a sprinkle of cinnamon to the dry mix to give me a little extra warmth on this chilly winter morning!
I’m glad you tried them, Claire!
Yum! Despite a few mods (water not mylk, canola oil) and the addition of 1T of cocoa, these turned out super tasty!
Thank you for another great recipe! These were absolutely delicious! I subbed 2 Tbsp applesauce for the oil to make them oil free and they still turned out great. I used vegan sugar free chocolate chips, added walnuts and put sliced bananas on top as well. Yummy!
You’re welcome, Janel! Thanks for your review.
Absolutely the best and easiest plant based pancake recipe And I’ve tried a few over the years! Love your stuff!
Thanks for sharing, Karianne!
My roommate and I were scrounging for something quick and delicious to make and this did not let us down! We used soy milk and brown sugar and added chocolate chips with powdered sugar and cinnamon on top. They could have been a little sweeter, but they were fluffy and really hit the spot! Warmed up well too! Thank you so much – we will be using this again!
Do any adjustments need to be made for altitude? I live in an area that’s over 6,000 feet in elevation and I’m not sure what altitude this was developed at. Thanks!
Hi Jessi! I’m not sure, sorry. Since I don’t live in an area where I have consider that(Kansas City), I’m not sure how to adjust.
The most amazing vegan pancakes yet! I used all purpose flour and added dark chocolate chips and they were so yummy!
I’m excited you loved them, Cicely!
Oh my YUM! I wanted pancakes today but was being super lazy and didn’t feel like dealing with my usual egg substitute. When your site came up on my google search, I clicked right on it since I have yet to try a recipe from you that I don’t like! I was thrilled to see no egg substitute was needed and whipped these up in minutes. I had some Trader Joe’s pumpkin almond milk in my fridge so used that for the almond milk and they came out SO good! Can’t believe how fluffy they are and I love the touch of sweetness from the maple syrup! This is now my go-to pancake recipe, for sure! Looking forward to experimenting with various mix-ins in the future — chia seeds, hemp hearts, flax seeds, etc.!
My entire family including my toddler loves this recipe. I sprinkle flax seeds to the cakes when they are cooking.
You’re welcome! I’m glad this is a family favorite, Cinthia!
These were so easy to make and so delicious! A big hit with my children too. Thank-you :)
Wonderful pancakes!!!
These were delicious, light and fluffy! I used avocado oil. It absolutely was the perfect amount for my husband and I. I’ll make them again and add blueberries next time. Thank you! Love your cookbook also, will be utilizing it more as we are making our way to more whole food plant based eating.
Happy New Year!
I ended up making a double batch but decided to not fry it all up. I placed the mixed batter in a mason jar and into the fridge. Made the next morning. It did thicken up so I added a little more milk to batter and it was totally fine.
I also use all purpose flour and it works great.
This is my favorite pancake recipe! Thank you!
I’m happy you enjoyed this Tami! Thank you for sharing how you made this work overnight.
Thank you for this recipe. I have put off making pancakes since becoming vegan, but thought I would give this recipe a go.
They were great!
I had to make a few substitutions with what I had available (plain white flour, soy milk, liquid coconut oil), but they turned out really well.
Thanks again.
You’re welcome!
Best vegan recipe for pancakes I have made. My kids beg for vegan pancakes now. I mixed in some bananas as well…what can I say, but wow! Too good.
Thank you for your review, John!
I like pancakes but do not love them and my partner eats them but doesn’t like them. We both loved these. I used brown sugar and dried, wild blueberries. Thanks!
Such a ridiculously fluffy pancake and a velvety batter! I used Mexican vanilla for an extra punch of flavor. Will definitely make these again!
Love it!
Thanks for sharing, Cinthia!
These turned out great. I’ve expanded on your recipe and added PB powder for extra protein and a peanut butter flavor. A little cocoa makes them chocolate peanut butter… thanks!
Thank you for this recipe!! My kids and their friends now say – I make the best pancakes EVER!! Super greatful
Thank you and love this recipe! Just hope you have in it grams too, would be so much easier to follow through :)