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.
These are now my favourite pancakes. I just added a bit of cinnamon! Now my go-to pancake recipe :)
Hi Kate.
Is there any specific brand of non-stick griddle you recommend for pancakes? My little boy loves pancakes for breakfast but I didn’t have much luck making fluffy pancakes at all.
Thanks.
Hi Rana! A good stainless steel heated with a good cooking oil or cast iron works well, too. I prefer to stay away from non-stick as there are a lot of unknowns about the chemical usage.
Absolutely delicious! For those of you who ended up with crumbly pancakes, don’t miss the step of letting it sit for a few minutes. I didn’t the first time so my pancakes failed. The second I did and they turned out great! I also used oat milk.
I just made them, they turned out great! Thank you for the great recipe!
You’re welcome! Thank you for your review, Polina.
Made this today. They came out so fluffy and delicious! I did half whole wheat and half oat flour, and served with maple syrup on top, and sliced peaches on the side. I have finally found my go-to whole grain pancake recipe, thank you! :)
Just made these and they came out a treat!
Tasted like the real deal, looked like the real deal but I with your magic ingredient list!
Will 100% remake!
Hi Kate, long-time fan of yours here, writing to say these pancakes are our family favorite. My two-year-old daughter is particularly enthusiastic about them. Thank you for another great recipe!
I recently started an eco-blog where I post a lot about veganism. Did you know that adopting a plant-based diet is the single best way to reduce your impact on the planet? I’m working on a post of the best vegan breakfasts and I’m definitely including a link to these. Thanks again– we really appreciate your culinary wisdom :)
My mom and I absolutely loved this recipe! It was easy to make. I shared it with my best friends. Thank you!
You’re welcome! Thanks for letting me know you loved it and plan to share it.
Thanks so much for this easy and delicious recipe. I’ve tried other vegan pancake recipes and they’ve been rather over complicated and underwhelming. I made these with 2/3 spelt flour and 1/3 plain (all purpose) white flour and they turned out great. My vegan teenage daughter’s non veggie friends all loved them too !! Thanks again, Anna and Eliza x
I have to say these were horrible. It was like eating cake and the texture was rubbery. I will not be making again.
Well, I’m over here in Ireland and never was able to make a truly good vegan pancake until today. And that’s tough, because I never bring eggs or milk home, but I really used to love making pancakes on Sunday mornings. Thanks so much for this lovely recipe! I think I’m using a kind of white, unbleached whole wheat flour – it’s imported to an organic farm – anyway, they turned out amazing! I had to quickly make up another batch once I realized they were going to be a winner!
I wanted to love these but they were dreadful – no taste and they stuck to the pan. Disappointed! :(
Really great and fluffy pancakes. I made them with almond milk and melted Earth Balance soy free buttery spread, and they were perfect. Thanks!
So good! I use 3/4 cup whole wheat flour and 1/4 cup protein powder, use sugar free pancake syrup instead of maple, and sub applesauce for the oil. If you caramelize some apples in sugar free syrup and put the pancake mix on top it is even better!!
Took forever for the pancake to cook on the inside and was very difficult to flip.
I made a gluten free version of this with 1/2 c chestnut four, 1/4 c oat flour, 1/4 c tapioca starch and 1/8 tsp xanthan gum in place of the whole wheat flour and added 1/4 tsp of apple cider vinegar to boost the bubbles. They came out tender and sweet!
These were really good!! I didn’t have whole-wheat flour so I just used all purpose and they were delicious!
I usually don’t comment on recipes but this one was so yummy, I had to!
These pancakes were easy to make and taste like the ones served at McDonald’s. Super fluffy and delicious!
Just had this for breakfast and it turned out wonderfully! I added a bit of cinnamon into the batter and it just added a little bit more flavour. Recommend!
Thank you for sharing, Julie! I appreciate it.
These came our outstanding!
So simple and so delicious.
I used half coconut oil and half olive oil and mixed in strawberries.
Soooo yummy!!
This is my go-to recipe whenever I have a craving for pancakes! Thank you so much, I love it!
We love these pancakes! I’ve been making them almost weekly (x2 or x3) for months. My youngest is intolerant to dairy/soy/egg/oat/cashew/coconut and when it came time for him to eat real food I had to find something that he and my oldest could eat. These are a winner, and my husband and I like then too. We throw in blueberries (and occasionally chocolate chips), and make a big batch to eat throughout the week, they are so easy/quick to whip up! My kids eat 3-5 each, so it goes without saying that they love them :) Thank you for a great recipe!
That’s great! I’m happy you can find something your little one can enjoy. Appreciate your review, Rhianna!
These look delicious! I was hopping to make these for my almost 1 year old who has an egg allergy, do you think they would still turn out right if I cut back the maple syrup in them? I figured they’d still have plenty of flavor with vanilla extract in them. Thank you for the help!
Hi! I’m not sure without the syrup how they would come together. You could try it!
This recipe turned out amazing! I made these for my mom this morning, and instead used the batter for waffles, tastes so good.
I used Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour
and followed the rest of the recipe as it is written. The batter came out too runny for my liking so I added more flour till I reached the consistency that I wanted. I cooked them in a waffle iron and it turned out perfect and light brown and crisp on the outside. Thank you for the recipe!
I’m sorry you didn’t love it as written, but were able make it work!
So easy and delicious! Thank you!
The best pancake recipe I ever tried! Thank you for making this amazing recipe
These were amazingly tasty. I made some waffles with all purpose flour last week, but the taste of whole wheat in this recipe is so much better. I used a 1/3 cup measuring spoon instead of a 1/4 cup, because it seemed to work better. I substituted apple sauce for the oil. My pancakes didn’t look all round and perfect, but the taste was great.
I’m glad they tasted delicious!
I’ve made this super-easy recipe 3 times now – first with whole wheat flour, turbinado sugar, and coconut oil. 2nd time with unbleached flour, granulated raw cane sugar, and coconut oil. 3rd time with unbleached flour, maple syrup, and coconut oil, plus some chopped bananas into half of the pancakes. The griddle was greased with coconut oil first 2 times, 3rd time with plant-based almond butter. All 3 batches were fantastic and fluffy, but I think the 3rd was pure perfection. I’ve been vegan for 11 months now, having tried many recipes. This is THE recipe that gets top marks from me!
Hey! I’ve made these several times before and turned out well, i was wondering if whole wheat pastry flour would work? Thanks
Hi! They will be extra fluffy. Let me know what you think!
Winner, winner!! My husband is now following a plant based diet and we’ve tried many pancake recipes in search of one that he likes. He loved these! I followed your recipe exactly..using olive oil and maple syrup, they turned out great!
Thank you for sharing and GO CHIEFS!!!
These were so good and easy to make! I can’t have lactose and had yet to find a vegan pancake I really liked, and these are just perfect. We made them for Valentine’s brunch and my dairy-eating partner said he liked it then more than most buttermilk pancakes! We were a little thrown off by the thickness of the batter at first and worried we might have made an error, but they cooked up absolutely perfectly – “buttery” on the outside and fluffy and sweet on the inside. We will 100% be making again.
Wonderful to hear, Grace. I appreciate your review!
Love this recipe! I used agave sweetener instead of maple syrup & cinnamon in my mixture with some blueberries & it was delicious!!!
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing, June.
Do you think this could be made with buckwheat flour?
I haven’t tried it, sorry! Buckwheat Pancakes instead?
BEST. VEGAN. PANCAKES. EVER.
Thank you! I’m happy you think so.
Made those Pancakes this morning and they turned out badly because the dough was just too liquid (I only realized that after I’ve already tried to make 3).
Would be great if you could add a comment in your receipt above how the consistency of the dough should be.
Hi! I would suggest you check out the video that goes with the post, that should help. Are you sure you added enough flour and not too much liquid?
I just made these and WOW they are delicious. What I really love about them is that they don’t give up anything on taste and texture, yet don’t require any egg substitute. Thanks for another great recipe!
As usual you have the most delicious recipes! My daughter who is picky with her breakfast food woofed it down
Delicious! I cooked these in a bit of coconut oil and they came out so fluffy with a slight crisp on the outside.
thank you so much you save my meal
now i finally escape from dark-soggy-banana-pencakes
The most disgusting thing ever. Way too much baking powder (it feels like it burns your throat) and they get torn as soon as you touch them.
Hi Mailen, I’m sorry you didn’t like these. Were you using aluminum free baking powder?
Just used this recipe and fell in love. I used all purpose Einkorn flour! Turned out so so good.
Delicious! But they looked awful and were very difficult to cook as the batter was too dense. I followed the recipe exactly and used oat milk, and someone else in the comments had a similar problem. Definitely wouldn’t make these if I was going for a beautiful-looking presentation, but to make them for myself when I’m craving vegan pancakes? Absolutely!
Hi, I’m sorry to hear that. How did you measure your flour? Sounds like you may have had too much.
These are the perfect pancakes! They’re so easy to make, the flavors are perfectly balanced (not too sweet), the texture is wonderful, and they’re so satisfying and filling! I love the whole wheat flour: It’s more filling, but it doesn’t taste as starchy or refined. I put more maple syrup and berries on top. I’ll be making these quite often!
First recipe I’ve tried on here and let me tell you these are the BEST pancakes we’ve ever had! Added some thawed frozen blueberries and ground cinnamon. And we topped it with some agave syrup and vegan butter. This will be our go to recipe from now on. Thank you! And your totally right btw. Couldn’t taste the olive oil at all.
Thank you, Lily! I’m delighted you enjoyed these.
Absolutely delicious! I made them gluten free subbing the wholegrain flour with plain gluten free flour blend and it worked perfectly. Definitely a Sunday morning favourite in our household with some Berry compote.
Great, Kristy! Thank you for your review.
god these are good.
i’m on a restricted diet due to nursing so i thought i’d try some vegan pancakes this morning.
i mixed too aggressively and didn’t wait for the batter to rest; i also flipped the pancakes too soon and ruined a couple. however, the handful that i managed to make correctly were so so so delicious. next time i’ll use a nonstick pan instead of my skillet and i’ll be more patient when flipping the pancakes— and i think it’ll yield a better result.
The best pancake recipe I’ve found whether you’re vegan or not!
I’m happy you liked it, Ayana!
These are truly the best pancakes! Thank you very much Kate.
I’m glad you liked them! I appreciate your review.
This is my go-to pancake recipe!! I follow your instructions to a T only I include ground cinnamon in the batter.