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A quick and easy vegan pancake recipe for light, fluffy pancakes that practically float off the plate. I adjusted my favorite buttermilk pancakes using plant-based ingredients, and the results are just as delicious.
I love this recipe. At breakfast, no one guesses the recipe is vegan; they just gobble every last light-as-air bite down as fast as they can. It’s definitely what you want to make when you’re in the mood for breakfast but you’re all out of eggs.
But there’s a little science to it, too. Like in many vegan recipes, ground flaxseeds are used in place of eggs. There’s also a vegan buttermilk made with non-dairy oat milk and an acid; in this case, lemon juice.
Simple, delicious, and perfect with strawberry jam and lots of real maple syrup.
Ingredient notes:
- Ground flaxseeds (flaxseed meal): The recipe calls for golden flaxseeds, which have a milder flavor, but brown flaxseeds are fine, too.
- Oat milk: For making the vegan buttermilk. I haven’t tested the recipe with other non-dairy milks. They “should” work fine, but please proceed with caution.
- Coconut oil: A little in the batter, and for frying the cakes in the skillet. If you are sensitive to the coconut flavor, substitute your favorite mild-flavored oil.
- Fresh lemon juice: Not only for flavor. In this recipe lemon juice curdles the oat milk to make a buttermilk substitute which makes the pancakes so delicious.
- Vegan butter: Pick your favorite plant-based butter for melting over your stack of flapjacks (Earth Balance Original is my go-to).
Step-by-step instructions:
- Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ground flaxseeds, and salt. Make a well in your dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients: oat milk, lemon juice, melted coconut oil. Gently whisk everything together until just combined with a few lumps remaining.
- Fry up the pancakes on your griddle or nonstick skillet. Wait to flip them until bubbles start to form and the edges have set.
Recipe tips and variations:
- Yield: We hope this recipe makes enough pancakes for 4 people, but appetites vary.
- Make ahead: The batter is easy enough to whip up when you need it, and it only takes a few minutes. Sit the dry ingredients together the night before, and you’re halfway there.
- Leftovers: Make pancakes with the leftover batter, let cool, then wrap in plastic and refrigerate for a snack later.
- Add-ins: Chocolate chips, cinnamon, bananas, coconut flakes, blueberries, whatever you love.
- Making a “flax egg”: 1 egg = 2 ½ teaspoon ground flax meal + 3 tablespoons water. Mix the flax and water together and let it sit for a couple of minutes to gel. (In this vegan pancake recipe, we use oat milk to hydrate the ground flaxseed, so you don’t need to add extra water.)
- Making vegan buttermilk: 1 cup non-dairy milk +1 tablespoon lemon juice or plain white vinegar. Depending on the recipe, you can let it sit for 5-10 minutes to curdle (it didn’t make any difference in this recipe, though).
More Sunday morning recipes:
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Vegan Pancakes
A quick and easy recipe for Vegan Pancakes that are light, fluffy, and powered by plants! Made with oat milk, flax, and coconut oil, no one will ever guess your healthy secret.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground golden flaxseeds (see note 1)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups unsweetened oat milk room temperature (see note 2)
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil melted and cooled, plus more for the skillet if desired (see note 3)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- vegan butter and maple syrup or fresh fruit, for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ground flaxseeds, and salt. In a second bowl, whisk together oat milk, melted coconut oil, and lemon juice.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in oat milk mixture. Whisk gently until just combined with a few lumps (do not overmix).
- Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium high heat, greasing if desired (see note 3). Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately ¼ cup for each pancake.
- When bubbles start to form on the first side, carefully flip and brown the second side. Repeat with remaining batter (you should have about 8 pancakes). Serve hot with vegan butter and maple syrup or fresh fruit.
Notes
- Ground flaxseeds (flaxseed meal): The recipe calls for golden flaxseeds, which have a milder flavor, but brown flaxseeds are fine, too.
- Oat milk: Add lemon juice to oat milk (or any other non-dairy milk) to make "vegan buttermilk."
- Oiling the skillet: If you love crispy edges on your pancakes, you’ll want to lightly grease your skillet with oil before adding the batter. If using a non-stick skillet, you can skip the fat and cook the flapjacks in a dry skillet for a smooth, brown surface.
- Yield: This recipe makes 8 (4-inch) pancakes (more or less depending on how you size them). It should be enough for 4 servings, 2 pancakes each, but appetites may vary.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 2 (4-inch) pancakesCalories: 413kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 9gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 949mgPotassium: 126mgFiber: 3gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 246IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 358mgIron: 4mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
My girlfriend and I made these because we are recently vegan. Loved them!