Vegan Pancakes

Learn how to make 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.

I love this recipe. At breakfast, no one guesses they are eating fluffy vegan pancakes; 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.

These Vegan Pancakes are simple, delicious, and perfect with strawberry jam, vegan butter and maple syrup, or plenty of fresh berries and a dusting of cinnamon. Make stacks – the folks are hungry!

Recipe ingredients

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

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: Add lemon juice to oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, or any other dairy-free milk to make “vegan buttermilk.”

Step-by-step instructions

1. To combine the dry ingredients, in a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ground flaxseeds, and salt. To mix the wet ingredients, 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 the oat milk mixture. Stir gently until just combined with a few lumps (do not overmix).

2. Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat, greasing if desired (see note 3). Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately ¼ cup for each pancake.

3. 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.

Recipe tips and variations

• Yield: This recipe makes 8 (4-inch) fluffy 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.
• Make ahead: If you decide to make your own ricotta, it can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
• Freezer: Arrange cooled pancakes in a single layer, not touching, on a small baking sheet or plate. Freeze until the pancakes are individually frozen, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Freeze up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave or toaster from frozen (yes, you can just pop them in the toaster!).
• Vanilla: I don’t always add vanilla extract to my pancake batter, but a tsp is delicious! It’s a little bit more natural sweetness.
• 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.
• Keep them warm: To keep pancakes warm while you’re preparing them, or to store them for an imminent brunch, preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Set a rack over a baking sheet and place in the oven, then transfer cooked pancakes to the rack until serving time.
• 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 tbsp lemon juice or plain white vinegar (apple cider vinegar works too). 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).
• Gluten-free pancakes: Substitute your favorite 1:1 GF flour blend. My favorite is King Arthur’s 1:1 GF flour blend.
• Classic Homemade Pancakes: For standard white-flour pancakes better than anything you’d get at the diner, try my beloved Homemade Pancake Recipe. It’s ready in 20 minutes or less, and they are so good! Definitely a family and reader favorite.
• Banana Pancakes: These Banana Pancakes deliver exactly what you’re hoping for: A delicious breakfast that reminds you of eating banana bread, only better!
• Blueberry Pancakes: These fluffy homemade pancakes are filled with heaps of blueberries – fresh or frozen! They remind me of the epic pancakes from the Cracker Barrel restaurant.
• Chocolate Chip Pancakes: Doubling as breakfast and dessert, these delicious pancakes have plenty of chocolate chips inside. Possibly the most popular pancake with the kids?
• Healthy Pancake Recipe: If you’re looking for wholesome breakfast ideas, keep a batch of homemade Healthy Pancake Mix in the pantry. Whenever the mood strikes, mix up the batter for as few as 3 to 4 pancakes at a time. It’s ideal for busy school mornings and will keep the kids full until lunchtime.
• Lemon Ricotta Pancakes: These luscious pancakes are lemon-scented, light as air, and make every day a little sunnier. Make them as-is, or add blueberries for the best breakfast ever.
• Pumpkin Pancakes: These pumpkin-spiced pancakes taste as good as pumpkin muffins, loaves, and lattes.
• Oatmeal Pancakes: These homemade pancakes are easy, hearty, and naturally gluten-free. Make the batter in a blender with rolled oats blended right in.

More plant-powered recipes

Vegan Recipes

Lemon Olive Oil Cake (Vegan)

Side Dish Recipes

Citrus Salad

Bread Recipes

How to Make Bagels

Stock, Sauce, and Spread Recipes

How to Make Orange Marmalade

Vegan Pancakes

By Meggan Hill

Learn how to make 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.

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings (2 pancakes each)

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Calories 413

5 from 2 votes

ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground 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 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

1. Ground flaxseeds (flaxseed meal): Golden flaxseeds have the mildest flavor, but brown flaxseeds are fine too.
2. Oat milk: Add lemon juice to oat milk (or any other non-dairy milk) to make “vegan buttermilk.”
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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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