Vegan Pancakes – Fluffy & Homemade

These Homemade Vegan Pancakes are light, so fluffy, and made with very simple pantry ingredients! They’re bound to become one of your favorite easy breakfasts, and are great for meal prep, too.

Recently I’ve gone back to my roots with regards to baking and cooking, so I decided to let you all in on the action!

Without further ado, I’m going to introduce one of my favorite basic recipes: Fluffy Vegan Pancakes!

After playing around with the ingredients in my other pancake recipes, I found the perfect measurements that worked seamlessly to provide beautiful, fluffy pancakes.

These homemade pancakes are the kind that your husband rips into seconds after they come out of the pan! Then, between mouthfuls, he’ll declares that they’re the best breakfast he’s ever had.

(Can you tell that this is a true story, yet? Talk about a glowing review!)

What Makes These Vegan Pancakes So Good?

There are lots of easy homemade pancake recipes out there… so what makes this one so good?

• Baking powder: It interacts with the liquids and the apple cider vinegar, and the following chemical reaction results in airy, pillow-soft pancakes that you can’t help but devour!
• Meal prep perfection: I flash-freeze these pancakes all the time. That means on busy mornings when the whole household is on the go, I can just take a few out, heat them up, and voila – breakfast.
• Customize-ability: That’s a word, right? With ingredients like sea salt and sugar, these simple 30-minute pancakes are sweet and flavorful all on their own. That said, you can also add on toppings/syrups to tailor that flavor to your liking! Decorate these stacks with raspberry jam, maple syrup, vegan whipped cream, and more – this is an opportunity to get kitchen-creative!

Notes on the Ingredients

Vegan pancakes are a very low-cost meal. There are no complicated or special ingredients here, and they are all things you probably already have in your pantry.

• Soy Milk: Soy milk is my personal favorite, but any other vegan milk, like oat or almond milk, should work as well.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Lemon juice is fine too. Whatever acid you end up using will interact with the milk, leaving you with a homemade vegan buttermilk.
• All-Purpose Flour: Whole wheat or gluten free flour can also be used. Make sure to weigh your flour so that you don’t end up packing it into a measuring cup – this could make your pancakes come out dense and heavy instead of light and fluffy.
• Baking Powder: This ingredient is the secret to fluffy pancakes!
• Sea Salt: To enhance and add flavor to your pancakes! Regular salt will work as well if you don’t have sea salt.
• Sugar: I generally use white granulated sugar, but you can add in any kind, or maple syrup or agave.
• Vegan Butter: Other oils like coconut oil can be substituted instead. Remember to use extra for the griddle/pan!

An aside about eggs: When I tested these with flax eggs, it didn’t really make a difference, so I decided to leave them out. You’ll still end up with an easy, impressive and delicious breakfast recipe! 

How to Make Vegan Pancakes from Scratch

Vegan pancake batter is a total breeze to mix together. You can have it prepped and ready for the griddle in just 15 minutes.

Then, in another 15 minutes, you’ll be pulling fluffy, golden-brown pancakes off the stove. You’ll also be trying to convince yourself to wait to add the maple syrup, before digging right into a stack!

Make the Vegan Buttermilk: Mix the nut milk and the lemon juice or ACV together in a small bowl/measuring cup. Set aside for about 5 minutes – this will make the vegan buttermilk.

Sift the Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. The sifting really helps to make the pancakes fluffy.

Mix the Batter Together: Add the sugar, melted butter/oil, buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and using a spatula, gently mix the batter until JUST combined. It’s okay (and normal) to have some lumps.

Prepare the Griddle: Heat a griddle pan or a cast iron skillet over medium heat and brush with coconut oil or vegan butter.

Cook the Pancakes: Pour about ¼ cup of batter into the pan/skillet for one pancake. Wait until some bubbles start to form on top. Allow to cook for about 2-3 more minutes and then flip the pancakes over once the bubbles begin to pop on top. Cook for about 2-3 more minutes until batter is cooked through.

Serve and Enjoy: Repeat for the rest of the pancakes. Serve pancakes hot and drizzle with maple syrup on top and your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

Tips for Success

Pancakes are very simple to make once you are aware of a few key tips:

• Use active baking powder. Test to ensure that your baking powder is still active. Let’s just say that I’ve confidently whipped up a double batch of pancakes, only to realize I had tossed my good baking powder and kept the expired one. We don’t want that! It’s very easy to test and will make all the difference in getting your pancakes nice and fluffy!
• Don’t overmix your batter. Like, seriously. Lumpy pancake batter is key for light and fluffy pancakes, so ensure that it looks similar to the photos above.
• Sift your dry ingredients. Sifting your ingredients really helps with the fluffiness. If you don’t have a strainer, sieve, or sifter, that’s okay you can still make the recipe – I do recommend it, though. 
• Weigh your ingredients. While pancakes aren’t as precise as baking a cake, I would still recommend weighing out your ingredients. It ensures the perfect consistency of the batter.
• Let wet ingredients come to room temp. Ensure all your wet ingredients are room temperature. Cold soy milk doesn’t mix very well, so I usually just open a new container. Sometimes, though, I take my bottle from the fridge, pour out what I need, and warm it up in the microwave so it’s room temperature. If you’re planning ahead, you can always just leave it on your counter until it is room temperature.

Serving Suggestions

As I’m sure you’re aware, there are many ways to enjoy a pancake. Many. These are just a few of my favorite toppings, add-ons, and sides:

• Toppings: Too many to count! But let’s start with maple syrup, vegan whipped cream, jam, peanut butter, vegan chocolate chips, etc.
• Fresh Fruit: You can add chopped fruit to the top of you pancake stack, or simply enjoy it on the side. My personal favorite is clearly strawberries, but raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and banana slices are also popular in this household.
• Tofu Scramble: This tofu scramble recipe is just as delicious as your standard scrambled eggs, and it’s the perfect side to a plate of fluffy pancakes!
• Potatoes: Any hash brown fans? These crispy garlic roasted potatoes can be served at dinner, but they’re also delicious as a breakfast side!
• Vegan Waffles: If you’re having a brunch spread, why not pop out a plate of these fluffy vegan waffles, too? They’re sure to be equally well-received.

How to Store & Reheat Homemade Pancakes

You can refrigerate these vegan pancakes in an airtight container, or tight layers of plastic wrap, for 4-5 days. I like to reheat them in the toaster oven rather than using the microwave to prevent sogginess. Don’t forget to add some more jam or maple syrup on top before eating!

Can I Freeze Extras?

Yes, freeze your pancakes so they last for a couple of months! I recommend flash freezing them, then heating them up in your toaster oven. They remain just as light and fluffy.

Related Recipes

• Easy Vegan Blueberry Pancakes (GF)
• Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes
• Gluten Free Strawberry Pancakes

Enjoy friends! If you make this post about these Easy Vegan Pancakes, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!