Simple and Delicious Vegan Whole Grain Pancakes + Tips to Make a Perfect Pancake

Happy Tuesday! I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! It has been a busy past few weeks for me so I was really looking forward to enjoying a long weekend. I was especially looking forward to sleeping in...which basically means 7:30am for me. I'm officially getting old ;) This weekend I was actually able to sleep in until 9am. Say whaaa? I'll take it! Other than catching up on some sleep, my weekend consisted of 2 cookouts, dinner and drinks with friends, a few hours at the pool, hanging out with one of my best friends who was in town, a lot of quality time with my family and hubby, and PERFECT weather. I even managed to squeeze a few workouts in. Whew, what a whirlwind! I barely got anything done around the house that I was planning on but I am 100% completely OK with that because the weekend was such a blast. Although I didn't get to as much cleaning and laundry as I had planned, I did carve out time to make some pancakes. There is always time for pancakes. 

I often play around with different pancake recipes but have been sticking with this combo the past few times. Sometimes pancakes can feel like a complete belly bomb and leave me feeling bloated and heavy the rest of the day. Luckily, these guys do not. These pancakes are GOOD. I mean, really good. They are fluffy and light and make your belly feel right. I really like rhyming about pancakes, btw.  

Making plant-based (no egg, no dairy) pancakes can be a tricky business.  In the past, I have made pancakes that have turned out gummy, burnt, under-cooked, too thick, or too thin. I'm sure a lot of that had to do with my ingredient ratios but I also know that some of it had to do with the technique I was using (or lack there of). Here are some tips I have learned through a lot of trial and error. Whether you are making plant-based pancakes or not, these tips will help you make the perfect cake. 

  • Use a hot pan! The pan must already be very hot before you put the batter on. If you add the batter onto a mildly-warm pan, they will likely be under-cooked and gummy. The pan is ready when you hear a sizzle the moment the batter hits the pan. You can test with a drop of water. If you don't hear a sizzle, it's not ready.
  • Be careful not to over mix. This is a common mistake that I used to make A LOT. When wheat flour is mixed too much, it stresses the gluten and leads to tough and gummy pancakes. A few swirls to incorporate the wet & dry ingredients is enough. You want to leave lots of lumps in your batter.
  • Wait for the bubbles. If you get the batter and temperature of the pan right, you should see bubbles on the surface at around the 2 minute mark. Once you see the bubbles, flip and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes on the other side.

Simple and Delicious Vegan Whole Grain Pancakes 

|Makes 6, 4-inch pancakes|

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour (or all-purpose)
  • 1 tsp pure maple syrup  
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 Tbsp water
  • 1 cup almond milk (or non-dairy milk of your choice)
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil (or canola oil)

Instructions

  1. Create your "flax egg" by combining the 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed with 3 Tbsp water in a bowl. Whisk together and set aside to thicken (about 5 minutes). 
  2. Warm the pan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Then spread a little canola or coconut oil over the bottom of the pan using a paper towel. If using a griddle, heat to between 300-350 degrees (F). 
  3. In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt), and stir together. 
  4. In a separate bowl, add the non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar (this will create buttermilk). Then add coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and flax egg and mix together. 
  5. Carefully mix the two together without stressing the batter. Remember, a few small lumps are your friend!
  6. Scoop 1/4 cup batter onto the lightly greased pan/griddle. If your pan is large enough, you can cook 2 or 3 at a time. Wait about 2 minutes until you see bubbles form. Flip and cook for another 1 1/2 minutes or until golden brown. *You can keep the first batch of pancakes warm by putting them into a preheated oven at 200 degrees (F) until ready to serve. 
  7. Top with maple syrup or your favorite nut butter and fruit (which is what I usually do) and ENJOY!

 

What are some things you do to make the PERFECT pancake?

Breakfastlauren blakepancakes, vegan, breakfast, wholegrain, healthy pancakes, healthy recipe4 Comments