These Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes are soft, fluffy, and perfectly sweet with hints of maple and vanilla. Made with just 7 simple ingredients, this easy breakfast recipe uses homemade vegan buttermilk for that classic airy texture and cooks up beautifully golden brown. Completely dairy-free and eggless, save these homemade pancakes for your next plant based breakfast or weekend brunch.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Light and fluffy: These homemade vegan pancakes are soft and airy, just like classic buttermilk pancakes.
- Easy breakfast idea: Made with basic ingredients and ready in 30 minutes or less, these pancakes make a quick vegan breakfast or brunch.
- Wholesome options: These pancakes are dairy-free and egg-free, naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup, and can easily be made with whole wheat pastry flour and no oil for an even lighter breakfast.
- Customizable toppings: serve with maple syrup, fresh fruit, vegan whipped cream, or whatever makes your heart happy.
Key Ingredients
- Whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour: The base of our pancakes!
- Baking powder: Helps the pancakes rise and achieve that airy texture.
- Maple syrup and vanilla: for a bit of sweetness and cozy flavor.
- Nondairy milk & apple cider vinegar: creates a homemade vegan buttermilk for light & fluffy pancakes.
How to Make Fluffy Vegan Pancakes
Gently combine nondairy milk and apple cider vinegar to create a simple vegan buttermilk. Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Pour in maple syrup, vanilla extract, and vegan buttermilk. Mix until just combined.
Heat a nonstick pan to medium-low heat and spray with a bit of oil if desired. Pour in a bit of pancake batter and let cook 2-3 minutes.
Flip the pancake and cook another 1-2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Do not overmix the batter! A few lumps are okay and even expected. Overmixing can make your pancakes tough and chewy.
- Cook on medium-low or low heat. This ensures pancakes cook through without burning. Every stovetop is a little different, so start by cooking just one pancake and then adjust the heat if needed before making the rest!
- Use a good nonstick pan, especially if you are skipping the optional oil.
Serving Suggestions
- Top with maple syrup and fresh berries for a classic touch.
- Make these pancakes a dessert-style treat with dairy-free chocolate chips and vegan whipped cream.
- Pair these golden brown pancakes with a savory breakfast item for a fun flavor combo! They pair well with Smoky Tempeh Bacon, or a hearty Tofu Scramble.
Substitutions & Variations
- You can use whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour, depending on dietary preferences. All purpose flour is the more traditional option, while whole wheat pastry flour is slightly less processed and offers a more WFPB-friendly version.
- Use any unsweetened nondairy milk you have on hand! I prefer soy milk for this recipe as it is one of the creamiest, but any will do.
- For fun flavor variations, mix blueberries or chocolate chips into your pancake batter!
Frequently Asked Questions
Making vegan buttermilk is actually really easy! Simply combine nondairy milk and apple cider vinegar and let it sit for a few minutes. The mixture will thicken slightly and develop a few lumps, this means it's ready to use!
You want to flip your pancake when bubbles have formed on the surface and the edges begin to look set. This typically takes 2-3 minutes.
These pancakes are mostly WFPB-friendly! They’re vegan, can be made with whole wheat pastry flour, and can be cooked without oil if you like. They use pure maple syrup as a sweetener, which aligns with some WFPB approaches but not others.
Other Vegan Breakfast Ideas You'll Love
📖 Recipe
Fluffy Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups unsweetened nondairy milk - (I prefer soy milk)
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour - OR all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the vegan buttermilk: In a small bowl, gently stir together the nondairy milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside for at least 5 minutes, until the mixture looks slightly thickened and lightly separated (it's normal to see small lumps here!)
- Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients: Pour the maple syrup, vanilla extract, and vegan buttermilk into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined, do not overmix! (The batter does not need to be perfectly smooth, a few lumps are okay!)
- Cook the pancakes: Heat a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. If desired, lightly spray the pan with just a bit of oil for more golden brown pancakes (optional, as long as you are using a good nonstick pan! Without the oil your pancakes will still cook through, they just won't develop the same golden brown color).Pour about ⅓ cup of pancake batter onto the pan for each pancake. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until bubbles form on the surface and the edges begin to look set. Flip and cook another 1-2 minutes, until the pancakes are cooked through (and golden brown, if using oil).Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve pancakes with maple syrup, fresh fruit, or your favorite toppings!
Nutrition
*Nutrition facts are an estimate and are calculated for one serving.
Happy cooking! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your pancake-making ways.
Stay joyfully balanced!
Julie Zosh says
We just made these, they were great! Made nice size fluffy pancakes, we'll have to save this one! Thank you for this and for the helpful tips
Delaney Marie says
This makes me so happy to hear! They're on repeat in my kitchen too! 🙂