Fluffy Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes

Brunch is the best meal. Lazy weekends, sleeping in, and eating the best breakfast foods later than we should, with people we love. What could be better than that?

Of course, no brunch would be complete without a stack of light, fluffy pancakes drenched in maple syrup. In this version, we're combining plant milk and vinegar to create our own vegan buttermilk. The vinegar curdles the milk and helps it develop a buttermilk flavor.

In the PVT (pre-vegan times), I cooked pancakes a lot. Like a couple times a week. I would eat them with lots of fresh fruit to make them "healthy" 🙈. Once I became vegan, I tried some pancake recipes that were okay, but none of them were so good that I thought, "I have to make this again!"

So I went on a mission. I started trying any pancake recipe I could find, but nothing lived up to my expectations. Then, I took my old (non-vegan) recipe, and started making some changes to vegan-ize it. The results were amazing! The pancakes were light and fluffy, with the perfect texture and buttery flavor. I get perfect pancakes every time! I can't keep something this good to myself. So please make this recipe, enjoy it, and share it with your brunch partners!

Please note that this recipe was updated in October 2021 to remove the flax egg. I did some testing and the pancakes actually came out better without the ground flax. However, if you liked the old recipe and want to continue using it, just mix up 1 tbsp. of ground flaxseed with 2 tbsp. of water, then mix it in with the rest of the wet ingredients.

This recipe makes 4-5 large pancakes or 6-7 medium pancakes (serves 2-3 people). You can always double the amounts if you need more!

For more vegan breakfast and brunch recipes, try my French toast, English muffins, blueberry muffins, cinnamon rolls, apple cinnamon muffins, or glazed donuts recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add in chocolate chips or blueberries to these pancakes? Yes! However, you shouldn't add them directly into the batter. After you've poured your pancake batter on the hot pan, you can drop blueberries or chocolate chips on top, then use the back of a spoon to press them into the batter.

Can I add protein powder to these pancakes? Adding protein powder will require some adjustments to the recipe, including reducing the flour and increasing the baking powder. Fortunately, I've already created a separate vegan protein pancake recipe for you with protein powder.

How can I get my pancakes to be the same size? You can use well-oiled pancake rings to get perfectly round pancakes. You can also use a measuring cup to measure out the same amount of batter for each pancake. I use about 1/4 cup of batter for medium-sized pancakes.

Can I make the batter ahead of time? You could, but I have found that the pancakes don't come out as light and fluffy as they do when I use the batter immediately. That's because the baking soda gets activated right away, and it will start to lose its ability to rise the longer the batter sits. If you really need to make the batter in advance, I recommend that you leave the baking soda out and then add it when you're ready to cook the pancakes. Store the batter in an airtight container with plastic wrap directly on top of the batter (or in a Ziploc bag).

Why are my pancakes chewy or wet inside? If your pan is too hot, then the outside will cook and possibly burn before the insides can fully cook. Make sure you're checking the temperature of your pan with water (as explained in step 4) before attempting to cook your pancakes.

Can I make these pancakes gluten-free? I have not tried it myself, however I've heard that others have had good results using Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour (which is also vegan).