Made with whole grains and homemade vegan buttermilk, these fluffy, hearty Whole Wheat Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes will be your go-to pancake recipe from here on out!

maple syrup being poured over a stack of whole wheat vegan buttermilk pancakes

We love our vegan pancakes over here. Usually I'm making classic flavors of pancakes like these Whole Wheat Vegan Banana Pancakes, easy vegan sourdough pancakes or these insanely fluffy Pumpkin Sheet Pan Pancakes. Other times we love more unique flavors like these Healthy Chocolate Chickpea Flour Pancakes or these Savory Falafel Pancakes.

But more often than not, I resort back to the most classic pancake flavor of all: Buttermilk Pancakes! These pancakes are so easy to make, incredibly fluffy and made with a base of whole wheat flour so you're left feeling energized and satisfied. Yes please! Let me show you how to make them.

a stack of whole wheat vegan pancakes on a plate

How to Make Vegan Buttermilk

Before we can make vegan buttermilk pancakes we need to talk about how to make vegan buttermilk.

But first, what even is buttermilk?

In the past, buttermilk was the liquid leftover from churning butter. It was thin and essentially fat-free, yet still tasted rich.

Nowadays, buttermilk is pasteurized milk that contains cultures. It can be purchased at the grocery store and ranges from skim to full-fat.

If you can't find vegan buttermilk at the store, don't worry! It's so easy to make at home. Plus, you can make just the amount you need for a recipe instead of buying an entire carton and trying to use it all up before it goes bad.

To make vegan butter milk you'll need the following two ingredients:

An acid: such as apple cider vinegar, white vinegar or lemon juice.
Non-dairy milk: such as soy, almond or even oat.

In general you'll need:

1 tablespoon of an acid for every 1 cup of non-dairy milk.

Stir the acid into the non-dairy milk and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes in order for the milk to "curdle". Then continue on with your recipe!

Ingredients You'll Need for Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes

Other than your homemade non-dairy buttermilk, these vegan buttermilk pancakes require minimal ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your pantry.

I'll list out all of the ingredients you'll need below:

Non-dairy milk
Apple cider vinegar
Whole wheat flour
Coconut sugar
Baking powder
Baking soda
Salt
Aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas)
Oil (any neutral flavored oil)

You can see that the first two ingredients are non-dairy milk and vinegar. As I explained above, these two ingredients will be combined to make non-dairy buttermilk. This buttermilk will react with the baking soda to create super fluffy pancakes!

How to Cook Pancakes on the Stovetop

a slice of a stack of pancakes stuck on a fork

To make pancakes on the stovetop, you first need to make the pancake batter.

To make the pancake batter, start by whisking together all of the dry ingredients, including the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Next, whisk in the wet ingredients, including your homemade non-dairy buttermilk, aquafaba and oil. Allow the batter to sit for a few minutes while you heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
To cook pancakes on the stovetop, grease your heated skillet with some cooking spray or a little bit of oil. Then take about ¼ cup of batter and pour it onto the hot pan, spreading it into the shape of a circle. Allow the batter to cook for a couple minutes until bubbles begin to form around the outside. Then carefully flip the pancake over to cook the other side. Continue this process until all of the batter has been used.

How to Store Pancakes

After each pancake has finished cooking, transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Once you've cooked all your pancakes, store them using one of the following methods below:

Fridge: You can store your cooled pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Freezer: If you want your pancakes to last longer, you can freeze them. Start by flash freezing them by placing them on a baking sheet in a single layer in the freezer until hard. Once mostly frozen, place them in a freezer zip-lock bag in the freezer until ready to use.

How to Reheat Pancakes

To reheat pancakes that have been in the fridge, we usually just place them on a plate and zap them in the microwave for a few seconds until warmed through.

If you are reheating frozen pancakes, you can remove the amount you need the night before and place them in the fridge to thaw. Then microwave them when you're ready to eat.

the inside of a stack of vegan buttermilk pancakes

📖 Recipe