Healthy vegan pancakes perfectly proportioned for one person! This easy, perfectly fluffy single-serve pancake recipe is wholegrain, egg-free, dairy-free, oil and fat-free and perfect for when you're all alone and craving pancakes but want to be somewhat healthy!
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FEATURED COMMENT:
"BEST PANCAKES EVER!!! I've made these before, but this time I added fresh blueberries to the batter just before making. Mel, your pancake recipes are all top-notch, and this one is the BEST in my opinion!" - Maureen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
Healthy oil-free vegan pancakes for one! This is the recipe I make when I'm home alone and have a pancake craving but want to stay on the healthy train.
Just like my Pancake in a Mug, it's perfectly proportioned for one serving, making just 2 or 3 fluffy pancakes (depending on how big you make each one) and is really quick and easy, while being surprisingly nutritious and wholesome.
I originally shared this recipe back in 2016, and although many of you loved it, my recipe development skills have improved over the years and the way I make these pancakes has evolved, too. So I've tweaked the recipe to make the pancakes healthier, softer, higher in protein, and way fluffier.
I always want my recipes to be the best they possibly can be, and I hope you love this new and improved version. The pancakes were good before, but now they are even better!
Mel x
P.S. Did you love the old version of this recipe? I've included a copy of it in the FAQ's so you can still make it if you want to.
Ingredients
Here is what you need at a glance, along with some important ingredient notes & substitution ideas:
- Flour - This recipe is intended to be a slightly healthier one, so my preference is to use wholewheat or spelt flour. Even with wholewheat flour, the pancakes are perfectly fluffy. You can use all-purpose flour if you prefer, and gluten-free all-purpose flour baking flour containing xanthan gum also works.
- Flaxseed - This needs to be ground flaxseed. It adds extra nutrition to the pancakes and helps to give them a great texture.
- Dairy-free milk - I always use soy milk to boost the protein content of the pancakes, but any dairy-free milk will do, such as oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, or almond milk.
- Leaveners - It's important to use both baking powder and baking soda in this recipe.
- Apple cider vinegar - The acid in the vinegar reacts with the baking soda to create fluffier pancakes. You can use lemon juice instead if you prefer.
- Salt & vanilla - A little salt is really important for enhancing flavour, and whilst I love vanilla in my pancake batter, you could switch it for any other extract. You could also add a few pinches of any ground spices you enjoy, such as cinnamon, pumpkin spice, or nutmeg.
No Sweetener?
I have not included a sweetener of any kind in this recipe because it's intended to be healthier, and I figure that whatever you add as a topping is usually sweet anyway. If, however, you do want your pancakes to be sweet, feel free to add one to 2 tablespoons of sugar to the dry ingredients when making the batter. You could also use maple syrup, but reduce the milk to compensate (for example, if you add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, reduce the amount of milk by 2 tablespoons).
Let's Make Healthy Vegan Pancakes For One!
Can't wait to make them? Here's a quick rundown of how it's done. See the recipe card for the full and detailed version, and if you're a visual learner, check out my recipe video.
1 - Make the batter. First, whisk the dry ingredients together. Then make a well in the centre and add the wet ingredients before mixing it all together to form a thick batter. The thickness of the batter is intentional. That's what gets you perfectly fluffy pancakes!
2 - Cook the pancakes. You can make one giant one, or 2 or 3 smaller ones.
3 - Cook the pancakes slowly, no higher than medium-low. Never rush vegan pancakes, or you won't get the best texture. Wait until there are popped bubbles on the top and the edges look dry before flipping.
4 - Flip and cook until golden on the other side. Again, don't rush them!
Healthier Vegan Pancake Topping Ideas
Turn an incredible stack of healthier pancakes into a masterpiece with these healthy pancake topping ideas:
- fresh fruit such as berries or sliced bananas.
- date caramel.
- frozen berry compote.
- roasted strawberries.
- unsweetened applesauce.
- vegan yogurt.
- caramelized bananas.
- no churn any berry sorbet.
- almond butter.
- savoury sides like vegan bacon, vegan scrambled eggs, tempeh strips, vegan sausages, grilled tomatoes, hash browns, or breakfast potatoes.
And one last shot of my breakfast today from the side so you can see just how thick and fluffy these healthy vegan pancakes are!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! I saved it here just in case. Here it is:
½ cup (63g) flour (spelt, whole wheat or all-purpose)
1 slightly heaped teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon chia seeds
pinch of salt
120ml (½ cup) dairy-free milk
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Add the flour, baking powder, chia seeds and salt to a mixing bowl and mix to combine.
To another small bowl or jug add the milk, vinegar and vanilla. Stir together.
Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and stir to combine (just enough to combine everything and so that you can't see any dry flour). DO NOT overmix or beat it. A few little lumps won't hurt.
Get a pan ready on a medium heat while you wait. Brush the pan with a tiny bit of oil (unless it's an awesome non-stick one that you trust).
Check your pan is hot and then spoon the pancake batter into it. You canmake your pancakes as big or small as you like.
Once the batter is in the pan, turn the heat down to halfway between medium and very low. The trick to good pancakes is not rushing them, so be patient.
Watch and wait until you see some bubbles start to form on the top of the pancakes. When you see the bubbles, flip gently and cook for another 2 minutes or until golden.
Put leftover pancakes in a sealed container or bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat them in a toaster or microwave.
Yes. I wouldn't add more than 4 tablespoons, though. You will need to add some extra milk to compensate. 2 to 3 extra tablespoons should do it.
Recipe
Healthy Oil-Free Vegan Pancakes For One
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- ½ cup (65 grams) wholewheat flour , or spelt flour, all-purpose flour, or GF all-purpose baking flour
- 2 teaspoons ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda in the UK)
- 1 pinch fine salt
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) soy milk , or any other dairy-free milk if you don't mind less protein
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar , or lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS
- To a small mixing bowl, add the flour, ground flax, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix together.
- Place a non-stick skillet/frying pan over medium-low heat. It's important for the pan to be preheated before you add the liquid ingredients to the batter.
- Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, and add the milk, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar. Mix gently to combine into a thick batter (almost like muffin batter).
- You can cook these without oil if you have a great non-stick pan, but if you want to be safe, lightly coat it with a little oil (I use a pastry brush to brush the surface), then spoon the batter into the pan. You can make your pancakes as big or small as you like. I usually make 2 or 3. The batter is really thick, so spoon it in, then level the top gently with your spoon or spatula. Keep the pancakes thick (about ½ an inch). Don't push it down too much, or you'll lose all the precious bubbles in the batter.
- The trick to good vegan pancakes is not to rush them, so be patient and don't be tempted to turn the heat up. Keep them cooking gently until bubbles appear over the surface (there's a picture of mine in the post for guidance) and the bottom is golden. It will take a good 5 to 7 minutes.
- Flip, then allow the other side to become golden before removing from the pan. About another 2 minutes.
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Elise says
Just made these as a trial run for Christmas morning and topped them with some blueberries and almond butter. Oh my gosh!! They're so delicious, I'll definitely be making these as Special Occasion Breakfasts for years to come! Thank you so much :) <3
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome. I'm so pleased you enjoyed them!
yin says
what if i dont have flour
. says
I've tried a fair share of vegan pancake recipes that were absolute disasters so I felt compelled to leave a review for this one because they turned out so good. All I had on hand was the boxed coconut milk, and I also added about a teaspoon of coconut sugar (no type of syrup necessary with that addition). I didn't even have measuring spoons so I eyeballed it and it still turned out great. I'm sure it would have been good without the sugar as I'm not a fan of overly sweet meals/baked good anyway.
Monica Goncalves says
Hello
I ended up using the scales to get the 57g and even with the self raising flour they turned out great, thank you for the recipe!
Actually the cups are the same in the UK and US, I think where I went wrong was compacting all the fluor in the cup as you mentioned.
Thanks
Michael says
Too many calories
Mikael Mortensen says
No, I did it with 3 pancakes. 2 pancakes is for me 205 kcal.
I use soy milk, so maybe that's why.
But your right it is just a guide.
BTW, it's the best vegan pancakes I have tasted yet.
kimberly says
I honestly think Pancakes defeat me.. I have tried this recipe and the batter was runny, how long should I leave the seeds in the milk for?
A Virtual Vegan says
You don't mix the seeds with the milk. They get added to the dry ingredients. If you follow the recipe as written it should work perfectly.
Zama M says
Oh my word. This recipe is perfection. I can't sufficiently express how grateful I am. I'm having them without the sugar and they"re just so great. So great. Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you so much for the glowing review. I'm so pleased you are enjoying them!
Esther says
Could I also use this recipe for waffles? By the way those pancakes look great!
A Virtual Vegan says
I haven't actually tried it for waffles but usually pancakes work when waffled so I think it should be fine.
ANN says
can you make these without flour. It makes me ill.??
Mac says
Wow! So good! I’ve made this recipe about 4 times now and every time it’s delicious! Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so pleased you are enjoying it Mac!
Helen says
Had a craving for pancakes since last week, but none of my "go to" recipes work now, as I recently fully changed my diet over to HCLF vegan. Found yours this morning...and now I have a new "go to'! Plan on making a double batch next, one to eat & one for a work breakfast. Thank you so much for sharing!!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm glad you found them and could knock your pancake craving on the head! They warm up really well in the microwave or in a toaster.
D says
These are AMAZZZING! So glad that I found this recipe, thank you!!
So easy and to my surprise the pancakes were so fluffy and delicious! I have tried healthy pancakes before and never been very satisfied by the texture, but these are just perfect. Felt like I was having a cheat meal but these are guilt free goodness.
I didn't have any apple cider vinegar so I just replaced it with lemon juice.
Meg says
Hey there! I just wanted to say thank so much for sharing this recipe! Be I made these for the first time 2 days ago and they are flipping brilliant!
I made them with a mix of spelt flour and oat flour and I'm in love! They're so healthy and delicious, I must admit these will be a new staple in my diet.
I'll be sure to come back to you for more awesome recipes Thanks again
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome Meg! I'm so glad you enjoyed them and I am loving your 'flipping brilliant' pun! Thank you so much for coming back to leave feedback. I appreciate it!
Kaitlyn says
Hi, I was wondering whether you think the recipe would still work if I mushed up a date or 2 and mixed them in? :)
A Virtual Vegan says
I've never tried it. If you puree a date or two though it's essentially adding more wet to the batter so it will probably make the pancakes a little damp and not so fluffy. I think I'd be inclined to reduce the milk by a tablespoon for each date added. If you are just chopping the dates and adding them to the batter it shouldn't affect the results at all so no adjustments would be necessary.
aneesa says
not heard of putting vinegar in pancakes..bit scared .. thanks
A Virtual Vegan says
Apple cider vinegar is a very common ingredient in vegan pancakes and in vegan cakes/muffins because it is an acid and reacts with the baking soda (or other acidic ingredient) to create bubbles, making the cake/pancakes lighter and fluffier and replacing the leavening that would otherwise be provided by eggs. It's not enough to taste so don't worry about that and if you would rather not use it, lemon juice works the same.
aneesa says
thank u
Jackie says
The texture was okay but they taste too healthy and there is no sweetness to them,
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm sorry you weren't too happy with them Jackie but the recipe is clearly described as a healthier one and I have plenty of other pancake recipe that aren't healthy that you could have made instead. I explain in the post that I don't add sweetener of any kind to the pancakes because it is a healthier recipe and also because whatever you put on top of them tends to be sweet anyway. I also mention quite clearly that if you prefer a little sweetness you can add a tablespoon or two of sugar or maple syrup.
Stacie says
Just made these, and they were delicious. I even omitted the vanilla and they were still so good!
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you enjoyed them Stacie!
Claudia says
Amazing recipe :))
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you!
Ellie says
Tried this recipe today with oat flour and it still turned out super fluffy!! Didn't look as perfect as yours but tasted really really delicious with all the topping. Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome. I'm glad they worked out for you!
Heidi says
I tried using coconut flour, but I ended up having a dough mixture... after still trying to fry it, I tasted it and it wasn't sweet and very disgusting... I considered throwing it in the trash, but ended up drowning it in natural date syrup and I put some chocolate chips on top... still got the after taste T_T :'(
Just wanted some pancakes for breakfast...
Don't use coconut flour like I did...