The best Vegan English Pancakes! Foolproof, quick & easy to make & perfect for dessert or brunch. They are beautifully freckled and so good straight from the pan, served glistening with fresh lemon juice & sugar!
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"We are English and have really missed traditional English pancakes since becoming vegan. We've tried and tested LOADS of different recipes over the years. This recipe is by far the best! We are happy pancake loving people again! Thank you!" - Jessica ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
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I could not let Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day as it's more affectionately known, go by without sharing my recipe for traditional Vegan English Pancakes.
I have lots of vegan pancake recipes here on AVV but as a Brit I think it's time I shared the pancakes I grew up eating every year, without fail, on Pancake Day (and any other day my Sister and I could persuade my Mum to make them).
Of course I've veganized that recipe and it's just as good (if not better) than the non-vegan version...Beautifully soft, tender and freckled with those characteristic little golden brown spots, and perfect crispy lacey edges!
How Are English Pancakes Different To Crepes & American Pancakes?
English Pancakes are very different to American Pancakes. They are flat (not cakey and fluffy), much bigger and do not use any raising agent.
English pancakes are also different to French crepes. The batter isn't as rich (traditional crepes are made with butter and cream, English pancakes are not), and whilst they are quite thin, they are not as paper-thin as a crepe where a crepe spreader is used to spread the batter paper-thin over the surface of a crepe pan.
Ingredients
Here is exactly what you need to make this recipe along with some notes so you know why we are using each ingredient:
- Flour - This should be white flour. Plain flour in the UK or all-purpose flour in North America.
- Aquafaba - This is the liquid that you find in a can of chickpeas and it is our egg replacer in this recipe. Do not use any other vegan egg replacer as a sub. It will not work in the same way. If you aren't using the chickpeas from the can right away they store fine without any liquid in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 days or the freezer for 3 months. Or make my reader favourite chickpea lentil curry to use them up!
- Baking powder - Although traditionally English Pancakes do not use raising agent, they do have egg in the batter and eggs provide a little leavening action. That is why in this vegan English pancake recipe I use aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas) and a little bit of baking powder. They both work together to do what eggs would otherwise do in a non-vegan recipe.
- Dairy-free milk - Any plant milk such as cashew milk, soy milk, oat milk, or almond milk will work in this recipe but I recommend trying to use an unsweetened and unflavoured variety if you can.
- Oil - You need some for the pancake batter and some for cooking the pancakes. Any mild neutral oil will do such as vegetable, canola, sunflower, light olive oil, or refined avocado oil.
- Vanilla - This isn't a traditional ingredient in English pancakes but when removing eggs we lose some richness and flavour. A touch of vanilla helps make up for that making these pancakes extra delicious.
- Salt - Just a touch is important for enhancing flavour.
How To Make Vegan English Pancakes
Vegan English Pancakes are really easy to make. Here's how:
- Mix all of the ingredients together to make a thinnish batter then leave it to rest for at least 10 minutes.
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan/ crepe pan over medium high heat and once it's really hot add some oil and brush it around the pan.
- Wait for it to glisten, then quickly pour in enough batter to cover the whole base of the pan and swirl it around to coat evenly.
- Leave for a minute or or so then turn/flip the pancake over to cook on the other side.
- Remove and repeat.
Watch me cook them so you can get your technique just right:
It is completely normal for the first pancake you cook to be a bit of a flop. Subsequent pancakes will cook much better.
That first pancakes job is to season the pan. It helps the oil to fill the porous parts of the pans surface creating a smooth foundation, and it encourages the heat to distribute evenly across the pans surface.
It is compulsory for the chef to stuff their face with the first flopped pancake while they are cooking the rest of the pancakes ;O)
Flipping Pancakes
To flip or not to flip...that is the question...It's traditional to flip the pancake in the air to turn it over just like I do in my video. I have witnessed far too many pancakes accidents though, so if you're not confident your pancake won't meet its death on the kitchen floor then I recommend using a turner!
I'll let you decide...Just don't blame me if it all goes wrong! 🤭
How To Serve English Pancakes
The traditional (and best) way to serve English Pancakes is with fresh lemon juice and sugar. Sprinkle the sugar all over the pancake, squeeze lemon juice over it, then roll it up and sprinkle a bit more sugar on the outside. I know I'll get comments all over about the refined flour and the sugar. Unfortunately they aren't the healthiest thing in the world but they are so good and a great treat every once in a while.
If you don't want to be quite so traditional there are all sorts of different ways to serve Vegan English Pancakes. My son's favourite way to eat them is with vegan chocolate syrup, berry compote, roasted strawberries or jam spread all over them then rolled up. You could do the same with homemade vegan lemon curd.
You could also fill them with fresh fruit, fruit compote, chocolate spread, banana and chocolate, coconut cream or drizzle them with maple syrup. You can even omit the vanilla from my recipe and use savoury fillings. I've made a lasagne type dish with them instead of pasta sheets. Use your imagination and have fun!
Storing Leftovers
Layer leftover pancakes up between sheets of parchment paper then slide them into a freezer bag or container. They will keep in the fridge for a couple of days or the freezer for up to 3 months. Simply defrost and reheat in a lightly greased frying pan for a minute or two.
Recipe
Vegan English Pancakes
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 210g (1½ cups + 3 tablespoons) all purpose flour , plain flour in the UK
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 9 tablespoons aquafaba , (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
- 2 tablespoons oil , plus extra for frying (a neutral oil such as mild olive oil, vegetable, canola or sunflower oil)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 420mls (1¾ cups) unsweetened plant milk
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the flour to a large mixing bowl along with the salt and baking powder. Whisk to combine.
- Add the aquafaba, oil, and vanilla to the bowl, then gradually add the milk whisking as you go to work out any lumps. Once all the milk has been added and the batter is pretty much smooth, set aside and leave to rest for at least 10 minutes. DO NOT use a blender to mix the batter. Over-mixing will affect the texture of the pancakes.
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan or crepe pan (mine is 10 inches wide - if you use a smaller one you will get more pancakes, a larger one a few less) over a medium high heat until very hot, then add a drop of oil and swirl it around the pan to coat.
- Pour a steady stream of batter into the middle of the pan (enough to coat the bottom of the pan). In my large 10 inch pan I use about ½ a cup. You need to do this very quickly, then lift the pan off the heat and swirl the pan so the batter coats the entire bottom surface of the pan.
- Leave the pancake to cook for between 30 seconds to a minute. When the top is starting to look quite dry turn back a little outside edge to look under and flip or turn it when lots of nice brown spots have appeared. Cook for a further 30 seconds to a minute until that side is spotty too, then remove from the pan.Please note that it is completely normal for the first pancake of the batch to be a bit of a flop. It never turns out as well as the rest and often falls apart or sticks a bit. Its job is to season the pan and it is compulsory for the chef to stuff their face with it while they cook the rest of the pancakes ;O)
- Repeat until all of the batter is used adding a little oil before cooking each one. I wipe the oil around my pan carefully with a piece of kitchen paper (be sure not to burn your fingers).
- You can feed the pancakes to the waiting hoards as you cook them, or you can keep a plate in a very low oven and place each pancake in a pile as you cook them so they keep warm until you are all done.
NOTES
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Tamara says
Amaaaazing recipe! This is just like the non vegan pancakes i used to make. I just made this recipe today for pancake day and you simply can’t tell the difference. Thank you!!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed them Tamara!
Sian Hurren says
Brilliant recipe, thank you x !
Lauren S says
Apparently "the best pancakes I've ever made" vegan or non-vegan! And I've made alot of pancakes. Perfect recipe, be sure not to overmix the batter as stated. Enjoyed mine with vegan Nutella, lemon and sugar ? x
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome! I'm really pleased they were a hit!
Tess says
These were absolutely perfect. The perfect balance of soft, airy and tasty. I've just eaten too many for lunch :) Good job I only make these once a year. Thank you for another great recipe. Not one of your recipes has ever failed on me.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you so much Tess. I'm really pleased you enjoyed them! I'll be eating way too many of them for dinner tonight!
Fiona says
These are easier to flip than most vegan pancakes we've tried making, but they are not a hit with my family who all found them way too greasy. It was also very, very difficult to get the lumps out. Next pancake day we'll go back to a much more simple recipe without the oil and aquafaba (it takes seconds to make in the blender... no lumps!) which is always a hit with vegans and non vegans alike.
A Virtual Vegan says
If they were too greasy it sounds like you added too much oil to the pan. My tip included in the recipe for wiping the oil around the pan with some folded-up kitchen paper works really well to avoid this. If you add the liquid gradually whisking as you go it shouldn't be difficult to get the big lumps out of the batter. A few small lumps are fine and you don't need to worry about them. I don't recommend making pancakes like this in a blender as you will develop the gluten too much and make them a lot less tender. Hope that helps!
Beth Atkins says
Hi there, do I need to do anything to the chickpea water before adding it to the recipe or does it go straight in?
Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
The aquafaba just goes in as it is.
Pamela Williams says
What could I do to replace the oil? I don’t do oils of any kind. Thank you
A Virtual Vegan says
These pancakes will be difficult to make without oil. They are so big and thin and you need to be able to move/slide them around the pan easily to flip them over. The oil is what helps you do that. Without oil they will likely just stick and be impossible to handle. The heat of the oil also contributes to how well they turn out. You could probably omit the oil from the batter without making ahuge difference and cooking them might work with lots of spray oil and a good nonstick pan but I haven't personally tried it.
Michele Hodgson says
Such a good recipe - thank you!
Bryony says
Tastes exactly like they should. Great texture and taste. Very easy. This is my go to recipe for pancakes. Thank you!
jordi says
I'm wondering if there's a substitute for the Aquafaba for this recipe?
A Virtual Vegan says
It's necessary to get the great soft texture. I wouldn't recommend using anything else.
Astrid says
Really good recipe.
Made it with oat milk and water from a butter bean tin.
Worked beautifully!
Thank you so much for sharing.
Daria says
Every time I open a can of chickpeas I make these pancakes. They are so easy and so delicious, my daughter loves to melt chocolate chips in the middle, roll them up and top with a bit of maple syrup...my grandkids I put pb & jam! So many possibilities, love all her recipes!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you so much Daria! I'm really pleased you're all enjoying them!
laura says
These pancakes are amazing! The best vegan pancakes I've tasted. The texture is perfect! I use almond milk (rude health) because I love the taste x
laura says
I forgot to star rate so I've done this in the reply xx haha x
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Laura! Glad you enjoyed them!
Maggie says
Hi. I tried these for the first time today. The first pancake out of the pan was a disaster but by the last one, they were coming out perfect. Very tasty and nice texture. I served with some frozen mixed berries I had warmed up in the microwave to make a “sauce”. This recipe made a total of 6 pancakes for us, based on the size of my pan, and with 2 of us it was a perfect serving of 3 each. (Well, the 1st one was a mess, so it would have made a total of 7 if that one had not been discarded.
I have a question though: after whisking together the dry ingredients, I added in the oil, aquafabra and vanilla and stirring it all together it because a big lump of sticky dough. When I started drizzling in the “milk”, it was difficult to separate the dough into a nice batter and I was never able to get rid of some (a good amount) of the dough lumps. Is there a better method for mixing? Could the oil, aquafaba and vanilla be whisked into the plant milk first and then that liquid concoction be combined with the dry ingredients? I would love to make this easier next time. Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Maggie. It's completely normal when making English pancakes for the first pancake to not work well. It is always the case no matter what you do and what pan you use. The first pancake in effect seasons the pan. It distributes the heat evenly and absorbs excess oil on the surface of the pan so the subsequent ones cook better. It's kind of a sacrificial pancake and is always my little treat before I move on to make the rest ;O)
As for mixing the batter, the instructions don't say to mix the oil, aquafaba and vanilla in to the flour. It just says to add them to the bowl. You don't start mixing until you are adding the milk. Otherwise the whisk will get all clogged up and it will get lumpy as you found. That's where you went wrong. You could mix the oil etc into the milk before you start if you want to though. It won't make any difference.
Hope that helps!
Amber says
I’ve made them three times now with Oatly Barista and they are pure perfection! Just like a french crepe (what we eat in the UK)
Mel says
These are so nice- thank you!