Healthy Vegan Blueberry Pancakes

Name: Healthy Vegan Blueberry Pancakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 cup oat flour; ¼ cup fine grained almond flour; 1 tablespoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon sea salt; ½ cup unsweetened dairy free milk; 3 tablespoons apple sauce; 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 tablespoons maple syrup; 1 cup fresh blueberries (, see note)

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These healthy vegan blueberry pancakes are the perfect family friendly breakfast. Super easy to make, gluten free, made with whole foods and so fluffy!

Top view of blueberry pancakes with a cut out bite next to it

This recipe was originally published on January 27, 2014

When it comes to pancakes, you can never have too many in your repertoire. So of course, there is no question when I create more. These easy blueberry pancakes have become our new favorite!

Pancake Basics

Making a pancake both vegan and gluten-free is not an easy task when your end result goal is ultra fluffiness. But I nailed that perfect texture in my vegan buttermilk pancake recipe, so naturally that is the base of this amazing new flavor!

Ingredients

Here are the basics that react to make these so fluffy and soft!

Oat flour
Almond flour
Baking soda
Sea salt
Milk
Apple sauce
Apple cider vinegar
Vanilla extract
Maple syrup

How to Make Blueberry Pancakes From Scratch

These are so quick and easy to make! All you do is:

Mix the dry ingredients.
Add in the wet and combine.
Add in the blueberries (see below for how to use frozen berries).
Cook.
Serve!

Topping ideas

I love making a pancake topping bar for the kids! Here are some fun add ons to include:

Other fresh fruit
Dried fruit
Shredded coconut
Nuts lie walnuts and pecans
Chocolate chips
Vegan butter, or mix in flavors for flavored butter
Maple syrup
Easy caramel sauce (make without the pumpkin)
Chocolate syrup
Strawberry syrup
Seeds like pumpkin or sunflower
Sprinkles because why not?!
Vegan Whipped Cream
Fruit compote (try this blackberry compote recipe)
Vegan Granola

Maple syrup being drizzled over a stack of pancakes

Tips for using frozen berries

While I personally like using fresh berries for blueberry pancakes, you can use frozen if you prefer. This recipe counts on the exact ratio of wet to dry ingredients, so we need to be careful with frozen blueberries as they can have more water since they are frozen.

You can allow them to defrost, then pat them dry. Or you can reduce the milk by a tablespoon or two and add more milk slowly until you get the perfect batter texture. You want it just wet, not too runny.

You can also just drop the frozen berries on while cooking. Simply drop them on the raw batter after you first put the pancakes on the griddle.

One thing to remember is if you want to use frozen berries mixed into the batter, it will bleed color and make your pancakes a weird greenish grey.

Overall Tips and Tricks

This is a pretty easy recipe, but here is some info to help you along the way!

For the best texture you need accuracy with the flours. Which is why I include precise weights. If you don't have a scale, then you can purchase this fairly inexpensive one.
If you prefer to measure, then measure the flours by scooping your measuring cup into the flour versus spooning it into it. This is how I measured when getting my weights.
If you want to freeze these, cook the pancakes first. Allow to cool completely, then wrap in plastic first and then tin foil. Store in a freezer safe container or bag.
Because this batter relies on the chemical reaction of the ingredients for fluffiness, you need to make the batter when you are ready to cook them. But you can prep ahead by making the pancakes in bulk then freezing. Or if you plan to eat them the next day you can store in the fridge.
You know when the pancakes are ready to flip because you see air like pockets form right under the surface. Also, if you go to flip and they don't come off easily, they need more time.

What to serve with

These are amazing and filling all on their own, but if you want a full breakfast spread, here are some other yummy ideas:

Common Questions

Why are my pancakes not fluffy?

In order to get a fluffy pancake you need to have the right reaction between ingredients. This is especially hard with gluten-free and vegan pancakes.

You first need to make sure your ingredients are not expired. If your pancakes have gluten, you can overmix the batter and get a tough texture.

But if they are gluten-free the reason is more likely in the wrong mixture of ingredients, the reaction that results in bubbles in the batter is what gives you the fluffy texture.

Also, do not press your pancakes down when cooking as this will flatten them.

Can you freeze blueberry pancakes?

Yes! Follow the tips I give above to make sure you freeze with the best result.

Can you use frozen blueberries in pancakes?

You can substitute fresh for frozen berries, but make sure to follow the cooking tips above as the strategies for each are different!