Healthy Vegan Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pancakes

Name: Healthy Vegan Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pancakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: ½ cup unsweetened dairy free milk; 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 1 cup oat flour (, gluten-free if needed); ¼ cup fine grained almond flour; 1 tablespoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon sea salt; ¼ cup apple sauce; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Last modified: October 5, 2022. Originally posted: May 13, 2021 By Sophia DeSantis

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These vegan gluten-free pancakes are literally the best ever! So fluffy, easy to make, taste like traditional pancakes and loved by everyone!

Maple syrup being poured over a stack of five pancakes on a white plate

This post was originally published on February 1, 2020.

Breakfast at my house can be pure insanity. My kids gobble up pancakes like ravenous animals. I have been experimenting with different types of pancakes lately and this one is the best basic, and most incredible one ever!

These pancakes are so fluffy and decadent. Think of your traditional buttermilk pancake recipe, but vegan, gluten free and made with 9 simple whole food ingredients. You will never need another pancake recipe!

The first time I perfected these, I think I saw my husbands eyes roll back in his head. He is a pancake snob (sorry honey) and I think I may have seen him shove a kid to grab the last one.

Ingredients

No packages of fake food over here, just simple, real ingredients for a simply amazing pancake! Here's what you'll need:

Unsweetened dairy free milk
Apple cider vinegar
Oat flour
Grained almond flour
Apple sauce
Baking essentials and seasonings
Maple syrup

Different colored bowls with ingredients to make homemade vegan pancakes

How To Make Vegan Pancakes

These are SO easy to make! My son can even do it. Here's what to do:

Mix the dry ingredients.
Add in the wet ingredients and mix well.
Cook on a pan.
Serve!

Toppings and Fillings

These pancakes have a simple plain buttermilk flavor, which means you can easily add some really great toppings. Some of my favorite things to add to these pancakes are:

Strawberries
Blueberries
Bananas
Peaches
Butter
Maple syrup
Chia Seed Jam
Fruit compote (try this blackberry compote recipe)
Chocolate chips
Nuts
Seeds
Homemade Nutella
Vegan Granola
Easy vegan caramel sauce
Chocolate Syrup
Whipped cream (try this homemade vegan coco whip)
Coconut Butter

You can also add in all kinds of things into the batter. Do your kids want chocolate chip pancakes? EASY PEASY. Here are some great add ins:

Chocolate chips
Chopped nuts
Marshmallows (yep, amazing, try these vegan marshmallows)
Fresh fruit (watch for moisture as it will affect the end result)
Dried fruit
Spices like cinnamon or pumpkin spice
Coconut flakes
Seeds

Serving suggestions

Make a complete breakfast by serving these gluten-free pancakes with any of these recipes:

Tips for fluffy pancakes

Traditional pancakes use ingredients like eggs and regular flour with gluten to get the fluffy end result. When it comes to gluten-free vegan pancakes however, we have to get crafty.

Use a combination of vinegar (or lemon juice) and baking powder. The acidity in both of those ingredients gives an instant fluffy rise and also creates a soft pillow like texture (i.e helps with the leavening and tenderizing). Examples of this would be in my vegan vanilla cupcakes and my vegan strawberry shortcake.

Also, let the batter sit for about 5 minutes to allow these ingredients to mix and create the science magic. I use this time to heat up the pan (you want a nice warmed up pan for even cooking) and quickly clean up and put away ingredients.

Preparation and storage tips

Here are a few helpful suggestions to assist you in your perfect pancake making journey:

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.
Make sure that your pan is nice and hot before you start cooking pancakes. This allows for even cooking.
Place a large spoonful of batter on the pan. You will know it's ready to flip when you see little bubbles forming on the top and when it releases from the pan easily with your spatula. If it sticks at all, the pancake is not ready to flip. You want each side to be a golden brown.
Make these pancakes ahead of time and freeze them! Once they're cooked, let cool completely. Stack with parchment paper between each one, then wrap in foil. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, let defrost for a bit then reheat in a toaster oven or microwave.

Common Questions

Can I use water instead of milk for pancakes?

You can definitely use water but your end result, both flavor and texture, will be a bit different. Milk plays a critical role in this vegan buttermilk pancake recipe. It reacts with the apple cider vinegar to create that richer buttermilk type flavor.

If you use water, you will be missing out on that. Also, since water has more, water lol, you can get a more wet texture.

Is all-purpose flour vegan?

Yes! There used to be a rumor that white flour was bleached with bone char, but this has been disproven. So have at any recipe that uses it. If you are gluten-free, there are a lot of all purpose blends out there. Here are a few:
Flour Farm
Bob's Red Mill
King Arthur
Pamela's
Cup 4 Cup
Arrowhead Mills

How do I make pancakes fluffier?

Use a mix of acidic ingredients such as vinegar or lemon juice along with baking powder. You can also let the batter sit for 5 minutes before cooking.

More Vegan and Gluten Free Pancake Recipes

If your household loves pancakes as much as us, you're going to need more than one pancake recipe. Check out these other plant based pancakes: