Vegan Pancakes

Many breakfast recipes are centered on animal products like eggs and bacon, but many recipes like quick breads, muffins, waffles, and pancakes can be "veganized" pretty easily.  Our recipe for vegan pancakes doesn't use any special plant-based ingredients; we replace milk, butter, and eggs with pantry staples like baking powder and oil. Top your short stack just like you would any other—with plenty of maple syrup, fresh fruit, or even a handful of (vegan) chocolate chips.

Ingredients for Vegan Pancakes

When it comes to making a plant-based pancake recipe, there are a few key ingredients that help make these pancakes taste just like the ones with milk and eggs. 

• Plant-based milk: Milk not only adds flavor to pancakes, but it also helps give the batter its fluffy texture. You can use any of your favorite plant-based milk alternatives in this recipe, like soy, almond, or oat milk. Whichever type you choose, use an unsweetened variety. 
• Baking powder: Most pancakes that use eggs also have other leaveners like baking powder and baking soda. In this recipe, baking powder is the main ingredient used to give some lift to the pancakes. There are two tablespoons of baking powder in this batter, so they are nice and fluffy. 
• Neutral oil: Instead of butter, this recipe uses safflower oil as the fat. Any oil will work, as long as it has a relatively neutral flavor–don’t use olive oil or any other oil that has a strong taste.

Tips for Perfect Pancakes Every Time

• Get your ingredients ready first: Since this pancake batter comes together so quickly, it's important to have all the ingredients measured out and ready to go before you start mixing. 
• Don't over-mix: Over-mixing the batter can make the pancakes a little tough. Leaving a few lumps in the batter is fine. 
• Use fresh ingredients: Check to make sure the ingredients you're using (especially the flour and baking powder) haven’t expired. Rancid flour can give the pancakes an unpleasant taste, and expired baking powder will prevent the pancakes from rising properly. 
• Preheat the griddle: Add the pancake batter to the griddle only once it is nice and hot. Preheating the griddle and keeping it at a constant temperature will encourage the pancakes to brown evenly. 
• Use a light coating of oil to cook: You don’t need a lot of oil to cook these pancakes. Use a pastry brush or a paper towel to spread a very thin film of oil onto the griddle before adding the batter.