Easy Vegan Gluten-Free Pancakes that whip up quickly and are super fluffy. They're the perfect breakfast to serve for a lazy weekend breakfast or brunch.
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Back when I started experimenting with turning my favourite recipes into plant-based and/or gluten free versions, this recipe for easy vegan gluten free pancakes was one of the first I came up with.
Come to think of it, it may have actually been the first!
This was quite a few years ago and since then, the recipe has not changed at all. I make these pancakes often and they have become one of the most requested things to eat here at breakfast (and sometimes a weekend lunch or weeknight supper...breakfast for dinner is the best, isn't it?)
I took these shots almost 4-months ago but held on to them. If you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen a sneak peek. (BTW, are you following me on Instagram yet? If you don't, come follow and say hi!)
I held on to the shots because I thought, "hmm...this is *just* a pancake recipe. Does the internet really need another pancake recipe?" And the answer is YES. It does. Because these easy vegan gluten free pancakes are special.
They're special because they are everything you would expect a pancake to be, but maybe NOT what you would expect a vegan AND gluten free pancake to be. They are light, fluffy, and they're delicious.
When I serve them, pure maple syrup is a must but if I have some fresh berries on hand, they pair really well together. Sliced bananas are nice too. If you want to make your pancakes extra special, try topping them with some coconut whip. Mmm...
Fun fact: I actually used this pancake recipe as the starting point for my easy vegan gluten free waffles. I tinkered with this recipe a little bit and after a few tries, those waffles came to be! (And by the way, they are also perfection.)
Then, that waffle recipe served as the base for all my other waffle recipes. Funny how developing recipes work! (how many times did I just say recipe? 😉 )
When you find something that works, stick with it. Use it as a base and make small adjustments to suit whatever new thing you're trying to come up with.
Now, on to my next creation...
What kind of flour should be used for this recipe?
I have only tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour. (the one with the red label you see in that link, NOT the one with the blue label!). You can find it in your grocery store (likely in the natural foods section), your health food store, or you can buy from Amazon.
This flour is a blend of different flours and all gluten-free flour blends cannot always be interchanged easily because they all contain different ingredients and ratios. I have had readers who have used different flours with success, read through the comments below, but I can only speak about the flour I use for this recipe with confidence since I have been using it to make these pancakes for many years and have not had any fails.
And...I know for sure that coconut flour will not work with this recipe.
If you like this easy vegan gluten free pancakes recipe, here are a few others you may like too:
- Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes
- Vegan Gingerbread Pancakes
- Fluffy Vegan Banana Pancakes (GF)
- Banana Oat Pancakes (Vegan + GF)
- Vegan Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Waffles
- Easy Vegan Gluten Free Waffles
If you make them, post a pic on Instagram and tag me! I'd love to see your remake. I'm @delightfuladventures over there and my hashtag is #delightfuladventures.
And be sure to check out my other delicious vegan breakfast recipe ideas!
How to Make Easy Vegan Gluten Free Pancakes
Easy Vegan Gluten Free Pancakes
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cup unsweetened dairy-free milk
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (optional, use only if you prefer a slightly sweeter pancake)
- 2 cups gluten-free flour blend **see important note about flour below**
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions:
- Whisk milk, oil, vanilla, ground flax seeds, and maple syrup (if using) together in a medium-sized bowl, whisking enough to incorporate the flax seeds. Let sit for 5-minutes.
- Heat pan over medium-high heat for at least 2 minutes.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl.
- Slowly add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing well until incorporated.
- Lightly coat surface of pan with a very small amount of oil. Ladle about ⅓ cup (or less for smaller pancakes) of the pancake mixture into the center your pan, cooking 1 at a time.
- Flip when ready.
- Continue cooking until the batter is done, placing pancakes on a covered oven-safe plate in the oven as they finish to keep them warm.
Recipe Notes:
- This recipe makes 8-10 pancakes, depending on how large or small you make them. Calorie count is for 1 of 8 pancakes without toppings and without the optional maple syrup added to the batter.
- When I make my pancakes, I use a thick, cast-iron pan. I usually turn mine after about a minute and a half, when the edges start to look dry. Some experimentation may be necessary until you get a feel for it. Everyone's griddle/pan will cook differently.
- This recipe will NOT work with coconut flour.
- It's important to know that different gluten-free flour blends use different ingredients and ratios, so results will always vary if you substitute. I have never used any other brand of flour to make this recipe (other than Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour (Amazon link) in the red bag, NOT the blue bag), so please know that your results may not be the same as mine if substitute with another gluten-free flour blend.
- Nutrition info is based on 1 of 8 pancakes, without garnishes or maple syrup, and is only to be used as a rough guide. Click to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.
cherry pehar says
This was the best vegan pancake recipe I’ve come across. I live in Australia so couldn’t get the flour brand you recommended but the gluten-free flour I used worked a treat they were fluffy and amazing. Thank you so much for sharing and creating this recipe. I served them with blue berry compote and some coconut yoghurt mixed with a little bit of Maple- so yummy! I’d love to post a photo but can’t see how to attach it
Gwen Leron says
Thank you so much, Cherry! I'm curious to know what flour brand you used, just in case other Australians are looking for one that will work for them with this recipe. I'm so happy to know the recipe turned out so well for you and that you enjoyed them. Thanks for coming back to leave your note, I appreciate it! If you are on Instagram, you can share your picture on there and tag me so I can see it 🙂
Eliza says
I'm making them right now, so far easy to make and not that messy!
Gwen Leron says
I hope they turned out great, Eliza!
Malwina says
hi, I have a question. - what proportion should I use for quinoa flour and potatoes starch for this recipe ? or shall I just use quinoa flour?
x
Gwen Leron says
Hi Malwina, I have not made this recipe with a quinoa flour / potato starch blend so I cannot guide you on how to alter this particular recipe to include them. But I can tell you that it's not going to be a simple swap, other ingredient measurements will likely need to be changed as well. If you do decide to experiment, let me know how things turn out. If you don't want to try it and you really need to stick with quinoa flour, I think the best thing would be to find a recipe that calls for quinoa flour. Gluten-free flours are not always a 1 to 1 swap, so that would probably be the best thing to do to avoid disappointment (I talk more about that in this article). I hope this helps!
Alsi says
I absolutely love every recipe I have tried of yours. Do you have a book with ALL of them combined?? If you do, I’m so buying it!!
Gwen Leron says
Hi Alsi, thank you so much for your kind words. I don't have a recipe book but I do have an e-book about vegan gluten-free baking that has some recipes in it, not all of them. You can find the details here.
Maru says
I’m honestly a bit confused. Originally when I looked at this page, I was so excited to find a gluten free and vegan pancake recipe with great reviews. After trying it maybe 4 or 5 times now, it’s always come out super liquidy, and I figured maybe it was the flour I used that caused it to turn out too runny (I used half almond flour and half oat). So I added some more flour as needed to thicken it up a bit. But what I really couldn’t get over was the 1 TABLEspoon of baking powder? I was so upset because pretty much every time I made these, they came out inedible. I figured it had to be a mistake! I tried adding chocolate chips and using agave, but still found it tasting solely like baking powder. I guess next time I’ll try 1 teaspoon instead and see how that turns out.
Gwen Leron says
Hi Maru, thanks for your message. I can tell you with certainty that the cause of your issues is the use of almond and oat flour. This recipe was developed using a gluten-free flour blend, Bob's Red Mill brand in the red bag specifically, as noted above and in the recipe. The 1 tablespoon of baking powder is necessary since the recipe does not use gluten or eggs for structure and rise (the pancakes need all the help they can get to make them rise and be fluffy). When the recipe is made exactly as it's written, there is no baking powder taste at all, the batter is the ideal thickness, not runny, and the pancakes are fluffy. I hope this helps your confusion, please let me know if you have any other questions, happy to help you troubleshoot further if you'd like so you end up with perfectly fluffy and delicious pancakes.
Sara says
I’m a little confused by this recipe as baking powder has wheat in it, so it’s not gluten free. Or am I missing something?
Gwen Leron says
Hi Sara, baking powder is naturally gluten-free, there is no wheat in it, however, there are some brands that may add wheat starch to its baking powder so humidity does not ruin the baking powder while it's being stored. While most brands use gluten-free starch such as potato starch or cornstarch there are some brands that do not. Please read the label of the brand you are buying to be sure it is free from gluten (same goes with ALL ingredients you are using in your gluten-free baking and cooking, there is always the chance of cross-contamination or the unexpected addition of gluten to the product for whatever reason). Bob's Red Mill, Fleischmann's, and Clabber Girl are just a few of thee brands that are gluten-free, I hope this helps.
Taylene says
These are great! I love the texture and the flavor is very good
Gwen Leron says
I'm glad you gave the recipe a try and that you like them, Taylene! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave your note and rating, I appreciate it!
Shelly says
I live in the UK and I used Bobs Redmill 1 to 1 GF baking flour (blue bag) as I couldn’t get hold of the red label and they turned out perfectly.
Thank you so much for this recipe - after many failed attempts at making pancakes over the years, I was finally able to enjoy pancake day!
Gwen Leron says
Hi Shelley! You're welcome! I'm so glad you gave them a try and that you were able to enjoy pancake day. And I'm happy to hear that it worked well for you with the 1 to 1 flour 🙂 Thanks for your message!
Shirina says
I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong. I followed everything on the recipe exactly. However I used cassava flour and I kept having to add more milk and water because it was so thick. Eventually I got the consistency I wanted. But no matter how long I left the pancake on the griddle the inside of the pancakes remained sticky and gooey. I'm unsure why. I did choose to add a bit of maple syrup. Not sure if that could have affected it. Has anyone else had this happen?
Gwen Leron says
Hi Shirina, it's because of the cassava flour. This recipe was developed using a gluten-free flour blend, using a single gluten-free flour like cassava, coconut, oat etc. will not give you good results (you probably CAN get good results using those flours, but you would just need to change a lot of other things in the recipe). You really need to use a blend of gluten-free flours for these pancakes, I developed this recipe using the Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour Blend in the red bag. If you're new to vegan gluten-free recipes, this is a great post to help clarify some things about them: Gluten Free Vegan Baking Tips I hope this helps, if you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch 🙂
BJ says
My grandson ate 3 1/2 pancakes. They were delicious. I will probably be making these a lot. Thanks for this wonderful recipe.
Gwen Leron says
You're welcome, BJ! I am so happy he loved them so much. Kids are always the true test 🙂 Thanks so much for your note, I appreciate it very much!
Caisa says
I never rate or leave comments, but these were so good I just had to say! I made half a batch and followed the recipe. I did 3 and put the rest of the batter in the fridge, I hope it tastes as good later. I ate them with peanut butter and sliced banana and it was like a (guilt free) dessert! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Gwen Leron says
Hi Caisa! I'm so happy to hear you liked that pancakes! Having them with peanut butter and bananas sounds delicious. I am not sure about the batter that you refrigerated for later, it will likely make pancakes that are flat and gummy since the leaveners will no longer be active. One thing you can do next time is save half of the dry mixture and when you are ready to make them, add half of the wet mixture and the batter will be fresh and ready to go. I hope this helps, thanks so much for your note! 🙂
Wayne says
I really like these pancakes. I'm not sure why but I have to add almost an extra cup of milk to the batter. It was so thick that it wouldn't even pour. I used oat milk since that is the plant-based milk we have on hand. I used Walmart brand Great Value all purpose flour gluten-free. Otherwise I follow the recipe exactly. Thoughts?
Gwen Leron says
Hi Wayne! So happy to hear you like the pancakes, despite having to alter is slightly (I'm glad you found a way to make it work!). Having to add the extra cup of milk is likely because of the flour you are using. All gluten free flour blends are not created equally. Each of them are made up of their own unique mix of ingredients, so while some absorb liquid easily, some don't. The one that you are using sounds like it is made from a mix of flours that do not absorb liquids easily, which is why you are having to add the extra milk. The flour that this recipe was developed with is the Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free All Purpose Blend (in the red bag, not the blue). Another reason could be the way you are measuring the flour. I go through how to do it properly in this post here. I hope this helps, please feel free to reach out with any other questions 🙂
Mike Wallner says
I used Bobs Redmill 1 to 1 GF baking flour (blue bag) and they turned out perfectly. Thank you for this recipe.
Gwen Leron says
You're welcome, Mike! Glad to hear they turned out well with the 1 to 1. I have had some readers tell me that they turned out gummy with this flour, but some others say they turned out perfect. I'm glad they worked for you! Thanks for letting me know, much appreciated!
Mike says
These were amazing, flavor, texture and didn’t leave us feeling as heavy as ordinary pancakes do! Just great, thanks! First time with the VGF pancakes at home, my partner has sensitivity to gluten and egg and dairy allergies so these were areal treat for her.
Gwen Leron says
Very happy to hear you and your partner liked the recipe, Mike 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave your note!
James says
When adding the flax seeds into the wet ingredients, do you let it sit till it emulsifies and thickens?
Gwen Leron says
Hi James, it's never going to thicken like a flax egg does since it's not a flax egg you're making in this step, you just need to mix everything and set it aside until you are ready to add it to the dry ingredients, then before you are ready to add the wet to the dry, give it a good mix again.
Melidda says
These are light, fluffy, heavenly pancakes. You’re a pancake genius. Thanks to you I’m never making those heavy 3 ingredient banana pancakes again.
Gwen Leron says
It makes me so happy to hear this, Melidda! Glad you love them 🙂
Wayne says
Delicious!
Gwen Leron says
Happy to hear you like them, Wayne! 🙂
BarbD says
Fantastic! I have two family members with gluten problems (one celiac) and egg sensitivity. These pancakes were a winner for everyone!!! I actually used the Bob’s 1-to-1 flour and had fluffy delicious pancakes. Thank you so much!!!
Gwen Leron says
Wonderful! So glad it was a winner for your family, Barb. And good to know that you had luck making it with the 1-to-1 flour. Take care 🙂
Tori B says
Hi! What should the consistency of the batter be? Mine was very thick, so I wondered if that was right.
Gwen Leron says
Hi Tori, shouldn't be so thick that it can't be poured into the pan. What kind of flour did you use?
Denise says
Just tried this pancake recipe........ EXCELLENT, very good....... easy to make, exceptional taste and texture....... I've tried a ton of vegan pancake recipes over the internet, and unfortunately none of them can hold a candle to this recipe........
Thanks very much for allowing us to try it......
Gwen Leron says
Hi Denise! I'm so glad you found the recipe and decided to give it a try. And especially happy that you loved it! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your lovely note 🙂
Ava says
Hi! I can't stand the aftertaste of chickpea flour which is in Bob's Redmill GF APF, is there an alternate that works, like almond flour or anything??
Gwen Leron says
Hi Ava! I don't detect any chickpea flavour in the finished pancakes, so I have not tried to make them with any other flour. This unfortunately means that I can't give you specific measurements for almond flour or any other flours. Sorry! If you read through the comments, there are readers who have made them with other gluten free flour blends with success. I hope that helps!
Abby says
We used Trader Joe’s GF flour, which is brown rice based. It was delicious! These pancakes were a bright spot amid a difficult diet for my first grader.
Gwen Leron says
This makes me so happy to hear, Abby! I'm glad this recipe helped a little when it comes your little one. And it's very good to know that it worked well with the Trader Joe's GF flour, thanks for mentioning that. Many readers have questions about the flour type and run into issues when they substitute, so this is very helpful 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave your note, I appreciate it.
Zdenka says
This cannot be a tablespoon of baking powder. A tablespoon is one you eat soup with, right?
Tastes too soapy. Nobody else pointed it out though.
Gwen Leron says
Hi Zdenka, yes, one tablespoon is correct. A little extra baking powder is helpful in some vegan gluten free recipes, like this one, to help it rise and get fluffy which is exactly what you want with pancakes. I've never had a batch turn out soapy tasting, nor has anyone ever commented that they tasted soapy since I published this recipe...maybe it's the brand of baking powder you are using?
Jasmina says
The best gluten free, vegan pancakes I have ever tasted. Fluffy and delicious. Followed the recipe as is. In half of the batch added blueberries, turned out great as well.
Gwen Leron says
Wonderful, Jasmina! So happy to hear this! I'm glad you followed the recipe as-is, it's important do to that, especially for this recipe. Thanks so much for your note! 🙂