These fluffy vegan pancakes are served with vegan yoghurt, blueberry compote and maple syrup. They are perfect for a weekend brunch.
I was inspired to to make these pancakes after a trip to a Boston Tea Party in Bristol. My friends had these pancakes with yoghurt and berry compote drizzled in maple syrup and I wanted to make them for myself. I’m trying a plant-based diet for Veganuary so I have recreated a vegan version!
How to make fluffy vegan pancakes?
Making pancakes vegan is surprisingly easy. All you need is flour, plant milk, apple cider vinegar, baking powder and salt. There is no need to add in eggs, or even use a flax egg, as the milk will bind the batter together whilst the baking powder will help the pancakes to rise.
Adding apple cider vinegar to plant milk acts as a buttermilk substitute. Buttermilk is used to make fluffy American pancakes.
How to make the blueberry compote
Fruit compote is very easy to make and can be ready in under 20 minutes. You just need to simmer blueberries, lemon juice, sugar and vanilla extract for 18 minutes. To give this compote some texture I add half the blueberries after 10 minutes so they don’t disintegrate too much.
The lemon juice contains pectin and is added to help set the compote so it isn’t too runny. If you prefer, you can replace the sugar with maple syrup.
Why are my pancakes chewy and not fluffy?
One common mistake when making pancakes is over-mixing them. When you over-mix the batter gluten will form and make the pancakes chewy. Don’t worry if there are some small lumps of flour in the batter. You can sieve the flour beforehand to ensure there aren’t too many.
Which milk is best for fluffy vegan pancakes?
My top recommendations are pea, oat or soy milk. Other plant-based milks, such as rice or coconut, have a water content which is very high. This results in a more liquid batter and thinner pancakes.
Why do you add apple cider vinegar to vegan pancakes?
To make fluffy American pancakes you would normally add buttermilk. Buttermilk is added to pancakes to make them soft and not chewy. This is because the buttermilk helps to break down gluten in the flour.
By adding apple cider vinegar to the vegan milk you create a dairy free buttermilk substitute. If you do not have apple cider vinegar you can try replacing it with fresh lemon juice.
What makes pancakes light and airy?
Ingredients such as baking powder and bicarbonate of soda are what makes pancakes fluffy. These ingredients release carbon dioxide bubbles into the batter and increase the volume of the pancakes.
Which yoghurt should I use?
Adding yoghurt to the pancakes makes every mouthful delicious and creamy. The creaminess of the yoghurt also complements the sourness of the blueberries. I used Alpro plain yoghurt as it is relatively inexpensive. If you’re not on a budget then one of my favourite dairy-free yoghurts is the Coconut Collaborative natural yoghurt.
Why do you need to let pancake batter rest?
I recommend resting the batter for at least 20 minutes. If you have time, leave it for 30 minutes. Resting the batter allows the gluten to relax. This also helps to ensure the pancakes are as light and fluffy as possible.
Ingredient swaps and additions
This pancake recipe is very simple and can be adjusted to your preferences.
if you would like to jazz these pancakes up you could put some blueberries into the batter. Fold these through just before you cook them. You could also add in some chocolate chips and, perhaps, serve the pancakes with bananas and yoghurt instead.
If you are not vegan but do not eat eggs you could substitute the dairy-free milk for whole milk. Or, if you can find some, you can replace both the milk and apple cider vinegar with the same volume of buttermilk.
For more luxurious pancakes you could replace the yoghurt with cream. I like the Oatly dairy-free oat cream.
Similar recipes
If you liked this recipe check out my other breakfast recipes:
- White chocolate and raspberry pancakes
- Hong Kong style French toast
- Quick kefir yoghurt bowl
- One pot creamy spinach and eggs
- Cream cheese and tomato bagel
Fluffy Vegan Pancakes
Ingredients
Method
- First make the pancakes. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt
- Combine the milk, apple cider vinegar and vanilla extract in a small bowl
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Whisk until just combined. Do not over whisk. Let batter sit for 20-30 minutes
- Now make the blueberry compote. Add half the blueberries, sugar, water, lemon juice and vanilla into a pan. Heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes add the remaining blueberries and simmer for 8 more minutes. Pour into a bowl and set aside
- Now we are ready to cook the pancakes. Brush a frying pan lightly with vegetable oil. Heat on a high heat.
- Add 1/3 of a cup of batter. Once bubbles start to form on the pancakes turn the heat to medium low. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Repeat with the remaining pancake batter
- Serve the pancakes with yoghurt and the compote
The compote was excellent
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