My simple whole wheat pancakes are flavored with a touch of vanilla and buttermilk. They make a nutritious breakfast and pair nicely with fresh fruit and pure maple syrup!
Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes
Adapted from my buttermilk pancakes, these whole wheat pancakes are both nutritious and tasty. They’re made with 100% whole wheat flour, plenty of vanilla extract, and just a bit more sugar than I typically use in my pancakes (to add moisture and flavor). Buttermilk is optional, but highly recommended for thick and fluffy results!
This recipe is perfect for a quick, fairly healthy breakfast and can easily be adapted to suit your taste preferences. Add nuts, chocolate chips or blueberries to the batter, top them with fresh fruit or yogurt, or simply enjoy them plain.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- All the nutritional benefits of whole wheat flour (I go into this in more detail below), but with that classic buttermilk pancake flavor.
- Just 15 minutes to make, so you can whip them up in a flash (without using a mixer, please!).
- You can make the batter up to two days in advance. You can also prep the pancakes in advance and store them in the fridge or freezer; instructions for this are below.
- Tastes great plain, with butter and syrup, or dressed up with fresh berries, blueberry sauce, or whipped cream.
What You Need
We’re using pantry staples here today; all of these ingredients will be familiar to you.
- Whole wheat flour. Make sure yours is fresh as whole wheat flour goes bad faster than its more all-purpose counterpart. And as always, make sure you measure your flour properly, or your pancakes could turn out dry and dense.
- Milk or buttermilk. Whole milk will work, but buttermilk makes for thicker, fluffier, and more flavorful pancakes. My easy buttermilk substitute is another good option if you don’t keep this ingredient on hand!
- Sugar. To make these pancakes more flavorful and moist (whole wheat flour can be drying) I use a tablespoon more sugar than I do in my buttermilk pancakes.
- Butter. We’ll need ¼ cup for the pancake batter, then a bit more for greasing the pan (or you can use a neutral oil for the pan if you like). I use unsalted butter since that is what I keep on hand, but you can use salted butter and reduce the salt in the recipe to a heaping ¼ teaspoon.
- Vanilla. These pancakes don’t have to be boring just because we’re using a healthier base! A splash of vanilla adds a nice sweetness and flavor to the batter. Don’t skip it!
SAM’S TIP: I typically recommend using room temperature eggs, but if you forget to set yours out ahead of time here, your pancakes will be fine. This recipe is meant to be quick and easy!
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Whole Wheat Pancakes
- Combine the dry ingredients and sugar with a whisk, then whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Gradually drizzle in the melted butter; you may notice this mixture curdles a bit when you add the butter–that’s totally normal.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Fold the wet and dry ingredients together using a spatula or spoon. Mix until just combined; over-mixing here will create flat, rubbery pancakes. It’s totally fine if you see lumps or a few flour streaks in your batter!
- Cook in a greased skillet over medium-low heat until you see bubbles bursting on the surface. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown, then remove to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, then serve and enjoy!
SAM’S TIP: You can keep your cooked pancakes warm on a cookie sheet in the oven. I use the “warm” setting on my oven, but if yours doesn’t have that, just set it to its lowest possible temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Feel free to toss in up to a cup of add-ins like fruit, nuts, or chocolate chips. You’ll want to add these when the wet and dry ingredients are about 50% combined.
For toppings, we like whipped cream and fresh fruit, but you can really get creative here. Maple syrup is a classic pairing, though strawberry sauce or blueberry sauce would also be tasty!
For sides, I’d recommend some scrambled eggs, bacon, or my cheesy hash brown casserole.
Yes, you can prepare the batter, cover it tightly, and refrigerate for up to 2 days before using. You can also cook the pancakes, allow them to cool, and refrigerate or even freeze them to re-warm later.
If you enjoy baking with whole wheat flour, try my honey wheat rolls next!
Enjoy!
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Whole Wheat Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (473 ml) buttermilk may substitute whole milk, see note
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 Tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter melted
- Butter or neutral cooking oil like avocado oil, for cooking
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.2 cups (250 g) whole wheat flour, ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.2 cups (473 ml) buttermilk, 2 large eggs, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Slowly drizzle melted butter into milk mixture and whisk well (it’s OK if the butter separates some or the mixture appears curdled).4 Tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a spatula to gently fold ingredients together until just combined. Take care to not over-mix or the pancakes will be dense and rubbery. Use your spatula to poke around for pockets of flour and gently break them up, but a few flour streaks can remain and a lumpy batter is OK.
- Set batter aside while you preheat your skillet (giving the batter a few minutes to rest while the skillet warms helps it develop and thicken a bit).
- Lightly brush a neutral cooking oil onto skillet and place on burner over medium/low heat. Allow skillet to preheat for several minutes before adding your batter. (Once skillet is preheated you should be able to feel the heat if you hover your hand several inches above the pan.)Butter or neutral cooking oil
- Scoop ½ – ⅔ cup pancake batter into pan and allow to cook for several minutes. The pancake is ready to flip when the edges start to look cooked and bubbles in batter begin to burst. Use a spatula to carefully flip the pancake over and allow it to cook for several more minutes until it is a golden brown.
- Repeat until all batter is used, brushing the pan with oil between each pancake.
- Serve warm topped with butter, syrup, or whipped cream!
Notes
Buttermilk vs milk
I found buttermilk yielded the best results (thicker, fluffier pancakes with better depth of flavor). However, whole milk does work nicely here too if you don’t have buttermilk.Storing
You can store the batter covered in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before cooking. Cooked pancakes can be cooled and stored wrapped in foil or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (or they can be wrapped and frozen for several months). You can rewarm in the toaster or place them on a baking sheet in an even layer and warm for several minutes in a 350F (175C) ovenNutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Jennie
Pleasantly surprised how much I love these whole wheat pancakes! I went to make pancakes this morning and came back to this recipe!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Jennie! 🙂