These Oat Milk Pancakes are the fluffiest vegan pancakes! They're soft, thick and perfectly puffy. Serve them in 30 minutes or less with your favorite fruit, pancake syrup and a pat of vegan butter.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Gluten-free friendly. These pancakes are not only naturally vegan, but gluten-free too. Who says pancakes can't be both healthy and delicious!
- Allergy free pancake ingredients. These vegan pancakes are free from the top 8 allergens. Safe for kids, families with allergies, and hosting brunch!
- Meal prep option. Use the storage and reheating instructions to make these oat milk pancakes ahead of time and enjoy hot and fluffy pancakes all week long.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- oat milk - Oat milk is a very popular cow's milk substitute in pancakes because it's rich and creamy and natually sweet, just like dairy milk. It's also a great plant-based substitute for nut milks. Try pairing these oat milk pancakes with a morning beverage like Oat Milk Matcha Latte, Oat Milk Hot Chocolate, or Creamy Iced Oat Milk Latte.
- flour - These pancakes work well with all purpose flour or Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten-Free Flour. I have not tested this pancake batter with oat flour or other alternative flours and cannot recommend them at this time.
- sugar - A small amount of cane sugar is used to lightly sweeten the pancake batter. If you are vegan, be sure to use an organic cane sugar. Conventional cane sugars are not always processed in vegan-friendly manners.
- vegan butter - I used Miyoko's vegan butter, but if you are vegetarian or not vegan, regular butter will work, too. You can also substitute the butter with a neutral oil like avocado oil, vegetable oil, or even melted coconut oil if you do not mind the flavor of coconuts.
- baking powder - The secret to making these vegan pancakes so fluffy is using 2 tablespoons (yes, TABLESPOONS!) of baking powder. Please do not attempt to substitute the baking powder with baking soda. These two leavening agents are not interchangeable. Using baking soda will make your oat milk pancakes taste like soap. If you are allergic to or sensitive to corn, make sure to use a corn-free and gluten-free baking powder.
Step by Step Instructions
- Prepare a flax egg. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the ground flaxseed and water. Set aside for about 3 minutes, or until the mixture becomes jelly like (similar to the consistency of egg whites).
- Mix together the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, sea salt, baking powder, and sugar.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry. Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry and gently mix to combine into a smooth batter. It should be thick, but easily pourable.
- Let the batter rest for 1-2 minutes. This allows the baking powder to mix with the liquids and activate. After a couple of minutes, you'll notice the batter has expanded and becomes light and airy. This is what makes them so fluffy!
- Mix the batter once more. This will help distribute the air bubbles and make a uniformly light and airy batter.
- Heat a skillet. In a large skillet or pancake griddle over medium-low heat, add butter or cooking spray.
- Cook the oat milk pancakes! Once the butter has melted, add ¼ cup of the pancake batter to the skillet. Allow the pancake to cook for 2-4 minutes, or until you see small holes forming on the top of the pancake. Flip, then cook for another 2-3 minutes. Continue until the rest of the batter is used.
- Serve. Serve immediately while hot with fresh fruit, whipped cream, syrup, etc.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
Good news! Oat milk pancakes not only reheat well as leftovers, but they are freezer-friendly too.
How to store pancakes: Allow the leftover oat milk pancakes to cool completely on a wire baking rack. This will help prevent the pancakes from becoming soggy on the bottom. Once cooled, transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How to reheat pancakes: Microwave the pancakes in 15 second bursts until hot. This method will help keep them moist and soft and is by far the quickest way to reheat oat milk pancakes. If you are reheating a lot of pancakes at once, reheat them in the oven. Place the pancakes on a lightly greased baking tray covered with foil and reheat at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes, or until warm.
How to freeze pancakes: Cool the vegan pancakes completely on a wire baking rack, then place the wire rack with the pancakes on it directly in the freezer. Leave them in the freezer until the pancakes are frozen solid (about 3-4 hours). Once frozen, remove the pancakes and place them in an airtight freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat oat milk pancakes using the above methods (you may need a little longer cook time when cooking from frozen!).
Time Saving Hacks
Use the above reheating and freezing instructions to make oat milk pancakes ahead of time for quick and easy breakfasts on weekday mornings. You can even take these vegan friendly pancakes on the go and microwave at the office.
FAQs
Yes, you can substitute the oat milk for water, however, your pancakes will not be as thick and fluffy because the batter will be a bit thinner. Milk also adds flavor that will be missing if you just use water.
Oat milk is a great plant-based milk choice for people with allergies who cannot tolerate soy or nuts. It's also better for the environment because it is less water intensive than almonds. You can make oat milk at home for cheap, too! Try this super easy homemade Oat Milk recipe.
If you are making a large batch of oat milk pancakes, it is a good idea to keep the cooked pancakes warm in the oven while you finish cooking the remaining batter. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet on the middle rack in the oven. As you cook the pancakes, transfer them to the wire rack in the oven to keep warm.
Tips for Success
- Mix the batter gently. This is especially important if you are using all purpose. Mix the batter together until just combined. If you over-mix or whip too much air into the batter, your vegan pancakes will become chewy instead of fluffy.
- Turn down the heat if necessary. If the skillet becomes too hot while you're cooking the pancakes, don't be afraid to lower the heat. If it is too hot, you will cook the outsides of the vegan pancakes too quickly without cooking the middle through well enough.
More Easy Breakfast Ideas You'll Love
If you make this recipe, I would absolutely love for you to leave a rating and review. I absolutely love connecting with you!
Fluffy Vegan Oat Milk Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups oat milk
- 3 tbsp vegan butter melted
- 1 flax egg 1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 2 ½ tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Begin by making your flax egg. In a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp of ground flax (or flax meal) and 3 tbsp of water. Mix and let sit for 3 minutes, until it becomes jelly like in texture.
- Combine the flax egg, oat milk, melted vegan butter, and vanilla extract in a small bowl and mix.
- In a larger bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and cinnamon.
- Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry and mix it until it is combined. The batter should thick yet should be able to be poured easily.
- Let the batter sit for for 1-2 minutes. You will notice it will expand slightly - that is due to the baking powder, which is why these pancakes are fluffy.
- Mix the dough one more time, for approx. 10 seconds, to bring it back down to its original form.
- Heat a skillet over medium to low heat for 1-2 minutes, allowing the skillet to get warm.
- Add butter or cooking spray to the skillet and allow it to melt. Then scoop a ¼ cup of pancake batter into the skillet.
- Allow the pancake batter to cook on one side for approximately 2-4 minutes, depending on how hot your skillet is. Once you see small holes on the top of the pancake, flip the pancake then cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Continue to do the same for the rest of the batter until there is none left.
- Top with fruit, whip cream, pancake syrup or anything you desire!
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