It is so easy to make vegan pancakes, no eggs or dairy needed! No need to miss out on this classic treat, and no need for lots of unusual ingredients, or complex methods. All you need is flour, oil, plant based milk, a pinch of baking powder and salt and a little dairy free spread to cook. If you like your pancakes to have a bit of an eggy flavour, then you can add a little gram (chickpea flour) or a pinch of Kala Namak (also known as Himalayan Black Salt, has an egg-like flavour), but they work perfectly well without and still taste delicious!
These are the English version of pancakes, similar to French Crêpes, rather than the American style pancake. They are large and thin and usually served folded, with lemon and sugar or other sweet toppings.
How to make vegan pancakes
You can make the batter in advance to save time if you want, just store in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Combine the dry ingredients together in a large jug and mix the milk and oil in a second jug. Gradually add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing well to avoid lumps until you have a smooth batter. Heat the dairy free spread in a frying pan. A good non-stick pan will help prevent the pancakes from sticking to the bottom. Get the pan really hot before adding the batter, but lift it off the heat one you add it, then swirl it round to coat the pan evenly. This will give you a nice even pancake and prevent it bubbling or burning. If you do get bubbles forming, gently push the batter over them with a spatula to smooth them down.
Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, flipping it half way (in the air if you are brave enough!).
Serve your vegan pancakes with immediately with classic lemon and sugar, fruit and cream, ice cream and chocolate sauce, or any topping of your choice.
Perfect for Pancake Day!
Equipment
- Whisk hand or electric
- Small non-stick frying pan (skillet)
- Scales
- Spatula / fish slice
- Small mixing bowl
- Measuring jug
Ingredients
Pancakes
- 120 g plain (all purpose) white flour
- 300 ml plain flavoured plant based milk (we use oat)
- 1 tbsp chickpea (gram) flour (optional, adds protein and egg flavour)
- 1 tbsp plain flavoured oil (sunflower, vegetable or mild olive are fine)
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt (you can use Kala Namak instead for more egg flavour)
- 2 tbsp dairy free margarine / spread for cooking
Topping
- 2 fresh lemons, juiced
- 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Put all the dry ingredients in a large jug, add the oil to the milk and then gradually mix into the dry ingredients with an electric whisk or stick blender until you have a smooth batter. If you don't have an electric whisk, you can use a fork, just add the milk mixture slowly and mix well each time to prevent lumps. Leave to stand while you heat the pan.
- Heat a small, non-stick frying pan over a medium high heat then add 1 -2 tsp of margarine. As it melts, swirl it round to coat the whole bottom of the pan, it should sizzle. Let the pan get really hot, but do not allow the margarine to burn or it will taste bitter and go brown.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add a small ladle of batter (around 50ml) to the centre of the pan. Immediately lift the pan up and swirl the batter around so that it coats the pan evenly in a circle and then put back on the heat and leave to cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Use a spatula or similar to carefully lift the edge to check if the underside is golden brown and if so, flip the pancake over and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side until golden brown on both sides. You can add a little more margarine if the pan looks dry. Serve immediately with your favourite toppings.
- If making the whole batch put the cooked pancakes on a plate as you make them, with baking paper between to stop them sticking together. Cover with a plate or tin foil to keep them warm until you are ready to serve.
Notes
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