The age-old belief that breakfast is the most important meal of the day is reason enough to make a full and delicious vegan breakfast complete with pancakes. Vegan pancakes are incredibly easy to make and can be made with a wide variety of flours and ingredients meaning those who are gluten-free, grain-free or just equal opportunity eaters can enjoy them.
We love a hearty vegan breakfast with pancakes, tofu scramble and a bit of vegan bacon so it’s always a good idea to brush up on some new and creative pancake recipes. The recipes we’ve found are the absolute best and range from shockingly simple to more complex. We’ve found gluten-free and grain-free, classics like blueberry and chocolate chip and more unique options like carrot cake. We’ve found a vegan pancake recipe for literally everyone, so make time in your schedule for a well rounded vegan breakfast and start cooking!
Pancake Essentials
Before we get into the recipes, we thought we’d share a few of our favorite pancake essentials to keep on hand to make the best pancakes possible.
Vegan Butter
Butter is an essential topping for any war stack of pancakes and we can’t get enough of Miyoko’s Creamery vegan butter.
Maple Syrup
Perhaps one of the most classic and necessary ingredients for delicious pancakes, we love a good rich and dark maple syrup and tend to seek out local and organic farms for a fresh-tasting and pure syrup.
Whipped Cream
This essential is just for extra decadence and good measure. The So Delicious Coco whip found in the freezer section is an absolutely delicious option.
Chocolate Chips
Chocolate chip pancakes are incredibly delicious and a favorite of many kids so make sure you’ve got delicious vegan chocolate chips on hand. We love the Equal Exchange brand as well as the Enjoy Life brand’s mini chips.
Berries
These go great in pancakes or atop them and are a great healthy addition either way! Fresh strawberries and blueberries are our favorites.
Nut Butter
While not necessarily an essential for pancakes, its an amazing topic that can add extra protein, minerals and healthy fats and is a good option if you’re looking to cut out oils or vegan butter. We love the Once Again brand as well as the Artisana brand.
Vegan Pancake Recipes
Recipe: Simple Vegan Pancakes
Where to Find it: Nora Cooks
Why We Love it: This recipe has only 7 ingredients that are all common and most likely you already have on hand. Not only is it easy to make, it’s extremely affordable. We love how easy it is to change this recipe to accommodate all tastes and preferences and this is a great traditional pancake recipe alternative.
Our Suggestions: We suggest swapping out the canola oil and using a healthier option such as avocado oil or coconut oil. We also suggest using coconut milk or cashew milk if you are serving these to anyone with a soy allergy.
Recipe: Fluffy Vanilla Coconut Pancakes
Where to Find it: Simply Quinoa
Why We Love it: This recipe is really delicious and a truly healthy gluten-free option. We love that it uses a combination of quinoa and almond flour for a great higher protein content. This recipe is also free of soy and most nuts, as well as gluten, making it a great option for many people with allergies.
Our Suggestions: This delicious recipe would be great topped with toasted coconut shreds. Consider toasting your coconut first in the oven until golden brown for just a few minutes before topping your pancakes for a delicious crunch.
Recipe: Vegan Chunky Monkey Pancakes
Where to Find it: Elephantastic Vegan
Why We Love it: These pancakes are pretty decadent and dessert-like while still being a healthy option. We love the combination of peanut butter, banana and chocolate and these are a great option to serve to guests and children.
Our Suggestions: Just serve these with some good vegan butter to let the delicious flavors really shine.
Recipe: Vegan Blueberry Pancakes
Where to Find it: Choosing Chia
Why We Love it: This vegan take on a classic pancake flavor is so healthy and delicious its a must-try! We love the use of sprouted spelt flour and while it’s not necessary, it makes these pancakes digest well and makes the nutrients more available, a win-win for everyone enjoying them.
Our Suggestions: If you’re gluten-free, considering looking into a sprouted oat flour such as One Degree to keep these recipes just as healthy and delicious.
Recipe: Apple Buckwheat Pancakes with Coconut Caramel Apples
Where to Find it: Cocoon Cooks
Why We Love it: This is a truly unique and tasty pancake recipe that's great for anyone who loves to try new things or needs to eat gluten-free. This recipe is great for the fall when apples are abundant. We love the caramelized apples to top these pancakes to give them a dessert feel which still being a great healthy option.
Our Suggestions: We suggest trying out different apple varieties in this recipe such as pink lady, granny smith and opal for different textures and flavors.
Recipe: Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes
Where to Find it: North South Blonde
Why We Love it: This is the perfect pancake recipe to make when fall settles in or just whenever you’re wishing the weather was a little cooler. It’s incredibly easy to make and quite healthy as well as gluten-free, making it a great option to serve to guests.
Our Suggestions: We love these pancakes served with all the fixings, vegan butter, maple syrup and a dollop of whipped coconut cream.
Recipe: Vegan Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Where to Find it: I Love Vegan
Why We Love it: This childhood classic pancake couldn’t be any easier to make. It’s just a few simple ingredients to produce wonderfully tasty, child and adult-friendly pancakes. This is most definitely a recipe you’ll want to make for your kids or kids at heart.
Our Suggestions: We love the suggestion of extra chocolate chips and banana slices atop these pancakes and our only other suggestion is to embrace the deliciousness and decadence and add a dollop of whipped cream.
Recipe: Fluffy Vegan Sweet Potato Pancakes
Where to Find it: Cozy Peach Kitchen
Why We Love it: This is a really unique recipe and a great alternative to pumpkin pancakes for when you want something a little more hearty and warming. This are a little sweet, a little spicy, and delicious alongside a warm cup of chai.
Our Suggestions: This pancakes would be incredible topped with a drizzle of coconut butter or almond butter in addition to maple syrup.
Recipe: The Best Vegan Banana Pancakes
Where to Find it: A Virtual Vegan
Why We Love it: This recipe is really quite simple a great alternative to regular pancakes. We love all the options for personalizing this recipe to what you have on hand and what your preferences are. We love the option to use cashew butter in lieu of oil for a healthier recipe.
Our Suggestions: We love this recipe and we suggest experimenting with adding in some mini chocolate chips for a little extra bit of rich sweetness.
Recipe: 3 Ingredient Pancakes
Where to Find it: Eat Real Sh!t
Why We Love it: This recipe can’t be any easier. And it’s wildly healthy and delicious. It’s the kind of recipe you want to keep making because not only is it quick but it's so tasty! These are great for days when you have a little extra time in the morning and want something a little more substantial for breakfast without too much work or cleanup.
Our Suggestions: Keep this recipe interesting by adding in items such as berries, chocolate chips, or chopped walnuts. We also love topping these with a bit of almond butter or peanut butter for an extra dose of nutrients and filling protein and fat.
Recipe: Oatmeal Blender Pancakes
Where to Find it: e2 Bakes Brooklyn
Why We Love it: This recipe is really healthy and easy to make. We love how little work (and dishes!) it requires as its mostly made in a blender. It’s naturally gluten-free and most ingredients are pretty common so you most likely could throw these together without much effort.
Our Suggestions: This recipe lends itself to some creative alternatives as its being made in the blender. We suggest using 1/4 cup of freeze-dried fruit such as strawberries and blending them into the batter to make strawberry oatmeal pancakes.
Recipe: Carrot Cake Pancakes
Where to Find it: Karissa’s Vegan Kitchen
Why We Love it: This recipe is really unique and a great way to combine one's love of breakfast foods and dessert into one dish. We love how easy it is. It’s perfect for carrot cake lovers, pancake parties, or just as a creative alternative to chocolate chip or regular pancakes.
Our Suggestions: We love the coconut cream frosting, however, we also suggest trying a smear of vegan butter then topping it with vegan cream cheese and a drizzle of maple syrup.