Whole Wheat Pancakes
These Whole Wheat Pancakes are made with 100% whole wheat flour and taste absolutely delicious! They’re a healthier option to enjoy for breakfast or brunch.
Most of the times that I’ve opted for whole wheat breads over white, I would do it for health reasons but secretly preferred the taste of white. But I can honestly say that whole wheat tastes way better when it comes to pancakes.
It’s fun to make these for friends and family and see how surprised they are by how delicious, flavorful, and fluffy they are, because labeling something as whole wheat inevitably leads to some pre-judgements.
This is the general theme in the comments section below as well, as this has been one of the most popular recipes on this blog since I first posted it in 2013.
They are some darn good pancakes, and since they’re healthier than the usual pancake, it’s a happy surprise!
Many times when people substitute whole wheat flour in for white like for homemade sandwich bread, it can be tricky because whole wheat flour doesn’t have the same gluten-developing capabilities as white flour.
…but we don’t need to develop gluten with pancakes! And in fact, we don’t want to.
So these pancakes are able to be very fluffy and light in texture, but with more nutrients and flavor.
How to Make Whole Wheat Pancakes:
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, which are whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar:
Whisk the dry ingredients together, then add the wet ingredients, which are made from buttermilk (or regular milk or almond milk), egg, and melted butter (or oil):
Whisk the two to combine, keeping in mind that you only want to whisk until the flour disappears.
Like most pancake recipes, you want to leave lots of lumps. This ensures you don’t overmix, and it keeps the pancakes fluffy and light.
This will be a pretty thick batter, unlike many of the super thin boxed pancake mixes that run like water. It’s part of what makes them so fluffy.
You can spoon scoops of it onto a hot griddle, but I actually love using a cookie scoop to portion so every pancake is the same size.
Cook the pancakes for a few minutes until bubbles start to form on the top:
Check that it’s golden underneath, then flip and cook for another couple minutes:
I know these pancakes don’t win any beauty contests without any toppings, but they really do taste incredible.
I like to slather them with butter and pure maple syrup, or add fruit like sliced strawberries and bananas:
Next time you’re in the mood for some really indulgent pancakes…try these Cinnamon Roll Pancakes or Carrot Cake Pancakes. Best to treat them as dessert though, heh.
I also love making super thin Crepes and filling them with fruits and spreads. Enjoy!
How to Freeze Pancakes:
First let the pancakes cool completely, then follow one of these two methods so the pancakes don’t stick to each other:
For the first method, place the pancakes on a sheet pan in a single layer, making sure they aren’t touching each other, and freeze for 30-60 minutes, until they are completely frozen. Then you can remove the pancakes and place them in a large plastic bag. This way they won’t stick to each other, and you can take out as many pancakes as you’d like.
For the second method, stack the pancakes between wax paper or parchment paper, and place those stacks in a resealable bag to freeze. This will keep them separated so they don’t freeze stuck together.
Freeze the pancakes for up to two months.
How to Reheat Pancakes:
Here are three methods for reheating, either by using the microwave, oven, or toaster:
Microwave Method (my favorite):
Place 1 to 5 frozen pancakes on a microwave-safe plate. Cook uncovered at 20 seconds for 1 pancake, 30 seconds for 2 pancakes, 40 seconds for 3 pancakes, 50 seconds for 4 pancakes, and 60 seconds for 5 pancakes. Exact timing will depend on the strength of your microwave, but this is a good guideline.
Oven Method:
This is great for a larger numbers of pancakes. Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the desired number of frozen pancakes into a foil packet. Or place pancakes in a flat layer on a sheet pan and cover the pan tightly with foil. Just make sure you seal tightly to prevent the pancakes from getting dry. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the pancakes are warm and soft.
Toaster Method:
This is my least favorite method, but it does work. You are limited to only one pancake per slot, and need to watch to make sure the pancakes don’t become crispy or overcook. Time varies depending on toaster settings.
Whole Wheat Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (5 ounces by weight)
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup buttermilk*
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp melted butter**
- butter for greasing the griddle
Instructions
- In a big bowl, whisk to combine the whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk to combine the buttermilk, egg, and melted butter.
- Whisk the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir the two together until just barely mixed. You want any visible loose flour to be stirred in, but there should still be plenty of lumps. If you stir out the lumps, the pancakes will likely be tough.
- Preheat a nonstick griddle to 375 degrees F and grease the surface with butter.
- Add small scoops of pancake batter (the batter will be thick) and use a cookie scoop to gently smooth the scoop into a flatter circle.
- Cook for a few minutes, until you see little bubbles forming on the surface.
- Flip the pancakes and cook for a couple minutes on the other side. If you peek underneath, the bottom should be golden brown.
- Serve with butter, pure maple syrup, or sliced fruit. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
Post updated with new photos, writing, and tips in August 2018. Originally published in May 2013. This post contains an affiliate link.
555 Comments on “Whole Wheat Pancakes”
I was looking for a whole wheat pancake recipe this morning and Google brought us together. These are fantastic! I
My husband insisted that we save this recipe because these pancakes are so good!
I’ve made this recipe in both pancake and muffin form and it always comes out delicious. It’s one of the few recipes I haven’t been able to screw up yet. 🙂 When you do it as muffins, the kids can top theirs the way they like as well!
Hey! Tried these and they turned out to be a hit!
Just needed help with more serving suggestions…
I LOVE this recipe!!!! I change it a bit. I use coconut oil instead of butter, honey instead of sugar and spelt instead of whole wheat. So yummy!
I made them this morning. These are simply delicious. I was hesitant about buying the wheat flour. I have a tendency to buy healthier stuff and then not like or use it. But I thought I would give this a try. I’m trying to cut back on sugar so I made some with and without (based on the person who forgot sugar but still liked it). I actually prefer it without sugar. Thank you for giving me the perfect pancake — no sugar and whole wheat! Never going back to white flour pancakes. Wow. Who knew ww pancakes could actually taste good and be light. Thanks to all who left their comments. You were right.
I have tried and tried to get WW pancakes right without success. These were wonderful, thank you!
So wonderful to hear!!
I love this recipe and that it uses whole wheat flour! So delicious!!!
Yum! I am always up for trying a new pancake recipe! Breakfast tomorrow!
Just made these.
Texture was nice: fluffy and light. Definitely soaks up butter and syrup expectionally well.
My heat was up a bit too high for my iron skillet so they got a little dark. That’s on me.
Taste: For my first try of 100% whole wheat pancake, it was good. The nuttiness caught me by surprise which was nice. I may add a tiny bit of a flour til I get use to the wheat.
Verdict: Lovely easy recipe. Will make again. I’m going to freeze the rest. I’ll happily report back with how they reheat.
Mine came out way too runny with the perportions given. I liked the flavor a lot though.
I was skeptical when I made these for breakfast this morning. I found weevils in my pancake mix, and was completely out of all-purpose flour. I really wanted pancakes, though. I found your recipe for [allegedly] good whole wheat flour pancakes, and since my whole wheat flour was still safe to consume, I gave these a shot. Oh my goodness! These were amazing! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I just made these and they were delicious! Thank you for the recipe . I didn’t have baking soda so I upped the baking powder a bit and they were light and fluffy. Also, added a bit of vanilla because I like it.
Best. Pancakes. Ever. Thank you!! I used Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat pastry flour, half-and-half since my milk was bad, and kind of just eyeballed a mix of baking soda and cream of tartar. Followed the rest of the recipe exactly, and they were fluffy and nutty and amazing. I’ll probably never look for another whole wheat pancake recipe again.
Wonderful!!!
I love these pancakes so much! Whenever I want pancakes I come back to this post. I even make little kits so that I only have to add the wet ingredients when I want to make pancakes quick. I’m sure someone has already asked this, but there are a LOT of comments to sort through, so I will ask it again. Do you recommend this recipe for waffles, or have a similar waffle recipe that you do recommend?
That’s great Michelle! These are the waffles I always make: https://www.fifteenspatulas.com/5-secrets-to-crisp-flavorful-golden-brown-waffles/
Yummy! Def a keeper!
These look so perfect and delicious, next time I’m making pancakes, I’m trying with whole wheat flour!