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’m really happy to find this recipe because we make pancakes all the time on the weekends!
I love when pancakes are soft and fluffy (vs. thin) and these totally delivered!
I’d much rather have whole wheat pancakes and these are as delicious as they look!! Will make another batch this weekend!
So nice I love it to pancakes Thank you admin to share my favorite pancake
Yes I have made these and they are delicious and aside form mixing a little too much no one knew they were made with whole wheat flower.
These were fantastic!! I was out of white flour so I thought I’d try whole wheat and these were fluffy and light.
Only thing I changed was I used 3 tsp brown sugar. I was worried about the vinegar but I didn’t taste it at all. Thank you for this!!
Happy to hear! Happy cooking.
These turned out so good! Thank you for a perfect recipe. I added mashed banana and chocolate chips to it. But the recipe itself is really good, I have been looking for a fluffy whole wheat recipe. Thanks!
Hi Diana, so glad to hear that! Thanks for sharing re: the bananas and chocolate chips
I made a double batch of these today and they turned out rather flat. I still thought they were good but my family complained about them not being fluffy. Also we had to add some water to the recipe to make it pourable. I think it might have been because we used 2 cups of buttermilk and 2 regular sized eggs instead of using 2 cups of milk plus 2 tablespoons of vinegar and large eggs. Dad also complained that they didn’t sate to normal to which I replied “well they aren’t the normal ones” and “you’er stupid.”
Hi Alexi, this batter is not supposed to be pourable, and I think adding water to the recipe to make it so probably resulted in the lackluster results. I’m not sure how much water you added since you didn’t specify, but if you try these again, make sure to follow the recipe precisely. Please let me know if you have any questions.
But without the water I couldn’t flatten the pancake. The batter was sticky and wouldn’t spread out using the back of the scoop.
Hey, just made these this afternoon (I left out the sugar– been looking for a pseudo-healthy pancake recipe) and they were fantastic. Just wanted to drop a line and thank you so much for sharing! These will be great for group breakfasts.
Hi Sean, very glad you enjoyed them!
I would actually love these healthy beauties for dinner.
Does the recipe call for “general purpose whole wheat” or “pastry whole wheat” flour?
I use Gold Medal Whole Wheat Flour, which is what it says on the package. I’ve never used pastry whole wheat flour, but I suspect that would work here too.
Loved it! The texture was moist and it tasted great too. i added chocolate shavings and cinnamon too 😀 It was thankfully without the soda ish taste that i always get when i make pancakes usually 🙁 Thank you so much for sharing!
So glad to hear you loved it!
is this recipe glutenfree
No, it’s made with flour. You can try a gluten free mix but I haven’t tried it myself.
Hi, Joanne! Thanks so much for the response, the tip, and for the great recipe!!
We use almond milk. does that work to make “buttermilk”?
The first time I made these, I think they turned out a lot fluffier. I felt like I had only stirred them a little, but maybe too much. I’ll try a super-gentle stir next time! Yummy.
Hi Jane, yes I’ve used almond milk successfully here! And with pancakes, you really have to stir super minimally. There should still be lumps in the batter. Hope that helps!
My husband accidentally bought a big bag of ww flour. I’m not such a fan of the flour (much prefer spelt for healthy baking) but didn’t want to waste it. This recipe is great! Light and fluffy and tasty! Becoming my new Sunday morning ritual. You also inspired me to pull out my griddle which really does make it so much easier. Thx!
Really glad to hear you enjoyed these!