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.
553 Comments on “Whole Wheat Pancakes”
Yes
Came out perfect. Used whole milk, & coconut oil for pan. Added mashed bananas, Yum.
This was delicious! My kids loved these pancakes. added vanilla and a little cinnamon. Thanks for sharing.
These tasted good and rich, but I had to use a lot more than a cup of whole wheat flour just to make the batter not thin soup. Not sure if it was my high altitude or what, but these were way too thin for my liking.
I had the same experience, the batter turned out very thin and soupy. I’m at 1,000′ altitude so that isn’t the problem. I used 2% milk instead of whole milk, but I wouldn’t think that would affect it. I’d love to know what went wrong..
My bet is that your flour was very fluffy. It’s always best to measure by weight. 113g is about standard for a cup of whole wheat flour. I used that much, and added 2 Tbs of whole milk to the buttermilk, and my batter was definitely not soupy. One more thing: be sure to let the batter rest several minutes between mixing and cooking. It’s not a coincidence that the recipe tells you to preheat the griddle/pan after mixing the batter.
I used white whole wheat flour and honey instead of sugar. They were fabulous! Thank you!
My husband and I loved this recipe!
This recipe came put out flawlessly, I used soymilk and doubled the recipe ( so plenty for everyone). Tasted great with a sprinkle of cinnamon, some vanilla, and almond essence.
This was so goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood!
I was craving blueberry pancakes and lamenting I only have whole wheat flour. This recipe saved the day! I made them just as you said except I did not put butter in the pan. I put blueberries in the pancakes and made the buttermilk as indicated. I enjoyed these with real Maple syrup. I appreciate all the helpful hints including using the ice cream scoop, which I used, and how to freeze the pancakes which I also did. I will look to make more recipes from your space. Thank you for the recipe.
Left out one tap. Of sugar and 1 tbs of butter and they were delicious !
These are the fluffiest pancakes i’ve ever made! A tad bit salty but that’s ok! So fluffy!
Hi, thanks for the recipe 🙂 i hope you are keeping safe in this troubling time. Any idea how to do it if I would like to use spelt flour?
I have to say, I just tried this recipe and found it quite delicious. I have a wheat pancake recipe but didnt want to dig it out so I quickly googled and this one came up. I had no problems at all. I have been using wheat flour for pancakes and other bread items for quite a few years so I’m used to working with wheat. I didn’t measure the ingredients but used my cooking instincts. I was really pleased with the results. I used coconut oil and regular milk. True enough, you don’t get the exact consistency of white flour pancakes, but done right with wheat flour, you come pretty close. For those who had problems, keep trying. I had to keep trying in my early usage of wheat flour until I found what worked. It’s a matter of practice makes perfect!
I made these and loved them. I used 4 oz rather than 5 oz of flour, and milled my own flour from soft white wheat berries. Will definitely make again.
Loved these. Totally wheat but have lightness. I’m working on a weight loss program and these are a huge help!
I just made these and they are fantastic! I followed the exact recipe. I used regular milk with the vinegar added. The batter was thick, but not too thick that I couldn’t spoon it out easily. It made 6 good size pancakes. I was so pleased I added this recipe to my favorites. I used King Arthur whole wheat flour and a fresh egg. (we raise chickens) Can’t say enough about how great these are!
Tried today. Great recipe. Wholesome goodness. Definitely my go to for Whole wheat pancakes. Thank you!
Delicious! Mine needed 2-3 T. more buttermilk than the recipe called for, and the batter was still thick, but I went with it anyway, and they were wonderful!
Made this today and they were amazing!! Took only a few minutes to throw the ingredients together. I used Truvia instead of sugar and followed the guidelines to add apple cider vinegar to the milk since I didn’t have buttermilk on hand. Definitely going to be my new go-to healthy pancake recipe. Thank you!!