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”
Do you need to sieve the flour?
This is d best n easy pancakes.. Really yumm.. Just had 1query can we double all d ingredients to make a larger quantity.. Do we need to double d baking powder n d baking soda.. Plz advice me.. Thank you
This is by far the best pancake recipe I’ve tried and works well as I like to bake with whole-wheat flour….Will make these for Christmas morning for brfast.
Just preparing the dry ingredients now to save to save time in the am. Will make the buttermilk with the suggested vinegar added to milk and let sit overnite in fridge….. Looking forward to brfast!
Merry Christmas to All . Trusting 2021 will be a better year for All.
God Bless!
Cathy
Victoria BC
Canada
These are so great! They are on frequent rotation in our house usually paired with eggs and bacon. I left out the sugar and instead added a bit of cinnamon and vanilla for flavor. I also used Bob’s 1 to 1 gluten free flour and the apple cider vinegar suggestion with milk since I never have buttermilk on hand. I like to add blueberries to the batter for sweetness. They always turn out delicious! Thank you for this recipe!
Thanks for the no-sugar tip cause I didn’t understand why it was necessary if you’re going to be ‘drenching’ pancakes with maple syrup or some kind of compote. I was thinking it had to balance out the salt so I was going to leave that out also… then there’s the option of adding brown sugar. 🙂
Hi Am I able to substitute egg with a banana and also use rice milk to make dairy and nut free
Hi, I’d like to make sure: if using almond milk, do I still need the tbsp of vinegar? How long do I need to let them “rest” together before mixing them with the rest of the ingredients?
Made these with einkorn, milk and vinegar option. Cooked on cast iron. Really really good. Will try with Khorasan wheat next time. Good job on the recipe.
Fantastic recipe and easy to prepare and cook. I’ve tried so many recipes for whole wheat pancakes and they were not tasty. I did add a half teaspoon of vanilla and lots of blueberries. The left over pancakes taste as good as the ones hot off the griddle.
One of the best whole wheat pancake recipe’s that I have tried. I’ll give it a Ten ➕ Have been eating pancakes 2 to 3 times per week for past many years, with of course pure maple syrup from Salisbury Pa. So I do know a good recipe.
Follow the recipe as presented and they will be great!
Also tips on freezing and reheating very helpful .
Recipe worked with whole grain flour too! Thanks for sharing
I’ve been trying to switch to whole wheat at home, and these pancakes were a big hit with the toddler! I substituted the milk and butter with coconut oil and coconut milk, and they still came out fluffy and delicious. Thanks for the recipe! It’s hard to find whole wheat recipes that taste good or aren’t dense. This is the first time I’ve actually reviewed a recipe and haven’t needed to tweak it.
Great pancakes! Because they cook so evenly and are easy to flip. Browned to perfection! I skipped the sugar and we didn’t miss it a bit. Lovely flavor. Thanks
Excellent whole wheat pancakes.
Used whole wheat pastry flour and almond milk and Splenda instead of sugar. These were for my husband with diabetes. Thank you.
They were very delicious. I made a double recipe because they said it didn’t make very many pancakes and I had pancakes left over. I used regular milk and white wine vinegar instead of the buttermilk because I didn’t have any. And instead of butter I use spread that was made with olive oil. And I thought they were beautiful toI.Came out better than the pancakes I make with white flour. I used soft whole wheat flour.
Loved these soft and fluffy wheat pancakes!! Replaced the butter with oil and used milk and vinegar instead of buttermilk.. kids loved these too:)
Turned out amazing!! The whole family liked these better than regular white flour pancakes. I used 1 cup of whole milk and 1 T apple cider vinegar and it worked perfectly.