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”
I used to make WWPC all the time, soo busy.. haven’t made them in years. Had a huge bag of WW flour and a container of lactose fat free milk so used that along with the spoon of ACV. Added a splash of Almond milk to stretch the batter and cinnamon, allspice and vanilla for added flavor. Delicious. Thank you so much!
Is it possible to substitue the wholemeal flour with wholemeal spelt flour?
This is so so good! I won’t ever make regular pancakes again. I added 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts and they were so satisfying.
This is a fantastic recipe. I have been using this for two years and will continue.
My kids love this recipe. I only cook with whole grains for breakfast as a rule. When I started using this recipe, they told me these taste like hotel pancakes lol. I do add a little extra salt and quadruple the recipe. I do have to back off on the liquid with such a big batch. Thank you for such a great recipe!
The two of us had no leftovers. We put praline syrup, whipped cream, and strawberries on top.
You give very good advice for having fluffy pancakes.
“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.”
Fantastic—thank you!
Indeed a sweet surprise to get fluffy, yummy and healthy pancakes using 100% whole wheat! Tried this recipe for Saturday morning breakfast by replacing butter with coconut oil and the kids certified it to be super hit!! They even said my previous pancakes (which were once their favourite) were rubbish.. haha thank you so much for the yummy recipe!
I just made this this morning. Because it was for 3 tiny humans, I decided to use half whole wheat and half all purpose. Other than that, everything the same … including letting the batter sit. They LOVED them!! Maybe all whole wheat next time …
Thank you for this recipe! This has been our whole wheat recipe for a few years now and it doesn’t fail. We mill our own spelt flour and they’re light and so tender.
best recipe ever very fluffy.
This is the best pancake recipe ever!! We’re trying to go gluten free and white sugar free, so I tried the same recipe with coconut sugar and emmer wheat (which is not entirely gluten free, but the protein structure is much more easily digestible), and these tasted just as amazing!! Also replaced maple syrup with date syrup, so yummmm!!
Wonderful! So happy to hear, and thanks for sharing those substitutions.
I wanted pancakes but only had wholemeal flour, so I found your recipe! I just made these and they turned out beautifully. I admit I was a little sceptical at first as I have never made wholemeal pancakes before, but I would definitely make them again! I ate them stacked with sliced banana, drizzled in maple syrup and topped with almonds. Delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
That’s great! Enjoy!
I want to ask about the calories in the pancake. is it 286 calorie in peace or totally?
The calories are for 1/3 of the entire batch. Because pancake sizes will vary, it’s hard to say how many calories each one has. Multiply by 3 and you will get the entire calories for the entire batch. Then divide by the number of pancakes you make, which as I said, depends on how large you make them.
Sent my comment on how wonderful the WW pancakes and forgot to mark the 5 stars.
We are trying recipes with whole wheat flour./ Getting off the white stuff. Today was the first time for your WW pancakes. So wonderfully easy to cook. Used fat free milk and vinegar and butter. Today I had 3 pancakes and my husband had 3 with a once over egg in between the top two cakes. He loved them! I will try the oil as you show in the video next time just to see if there any difference for us. Thank you.