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”
Recipe looks awesome, can’t wait to try it. I like that you explain why to cook certain ways and how to do it correctly. I’m sure I’ll be back for more 🙂
Also, don’t know if anyone else has commented on this, but the transcript/close captioning for the video is for cheesecake strawberries… they sound delicious, but probably not the caption you want for your whole wheat pancakes video.
Thanks!
Oh boy, thanks for sharing that! I had no idea. I will fix it =)
I’ve made these two mornings in a row with my granddaughter. Today, I replaced the butter with yogurt and they came out just as delicious.
Wonderful, glad the yogurt went well!
Wow! These are great! I threw in some frozen blueberries too! I used butter and maple syrup, and later I ate a small one just smeared with natural peanut butter. Yummmm … thank you!!! 🙂
Really glad to hear that, Charmie!
Oh my goodness!!! These pancakes were absolutely delicious!!! Thanks for sharing! My husband and I are gonna have a good dinner tonight {pancakes and eggs in honor of National Pancake Day ;)}
So glad you loved the pancakes Deb!
This was amazing! I finally can go back to my Sunday Pancake Morning, thank you so much. I used soymilk instead of regular milk and added banana slices, it was extremely good!
Hi Catalina, glad you loved the pancakes! Good to know about the soymilk and banana slices too =)
This was delicious!! I substituted melted coconut oil for butter and these were some of the best pancakes ever! Everyone in the family including my toddler and a 9 months old loved them! Thank you so much!
Cool, great to know that melted coconut oil worked well here! Glad they were enjoyed by all =)
These pancakes are the best. Like many reviewers I always used a box mix. And I hated making pancakes because I had to make soo many to feed my family of four. But we committed to eating whole food after my daughter started having migraines. I found this recipe and the first morning I made them, my kids devoured them! I now have to make a double batch, but its still fewer than I was making out of the box. Plus, it leaves us with yummy snacks later.
So glad you love the pancakes Charli! Very happy to hear it =)
These pancakes are wonderful, so light and fluffy and best of all there’s no white flour in them! They are great with maple syrup but next time I’m going to make blueberry syrup to serve with them. Yummy! My husband has diabetes but did not have any blood sugar problems after eating these. A real keeper! Thanks so much!
Hi Janet, how funny, I alternate between maple syrup and blueberry syrup too! Haha, hope you enjoy them again and again. Glad the pancakes are great for you and your husband.
I have to limit my dairy intake due to my nursling having a milk protein intolerance so I substituted almond milk for the milk. These turned out great! I will never buy boxed mix again. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Heather, thanks for letting us know almond milk worked well!
We generally avoid white flour, which made my Sunday morning pancakes a tough one. I add blueberries and sliced bananas. We are back eating pancakes on Sunday morning. Thanks!
Hi Jim, wonderful to hear you enjoyed these pancakes! Great idea to add blueberries and bananas.
I will try this recipe, it looks good.I just recently read that a little orange juice added to w/w recipes takes away some of the strong wheat taste (w/o leaving an orange taste). Have you ever tried that?
Hi Chef Thom, I’ve never tried that or heard of it…interesting concept! Honestly with this recipe I wouldn’t bother, as I think the flavor is delicious. But I know what you mean about some WW recipes tasting a little strange.
These pancakes are SO good!! My son (11 months) and I just made these and I added little chunks of banana, we loved them. We tried some whole wheat pancakes earlier this week and they were awful. We will be making these regularly from now on! We made a ton and will be freezing for quick morning breakfasts.
Tried these morning and absolutely loved them. I had to make some subs because we had no eggs and buttermilk, but they were simply awesome!
Glad you enjoyed the pancakes Jamie!!
i found this recipe several months ago and i love it! so does my 3 year old daughter who often requests them on the weekends. so simple, so quick, so delicious! i really like that they’re made with wholemeal flour from a nutritional point of view. i usually just put a small amount of maple syrup on them when they are done and they are always perfectly moist and sweet. all of your recipes look fantastic and i look forward to trying more, perhaps the soft pretzels next! thanks for such a fantastic website. how nice for you to be able to share your passion!
That’s great Amy, glad you feel good about serving them! I really find no need for all-white flour pancakes, these are so good!
Can you use Almond milk ? Will it curdle like regular milk if mixed with the vinegar ?
I used almond milk and it turned out fine
Thanks for sharing your experience, Antonio. Super helpful!
I make the dry mix in a bowl and the wet mix in a mason jar the night before. I use veggie oil for butter. Come 7am, I shake the mason jar and add it to the dry. Voila! I’m awesome mom! Thank you!!!!!
That’s brilliant, Jill. Love that tip!