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”
Hi Joanne — these were great! I recently had some amazing whole wheat pancakes at a restaurant in NY, and sought to recreate them at home. I just made a batch this morning and tweaked your recipe a bit — I added 3tsp of vanilla extract, upped the baking powder to 1tsp (not sure if that actually made a difference), and used white vinegar and whole wheat pastry flour. So good! Delicious/great flavor, light + fluffy — everything you want in a pancake (especially a healthier one =) Thanks for the recipe!
Lovely!!! In an attempt to introduce healthy eating habits in my house,I searched for whole wheat pancakes and came across your recipe! So glad that I did!! Made them for break fast today, skeptical about their success with the children, n thinking of alternatives if they rejected these… My worry was in vain!! They LOVED them!! and happily gobbled them down! Thank you so much for such an awesome recipe! I will be experimenting with variations in the future too! stay blessed!
Wanted healthy pancakes which your ingrediants provided….
Thanxxxx
Made these this morning. Loved them!!! I added a little vanilla to the batter also. Will definitely make them again!
I accidently used 1 tablespoon of sugar and half teaspoon of salt, powder, and soda and it came out fine. Its just what stuck in my head and I have been making them that way ever since. I also add a half teaspoon of cinnamon and some vanilla. I also don’t add the butter to the recipe and I cook them with coconut oil.
These were great…used almond milk …will use this recipe again
I have been trying to stay away from boxed or fully formed mixes (like we would get from the farmer’s market) because I KNOW I always have ingredients on hand. I made these today with the lemon juice (AWESOME TIP!), added 1/4 tsp of nutmeg, and also substituted half the WW flour for oat four. Also made them into waffles; these suckers were spot on! We had been trying protein pancakes/waffle with yogurt, but they were far too mushy. These came out great and still have the nutritional and staying power that I want. I am adding these to my recipe book. THANK YOU!
These are the best whole wheat pancakes i have ever had. they weren’t dry & had a great flavor. thank you for the recipe!!
Thank you – these are wonderful! I had them topped with honey and banana . A perfect Sunday morning post-run treat.
I don’t eat sugar. Can I use honey instead for sweetness or is the consistency of the sugar important?
I just made these. You are right. It is the best recipe! I’ve tried a few. Thanks also for the tip about exactly how much to mix them. I did not know that. The batter was also the easiest to handle. It wasn’t all liquidy, so it didn’t spread all over the griddle and flow down the drainage holes into my stove. Cleanup was also easy on my griddle. I don’t know of the recipe had anything to do with that, but the consistency probably did help. They ended up fluffy and not at all chewy or flat. Never thought I’d be so enthusiastic about pancakes. Already shared the recipe on my Twitter and Facebook pages. Just a brilliant experience overall. Making more now to freeze for rushed morning breakfasts. I’ve a suspicion these’ll work pretty darned well as toaster pancakes.
YAY! Glad you were impressed by the pancakes!
Just made these for the kids. Great fluffy pancakes !!!! Love this
My husband and I have been making this recipe for months now and it’s about time to say how great these pancakes are! We make them with soy milk and it curdles just as well.
This morning they serve me as my second breakfast since my 9-month old baby-in-belly indicates it needs more food :). These pancakes will keep me satisfied for a while!
Thank you for sharing.
Great to know that soy milk works well too!
This is the second recipe I tried with whole wheat flour. The first recipe I tried was whole wheat biscuits and they were awful however these pancakes were fantastic. I added fresh blueberries and the pancakes were fluffy and delicious. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you for sharing a whole wheat recipe that really does taste good.
I have tried many whole wheat pancake recipes. This is hands down the best! I just substituted coconut sugar for the sugar. My 3 and 6 year old say they are the best pancakes they have ever had. Thank you!
YAY! Glad that you think these are the best you’ve had =) Makes me happy!
These were fantastic! I try to replace white flour with whole wheat as much as I can, so I know that it’s rare to come across sweet foods that actually taste perfect with whole wheat, let alone 100% whole wheat. Thank you for making pancakes a great breakfast option again! I think I will experiment with some savory toppings too..