Whole Wheat Pancakes
These whole wheat pancakes are delicious and fluffy, with a hint of cinnamon. They’re naturally sweetened with maple syrup instead of sugar. So good!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
Somehow, I’ve neglected to share a basic whole wheat pancake recipe. I’m remedying that today with these delightfully light and fluffy, 100 percent whole wheat pancakes!
If you’re looking for a go-to pancake recipe, this is it. Drizzle these cakes with maple syrup or go wild with toppings. They’re great either way.
These made-from-scratch pancakes put Bisquick pancakes to shame. Plus, these pancakes don’t send my blood sugar for a loop like regular pancakes made with all-purpose flour, especially when I top them with a dab of protein-rich peanut butter or almond butter.
I know that whole wheat flour has a reputation for producing bitter baked goods, but here’s the deal—if your whole wheat goods taste bitter, it’s because your flour has gone bad. Whole wheat flour is more apt to go rancid than all-purpose because it contains the good-for-you, naturally-occurring oil present in whole grains.
Fresh whole wheat flour is mildly nutty in flavor and delicious. I’ll spare you my spiel about the industrial revolution and how flour mills advanced to produce all-purpose flour that had a longer shelf life more suitable for slow railway transportation across the United States. Pancakes for dinner, anyone?
Whole Wheat Pancake Tips
For an undetectable “whole wheat” taste, use white whole wheat flour, which is simply made from wheat berries that are even more mild in flavor. I’m usually able to find white whole wheat flour in decently stocked grocery stores these days.
To prolong your whole wheat flour’s shelf life, store it in an air-tight container in a dark, dry place (or even the refrigerator or freezer).
Always make pancakes by hand (not with an electric mixer). Over-mixing the batter yields rubbery pancakes. Simply combine the wet and dry ingredients as instructed. Stir them together with a big spoon until no big powdery lumps remain.
If you’re cooking on the stovetop, you may need to dial back the heat a bit over time. Your temperature is too high if the pancakes are golden on the outside but still raw on the inside.
Lightly coat your griddle or skillet with butter or coconut oil in between batches. Be sure to wipe off the excess butter/oil with a paper towel so it doesn’t burn.
The pancakes are ready to flip when about 1/2-inch of the perimeter has turned from glossy to matte. If you’re uncertain, it’s best to wait a little too long than to end up with a doughy mess.
Watch How to Make Whole Wheat Pancakes
More 100% Whole Wheat Pancakes to Try
- Banana Pancakes
- Gingerbread Pancakes
- Pancake Mix: A bulk option for these pancakes!
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Super Simple Vegan Pancakes
Please let me know how your pancakes turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you. View all of my pancakes here.
Whole Wheat Pancakes
These whole wheat pancakes are delicious and fluffy, with a hint of cinnamon. They’re naturally sweetened with maple syrup instead of sugar. I like to serve mine with almond butter and sliced bananas on top. This recipe yields 6 to 7 medium pancakes, enough for 2 to 3 servings (multiply as necessary).
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, combine the milk and vinegar. Stir to combine and let this homemade “buttermilk” mixture rest until it is lightly curdled, at least 5 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- To the buttermilk mixture, add the egg, melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Whisk until thoroughly blended.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture. Stir just until combined (a few small lumps are okay). Let the batter rest for 5 minutes so your pancakes will be nice and fluffy.
- Meanwhile, if you are using an electric skillet, preheat it to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Otherwise, heat a heavy cast iron skillet or nonstick griddle over medium-low heat. You’re ready to start cooking pancakes once a drop of water sizzles on contact with the hot surface. If necessary, lightly oil the cooking surface with additional butter, oil, or cooking spray (nonstick surfaces likely won’t require any oil).
- Gently stir the batter one last time, in case the liquid has separated. Using a ⅓-cup measuring cup, scoop batter onto the warm skillet, leaving a couple of inches around each pancake for expansion.
- Cook until small bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes, 2 to 3 minutes (you’ll know it’s ready to flip when about ½-inch of the perimeter is matte instead of glossy). Flip the pancakes, then cook until lightly golden on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding more oil and adjusting the heat as necessary. Serve the pancakes immediately with toppings of your choosing, or keep them warm in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven.
- Leftover pancakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen* for up to 2 months. To reheat, stack leftover pancakes and wrap them in a paper towel before gently reheating in the microwave.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I like this recipe although I cut the honey in half as well as the salt with no vanilla. For a double recipe I added a teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/8 of Ginger and a fourth of nutmeg.
These are the best pancakes I’ve ever made. My whole family loved them, including my 18 month old daughter who kept repeating “pancake” all day and then crying when I said they were all gone. This will be a staple in our household!
I love to hear that, Gabby! Thank you for your review.
Hi, is it possible to substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract with vanillin (vanilla powder)? How much?
Delicious!Finally a healthier , yummy option. Taste great with plain coconut yoghurt and homemade mango&chia puree!
These pancakes are unreal! Better than any diner and definitely healthier. It says serving size is 2 but for me it was 5… couldn’t stop eating them. For all the people who like to brag about what they added or subtracted in the comment section – STOP! This recipe is absolutely perfect as is. And yes, you need the vinegar, and you need the real maple syrup.. that’s the difference maker!
Thank you for your review, Tom!
Can you use regular whole wheat flour?
I used regular whole wheat and it was amazing!
Light and tasty. Thx
I make these for my kids and they love them! I add 2 cups of greens (baby spinach and arugula) to make green pancakes. Just blend the green with the liquids. We call them Green Pancakes.
We tried this recipe about 6 months ago when we were told to add more whole grains to our diet. It is our favorite pancake recipe. Delicious!
These are divine! They are my go-to for pancakes. They are crispy and fluffy and the flavors are so good that they hardly need syrup on top.
(I meant to give this a 5 star rating when I commented.) These are divine! They are my go-to for pancakes. They are crispy and fluffy and the flavors are so good that they hardly need syrup on top.
These were great! I was trying to find a homemade version of an expensive mix my kids like. These were spot on. Thank you for the recipe!
can the sugar be eliminated? How about vinegar?
These were delicious! Thank you!
Amazing recipe! I doubled the vanilla when I made mine for extra vanilla flavoring and it was delicious!! 10/10
I feel like it needs 1.5 cups of liquid rather than one. I used a cup of oat milk and the consistency looked closer to dough than pancake batter, I added half a cup of water and it was nice.
I didn’t add the flavorings (cinnamon, vanilla and maple syrup), so the 2 teaspoons of baking soda were very much felt (don’t have baking powder but it’s pretty much the same thing plus the acid, right?), I’ll use one next time.
Very yummy. My preschoolers and I loved them. Used 1 tbsp of honey because that’s what I had on hand…very good.
Delicious pancakes.
Made with Unsweetened vanilla Almond Milk. Light & fluffy!
Thanks for sharing.
I’ve made these pancakes a few times now and I love them! They make my body feel good because of the healthy ingredients, and my taste buds are just as happy as my stomach. Usually I don’t even wait for any toppings, I just tear pieces off and pop them in my mouth while I cook the rest on the skillet. Thank you so very much for the many recipes you’ve offered us, Kate, and all your hard work preparing delicious options that keep us healthy. I’ve learned from experience that I can try out a new recipe from your website and it will work. With many other online recipes, I feel more wary and not always happy about eating my results. However, in your cookbook and on this website I have consistently loved eating and sharing everything I’ve gotten to try out so far. Thank you!!
The BEST pancakes, right behind the pumpkin pancakes (which are a staple in our house regardless of season). These turn out crispy when cooked on the cast iron and sooo yummy!! Thank you Kate for providing naturally sweetened recipes! I live by your recipes and cook book.
These are the most delicious, fluffiest whole wheat pancakes ever!
These are SO runny and there’s not much flavor either. Made one and threw out the rest of the batter.
Beautiful recipe! Lovely texture & flavour. I subbed Naturli block for the butter & xylitol for the honey. Will be a go-to treat from now on, yum.
Wow, these are the best pancakes I’ve had!! They’re so good and don’t even need syrup because they’re so good! Thanks so much for creating this recipe!
Delicious! Thank you!
I made the pancakes this morning and decided to replace the egg with 1 Tb. Flaxseed, like you stated below the recipe and I had to throw out the whole batch of batter because it stuck to my skillet so much that I couldn’t flip it. What a waste and disappointment of food and time. And yes I greased the pan first.