These Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes are so light, fluffy, and delicious! They are sweet, tangy, and moist enough to melt in your mouth. Easily whip them up in just a few minutes for the most perfect breakfast or brunch!
Add some tasty excitement to your morning with these classic buttermilk vegan pancakes! They are so easy to make that it’s a wonder why more restaurants don’t offer them!
A handful of simple ingredients and less than 20 minutes are all that’s needed to make these homemade beauties. They are just as fluffy and scrumptious as you might remember, except completely free of eggs and dairy!
I started my quest to create the perfect vegan buttermilk pancake recipe when I couldn’t find any that tasted like what I used to love. I also wanted mine to be soft and moist. The kind that dissolves in your mouth. And that’s just what these are!
The dairy-free buttermilk is made by adding apple cider vinegar to a full-fat plant milk such as soy or almond. I also add in some melted vegan butter and applesauce to keep them tender and moist. These key ingredients truly help with keeping the pancakes from becoming tough and chewy.
If you love sweet breakfast ideas, be sure to check out my Vegan French Toast, Vegan Protein Waffles, Oat Milk Pancakes, Sweet Potato Pancakes, Biscoff Baked Oats, and Vegan Chocolate Bread!
Or if you’d like to add some balance to your spread, you will love these Kolaches, Tofu Scramble, Vegan Egg Bites and Just Egg Breakfast Casserole.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Plant Milk – Use full-fat plant-based milk. My favorite here is soy but others work just as well.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – ACV causes a curdling effect when mixed with the plant milk to form vegan buttermilk. It’s great for holding the batter together, softening it, and giving that slightly tangy flavor. White vinegar or lemon juice can be used as substitutes if needed.
- Flour – All-purpose flour works best, but a 1-to-1 gluten-free replacement would be fine to use as well.
- Sugar – Add cane sugar or another granulated variety for sweetness.
- Leaveners – Both baking soda and baking powder give rise to the pancakes.
- Salt – Just a little to bring out the other flavors.
- Vegan Butter – Not only does it give a buttery flavor, but it also adds moisture and structure. Another neutral oil can work as a replacement.
- Applesauce – It’s okay to use sweetened applesauce if you don’t have unsweetened.
- Vanilla Extract – For some warmth.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Here are some quick visual steps. Find the full recipe with exact measurements on the recipe card below.
Melt the vegan butter and let it cool down. Let the applesauce start to come to room temperature if it’s refrigerated.
Stir the apple cider vinegar into the soy milk to create buttermilk. It should start to curdle after a few minutes.
Whisk the dry ingredients together really well in a large bowl.
Stir the melted vegan butter, applesauce, and vanilla into the vegan buttermilk. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredient bowl.
Gently fold them together just until you don’t see any streaks of flour. It should be a lumpy consistency. Let the batter sit for a few minutes for soft pancakes.
During this time, heat your pan or griddle up to medium heat. I actually find the sweet spot to be just below medium.
Once the pan is hot, spread a small amount of vegan butter or oil to create a nonstick surface. Pour portions of batter that are ⅓ cup in size.
Cook the pancakes for a few minutes on each side until they’re golden brown. Flip them when bubbles rise to the surface of the batter and pop.
Try to flip them just once to keep them from flattening. I use a very thin and wide spatula here. You can peak underneath before flipping just to be sure they’re ready.
Repeat these steps to make 10 pancakes. You can keep them in the microwave or a warm oven for a few minutes until you’re ready to enjoy them.
Top them with your favorites such as maple syrup, vegan butter, fresh fruit, chocolate chips, powdered sugar, etc.
Tips For Success
- Measure the flour by spooning it into your measuring cup and scraping the excess off the top.
- Soy milk seems to create the thickest buttermilk, but other kinds of full-fat plant milk can work if needed.
- Room-temperature ingredients come together easier.
- Don’t mix the lumps out as that will toughen the pancakes. They will settle after a few minutes.
- I find the pancakes to be really soft when the batter sits for at least 5 minutes.
- Always make sure pans are coated with butter or oil so they don’t stick.
- Add a splash of plant milk if the batter becomes too thick as it sits.
- Try not to overcrowd the pan or griddle so you have room to flip them.
- Flip them just once for the fluffiest pancakes.
- A sign that they are ready to flip over is when you see holes in the batter from bubbles that have come to the surface.
Recipe Variation Ideas
- This buttermilk batter works for waffles too!
- Sprinkle in some ground cinnamon or almond extract.
- Drop in blueberries, chocolate chips, or banana slices right after pouring the batter.
Storage & Reheating
These buttermilk pancakes are best when freshly made, but leftovers can be enjoyed within 4 days refrigerated or 2 months frozen. Heat them up in the microwave, on a warm pan, or in the toaster oven when you’re ready to eat them.
I hope you loved this recipe! If you try it, please let me know what you think with a rating and comment below. Your feedback really supports my blog and is helpful to other readers! 🙂 You can stay updated on my latest recipes by following me on Pinterest and joining my Email List.
Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes
Bonnie – Serene Trail
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegan butter, melted
- 2 tbsp applesauce
- 1 1/2 cups soy milk, or another full-fat plant milk, (355ml)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, (240g)
- 1/3 cup cane sugar, (65g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Melt the vegan butter for 30 seconds in the microwave. Let it cool down. Take the applesauce out of the refrigerator (if it's refrigerated) so it can start to come to room temperature.
- Make the vegan buttermilk by stirring the apple cider vinegar into the soy milk. Let it sit for 3-4 minutes so it can curdle.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cane sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together really well.
- Pour the melted vegan butter, applesauce, and vanilla into the vegan buttermilk. Stir them together, then pour this into the dry-ingredient bowl.
- Very gently, stir them together just until you don't see any streaks of flour. Try not to overmix the batter. It's okay to see lumps here.
- Let the batter sit for a few minutes so it can come together. Meanwhile, heat your pan or griddle up to medium heat. I find the sweet spot to be just below medium.
- Once heated, coat the pans with a small amount of vegan butter or oil. Pour ⅓ cup portions of batter starting from the center to form a circle. Be sure to leave yourself enough room to flip them.
- Cook them for 2-3 min on each side or until they're golden brown. Flip them when bubbles rise to the top of the batter and pop. Try to flip them just once to keep them fluffy. Tip: use a very thin, wide spatula. It's okay to peak underneath so you don't over-flip them.
- Add more vegan butter to the pan and repeat these steps until you're out of batter. You should have 10 pancakes. Enjoy with your favorite toppings such as maple syrup and fresh fruit!
Video
Notes
- Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and scrape the excess off the top when measuring it.
- Soy milk seems to create the thickest buttermilk, but other full-fat plant milks can work if needed.
- The ingredients will come together easier if they are at room temperature.
- Don’t mix the lumps out as that will toughen the pancakes. They will settle after a few minutes.
- The pancakes will be really soft when the batter sits for at least 5 minutes.
- Make sure the pans are coated with butter or oil so the pancakes don’t stick.
- Add some plant milk if the batter becomes too thick as it sits.
- Try not to overcrowd the pan so you have room to flip them.
- Flip the pancakes just once to keep them fluffy.
- A sign that they are ready to flip over is when you see holes in the batter from bubbles that have come to the surface and popped.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate from third-party calculations.
