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These Vegan Blueberry Pancakes are a better-for-you breakfast treat with all the indulgent flavors you love about a classic recipe. Made with wholesome ingredients including whole wheat and blueberries, these heart-healthy pancakes are a nourishing and fun way to start your day!
This recipe was written on March 21, 2018. It was updated with new recipe photos and additional recipe information on April 11, 2024.
Start your day on a nourishing note with a stack of fluffy vegan pancakes stuffed with juicy blueberries and healthier ingredients. This entirely plant-based blueberry pancakes vegan recipe makes a delicious leisurely weekend morning treat. Or whip it up as an anytime weekday pick-me-up in just 20 minutes!
While many vegan pancake recipes require a flax egg (flax meal mixed with water to form a gel egg-like binding) these are not blueberry flax pancakes! Instead, mixing vinegar and baking powder creates a chemical reaction that makes the perfect light, fluffy, and tender pancake texture. Plus, no extra prep is needed! For more plant-based pancake recipes, try my vegan sweet potato pancakes, perfect oat flour pancakes, or apple spice pancakes.
Ingredients
Whole Wheat Flour: Use either whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour for a slightly nutty flavor. It adds fiber, vitamins, and minerals that normal refined white flour lacks.
Sugar: Any type of sugar will work, but I like good ol’ cane sugar. For a more robust flavor use light brown sugar or coconut sugar.
Baking Powder: Helps create a light and fluffy texture in the whole wheat vegan pancakes. Choose a high-quality baking powder that is aluminum-free.
Baking Soda: Ensure your baking soda is within its expiration for the best results to leaven the batter for the vegan pancakes.
Salt: Use fine sea salt or kosher salt to enhance the flavor of the dairy-free pancakes. Feel free to adjust the salt content to suit your preferences.
Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds a delicious warming flavor to these healthy blueberry pancakes. Consider using Ceylon cinnamon for its sweeter taste compared to cassia cinnamon.
Milk: Choose your preferred non-dairy milk, such as almond, soy, oat, or coconut milk. Opt for an unsweetened version to better control the sweetness of the pancakes.
Vinegar: Use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar to create a butter-milk-like texture for the best fluffy whole wheat pancakes.
Oil: Use a neutral-tasting oil like avocado or grapeseed oil to add a touch of moistness to the pancake batter and to fry the pancakes in the pan. Alternatively, you can use vegan butter for more flavor.
Blueberries: Use fresh or frozen. I prefer to use frozen blueberries in the whole wheat pancakes vegan batter, and fresh blueberries to garnish the cooked pancakes.
How to Make Vegan Blueberry Pancakes
- Prepare Dry Ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk until well combined.
- Prepare Wet Ingredients & Combine. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the non-dairy milk, vinegar, and oil. Whisk until well combined. Pour the wet mix into the dry, and stir until just combined.
- Fold in Blueberries. Fold in the frozen blueberries, and make sure they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Pan-Fry Pancakes. Warm a large cast-iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium heat. Melt the oil or butter in the skillet, and drop about ⅓ cup batter onto the skillet to make pancakes. Cook the pancakes for 4-6 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until the pancakes are golden brown on each side. Repeat with the remaining batter, greasing the pan between each pancake. It should make 6-8 pancakes.
Recipe Pro-Tips
- Measure the flour carefully. To prevent the texture from becoming dense, use a food scale to measure the flour or spoon the flour into measuring cups and use the flat edge of a knife to level it.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mixing the batter too much can lead to tough and dense pancakes. Mix the ingredients until just combined.
- Reduce the blueberries if desired. This recipe calls for 1 cup of frozen blueberries, studding each cake with juicy berries. For less fruit-forward pancakes, reduce the frozen blueberries to 3/4 cup.
- Keep the pancakes warm. As you finish cooking each pancake on the stovetop, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in the oven warmed to 200ºF. This will keep the pancakes heated until you’re ready to serve for the best texture!
- Add toppings. Dress up your whole wheat blueberry pancakes with tasty garnishes like edible flowers, sliced bananas or strawberries, fresh blueberries, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Recipe Variations
Below are optional variations to make blueberry pancakes healthy to your preferences.
- Gluten-Free: For a gluten-free variation, swap the whole wheat flour for a gluten-free oat flour or a combination of buckwheat and teff flour.
- Vinegar: If you don’t have vinegar, use lemon juice instead.
- Sugar: Swap the sugar for coconut sugar, maple syrup, or agave.
- Oil: Use apple sauce instead of oil or butter to make blueberry pancakes recipes oil-free.
Serving Suggestions
Treat yourself to a stack of blueberry pancakes loaded with desired toppings and a warm drink. Or serve with breakfast side for a full brunch-style spread, like some of our favorite recipes below.
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration: While these pancakes are best served fresh, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Stack the pancakes between parchment paper to prevent them from sticking.
- Freezing: Flash-freeze pancakes on a parchment-lined baking sheet until frozen, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container and store for up to 2-3 months. Reheat on the toaster or thaw in the microwave on low before reheating on a skillet.
- Reheating: Reheat in a toaster oven, convection oven, microwave, or skillet with a little oil until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can substitute all-purpose flour for whole wheat if desired. Keep in mind that whole wheat flour adds extra fiber and a nutty flavor to the pancakes, and all-purpose flour will result in a lighter texture.
Yes, you can prepare the batter and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before cooking the pancakes. It is important to note that the baking soda and baking powder will start to activate once mixed with the wet ingredients and sitting for too long can affect how much the pancakes rise when cooked.
More Pancake & Waffle Recipes
- Vegan Gluten-Free Pancakes
- Vegan Dorayaki Japanese Pancakes with Red Bean Filling
- Vegan Pumpkin Waffles with Pumpkin Spice Syrup
- Sweet Potato Waffles
- Vegan Buttermilk Waffles
For more tasty plant-based recipes, check out my cookbook.
Vegan Blueberry Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour , or spelt flour
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar, or coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk, such as almond, oat, or soy milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar , or distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, or grapeseed oil
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- additional vegan butter or coconut oil, for frying the pancakes
- pancake toppings , maple syrup, fresh blueberries, sliced bananas, and/oror edible flowers
Instructions
- Warm a large cast-iron skillet or non-stick pan on medium heat. If you think it will take a long time to make the batter, don't do this until you are ready to mix the dry and wet ingredients.
- In a mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk well to combine.
- In another mixing bowl combine the non-dairy milk, vinegar, and oil. Whisk well to combine.
- Pour the wet mix into the dry mixture. Stir until just combined.
- Fold the frozen blueberries into the batter. Make sure they're evenly distributed throughout the batter but don't over-stir to create blue streaks.
- Melt 1/2 tablespoon of vegan butter or coconut oil on the skillet. Scoop the pancake batter onto the hot skillet in 1/3 cup portions.
- Cook the pancakes for 4-6 minutes, flipping halwayf through, or until the pancakes are golden brown on each side.
- Repeat with the remaining batter, greasing the pan between batches. The recipe should make 6-8 pancakes in total.
- Serve the pancakes hot with fresh blueberries, sliced bananas, maple syrup, and edible flowers!
Notes
- Refrigeration: While these pancakes are best served fresh, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Stack the pancakes between parchment paper to prevent them from sticking.
- Freezing: Flash-freeze pancakes on a parchment-lined baking sheet until frozen, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container and store for up to 2-3 months. Reheat on the toaster or thaw in the microwave on low before reheating on a skillet.
- Reheating: Reheat in a toaster oven, convection oven, microwave, or skillet with a little oil until warmed through.
- Keep the pancakes warm. As you finish cooking each pancake on the stovetop, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in the oven warmed to 200ºF. This will keep the pancakes heated until you’re ready to serve for the best texture!
- Measure the flour carefully. To prevent the texture from becoming dense, use a food scale to measure the flour or spoon the flour into measuring cups and use the flat edge of a knife to level it.
- Reduce the blueberries if desired. This recipe calls for 1 cup of frozen blueberries, studding each cake with juicy berries. For less fruit-forward pancakes, reduce the frozen blueberries to 3/4 cup.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mixing the batter too much can lead to tough and dense pancakes. Mix the ingredients until just combined.
- Add toppings. Dress up your whole wheat blueberry pancakes with tasty garnishes like edible flowers, sliced bananas or strawberries, fresh blueberries, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Fabulous recipe – my 5 year old and 19 month old boys adore it!! I sub the oil w/apple sauce, as I try to be mostly oil free.
These are delicious, healthy, and are wonderfully fluffy.