Made with 100% whole wheat flour, these pancakes are everything a good pancake should be--light, fluffy, tender, and delicious. These healthy pancakes make a perfect weekend breakfast but also freeze great for a quick weekday breakfast.
I am sharing with you my secrets to creating the most delicious, fluffiest Whole Wheat Pancakes. While I love pancake recipes of all varieties, these whole wheat pancakes are my go-to pancake recipe. They are truly the best and happen to be full of whole grains!
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Secrets to Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes
- Use whole wheat pastry flour for the lightest wheat pancakes. Whole wheat pastry flour is more finely ground than whole wheat flour and has a bit less gluten. If you don't have whole wheat pastry flour, I recommend white wheat flour (still 100% whole grain) or a combination of all-purpose and wheat flour.
- For the liquid, buttermilk is key to fluffy pancakes. The acid in the buttermilk helps to break down strands of gluten, leading to more tender pancakes. No buttermilk? Check out how to make homemade buttermilk in the recipe notes.
- DO NOT OVERMIX the batter. It is okay to have a few lumps, if you overwork your batter you will have tough pancakes.
- Grease your skillet with coconut oil. It is the perfect thing to grease your skillet with because it will not burn as easily as butter. Of course, you could use a nonstick spray, canola oil, or a bit of butter--just watch it closely so the pancakes won't burn.
- DO NOT press down on the spatula while cooking your pancakes--this will destroy the air bubbles and won't give you a fluffy pancake.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Sift dry ingredients together--this helps get out any clumps of baking powder that is unpleasant to bite into. In a pinch, you can also just whisk the dry ingredients really well with a wire whisk.
- Next, whisk wet ingredients together in another bowl.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a spoon or spatula to gently combine the batter. If your batter appears too thick, add in up to an additional ¼ cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time. You want the batter to easily pour out of a measuring cup, but also thick enough that the batter is not runny. It should be slightly thicker than cake batter.
- Preheat your skillet to medium heat and grease well.
- Once the pan is fully preheated, use ¼ cup measuring cup to pour the pancakes onto the skillet.
- Flip the pancakes once bubbles form on the top and the edges are cooked through. Cook for 1 minute on the other side and remove from skillet.
- As you cook your pancakes, place completed pancakes on a cookie sheet that has been fitted with a rack in a flat layer and keep warm in a 200-degree oven. This will ensure that the first whole wheat pancake you make is as tasty and warm as the last pancake you make and that the bottom of the pancakes don't get soggy.
- Serve with maple syrup and butter as desired.
Storing Pancakes
- Once the pancakes have finished cooking, lay them out on a cooling rack in a single layer until completely cool. This will help prevent them from getting soggy.
- Once cooled, place the pancakes in a sealed container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat by wrapping pancakes in a slightly damp paper towel for 30 seconds to 1 minute in the microwave.
Freezing Pancakes
- Once the pancakes have finished cooking, lay them out on a cooling rack in a single layer until completely cool. Again this prevents the bottom of the pancakes from getting soggy.
- Place cooled pancakes on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and place in the freezer for 30 minutes, or until frozen solid. By freezing the pancakes on a sheet pan first, they will not stick together when frozen.
- Remove pancakes off the cookies sheet and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheat by wrapping pancakes in a slightly damp paper towel for 1-2 minutes in the microwave.
Recipe Modifications and FAQs
How do you know your pancakes are ready to flip?
Pancakes are ready to flip when small bubbles begin to appear on the surface and the edges are dry and set. If you try to flip the pancakes before the bubbles appear, your pancakes may fall apart and not flip easily.
Can this recipe be made with all-purpose flour?
Yes! No changes need to be made to the recipe if you want to use all-purpose flour in place or whole wheat flour.
How do you keep pancakes warm for serving?
When you remove pancakes from the skillet, place them on a baking sheet that has been fitted with a cooking rack and keep in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven. This ensures the pancakes stay warm, while not getting a soggy bottom.
Can I make these pancakes lower in fat?
You can replace the melted butter with unsweetened applesauce and add in additional tablespoon or two of buttermilk.
My pancakes brown too quickly, how can I prevent this?
Be sure to cook your pancakes on medium heat. If the heat is any higher, the exterior of your pancakes may brown quicker than the insides cook.
Can these pancakes be made egg free?
For egg-free pancakes, check out my recipe for Vegan Pancakes, which have the perfect consistency even without the eggs.
Can these pancakes be made dairy-free?
For dairy-free whole wheat pancakes, simply use your favorite non-dairy milk to make homemade buttermilk and replace the melted butter with canola oil.
More Favorite Pancake Recipes
- Dutch Baby Pancake
- Banana Oat Pancakes
- Sweet Potato Pancakes
- Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes
- Vegan Blueberry Pancakes
If you tried these Whole Wheat Pancakes, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Recipe
Whole Wheat Pancakes
These whole wheat pancakes are light, fluffy, tender, and easy to make.
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Servings: 8
Calories: 141kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1-¼ cups buttermilk or homemade buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter or canola oil
- coconut oil or butter for cooking
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Once heated, place a cookie sheet fitted with a cooking rack into the oven. Also, preheat a large skillet or griddle to medium heat and grease with coconut oil or nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, sift together the baking powder, flour, and salt. Lightly whisk together until everything is evenly incorporated.
- In a separate small bowl, mix together eggs, melted butter, and buttermilk together until well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Don't overmix. You just want the flour to be fully moistened.
- Ladle ¼ cup pancake batter onto the skillet. Cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry. Flip pancakes and cook 1-2 minutes before removing them from the skillet.
- Once pancakes are prepared, transfer the pancakes to the baking sheet, to hold warm in the oven until serving.
- Repeat the process with the remaining batter.
- Serve with butter, maple syrup, and/or fruit as desired.
Equipment Needed
Notes
Flour: Use whole wheat pastry flour for the lightest wheat pancakes. Whole wheat pastry flour is more finely ground than whole wheat flour and has a bit less gluten. If you don't have whole wheat pastry flour, I recommend white wheat flour (still 100% whole grain) or a combination of all-purpose and wheat flour.
Homemade Buttermilk: To prepare homemade buttermilk, mix together 1-¼ cups milk (any variety) with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and let sit for 5 minutes.
Low Fat Modification: If you need lower fat pancakes, replace the butter or oil with applesauce or an extra 2 tablespoons of milk--it will work perfectly.
If your batter appears too thick, add in up to an additional ¼ cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time. You want the batter to easily pour out of a measuring cup, but also thick enough that the batter is not runny. It should be slightly thicker than cake batter.
Storing Pancakes: Once the pancakes have finished cooking, lay them out on a cooling rack in a single layer until completely cool. Place in a sealed container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat by wrapping pancakes in a slightly damp paper towel for 30 seconds to 1 minute in the microwave
To Freeze Pancakes: Once the pancakes have finished cooking, lay them out on a cooling rack in a single layer until completely cool. Place cooled pancakes on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and place in freezer for 30 minutes, or until frozen solid. Remove pancakes off the cookies sheet and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat by wrapping pancakes in a slightly damp paper towel for 1-2 minutes in the microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 426mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 185IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 178mg | Iron: 1.4mg
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This post was originally published in 2015 but was updated in 2020 with new pictures and tips but the recipe remains the same.
paige
Hello! Would apple cider vinegar work in place of the lemon juice for the homemade buttermilk?
Kristen Chidsey
Yes! Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar is a great substitute.
jennee loflin
I used 1/2 kefir and half organic 2% milk for the 1 1/4 C buttermilk in the recipe. I subbed the 2 C WW flour with 1/2 c flax meal, 1/2C WW pastry flour 1 cup of traditional WW flour and added 1/3 C Kaniwa seeds to the batter before spooning into the heated pan. While in the pan, I added toasted pumpkin seeds to the pancakes. The pancakes were really good. If it wasn't for such a good basic recipe, it would not have held up so well.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed these pancakes Jennee and that the recipe worked even with your modifications.
Denay DeGuzman
We enjoyed these delicious whole-wheat pancakes for breakfast on Mother's Day. They tasted just like the ones my mom would make for us kids on Sundays. Thank you for sharing this yummy recipe!
Kristen Chidsey
What a wonderful Mother's Day Breakfast Denay! I hope your whole day was filled with love (and good food!)
Beth
These pancakes are out of this world delicious! I made these for breakfast and my family loved them. Thank you!
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing how much your family enjoyed Beth. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.