The Ultimate Vegan Fluffy Pancakes Guide
Lent is the season before Easter (40 days) practiced to give up something, in order to remember Christ and his ways of simple living. The Catholic tradition would give up meat or fish, and to use up storecupboard ingredients for Ash Wednesday, was how pancakes (eaten on Shrove Tuesday) came about.
Keep pancakes away from pets due to fresh dough, citrus, chocolate. For tinned ingredients, rinse/remove lids (or pop ring-pulls over holes) then step on the can to ‘pinch’ inner rims together, to stop wildlife getting trapped.
For recipes, unless you have a food waste bin (turned into biogas), just bin allium scraps (onion, leeks, garlic, shallot, chives) and citrus/tomato/rhubarb scraps (acids could harm compost creatures).
What’s the difference: pancakes and crepes?
Pancakes use leavening agents (like baking powder and baking soda) while crepes don’t, so they are flat and can be rolled around fillings.
Tips for vegan fluffy pancakes
- Use vegan buttermilk. This is made by stirring one tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar into plantmilk, then letting it sit for five minutes to curdle. The acid reacts with baking powder to create air bubbles.
- Use fresh baking powder. Ensure your baking powder is up-to-date, as it’s the only ingredient in a pancake recipe, that will make them rise.
- Do not overmix. Stir wet and dry ingredients until just combined, leaving small lumps, to avoid rubbery pancakes.
- Let mixed batter sit on your counter (away from pets) for five to ten minutes before cooking, to let the gluten relax.
- Choose thick plant milks. Go for full-fat oat or soy milk to replicate the protein and fat content of dairy milk.
- Although recipes to say to preheat pans, this is not good as pans (especially those red-dot ones) can release fumes, which is why no cooking pans should ever be heated near birds (that hopefully would be in an aviary anyway over a cage). Add a small amount of fat to your pan, before heating.
- Only flip once. Doing this too many times deflates trapped air bubbles.
Gluten-free vegan pancakes?
No bother! Try these gluten-free pancakes (The Simple Veganista)
Oil-Free vegan pancakes?
No bother again! These oil-free pancakes (The Vegan 8) are oil-free, using cashew butter instead to make them rich and creamy.
Where to buy vegan pancake mix
If you don’t want to make them from scratch, you can buy ready-made mixes. Recycle packaging at supermarket bag bins, if kerbside doesn’t recycle.
Just Wholefoods Organic Pancake Mix is made with gluten-free oat flour, a great source of fibre. Ideal for breakfast or brunch, just add oat drink, mix and enjoy light fluffy pancakes in minutes.
Based Food is made with a host of natural ingredients, and only needs your choice of plantmilk to make them up. Just add, whisk and cook to perfection!
Ella’s Vegan Pancake mix is from a company that makes vegan Yorkshire pudding mix. Prepared in a vegan kitchen, it’s made with natural ingredients, free from palm oil and sold in eco-friendly packaging.
Annie’s Organic Pancake Waffle Mix (US) makes lovely pancakes in a few minutes. Made with unbleached wheat flour, just use plantmilk and applesauce to create fluffy breakfast treats!
