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 used to grind my own wheat berries and I never liked the taste of whole wheat even then. I wonder if wheat berries can be too old, but anyway I have since found Odlums flour. Odlums is very expensive but I don’t eat a lot of wheat, considering it a treat of sorts. I haven’t made anything entirely whole wheat with the Odlums flour yet, but I think making pancakes with it is a great idea.
Good for you, Cheryl! Let me know what you think.
I haven’t made pancakes for ages, but why didn’t I think to freeze them the same way I freeze crepes? These look delicious, and thank you for putting alternative ingredient choices too.
You are welcome! Enjoy, Deborah.
Amazing! I am lactose so I used almond milk and vegan butter – they are so good. My husband says they taste ‘healthy’ which means they are perfect and he just adds more syrup, hehe.
I love that! I am happy you were able to make it work with your dietary needs. I appreciate you leaving a great review!
They look amazing!
x Mariya
Thank you!
I woke up to this recipe in my inbox and thought it sounded awesome. As always Kate, this one is a total winner. These pancakes are light yet substantial, delicious and they are beautiful! I highly recommend these and I look forward to having them in my breakfast rotation.
I am so glad you tried this right away! Thanks so much, Shelby. I would love a star review since it was such a hit with you, if you don’t mind!
Love this recipe! Mine was the same except for adding vanilla and that was delicious. I decided to transition my family from white flour to whole wheat flour about 8 years ago and this is how I did it. I made a big batch with mostly white flour and some wheat and adjusted over about a month. A year ago I decided to make white flour pancakes for my husband’s birthday and he said he preferred wheat because it had more flavor and texture. Win for me! Thanks for the improvements, my family loved it.
That’s great! I am happy they were a hit with your family.
I love the recipes on this site! I made these this morning and they were extremely runny. The cooked very flat although the taste yummy. Any ideas why? It seems like there is not enough flour. 1 cup liquid to 1 cup flour seems like a hugh liquid ratio. I should note that I used flour that I ground this morning.
Mine were very runny too! I wasn’t sure where I went wrong.
Hi Emily, I’m sorry to hear that! The liquid-to-flour ratio used here is on par with my other pancake recipes, so that’s not the issue. Any chance you mixed up the measurements for baking soda and baking powder, or forgot one of them? The baking soda makes the batter puff up.
I made these pancakes this morning (I used buttermilk since I had it).
They were OUTSTANDING! I drizzled a little of real maple syrup on top when I served them, but honesty, they really didn’t need it. If I had fresh strawberries and bananas, that would have been sweet enough.
Hooray! Thanks for the review, Annette.
We have tried several of your muffin recipes recently and can’t wait to try these for my daughter’s birthday breakfast this week. If I use regular buttermilk, how much do I need?
I’m always on the hunt for a basic pancake recipe, so this is going into our weekend brunch rotation!
These were so great and easy! I’m trying to get more comfortable in the kitchen and transition to a plant based diet, and it’s so overwhelming and I constantly feel like I never have the right ingredients… imagine my surprise this morning when I realized I actually did have everything for this recipe! Also made my first successful flax egg substitute. Thank so so much!
My pancakes do not fluff up
Hi Barbara – Do you mean they didn’t turn out fluffy after cooked? Were there any alterations you made and/or did you allow appropriate cooking on both sides? Love to help :)
Hi, love this gift idea and plan to use it.
Thank you so much! I think you may have forgotten to note the 1 teaspoon of vanilla on your very handy Pdf. Also, yield would be nice to have noted.
Thanks!
I purposefully left out the vanilla on the PDF. I hope this helps. Thank you!
These look SO GOOD and totally something I would make! Pinning and trying soon, thanks Tonia!
Let me know what you think when you give them a try, Tonia!
Can you make the gluten free oat flour substitute by just grinding rolled oats? Thanks in advance!
Yes! If you have a high powered blended or food processor until a flour/powder texture. Enjoy :)
I am eating these right now and they are so perfect! The cinnamon adds an unexpected surprise and balances well with the wheat flour. Thank you again for such a delicious recipe!
You are welcome! Eat up and enjoy. :) I appreciate the review.
I’m usually not a big fan of anything completely whole wheat, but I always like to try a new recipe as presented and adjust from there. I have to say these are the BEST whole wheat pancakes I’ve ever had. They are light and fluffy with just a hint of cinnamon and maple syrup inside. We topped ours with homemade applesauce.
What a great topping! Thank you, Sherrill for trying the recipe even though you tend to stay away from completely whole wheat! I really appreciate the review.
The first thing I made from your cookbook and I absolutely love them! Except when I made them this past weekend (for the second time mind you) and totally messed up and did 1 cup milk, 1 cup apple cider vinegar and the batter was obviously VERY runny and my boyfriend sampled some as they were cooking and was like “These are sour, like super sour” and I was like NOOOOO!! immediately realizing my mistake! (The “2 cup” vessel threw me off, as I hadn’t been paying attention.) But then I made them again and all was well. They’re especially yummy with blueberries added in!
Thank you, for your support! I’m glad you were able to recreate it and it turned out wonderfully. :) I appreciate the review!
Thank you!!! This was great and I can’t believe my family actually ate something whole wheat! My father who doesn’t eat pancakes much said this was the best pancake he had ever tasted and he would gladly have it again. This tasted much healthier and better than any fast food pancake and any instant thing from the box. My only change was I used one tablespoon honey and 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar because that is what I had. I can’t wait to purchase your cookbook! Thank you!
Delicious pancakes Kate! Any recipe that has soured milk via vinegar is amazing (so fluffy!).
Thanks, Paige!
Will fresh Blueberries work in this recipe ?
Top with or add in the cooking? If you add to the batter, make sure you just add a few to each pancake. I hope this helps!
My hubby says these are the best pancakes and I agree. All other recipes ended in trash :)
That’s great!! Well, not that others ended in the trash but that this one worked for you :) Thank you for the review.
Followed the recipe exactly… doubled it, and it turned out PERFECT. Thank you for this awesome, healthier pancake recipe I’ll be making for my family from now on!
I love that! You’re welcome. Thank you, Amy for the review.
Very nice pancake! The 5 minute “rest” before cooking really did fluff them nicely. I cheated though. I heated the oven to 425, poured the batter into a (1/2 sheet) 9 x 13 cookie pan and baked for about 18 minutes. They sliced nicely and were very good. I will increase the recipe to 8 servings next time so they get a tad higher. What wasn’t eaten was cut and frozen for popping into a warm oven or toaster oven. They will make a wonderful and healthy quick breakfast! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
You’re welcome, Suzy!
Ohhh, looks yummyyyyy! Despite an big lover of fanpage, I’ve never made a “round” one . Should I keep trying or just buy a pancake pattern?
Thank you, Natalie for your comment! I’m not sure what you are referring to. :)
Ohhh, I mean that my pancake I often make is never in a round shape but unidentified shape xD
If I use Buttermilk, do I need the vinegar?
No, you don’t! Good question.
Made these this morning and they are DELICIOUS! So light and airy but with that nuttiness of whole wheat flour. Beats any pancake mix by a mile! We recently transitioned to a plant based diet and this is just perfection, thank you!
I couldn’t agree more! Best part, you can make the mix up and it saves just as much time (and tastes better!). Thank you, Kate!
Oops, I should have left a message on the vegan pancakes not these ones!
No worries! :)
I love this recipe. It’s the best whole wheat one I’ve found! I often make this for my sons and myself as written. My husband had a heart attack a few months back so is very much limiting his cholesterol and saturated fat. Today I made this with almond milk and flax and it was still wonderful. Not quite as fluffy, but still tasted great! Thank you!
Great to hear! Thanks for sharing, Lisa.
Need for the first time today with honey and whole wheat white flour (the only flour we use), male syrup on top :) They were very fluffy and delicious! Good reviews from husbands and 3 kids 9 and under that’s a wow
Wonderful! If you wouldn’t mind leaving a star review, since you liked it so much. Thanks, Dara.
I don’t know why but it won’t let me use the stars. I press it and it just blips back off. Still doing it today. I tried and tried! 5!
I made these on a rainy Sunday morning and they were heavenly. I used half regular all purpose flour and half whole wheat flour, because I was SO WORRIED about the texture, but my fears were unfounded! These pancakes are light textured and flavorful. These are a new, healthier favorite of my five year old. Thanks Kate!
That sounds like a dreamy Sunday morning! I’m so glad you both liked the pancakes. Thanks for the comment and review, Laura!
I love this recipe. Made it yesterday without the maple syrup and it was great. Made it again today, but accidentally forgot the egg, butter, and vanilla (in addition to no syrup) and tbh didn’t even notice until hours later. It tasted exactly the same.
I’m glad it still tasted good! :)
The BEST pancake recipe we have found! I passed this along to several friends last weekend as they were such a success in our house. They made them the following day and had the same success.
So delish with natural PB on the top. Thanks so much for another great recipe!
That’s great to hear. Thanks for sharing with your friends. :) I appreciate the love!
Love them!!
That’s great, Ashley! Thanks so much for the review.
Successfully made these with bobs red milk 1:1 gluten free flour, almond milk, grape seed oil instead of butter and tossed in a mashed banana and walnuts. Next will try with oat flour. Thanks for the easy, tasty recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m glad it worked gluten free for you.
just made it exactly the way you instructed and the kids love it
Was looking for a whole wheat recipe and this one is just perfect
Thanks Kate
Great! Thank you, Parul.
Loved these! My sister passed down your recipe to me because my picky 7 year old loved them when she made them! Now it’s a regular summer/weekend breakfast choice!
Win! Thank you, Denise for your review.
We are dairy free. These are literally the best pancakes I’ve ever had. My son adores them. Thank you!
Hooray! Thank you, Shaneela.
Best pancakes I’ve ever made! Thank you for the great recipes. Your instructions and tips are awesome. You rock!
Great to hear, Kim! Thanks so much for your review.
Wonderful recipe! I’d been wanting to try making these pancakes for a few days… They were perfect topped with fresh peaches. Thank you for this recipe, which is bound to become my go-to!
Peaches are so good right now! What the best topping. Thanks, Anne!
Made these today before flipping I add sliced bananas and then topped with more bananas and toasted walnuts. They were so yummy.
Great! Thank you, Ashley.
These were one of the best pancakes I have ever had. The were fluffy and full of flavour, my kids loved them.
I’m making my own buttermilk was there highlight of this for me – I’ve never done that before.
Fantastic, Cheryl! Thanks so much for your review.
I tried this recipe this weekend and the pancakes were the fluffiest, most delicious I’ve ever had! While mixing the batter, though, the melted butter crystalized and hardened, making the batter lumpier than it should have been. I realized that this was probably because the liquid mixture (milk) was cold. Nonetheless, they turned out delicious!
Thank you for the recipe!
I don’t usually have that happen if I’m using butter. I’m glad they still turned out for you!
These turned out to be the best pancakes that I have ever made. My fussy 4 year old ate them and gave two thumbs up.
I didn’t have apple cider vinegar but they were still yummy.
Win! I love that. Thanks, Jashendeep. I appreciate the review and comment!
I was looking for a nice fluffy pancake that I could use almond milk with and this doesn’t disappoint! I enjoyed how I can make my own ‘buttermilk’ here. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Avani! Thanks for taking the time to comment and review.
Awesome recipe!!! Pancakes came out light and fluffy!!! Thank you!!! Only thing I did different was use coconut oil instead of butter.
Thanks for sharing, Keyla!
Tried this recipe i garnished them with melted dark chocolate and they were delicious.
The pancakes were a little uncooked from inside and not much fluffy. Is this because i didn’t cook them well?
Hi Aishwarya – Did you wait until your surface was hot enough(step 5) and follow step 7 as well? Those two are key to getting them fluffy and not turning them too soon. Or your baking powder could have been expired if you did the other two steps. Hope this helps!
I used half whole wheat flour and half white, because I have only just started using whole wheat and wanted to transition smoothly and make sure I at least liked them before maybe making the transition fully.
These were totally amazing. The morning after the first breakfast I woke up craving the taste – I ended up having one for breakfast every day for a week and somehow they only got better! I used natural yoghurt with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries and it was just perfect. I was really pleasantly surprised with how well they reheated in the microwave.
Thank you.
Great topping choices, Nick! Thanks so much for sharing and for your review.
My gosh, these are the best pancakes I have ever tasted. Thanks so much.
You’re welcome, Diane!
Excited to try this recipe! I was curious as to what the vinegar does for the pancakes? I have never seen vinegar in a pancake recipe before. I love to learn the science behind the ingredients. Thanks! (:
It helps make the pancakes fluffy by reacting with the baking soda! I hope this helps answer your question!
Yum!!! Used almond milk and they turned out great.
Thank you for your review, Cait!
This recipe really delivers! I ran out of my store bought whole wheat pancake mix but NEEDED pancakes. I’m so glad this was the first recipe that popped up. I added some toasted walnuts and pumpkin seeds. My wife and I were happily surprised by the texture and flavor.
Thanks for the recipe!
GC
Pancakes are a need! I’m glad this was perfect for your family, Gregory. If you would like to leave a star review, I would appreciate it!