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 was so looking forward to these pancakes this morning but I totally failed. They weren’t a bit fluffy, (raw inside) hard to flip on my nonstick pan, and not tasty at all. I used almond milk. Is that what destroyed my pancakes?!!
Hi! I’m so sorry to hear these didn’t turn out. Were they starting to bubble on the top before you tried to flip them?
These pancakes were delicious, thank you for such a reliable recipe!!
I did use sugar instead of honey in the batter and also added a little bit extra flour like another reviewer, and used 1/2 wholemeal 1/2 all-purpose flour, but otherwise kept things the same.
Lovely taste and texture, thank you.
Love this recipe. I make these pancakes all the time. They are great. Perfect. I’m a type 1 diabetic. And, these are just what I’ve been looking for. Thank you so much for this recipe.
I’m happy you loved them, Tracey! I appreciate your review.
Dear Kate
Thank you very much for the recipe . I tried it today and it turned out pretty well and most importantly it takes very less time to put together .
Just tried these pancakes over the weekend. We love them. I used Kiefer instead of making the buttermilk.
They were so good! Am getting use to reaching for the regular whole wheat flour. So happy about that, you make it so easy! Followed recipe. Added frozen blueberries into batter when cooking. They may have not looked the prettiest with all those berries bursting through, but yummy.
I tried the recipe and the pancakes turned out to be delicious.
Pancakes with All Purpose Flour always spike my blood sugar, like Kate said in her intro to this recipe. My wife LOVES having a Sunday pancake breakfast so I stepped in with this one. She was skeptical due to the whole-wheat-ness of them, but she and the kid loved them! I’m hoping to sub these out on the regular.
I’m excited they were a hit, Michele!
My whole family loves these pancakes! They are so easy to make and the perfect fluffiness. I usually omit the maple syrup from the batter and they are sweet enough without, especially if you’re going to top them with syrup before eating. If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, they reheat really well wrapped in a damp paper towel in the microwave. Such a great recipe!
I’m glad you loved them, Tara! Thank you for your review.
hi! just wondering if youve tried them with both wh it e whole wheat and regular whole wheat? ive heard you cant substitute them in recipes1:1 without alternating the rest of the ingredients and the amount. they look yummy!
Hi! It really depends on the recipe. It should be ok for this one.
These pancakes are wonderful. Made these for my kids this morning. So fluffy and flavorful! Yum! We will definitely be making them again. Recipe was perfect as written!
Fantastic, Ashley!
Can these be made with avocado oil instead of butter?
See the vegan note for some guidance!
Thank you for the recipe! I have been experimenting with whole wheat pancakes for about a year and finally this recipe made them turn out perfect!! Your recipes have become more and more of a go-to for me even when I do just a basic search for baking ideas online.
You’re welcome, Kam! Thank you for your review.
Delicious! I followed the dairy-free options by subbing oat milk and Earth Balance butter. Perfectly fluffy and delicious. Even my hubby enjoyed them. Gotta make a double batch next time!
Great texture and flavor! I especially like that they’re not overly sweet. I used buttermilk instead of milk and vinegar since I had some I needed to use up. One tip to those who have trouble with their butter seizing is to melt the butter first thing (on low power) and let it cool while combining other ingredients. And instead of mixing it in with the milk, add it just after pouring the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Always works for me!
Would whole wheat pastry flour work here?
Hi Paige! It should, they will just be extra fluffy.
Hi Kate! I just wanted to say that I LOVE all your recipes. Your blog is my go-to for healthy and satisfying family meals and you never disappoint. I just made your whole wheat pancakes this morning for my family and everyone LOVED them. I’m so grateful to have found your blog because I’m always looking for ways to create a healthy spin on delicious food. Thank you!
Jennie Finch from Chicago (currently living in Germany)
Delicious. Just made these for valentines brekky for the family. Thank you for a great recipe.
I made these pancakes for Valentine’s Day morning breakfast and they were delicious. Easy to make with staple ingredients in the pantry. My boyfriend loved them. Thank you, Kate!
You’re welcome! Thank you for your review, Lindsey.
Pancakes taste great, but the batter is too runny. I added extra flour and they were still so runny. Perfect pancake if you like thin. I simply prefer thicker, heartier pancakes.
Hi Caroline, I’m sorry to hear you seemed to have issues. Sounds like there was too much of an ingredient or leveaner wasn’t fresh/or added. I’ve made these a lot and know others haven’t had those issues.
These whole wheat pancakes are now my favorite pancake recipe! The recipe is easy to make and the final result is delicious!
I was happy to find a whole wheat pancake recipie that did not required buttermilk but I was disappointed. Too much baking soda, the batter tasted bad, had to add honey and sugar to save it and theu still tasted like baking powder. Did I do something wrong?
Hi, I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love it. Are you sure you didn’t change up the amounts of baking soda vs baking powdered – used fresh and aluminum free?
Just made these today (as waffles) and wow. Best recipe ever. Can make just as written. And love the trick of making your own buttermilk using a milk of choice and apple cider vinegar. Thank you for sharing
I never leave comments, but I absolutely loved these pancakes and had to share! Even my husband loves them! Thank you for making it possible for me to put pancakes back into my diet.
I’m happy you did, Rhonda! Thank you for sharing.
Hi. Great recipe. I doubled it and added two heaping scoops of New Zealand whey protein powder, 1/3 cup hemp hearts and three tablespoons chia seeds. It came out perfectly in texture and taste, ie the addition of protein powder did not crumble or toughen the pancakes at all, the hemp hearts are full of minerals and nutrients and were a neutral texture impact, the chia did not stiffen the pancakes. I cannot absorb protein When it is liquid, like a shake so this alternative is a godsend vi think the baking powder and breakdown of the original recipe is so good that my version still made a”normal” pancake. This is the only recipe I found that does this and is such a lovely pancake to begin with.
These are my go to pancakes. So delicious and easy enough to make on a weekday. Also allows for experimenting. I’ve replaced the cinnamon with cardamom and added some orange zest for cardamom orange pancakes. Thanks for another delicious recipe.
Wonderful to hear, Sue! Thank you for your review.
Turned out amazing! I used regular whole wheat flour and olive oil. Would love to “sneak” in some veggies in here if you have any ideas. I offer veggies to my kids in many different forms but I feel they don’t consume enough variety or quantity. Appreciate any feedback you may have.
Hi! I don’t know if I have suggestions here for pancakes, sorry. I know Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables has been a hit with many kids.
this was absolutely amazing! i added 2tbsp of regular flour, because i’m always afraid the batter will be too runny. these were the most perfect pancakes i’ve ever had! so fluffy and delicious, i ate them without any toppings! thank you!
Amazing recipe! We make these every weekend for breakfast.
I made these for the first time this morning. We were out of our usual whole grain pancake mix and I found your recipe. I knew right away it would be great as I have been following you for a long time and also own your cookbook. This is the recipe I will now use for pancakes when I have the time to make them from scratch. Absolutely delicious and the only change I mad was to add fresh organic blueberries. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Wonderful, Susan! I’m happy you loved it. Thank you for taking the time to review.
Your recipe is foolproof.
I get perfect fluffy whole wheat pancakes everytime that my son loves!
Thank you so much!
I’m happy you think so and that you both can enjoy them, Deena!
Simple and delicious! Great recipe.
Made these for Mothers Day.
Used whole wheat pastry flour.
As another reviewer suggested, next time I’ll try floating an extra tablespoon or two of flour over the batter to thicken them a little to our taste.
Thank you for the wonderful recipe, my wife really enjoyed them!
Thank you for sharing, John!
Turned out delicious.. my 11 months old and 2 years old ate all of it!! Thanks for the recipe!
Oh my goodness these are the best whole wheat pancakes, so light and fluffy!! I had mine with Blueberries, bananas, peanut butter and maple syrup for dinner!! I love breakfast for dinner!
I have made them several times and this time I remembered to take a picture before inhaling them, I will post on IG.
Thank you for the recipe.
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Maria! Thank you for your review.
Best whole wheat pancake recipe out there! They are so light and fluffy.
These pancakes were really good! My 20 month old loved them! I did do 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white flour so that he would be more inclined to eat it. I’m making them again this morning!
I have buttermilk on hand, so can I just that instead of the milk/vinegar trick?
Ellen
Hi, you need butter milk for these to turn out the best.
I love this recipe, it’s easy and super tasty! My kids love it so every Sunday since this year started this recipe has been or favourite, with lots of fruits, maple syrup,nuts, choc or cream. It’s perfect!
The best whole wheat pancake recipe! I used oat milk. My family lives them. Thank you!
That’s great, Joyce! Thank you for your review.
Made these for my granddaughter and I, and we both absolutely loved them. I actually used buttermilk which I had, and skipped the vinegar.
They came out perfect, with great texture, and great taste. Much better than white flour pancakes. Will definitely be a regular breakfast item for sure.
Might even try one of these substituted for a country biscuit, with southern sausage gravy, and a few home fries on the side. Talk about a rib sticking breakfast to start the day !! Of course I’d make the gravy with turkey breakfast sausage so as not to totally defeat the purpose of the healthy whole wheat pancake. Just sayin :)
My batter started out far too runny/thin so I added about half a cup more flour in my double batch using an 8 grain/seeds oats mix and white flour. Grated an apple in, no sweetener but extra cinnamon. Yummy!! Thanks! : )
Hi Kate, We’ve been eating your banana muffins (1/3 c ground flax instead of oatmeal, and 1/4 cup of almond flour instead of 1/4 white ww flour) on our gravel bicycle rides for a couple of years rather than ‘sport food’. Amazing. Today, I made these pancakes w/ white ww flour since I ran out of mix. Back to from scratch pancakes for us. Delicious! Thank you, Mariette & Rick
Thank you for sharing how you are making them, Mariette!
As always, your recipes never disappoint. These pancakes are amazing, and the only edit I made was some extra cinnamon.
I love these, but was recently put on a low sodium diet. Can I omit the salt and/or some of the baking soda? Thank you!j
Hi Jenee, you can decrease the amount of salt if you wish.
No print button? D-oh.
Hi Stevan, it wasn’t working. But it is working now.
Love love loved it!!!Thank you for this recipe, Kate.
You’re welcome, Deepa!
I love this recipe! Made it twice already and making it again tomorrow. I add bananas to the batter and I don’t even need to put extra syrup on top, there perfect as is. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome, Jess! Thank you for your review.
Hi Kate,
I look forward to trying this recipe! If I want to bake them in a half sheet pan (18″x13″), do I need to make any adjustments? Should I use the 2x or 3x quantity to fill the pan? (I love baking my pancake batter in a sheet pan, which saves on all the time making and flipping individual pancakes!)
Thanks!
Hi Dee! I like that idea, although I haven’t tried it.
Easy recipe, turned out well. Good, basic ww pancake. Served with greek coconut yogurt. My kids liked them!
I love your recipes but this one wasn’t a hit in my house. The flour was white whole wheat which I measured correctly, the leavening agents were both in date but my pancakes came out flat. I usually make my kids almond flour pancakes but was looking for a regular flour pancake.
Love many of your other recipes though.
Hi Sharon, I’m sorry to hear that. Did you by chance over mix? That can impact how much they rise.