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 love your recipes. I’m wondering if I can use almond milk and skip the vinegar?
This recipe will turn out the best as written. I hope you try it!
great pancakes- love using whole wheat flour as I’m diet conscious-
These were truly fabulous! They also reheated perfectly; all of your tips were quite helpful. Looking forward to making these again soon. Thanks so much for the great recipe!
You’re welcome, Julia!
these pancakes are tasty! I used regular wheat flour since I have it already. it did look a little different
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Kim!
Delicious! We loved them yesterday and again today. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Tammy! Thank you for you review.
Wow, I am so impressed with these pancakes. Easy to make & delicious. I’m not a big pancake person, but while making a batch of these mini sized to freeze for my 3 year old, I ate at least 6. So delicious & the whole wheat flour does not make these dense at all. Wonderful!
That’s great to hear, Samantha! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
These were so easy and they came out perfect and delicious! Great notes! I used regular whole wheat flour but I it whisked it in a small wire strainer. There was a small amount of wheat bran left that I just dumped into the bowl.
That’s great to hear, Andrea! I appreciate your review.
I have to say, these are the most perfectly delicious whole wheat pancakes I have ever made and eaten.
That’s great to hear, Maria!
These pancakes were delicious and were probably healthier than the white flour crepes I usually make. I was able to get 9 medium sized pancakes from the recipe.
These were so fluffy and delicious! My first attempt at making whole wheat pancakes and this will definitely be my go to recipe from now on. Thank you for posting!
You’re welcome, Robin!
I love this recipe and I’ve made it before but this time the batter turned out very watery. I had to add in more flour. Is it for sure just 1 cup of flour?
I’m sorry to hear that! It will be more runny than waffle batter or muffin batter. Are you use you measured correctly? How did they make up?
I love making these pancakes/ I usually add blueberries to the batter. They are delicious.
Delicious! Followed recipe exactly as written turned out perfect, fluffy and tasty! Finally a substitute for the aunt jemima wheat pancakes that are no longer available, and these taste even better! Thank you!
Any advice on a substitute for the egg? I usually use apple sauce or buttermilk in place of the egg in recipes but was curious about your thoughts for this recipe. We have an egg allergy in the house.
Hey Cookie and Kate,
I made these pancakes and they were amazing… I added 1/4 TSP more of cinnamon because I love cinnamon. They were absolutely delicious.
Thank you for sharing :-)
Finally a good recipe that came out great on the first try AND is not so sugary. Thank you! And it is simple I ran out of whole wheat flour so I had to at a cup of tapioca floor with it and the pancakes still turned out great. Also added banana, walnuts and blackberries to the batter and tasted delicious. Thank you. Saving and using again. ❤️
I swapped apple sauce for the butter/oil , added some walnuts and used sugar free syrup instead of maple (though not a fan because of the artificial sweetners). I really enjoyed them. And I froze the extra and nuked them the next day for a minuted and enjoyed them as well. Plan on making a batch just to freeze to have them ready for the days I just don’t want to cook.
Great idea to have some in the freezer! Thank you for your review, Linda.
Delicious! Everybody loved them.
Thank you for all your amazing recipes.
Great recipe! My 6 yr old decided she wanted to add blueberries and strawberries to the mix, they came out delicious! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Anabel!
Ever since I discovered this recipe, I’ve making pancakes every weekend. We love it! Thank you for another delicious recipe.
You’re welcome, Daniele!
These are the best pancakes. Now that I am retired my husband requests these every day.
Is there any possibility that this recipe can be used to make waffles?
Thanks again for a great tasting recipe without added sugar.
I recommend my Easy Gluten Free Oat Waffles
These are consistently delicious. My kiddos always ask for these instead of the white flour versions. I add cinnamon and 1 mashed banana or apple sauce to the recipe and they always turn out super moist, fluffy and yummy. Thank you!
These are incredible! The cinnamon flavor stands out, and I used 100% whole grain whole wheat flour and didn’t find them bitter at all. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
You’re welcome, Nathaniel!
My favorite pancake recipe! Made them this morning with almond milk and blueberries.
I just made these pancakes. My kids said I should now make these forever, lol. Very fluffy and nicely done.
I’ve tried many whole wheat pancake recipes, and this is by far the best! I left out the honey/maple syrup and opted for regular whole wheat flour, and it turned out fantastic and super fluffy. I topped them with almond butter and banana slices. This recipe is a keeper!
Wonderful to hear, Sharon!
I just made the pancakes and loved them but then made them again & replaced the sugar with unsweetened applesauce just because I needed to limit processed sugar.
It worked well and the pancakes were wonderful both ways! Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome, TJ!
Made these today, didn’t change a thing. They were light and fluffy deliciousness.
Great to hear, Linda! Thank you for your review.
A perfectly simple recipe! I didn’t have any ACV or lemon, so just used regular milk. I added frozen blueberries. They were very fluffy and scrumptious!
This easy recipe makes delicious pancakes! I often find pancakes doughy but these were super light and the natural nuttiness of the ww flour pairs wonderfully with the cinammon and touch of vanilla. I used half ww and half ap flour and made the batter a day ahead, stored in the fridge for a quick breakfast the next day. This will be my go-to for pancakes now!
I love these pancakes, and so do my kids! They can be customized in so many ways and they turn out great every time. I have started making large batches of the dry ingredients so I only have to add the wet ingredients with a cup of the dry mix in the morning. If I’m making these for my baby, I often replace the maple syrup with pumpkin puree, banana, or applesauce.
Best pancakes I have ever made!!!
I love to hear that, Maxine! I appreciate your review.
Made these for a fun “breakfast for dinner” for the kids and we all loved them! Thanks so much for the great recipe!
You’re welcome!
I made your pancakes this morning. I replaced about 1/4 cup of the flour with Quinoa flakes to increase the protein and used olive oil instead of butter. Even my 10 year old granddaughter loved them!
thanks, Angie
Great ideas! I’m glad to know the quinoa flakes work in these pancakes. Thank you for letting me know.
Kate,
I use your website for SO many recipes. I have loved all of the recipes I have tried and I wanted to reach out and say thank you!
These pancakes are delicious!
I made this recipe using regular whole wheat flour. I only added 1 tablespoon of Maple syrup instead of 2 tablespoons. I served them with additional maple syrup, walnuts and blueberries. They were wonderful!!
Seriously delicious! I wasn’t expecting it to be this good. I made the recipe exactly as stated. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Joy! Thank you for your review.
These were so delicious ! My first attempt at whole wheat anything and now I will use white whole wheat flour in everything! Can I refrigerate the batter the night before and cook them in the morning ?
I don’t suggest mixing the wet and dry together and storing. You could try mixing the dry and then combining with the wet the next day. Or these make a great freezer option!
These pancakes are so soft, fluffy, and delicious! I made mine with oat milk and oil. They turned out perfect. Thank you for this recipe! It will be my go-to from now on!
Best pancakes ever! I’m often tempted to sub half of the whole wheat flour for all purpose to avoid dense pancakes but you don’t need to with these. They were light, fluffy and delicious. I sprinkled on some blueberries after I added the batter to the griddle. So good!
I made these with Bob’s Red Mill stone-ground whole wheat flour, and they were amazing! Nutty, fluffy, spongy – just perfect.
Great to hear, Ed! I appreciate your review.
These pancakes worked out perfectly. I made them with chopped apples and walnuts and my kids both went crazy for them. highly recommend the apple, it was just what I had on hand and I chopped them (and the walnuts) very small because one of my kids is still quite little and it was a perfect first day of school breakfast.
That’s great to hear! Thank you for your review, Mrs. Smith.
These were amazing!! We really enjoyed them.
Great to hear, Renelle!
Sounds yummy but I’m worried about the carbs being diabetic. Can this be substituted with almond flour?
Hi Jan, I would suggest my Almond Flour Pancakes
Wow! Fantastic flavour. Fantastic rise. Nice and fluffy. Have shared the recipe with friends.
That’s great to hear, Yvonne!
These were amazing! I doubled the recipe and otherwise followed it exactly. Kept them warm in a 170 degree oven as I cooked them. Served with syrup and a warm berry compote. My husband said they were some of the best pancakes he ever had, and ate seven!
I love to hear that, Tori!
They turned out perfect! Thanks for the healthy and delicious recipe.
I used buttermilk and skipped the vinegar. However, I overlooked the soda and vanilla and everything still turned out just fine. Today was my second time using this recipe.
These came out so beautifully. Truly fluffy and delicious. I did not have milk but used 1/2 heavy cream, 1/2 water to substitute. They also reheated nicely. I warmed mine in the oven over the following week and they were as fluffy as the day I made them. Thank you for the recipe.