Vegan "Buttermilk" Pancakes

These vegan “buttermilk” pancakes are simple to make and delicious, whether you’re vegan or not! Dairy, egg, and refined sugar free with a gluten-free option. Ever since my kids were born, my husband and I have made it a goal to sit together at the table for as many meals as possible. Growing up, my family and I usually only ate together at the table if company was over for dinner or if it was a special occasion, like Thanksgiving.

So since my kids are homeschooled, I work from home full-time, and my husband works from home part-time, we try to sit at the table for most meals. I think it’s safe to say that our favorite meal of the day is breakfast. It’s the first meal of the day and for my dessertaholic kids and myself, it’s the meal where sweet foods are totally acceptable.

If you ask me, I’ll usually choose a stack of fluffy pancakes over any other breakfast food. Maybe later. But, a hot stack of pancakes smothered with butter and maple syrup, The answer will aways be, “yes, please! When the family knows pancakes are for breakfast, you’d better believe they usually come running to the table! I mean, it’s probably obvious from the amount of pancake recipes I have here on the blog, but we just love ’em. As much as I like flavored pancakes (berry, pumpkin, or banana anyone,) My go-to will always be buttermilk pancakes!

First of all, don’t over mix the batter. Mix just until the dry and wet ingredients are combined. You don’t need to get every lump of flour out. The more you mix, the tougher your pancakes will be. Tough pancakes are no bueno. Use oil instead of butter to grease the pan. We all love the flavor of butter, but it burns and will add a dark brown residue and bitter flavor your precious pancakes.

Save it to slather on at the end! Make the batter right before cooking. Since the baking powder gets activated as soon the liquid is added, this is one batter that cannot be made ahead of time. It begins to loose it’s leavening power the longer it sits, so cook ’em up right away. Make sure your baking powder is fresh. Old baking powder can keep your pancakes from rising properly. Cook on medium to medium-low heat. Too hot will burn the outside and the inside will be raw. Lastly, don’t use fake syrup.

Because it’s just gross. This recipe serves 2-3 people. If you need to make a bigger batch, this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled! These pancakes are simple to make and delicious, whether you're vegan or not! Dairy, egg, and refined sugar free with a gluten-free option. 1. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, combine milk and vinegar. Let sour while you combine other ingredients.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and sour milk, stirring just until combined. Don't over-stir as this creates tough pancakes. 3. Lightly grease a non-stick pan or griddle and place over medium heat. When hot, add pancake batter by the ¼ cupfuls, flipping after a minute or so, when edges are set and a few bubbles appear at the surface. Makes 6-8 pancakes, depending on how big you make them. Depending on the flour you use, a little more milk may be needed to get the right consistency. Gluten-free flour tends to need a little more liquid. Add an additional 1-3 tablespoons of milk, if needed, to thin the batter. You want it to be thick, yet pourable!

Gluten-free people — do not fret. I make pancakes twice per week and if the kids are getting wheat in their lunchboxes, I always make gluten-free pancakes for breakfast by substituting GF oat flour, brown rice flour and buckwheat flour for the wheat. They are just as tasty and just as “normal” as wheat flour pancakes, although the buckwheat imparts a slight lavender color to the batter.

Also, don’t be put off by the buttermilk. If you don’t have it, substitute half yogurt and half milk and the pancakes will turn out the same. For those of you who think pancakes are strictly for the weekends, I have excellent news. You can make your batter the night before and keep it refrigerated until the morning.

I was always taught that the leavening agents lose their potency if the batter, dough or whatnot is not cooked immediately. Not so. I actually did a side-by-side test with 12-hour old batter and freshly made, and they both rose equally. If cooking pancakes on a weekday is positively out of the question, then make a huge batch on the weekends and freeze them with pieces of wax or parchment paper in between each one. Just promise me you won’t use a microwave to reheat them!

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