Puffy Pillow Pancakes

Makes 6 Pancakes
Time: 30 minutes

These fluffy vegan pancakes are the puffiest you will ever make — thick, golden, and pillowy, with a simple batter that comes together in minutes. This recipe has been on PPK since 2011, and this is the story that goes along with it. If you just want to make the pancakes, hit the jump to recipe button.

The Fluffy Vegan Pancakes Backstory

One Christmas, I was missing NYC the way I always do during the holidays. If you’re not familiar with Jewish Xmas, it involves Chinese food and a movie. I always celebrate with my mom, but your family member mileage may vary.

I’m not sure Jewish Xmas can really exist anywhere outside of NYC. It’s always a busy busy day in New York — restaurants doing some of their best business, movie theaters packed. You truly can’t experience it anywhere else.

So what’s that got to do with vegan pancakes?

That Christmas, I started ruminating on the ghosts of Jewish Xmas past. In particular, I was trying to recall all the movies I’d seen on December 25th throughout my entire life. My memory is painfully shabby, but I thought of one year where it was just my mom and me, and we saw Dan In Real Life starring Steve Carrel and Juliette Binoche. I don’t remember much about that movie except for one thing: the pivotal pancake scene.

Juliette Binoche was flipping these magnificent golden brown creatures on a griddle. I think she was pissed off about something, but all I could concentrate on were those puffy pillows of pancakes, perfectly golden brown, lined up like jewel cushions on display.

Ever since, I’d been obsessing on a pancake like that. I’d gotten the size and shape right, but often at the expense of the texture. Too doughy, or undercooked. I think my main failing was that I wanted to see air bubbles as the pancake cooked, but when a pancake is that thick, it’s just not going to happen, and now I know that is okay.

That morning, I set about finally getting these totally right: golden, almost crumpet-like in appearance, billowy and substantial but not inelegant. I used the recipe I’d been tweaking, but I got the brilliant and innovative idea to google “thick puffy pancake” and realized I hadn’t been using enough baking powder. A little adjustment and voila — perfect puffs of pancakeness. The stuff of dreams. It was a true Jewish Xmas miracle.

Tips for the Fluffiest Vegan Pancakes

These fluffy vegan pancakes are simple so don’t let the tips intimidate you, but I do want to share some lessons I’ve learned the hard way.

Skip the electric mixer. Overmixed batter leads to dense pancakes. Use a dinner fork and stop as soon as everything is incorporated.

Let the batter rest. Ten minutes minimum. The vinegar and baking powder need to react with each other, and the gluten needs to settle.

Don’t crowd the pan. Even in a big cast iron, two pancakes at a time is the max.

Go easy on the oil. Too much oil results in a tough exterior. A very thin layer is what you want — a spray can of organic canola oil works perfectly.

Preheat the pan for a good ten minutes. Cast iron or non-stick over medium-low heat. You’ll probably need to adjust as you go — even turning the dial a quarter inch can make a difference.

Use a measuring cup to scoop the batter. A rounded bottom helps. Spray or rinse the cup between pancakes to prevent sticking.

Cover the pan after flipping. Placing a lid or a piece of foil over the pan for the last few minutes of cooking helps the pancakes cook all the way through without burning the outside. A game changer for that thick, fluffy center.

Don’t futz. Once the pancake is in the pan, leave it alone. You can nudge the batter gently with your fingers to get a more circular shape, but the batter should spread and puff up all on its own.

Vegan Brunch: Make It A Whole Thing

These pancakes deserve a full spread. Try them alongside Tempeh Bacon, Tofu Scramble, or Tofu Omelets for the classic brunch plate. Walnut Chorizo scrambled into tofu is always a good call. Shrooms & Grits if you want to go full Southern. And Blueberry Maple Bran Muffins on the side because why not.

FLUFFY VEGAN PANCAKES FAQ:

Can I add blueberries or other fruit to this fluffy vegan pancake recipe? Fresh blueberries added one by one after you drop the batter in the pan work great — a few people in the comments have done it with great results. Adding them to the batter itself might deflate things, so go carefully.

Can I substitute the flax in this fluffy vegan pancake recipe? Not really, no. The flax is doing structural work here and the recipe is a little temperamental. Follow it as written, at least the first time. If flax is a dealbreaker, Quinoa Pancakes are pretty fluffy and you can skip the quinoa with good results.

Can I use whole wheat flour? Yup yup yup. Several people have used white whole wheat or a mix of whole wheat pastry and all-purpose with great results. All whole wheat will make them denser, so a blend is the better call.

What milk works best in this fluffy vegan pancake recipe? Almond milk is the original call, but soy milk works just as well. Several people in the comments have used coconut milk and oat milk with great results too. Use whatever you have — just make sure it’s unsweetened.

Can I make this fluffy vegan pancake recipe gluten-free? For sure. Comments suggest they work well with gluten-free flour blends. Your results may vary depending on the blend, but people have had success.

Can I make these fluffy vegan pancakes ahead of time? Yes. Rest cooled pancakes on a rack covered with foil, then reheat on a baking sheet covered with foil in a 300 F oven for about 5 minutes.

How did I end up here? Probably searching for fluffy vegan pancakes, thick vegan pancakes, or eggless pancakes that actually puff up. These are the ones. They’ve been the most popular recipe on PPK since 2011 and they are not going anywhere.

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Puffy Pillow Pancakes

Isa Chandra

The fluffiest, puffiest vegan pancakes you'll ever make. A simple batter with flax, apple cider vinegar, and plenty of baking powder that puffs up into thick, golden, pillowy rounds.

5 from 20 votes

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Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American

Servings 6 pancakes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsweetened vegan milk (soy, almond or oat all work)
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (canola, avocado or olive oil all work)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center.
• Measure the milk into a measuring cup. Add vinegar and ground flax seeds, and use a fork to vigorously mix the ingredients until foamy. This will take a minute or so.
• Pour the milk mixture into the center of the dry ingredients. Add the water, oil and vanilla and use a fork to mix until a thick, lumpy batter forms. That should take about a minute. It doesn’t need to be smooth, just make sure you get all the ingredients incorporated.
• Preheat the pan over medium-low heat and let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
• Lightly coat the pan in oil. Add 1/3 cup of batter for each pancake, and cook for about 4 minutes, until puffy. Flip the pancakes, adding a new coat of oil to the pan, and cook for another 3 minutes or so. Pancake should be about an inch thick, and golden brown.
• Rest pancakes on a cooling rack covered with tin foil until ready to serve. To reheat, place pancakes on a baking sheet covered with tin foil in a  300 F degree oven for 5 minutes or so.

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