Whole Wheat Pancakes
Published Feb 28, 2026
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Whole Wheat Pancakes use 100% whole wheat flour and come together in just one bowl. You absolutely will NOT believe how light and fluffy these are. These are the pancakes my dad made all through the 80s and 90s, and now they are the pancakes my kids ask for every weekend. 40+ years of success, so I know you’ll love them.
Nidhi says: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hey, these are the BEST whole wheat pancakes ever. I could not believe how fluffy they turned out. Loved them! Thanks for sharing the recipe, so simple and amazing.
Listen, we know we should be eating more whole wheat, but if you’re like me, you also want pancakes that are truly delicious. THIS is the recipe that accomplishes both. You can feel great about eating these and feeding them to your family, but they’re also so delicious that everyone will ask for them again and again.
Even if you’re not the homemade breakfast type, try these pancakes! They’re incredibly easy (one bowl) and so delicious.
Love for Breakfast
If you are a homemade breakfast person, make sure you bookmark mason jar overnight oats, whole wheat waffles, and brioche French toast casserole.
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These pancakes are just a bit sweet so they need no other topping than a spread of butter, though no one ever complains about a bit of maple syrup. The whole wheat flour gives them a pleasant nutty flavor that is much more interesting than classic buttermilk pancakes made with all-purpose flour.
Ingredients for Whole Wheat Pancakes
- Buttermilk – I know that buttermilk isn’t something that everyone keeps on hand (though around our house, we make these pancakes so often that we always have it), but it’s inexpensive and definitely worth grabbing on your next run to the store. The subtle tart flavor really makes these pancakes taste great! If you don’t have it – no worries – see below for an easy substitute.
- Whole Wheat Flour – These use entirely whole wheat flour which can be found in the baking aisle next to the all purpose flour. If you don’t use it often, store it in the freezer and it will stay fresh for a looooong time and be ready anytime you want to make these pancakes (or these whole wheat waffles).
- Eggs – You’ll need 2 large eggs.
- Light Brown Sugar – Dark brown sugar works just fine too. I’ve also made this with white sugar, and it came out great.
- Cooking Oil – Any type of oil you would use in baking or cooking will work great here. I use vegetable, canola, grapeseed, or avocado oil, depending on what I have on hand.
- Baking Powder – The baking powder is what helps these pancakes to bake up tall and be extra light and fluffy. The recipe requires 2 Tablespoons – it will seem like a lot, but it’s right!
(How sweet are these little notes that come with our favorite local eggs?)
Substitute for Buttermilk
If you don’t have buttermilk, replace 2 cups of buttermilk with 1 ½ cups milk, 2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice, and ½ cup plain yogurt. The yogurt and the vinegar / lemon juice thicken the milk and mimic the sour flavor of buttermilk.
How to Freeze Pancakes
This makes a big batch, so definitely plan to freeze leftovers! After making the pancakes, allow them to cool completely. Place them on a sheet pan – it’s okay if they overlap slightly. Transfer the pan to the freezer and freeze for 2 to 3 hours. Once pancakes are frozen solid, move to freezer bags. Seal tightly and freezer for up to 6 months.
Pancakes (and waffles) are freezer rockstars. Just take out as many as you need and warm them up in the toaster or under the broiler for a couple minutes.
More Whole Wheat Recipes
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Whole Wheat Pancakes
Equipment
- Skillet
- Mixing Bowl
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed (1/4 cup = 50g)
- 1/4 cup cooking oil (vegetable, canola, grapeseed, or avocado oil)
- 2 cups buttermilk (2 cups = 475 mL; see note)
- 2 cups whole wheat flour (2 cups = 250g)
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Beat eggs and brown sugar in a mixing bowl with a wire whisk. Beat in canola oil and buttermilk until evenly combined. Add dry ingredients all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.
- Ladle batter onto a hot, oiled griddle or skillet until bubbles form on the surface. Flip to the other side and cook until both sides are golden brown. Serve immediately, with butter and syrup.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This sounds so good, i am making them for lunch for me and the little tot today:)Would you be willing to share with the resteraunt sized portions, though? I have six kids, and four boys, and pancakes for 6 or 8 barely makes a dent in their early morning feeding frenzy!
You are a busy woman, Desi! Here are the measurements from the original:
4 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 quart buttermilk
4 cups whole wheat flour
4 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
The batter refrigerates pretty well – I’ve made it 24 hours in advance and cooked the pancakes the next day, with great results, so if you do end up with any leftover, you could always refrigerate it. Enjoy!
Thank you so much, Jess! I made this for breakfast this morning! Would you believe that I didn’t have any leftover?? 🙂 If it’s alright with you, I’m going to add a link on a post on my blog back to this recipe… considering my children said ,”These are AWESOME, Mom!” (Which has never happened for any other whole wheat pancakes I’ve made!)
Of course, Desi – go right ahead! So glad to hear your kids liked them!
We just SUPER enjoyed these pancakes!! Thank you for sharing the recipe and your families special breakfast loves.
I was looking for a whole wheat pancake recipe to serve for a Mother’s Day brunch I am hosting for my grandmother and aunt this Sunday. I read through a ton online before I found this one that felt it had the perfect balance of what I wanted. I just made it (halving your recipe to test – just for my boyfriend and I) and it turned out fantastic! They whipped up really fast and were incredibly tasty and fluffy as advertised. I had bought all the ingredients at the store with it in my mind that I had the light brown sugar at home, turns out my boyfriend had used it all up in his protein smoothies without letting me know, so after me having a bit of a huffy moment I decided to just go ahead and make them with white sugar. They were still really yummy, so if you don’t have the brown on hand it’s not a big deal. I will however be picking up some light brown sugar before Sunday so I can make them just right for the special brunch. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. I’m sure I will use it again and again!
Scarlett – thank you so much for letting me know. It’s great to hear that you had success with what has become an absolute staple in my house – we make these almost every weekend. I have yet to try them with white sugar, but it’s great to hear that it will work in a pinch. Good luck with the Mother’s Day celebration this weekend!
Jess,
Thank you for sharing the recipe!! Pancakes are a must have in my home when fixing breakfast, however, I like to mix things up a bit and fix breakfast for Supper
So that’s what we’ll be having tonight!!
Thanks again, can’t wait to try them out!!
I was so skeptical. I had tried making whole wheat pancakes before and they turned out tough and chewy. Giving an evil smirk at this recipe, I decided to just watch it fail and go yet another morning pancake-less . (You can tell I am a morning person right)? I was so wrong. Wrong. They are the best pancakes I myself have ever made. It takes real talent to make whole wheat pancakes turn out delicious. Thank you so much for making my morning a pleasant one!
Haha – you are MOST welcome Mickella! I’m so glad these did not fall into the same category as the whole wheat pancakes you have had in the past!
This has become our new go-to pancake recipe. We also love to add 1/4 -1/2 cup of pureed pumpkin to the mix. Either way, it’s always delicious. Thank you!
The tablespoon of baking powder does the trick! I made these tonight using coconut oil and they were divine (I actually only needed 2 T for the whole recipe).
Abby – great idea! I’ll have to try them with coconut oil next time!
Hello Jess,
I made these for breakfast today and they are the best pancakes our family has ever eaten! We had them with honey. I halved the recipe and it worked great.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I will be making a lot of these pancakes now 🙂
KA – I’m so glad to hear it! We absolutely love these as well. I should try them with honey drizzled on top – what a great idea!
Thank you so, so much for this recipe! I am not a cook, but a mom of 4 children that likes to eat healthy and these whole wheat pancakes are amazing – the best I’ve ever had! These are so good I can eat them without butter or syrup. I’ve made them twice and every time there is not a pancake left 🙂 Also, loved your sweet story that went with the recipe!
Thanks, Heather!!!! I’m so glad that you stopped by to let me know. I have to say that these have become such a favorite of mine that they’re the only type of pancake I make now.
I’ve tried a lot of whole wheat pancake recipes and this one is by far the best!
Thank you for letting me know, Rachel! They’re a favorite of mine too!