Light and Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes
Published Aug 22, 2020•Updated Aug 26, 2024
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Light and Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes are made with just six ingredients and only one bowl for mixing. They use all whole wheat flour and are lightly sweet and super fluffy!
Even great recipes sometimes get made once and are promptly forgotten about. At our house where I’m constantly looking for inspiration and trying new things, my family always complains that I make something they love and they never see it again. So it’s truly a special recipe that gets made every week at our house (okay, that’s not totally true, sometimes we alternate with Healthy Blueberry Pancakes). These whole wheat pancakes are our weekly recipe. I make double batches which produces enough pancakes to freeze and warm up in the toaster all week long.
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Pin It NowThese 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. Plus the whole wheat flour means that everyone is getting a bit more nutrition than standard pancakes made with all purpose flour.
Even if you’re not the homemade breakfast type, try these pancakes! They’re incredibly easy and so delicious.
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
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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Light and Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes
Equipment
- Skillet
- Mixing Bowl
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) cooking oil (vegetable, canola, grapeseed, or avocado oil)
- 2 cups (475 milliliters) buttermilk (see note)
- 2 cups (250 grams) whole wheat flour
- 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.
WOW is all i can say. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!
Thank you for the recipe post!
These pancakes are freaking amazing! Who know whole wheat anything could be so light?! I ate 4 in one sitting. I didn’t have buttermilk, so I used vanilla almond milk + vinegar. Usually I hate it when people review recipes and then mention all the changes they made. ‘Cause maybe it was the alterations that made it good or bad and not the actual recipe, you know? Now here I am doing it. But dang! Just glad no one was here to see me stuffing my face.
Jo – I’m so glad you sent a comment! This is one of those rare recipes that seems to work so well with adaptations, so I’m thrilled to hear about another success. (Nothing better than a pancake feast, in my humble opinion!)
These were DELICIOUS! I didn’t have a lot of milk, so I subbed half sour cream and added a wee bit of apple cider vinegar to make it into a thick and luscious buttermilk substitution.
These are so good and fluffy and ommmggg! I’m putting blackberry jam on mine, thanks for making my breakfast today! <3
Hello! I’m about to try this recipe as i couldn’t help myself after seeing the pictures. But i was wondering if it would work if i used oat flour instead of the whole wheat flour.
Hi Rana – I just saw your note, and I have to say that I’m not sure if it will work or not. The recipe is pretty flexible, so it certainly seems worth a shot. Let me know how it goes!
Great recipe! I have tried many other whole wheat recipes and yes this is by far the best I have come across. Others are flat and soggy, but these are perfect light and fluffy! I didn’t have any buttermilk (I never do), so I did 2 cups of almond milk and 4 tbsp of fresh lemon juice to make a substitute. They turned out delicious! Thank you for such a great recipe! 😉
So glad you liked them Talmesha! And thanks so much for sharing the almond milk substitute details.
I found this recipe in a google search. I halved it and used my 10 grain flour, almond milk with lemon juice, and coconut crystals instead of brown sugar. Then on a whim I added a little more milk and a quarter cup of coconut flour.
DELISH! Thanks so much for a fantastic base recipe that was entirely forgiving to my quirky changes 🙂
thank you very much for the recipe! My family loved the taste though I did make one substitution-rice milk for buttermilk and added cinnamon, overall delicious!
These were the best whole wheat pancakes I’ve ever had! Thanks so much for the recipe!
AMAZING! BEST WW RECIPE EVER!!! so tasty and fluffy – normally my ww pancakes are tough and flat
These are the BEST pancakes I have ever made. I use 2% milk and malt vinegar instead of buttermilk. I have been searching for 10 years for the perfect pancakes and have made these 5 times in a row. Perfect every time and everyone loves them! I have substituted agave for brown sugar and maple syrup for brown sugar, added chocolate chips and added blueberries. It works every time. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks so much for your note and for the substitutions – always helpful to hear what works, Gwench! Glad you liked them!
Me again in 2024 and this is still hands down the best pancake recipe I’ve ever made.
Love to hear this!