Makes 6 Pancakes
Time: 30 minutes
I miss NYC the most during the holidays. Any holiday, really, but mostly on Jewish Xmas. 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. While the rest of the country seems to shut down and sink into a comfy sleepiness, it’s a busy busy day in New York. Restaurants do some of their best business, the movie theaters are packed. You can’t truly experience it anywhere else, I guess it’s like American Mardis Gras in that way. Jewish Xmas without NYC is like Mardis Gras without Bourbon Street.
So what’s that got to do with pancakes?
Well, I started ruminating on the ghosts of Jewish Xmas past. In particular, I was trying to recall all the movies I’ve 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’ve been obsessing on a pancake like that. I’ve 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 pancakes cooks, but when a pancake is that thick, it’s just not going to happen, and now I know that is okay.
Since there was no Chinese restaurant open, 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 on pancakeness. The stuff of dreams! It was a true Jewish Xmas miracle.
They’re simple so don’t let these tips intimidate you. But I do want to share some lessons I’ve learned the hard way:
~ Don’t use an electric mixer for the batter. Overmixed pancakes tend to result in a dense pancake. I use a dinner fork to get everything mixed.
~ You have to let the batter rest for ten minutes or so. The vinegar and the baking powder need to react with each other and the gluten needs to settle in and rest.
~Don’t crowd the pan. Even in my big cast iron, I don’t make more than two pancakes at once.
~ Don’t use too much oil in the pan. It will result in a tough exterior. A very thin layer of oil is what you want and a spray can of organic canola oil works perfectly for this.
~ Preheat the pan for a good ten minutes. I use cast iron and put it on moderate low heat (right around 3 on my stovetop), but you will probably need to adjust a little to get the temp just right. Remember, the temp is not set in stone. Lower and raise in tiny increments as needed. Even turning the dial 1/4 inch can result in big changes.
~ Use a measuring cup (with a rounded bottom if possible) to scoop out the batter. And remember to always spray ithe cup between pancakes, to prevent sticking.
~ Once you drop the pancake in, refrain from futzing with the batter too much. But don’t be afraid to delicately nudge the batter a tiny bit with your fingers to get a more circular shape and more even cooking. But the batter should spread a tiny bit and puff up all on its own.
And now let the pancakes begin!
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup almond milk (or soy milk)
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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, canola 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 in on a baking sheet covered with tin foil in a 300 F degree oven for 5 minutes or so.
ok, good to know! i made them again because i was distubed by the lack of foam i got the first time around and i still can’t get the mixture to what i consider “foamy.” do you just mean that there should be some bubbles on top or does it actually “foam?” perhaps i should stop worrying about it…
Ha ha, had to share our laugh: the first time the hubby made these, he used baking soda instead of powder. Worst. Pancakes. Ever. Do not make that same mistake, people or else it will taste like you are eating antacids. We made them today with baking powder, and they were great!
These are perfect.
I made these this morning with brown rice flour as i was out of apf. I added 1tsp of cinnamon. They did come out fluffy ,however they were crumbly im sure because of the flour. No matter my son ate 5,i did manage to get 1!! I bought some apf this afternoon so i can make these on Easter for brunch.
Thank you for another wonderful recipe! This is now my go-to pancake recipe! The Husband and I <3 you always!
Here in Mexico we make these 2 times a week now. Today I used a wisk instead of fork for the flaxseed mixture and talk about foamy! The bowl was completely full and we have not 6 but 10 pancaked this morning. We also iike to smush up some raspberries or blackberries and add to the mix.
I made them with a small, ripe mashed banana rather than the flaxseed and it worked great! My boyfriend prefers the banana flavor to the more nutty taste of flaxseed for these. Leftovers also delicious reheated in the toaster.
Haha, I’m catholic and I still celebrate Christmas the Jewish way. Chinese food and cheesy movies…maybe even popcorn.
I finally tried this recipe (I’ve been meaning to for some time), and I am in LOVE. So is my husband. And my kid. We’ve been vegan for only about two months now, and it’s recipes like yours that keep our tummies happy. Huge fans! 🙂
I just made these and they were FANTASTIC! Best pancakes ever, vegan or otherwise. So light and fluffy. I will be saving this recipe for sure!
Thanks Isa. Again.
And I forgot to mention that I used whole wheat flour only and they were still light and fluffy!
I am currently tearing down a pile of these bad boys. I make them at least once a week with buckwheat flour and it’s unbelievable. Party in ma mouth!
I didn’t have all the ingredients listed… had to use kamut flour, rice wine vinegar and coconut oil… but still, they turned out fabulously delicious. Thank you, Isa. I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it again ~ you are fearless in the kitchen!
I finally made these and they are PHENOMENAL! The BEST pancakes I have ever had, hands down. Better than IHOP. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Oh my God , I made these this morning, soooo good. I ate 2 of them with a chopped up banana and agave. I would like to know the nutritional information?
Jewish Xmas happens in Florida too! My parents retired to Florida and I would visit at Xmastime. Always, Chinese food and a movie 😀 Thanks for the memories (and the great recipes)
I have used the “let the batter rest for 10 minutes” method for other pancakes, and it makes ALL pancakes much fluffier!! A while ago I made your pumpkin pancakes from Vegan Brunch, and while they were delicious, they were very thin and flat. This time, I made them exactly the same, but let them rest for about 15-20 minutes before cooking. They ended up super fluffy!!! Not quite as fluffy as when I specifically made these pillow pancakes, but way fluffier than usual. People should use that waiting advice on all pancakes!
I just made these gluten free super yum!
I make these every Sunday morning and triple the recipe; hubby reheats the leftovers for breakfast during the week. I use a combination of whole wheat pastry, buckwheat and all-purpose flours. I also make oat flour by running quick-cooking oats through the blender. I use almond/coconut milk and cut the fat by using half oil and half applesauce. I usually add fresh blueberries. Just finished a plateful. Thanks, Isa!
I just made these and they were so good!!! I used all white whole wheat flower and they were still deliciously puffy and pillowy. I made the blueberry sauce from Vegan with a Vengeance to go with them and it was wonderful. Thanks for this recipe.
Hi! I’m visiting at the house of some ferocious omnis and am all out of soymilk. Can I sub warm water? I need to prove to them that these are not something they need to be “forced” to taste. 🙂
I just fried up the most beautiful pancakes I have ever seen.
Although, I did not have flax, but I figured, hey, ground flax is a common egg sub, so I figured a bit of soy yogurt could be a fix while I skimped on water, and they weren’t as thick as an inch, but plenty puffy and fluffy. I still can’t believe I actually made that.
Made these for Father’s Day brunch this morning. Followed the recipe exactly & they were amazing. Made me love my cast iron all the more! My only complaint is that I got just 1 1/2 pancakes. 🙂 every single one turned out beautifully. My new go-to pancake recipe. XO
Thes pancakes are amazing! I make them every weekend now since I fund this recipe in May. I use WW pastry flour and they come out perfect! I also use coconut oil to cook them in the skillet and the smell is heavenly! My kids said they taste like heaven!
Last night My wife and I stayed up kind of late watching TV. out of the blue she said “I want some pancakes. Neither of us had had pancakes for a long time. she is vegan and I am vegetarian for the most part. I will have dairy every once and a while. Well it was 1:00am so I was not getting up to make anything at that time of the night.
so in the morning I woke up and looked on line for a pancake recipe. I wanted to surprise my wife. WOW! these were really good! they tasted great and were really fluffy and took very little time to make. I saved this recipe and will defiantly use it anytime I want pancakes. Thanks for sharing this!
Oh! I earned a lot of brownie points with the wife for making her pancakes as well. 🙂
I’m a vegan and just made these for my family (non-vegans). What a success! I made a vegan version cinnamon and sugar butter to go along with, and the kids gobbled them up with no complants!
Delicious! I made these while we were on vacation in Colorado and worried that they would be less than puffy. Nope! They were perfect!
i’ve made these three times now and every time they just get better (because i am actually getting closer to following the directions). the first two times i made them without the flax, because i didn’t have any on hand. the first time i didn’t let the batter rest so my pancakes were kinda flat, but delicious. the second time i let the batter rest and they were even better. the third time around i added the flax and let the batter rest. they were the best! who knew if you followed the directions you’d get near isa-perfection?! thank you for creating an amazing vegan pancake.
They tasted good….a little salty though.
I have made these so many times now — double batches usually. Also, I discovered by accident, the first time I made them, that they taste AMAZING when made with coconut oil. (It was the only oil I had at the time.) I have also frozen them with great success and warmed them up in a moistened paper towel in the microwave.
these were good – i put blueberries in mine, one by one – after i had put the batter in the pan. they were great.
used grape seed oil instead of canola – both in the recipe and on the pan. i cooked them on a cast iron skillet over low heat.
thanks – great recipe.
These are the best pancakes!! The kids & I love to make these on the weekend. We have also substituted whole wheat pastry flour for the white flour and it works perfectly. Thanks for a great recipe.
This i s the B E S T. pancacke recipe – vegan AND non-vegan – I’ve ever made. Thanks Isa so much for sharing this. I love your site and your books and am looking forward to your next one. Love from Vienna, Austria (not Australia)
I made these gluten free and they still turned out delicious.
Does it have to be canola oil? Is there a better (healthier, less processed) option? I can’t see olive oil working, but I don’t want to use canola…
These were soooooo amazinnggg! Thank you so much for posting these wonderful recipes. I accidentally added too much water but they came out with a crepe-like consistency. I also added some lavender flower buds and the flavor was fabulous. My boyfriend said they were the best pancakes he’s ever had and hes not even a vegan! 😀
Pancakes are my curse. It’s a running joke to my husband, I’m so bad at making them. Then I became a vegan, told him I was making these, and he had a good chuckle- until I put perfect fluffy pancakes on his plate. Your tips were marvelous, and it’s because of you that I have redeemed myself. I’ve got the last laugh now!
Yay!
Today is my birthday and I made these for my birthday breakfast. I added some cinnamon to the batter. These are the best pancakes ive ever had. Thank you so much!
Okay, so they’re not coming out anywhere near as fluffy as the ones in the picture. (like… slightly thinner than regular pancakes), and even with the vanilla, have almost no flavor. I assume I’ve done something wrong, but I don’t know what it could be.
Second try. I definitely did something wrong the first time.
Not quite as pretty as the picture, but they’re the best pancakes I’ve had and a while, and no egg means no itchy throat!
Thanks for this recipe, I’ve been making much denser pancakes with a similar list of ingredients, but with less liquid and not vinegar. The tips on temperature and mixing were spot-on. This came out fantastic the first time I tried it.
We had these this morning; I left out the flax seeds, but otherwise followed to the letter. YUM! These are the ONLY vegan pancakes I’ve made that have come close to behaving like “regular” pancakes. We will make these often!