There’s something about weekend mornings and pancakes (obsessed with these healthy waffles, too!) that’s just MEANT TO BE. I run downstairs like a five-year-old on Saturday morning, so super duper excited to brew coffee, get out the flour, and enjoy breakfast with the guy I love. Cooking really is a love language for me. Making food brings me a joy that nothing else does. It’s one of the only things I do regularly besides exercise where I feel completely locked in, undistracted, wholeheartedly present. I am forever grateful for the beauty that is creating and sharing a meal. For me, pancakes mean slow, comfy, cozy, snuggly, coffee-scented mornings. Being in the restaurant industry (especially with brunch being the beloved meal that it is), I go through long stretches where I spend Saturday mornings at Alchemy. Those mornings are lovely too, but more a lot more fast-paced, exciting, and complex. Having spent so many weekend mornings at the stores makes me deeply grateful for mornings I can now spend at home. When we’re in the thick of opening a restaurant, I can’t begin to imagine it functioning without me or the other owner being there all the time. And just like that, a stellar, trustworthy team falls into place, and it’s no longer dependent on us to function smoothly. It’s a beautiful process. Now let’s talk fluffy pancakes! There really shouldn’t be any other kind. I’ve been making pancake recipes for as long as I can remember, as evidenced by this hilarious pancake post I wrote in 2013. I prefer my pancakes like sweet, warm little clouds—light and fluffy, satisfying, and packed with whole grains to keep me full all morning. This recipe for Fluffy Vegan Pancakes has a full tablespoon of baking powder and a homemade “buttermilk” for extra fluff. But you need more than fluff when it comes to making pancakes that aren’t flat and gummy in the middle. Oh, I’ve been there. It’s a dark place.
How to make fluffy pancakes
The trick to making perfect fluffy pancakes is threefold. First, make sure your skillet is hot, but not scorching (we don’t want charred pancakes now do we?). For me, that’s just below medium heat. Second, make sure the batter is thick. A lot of recipes call for equal proportions of flour and liquid but I find a bigger flour to liquid ratio results in the fluffiest stack. Third, do not over-mix. Fold the wet into the dry gently and stop as soon as you don’t see flour. Clumps are warmly welcomed here.
Which flour to use for fluffy pancakes
Now, which flour is the best flour? This whole wheat pastry flour is my go-to for pretty much all baked goods because its milled from soft white wheat and is lower in protein and gluten for softer, more tender baked goods. Whole wheat flour is milled with hard red wheat, is higher in gluten, and has a courser grind. It’ll work, but it’s not the best option for this Fluffy Vegan Pancakes recipe. All purpose flour would work great as well if you don’t care about the whole grain part. For the sweetener, you can use maple syrup, honey, or regular sugar. For the oil, I used my go-to avocado oil, but really any neutral oil works. I use a full teaspoon on cinnamon here because I freaking love it, but you can cut that in half or leave it out if it’s not your thang. Now if you’re not vegan or don’t have ground flax on hand, you can use a regular egg instead of the “flax egg.” You can also use melted butter instead of oil if that tickles your fancy. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen my melty bloob topping a trillion times. All I do is dump a cup of frozen wild blueberries (get the three pound bag at Costco for the best deal) into a bowl and microwave them until all hot and bubbly. Add a splash of maple syrup and chia seeds to thicken and BOOM SHAKA LAKA you’ve got a splendid little pancake topping packed with brain-boosting, heart-lovin’, inflammation-fightin’ antioxidants. Free radicals, be gone! Add a swirl of drippy almond butter and a drizzle of maple syrup and dig your fork into greatness. Fluffy Vegan Pancakes, I love you long time.
