Best Whole Wheat Pancakes
Posted Mar 18, 2020, Updated Apr 22, 2024
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These fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes are easy to make with nutritious ingredients like greek yogurt, whole wheat flour, and flaxseed. They’re a delicious breakfast that will keep you full until lunch!
These fluffy whole wheat pancakes are delicious & nutritious.
They are truly the perfect easy, healthy, no frills pancake recipe (also try these greek yogurt pancakes). They’re absolutely divine as-is, and can even hold their own without maple syrup.
This whole wheat pancakes recipe is easily doubled or tripped, and freezes beautifully, making them perfect for meal prep!
Whole Wheat Pancakes: Ingredients and Substitutions
- All-purpose flour/whole wheat flour. This recipe calls for a 1:1 ratio of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. You can use all whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour if you prefer.
- Granulated sugar. coconut sugar and organic cane sugar are great substitutes.
- Whole Milk. 2% milk, almond milk and coconut milk are all great substitutes.
- Greek yogurt. choose your favorite yogurt – vanilla, plain etc. You can use Icelandic yogurt instead of Greek yogurt.
- Applesauce. If desired you can use an equal amount of mashed banana instead of applesauce (or try these banana pancakes).
Buttermilk
You can also substitute 1 cup of buttermilk for the milk and Greek yogurt.
How to Make Whole Wheat Pancakes
This whole wheat flaxseed pancakes recipe is super easy to make, but we’ll walk through the process step-by-step just in case you have any questions. Also, don’t forget to watch the video!
Begin by combining the dry ingredients in a small bowl (except for the sugar). I often like to do this the night before, so make the morning a little less stressful! If you have a large family, I recommend doubling or tripling this recipe.
Next, whisk together the milk and Greek yogurt (or sour cream) until smooth.
Then add the rest of the wet ingredients and the sugar and whisk until the batter is smooth and the sugar is dissolved.
Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
If the batter looks too thick, add a touch more milk until it reaches the desired consistency (pictured below).
If desired, add mix ins at this point. Some suggestions include, but are not limited to: chocolate chips, sprinkles, blueberries, etc.
Cook Whole Wheat Pancakes
Next, on an electric griddle set to 350 degrees F, or in a large non-stick fry pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat, cook the pancakes for 3-5 minutes on the first side, until the edges are set and bubbles start forming in the batter.
Flip and cook an additional 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.
I aways use an electric griddle that I bought years ago for like $15 on sale at kohl’s, nothing fancy to cook these whole wheat pancakes. I love that it’s non-stick and that I can make 8 pancakes at once, which means less cooking time!
Serve
Serve these pancakes immediately with pure maple syrup, a dollop of homemade whipped cream, or some homemade strawberry sauce.
Keep Warm
If you’d like to keep pancakes warm in between batches, preheat your oven to 200 degrees F. As the pancakes come off the griddle, transfer them to a large baking sheet and put them in the oven to stay warm.
Store
Store any leftover whole wheat pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months!
To Freeze
These Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes freeze beautifully! After we’ve eaten our share I toss the rest on a baking sheet to flash-freeze them. Once they’re frozen I transfer the pancakes to an airtight container or ziplock bag! Simply reheat in the microwave or toaster and you have an easy, healthy breakfast ready in seconds!
To Prepare in Advance
I love these whole wheat pancakes because there are three ways to make them in advance to enjoy quick and easy in the morning.
- Mix the dry ingredients together the night before and leave them covered at room temperature until the morning. Then follow the recipe as written.
- Make the batter the night before. Store it in the refrigerator covered until the morning. You will need to stir it to degas it before cooking, and possibly add a touch more milk to thin it out.
- Make the whole batch ahead of time and freeze. Follow the recipe as it’s written and flash-freeze the cooked pancakes on a large baking sheet. Then transfer them to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To enjoy, just pull some out of the freezer and heat in the microwave or toaster!
Whole Wheat Pancakes: FAQ
The answer is yes (of course)! However I recommend a mixture of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour because whole what flour is dense and makes dense pancakes. White whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour are both great options for an all-whole wheat pancake with a lighter texture.
These whole wheat pancakes are definitely better for you! Here are a few reasons:
Higher in fiber. Whole what flour has more fiber per serving than white flour because it contains the whole grain.
Greek Yogurt for Protein. Instead of heavy cream or butter, these pancakes are made with 2% milk and Greek yogurt! This both adds protein and lightens the recipe!
The answer to this question varies depending on the pancake recipe you use and the toppings you put on them. This particular whole wheat pancakes recipe is one that you can feel good about eating. I recommend topping them with a dollop of nut butter (extra protein) and pure maple syrup.
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Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce
- Optional mix ins: chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat an electric griddle, stovetop griddle or non-stick pan to medium heat (350 degrees F).
- In a small bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, ground flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the milk and Greek yogurt until smooth.
- Add sugar, vanilla, egg and applesauce and whisk until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and whisk/stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Grease the preheated griddle with butter, cooking spray or coconut oil.
- Pour batter in ¼ cup portions onto your pre-heated, greased griddle.
- Cook on the first side for about 2-3 minutes or until the middle begins to bubble and the sides look set.
- Flip and cook for 1-2 more minutes until the second side is browned.
- Repeat until all the batter has been used!
- Serve warm with maple syrup.
Video
Notes
- All-purpose flour/whole wheat flour. This recipe calls for a 1:1 ratio of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. You can use all whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour if you prefer.
- Granulated sugar. coconut sugar and organic cane sugar are great substitutes.
- Whole Milk. 2% milk, almond milk and coconut milk are all great substitutes.
- Greek yogurt. choose your favorite yogurt – vanilla, plain etc. You can use Icelandic yogurt instead of Greek yogurt.
- Applesauce. If desired you can use an equal amount of mashed banana instead of applesauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Even my kids (8 & 16) loved these secretly healthy pancakes – there were arguments over the last one! I used mashed banana as apple sauce isn’t really a thing here in the UK, it worked out great. This could become our go to pancake recipe.
I have not tried the recipes yet. when I do, I will be glad to give a comment.
These are our favorite pancakes. I adjusted the recipe for my husband who eats vegan but he asks for them every week. Thanks for a great recipe!
My yogurt wasn’t good. Is there a substitute?
Sour cream!
I don’t have all the ingredients at hand but I will buy them and make this recipe it looks yummy.
Thanks for the post.