Wake up to a healthy breakfast with these whole wheat pancakes. Prepared with just a handful of simple ingredients, these pancakes are super fluffy, extra thick, and perfectly moist, with a subtle nutty flavor. We love them!

Wake up to a healthy breakfast with these whole wheat pancakes. Prepared with just a handful of simple ingredients, these pancakes are super fluffy, extra thick, and perfectly moist, with a subtle nutty flavor.

Given the success of my Easy Fluffy American Pancakes as well of these Fluffy Banana Pancakes, that have now become a breakfast staple for so many of you, here comes another classic pancake recipe prepared with whole wheat flour.

Wake up to a healthy breakfast with these whole wheat pancakes. Prepared with just a handful of simple ingredients, these pancakes are super fluffy, extra thick, and perfectly moist, with a subtle nutty flavor.

As always, I looked for the perfect recipe, in search of the BEST whole wheat pancake recipe. These pancakes are super fluffy and prepared with buttermilk, making them incredibly moist and tender. Also, the use of whole wheat flour makes them nutrient-rich, for a healthy pancake recipe. There are only good reasons to try it!

Why we love these whole wheat pancakes

  • Super fluffy and extra thick ✔
  • Moist and tender ✔
  • Healthier than your regular pancakes ✔
  • Prepared with simple ingredients ✔
  • Ready in 5 minutes ✔

Wake up to a healthy breakfast with these whole wheat pancakes. Prepared with just a handful of simple ingredients, these pancakes are super fluffy, extra thick, and perfectly moist, with a subtle nutty flavor.

Whole wheat pancakes ingredients

This pancake recipe features 6 main ingredients: flour, baking powder, buttermilk, eggs, butter, sugar. Stick to the basics or read carefully below to make a few swaps.

  • Whole wheat flour. You can use either brown or white whole wheat flour. If you have picky eaters at home, white whole wheat flour is a great way to make your kids eat healthier without they even notice it.
  • Baking powder. It helps pancakes to rise, don’t skip it! When the batter is ready, I like to set for a few minutes before using.
  • Buttermilk. Yes, I use buttermilk instead of milk, and this is the secret to incredibly moist pancakes! Learn how to make buttermilk from scratch in 5 minutes or replace with yogurt. Alternatively, you can make this recipe with milk too.
  • Eggs. I used 2 whole eggs in this recipe. For fluffier texture, use them at room temperature. Eggs bring moisture, tenderness, and serve as the binder ingredient in the recipe.
  • Butter. Fat, here melted butter, makes the pancakes rich and moist. For a quicker version, you can use replace melted butter with canola oil in the recipe.
  • Sugar (optional). It’s the little sweetener in the recipe. You can use one or two Tablespoons sugar (honey or maple syrup work too), depending on how sweet you like your pancakes. Or you can skip it completely and top these whole wheat pancakes with savory toppings.

To these ingredients, I recommend using a pinch of salt to bring out the flavors. You can also flavor your pancakes with a hint of cinnamon or a splash of vanilla extract.

Wake up to a healthy breakfast with these whole wheat pancakes. Prepared with just a handful of simple ingredients, these pancakes are super fluffy, extra thick, and perfectly moist, with a subtle nutty flavor.

How to make whole wheat pancakes?

  1. Start with mixing the dry ingredients in one mixing bowl.
  2. Whisk wet ingredients into a smaller bowl, then add them to the dry ingredients. Useful tip: start with whisking eggs and milk together, and then add slightly cooled melted butter. This prevents a high contrast of temperature between the eggs and the melted butter, which could “cook” the egg when in contact.
  3. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat, then pour about two to three Tablespoons of the batter for each pancake. When the surface of starts making bubbles, flip the pancakes over and cook on the other side.

How to cook pancakes perfectly?

  • Do NOT overmix the batter. When you add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stir until just combined, not more. This will guarantee fluffier pancakes. When overmixing, the gluten in the flour can form elastic gluten strands, resulting in a more dense, chewy texture.
  • Bring the eggs at room temperature before using.
  • Let the batter rest for a few minutes before cooking the pancakes.
  • Use a nonstick pan (or better, an electric griddle if possible).
  • Cook on low-medium heat, and make sure you have even heat while cooking the pancakes. Fluffier pancakes are the result of slow cooking.
  • Lightly grease your pan with vegetable oil, or nonstick spray between each pancakes.
  • The perfect flip! In order to flip the pancake perfectly, don’t rush your pancakes. You’ll know they’re ready when bubbles start to form and pop on the top (the uncooked side). To get a perfect flip without batter sliding around, be sure to purposefully shove your spatula all the way underneath and turn them over in a quick, confident move.

Can you freeze these pancakes?

Absolutely! I recommend freezing them in two steps: freeze them separately onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then place individually frozen pancakes into a ziploc bag. This is the best way to ensure your pancakes won’t stick together. Alternatively, you can stack them and place a sheet of parchment paper between each, then wrap the pancakes stack in foil.

Wake up to a healthy breakfast with these whole wheat pancakes. Prepared with just a handful of simple ingredients, these pancakes are super fluffy, extra thick, and perfectly moist, with a subtle nutty flavor.

Bonus: make them as waffles!

This whole wheat pancake recipe also makes some delicious waffles! Just pour the batter into a greased waffle maker, close the lid and cook until waffles are golden-brown. Delicious!

Best toppings for these pancakes:

Obviously you can serve any pancakes with sliced bananas, berries, any kind of nuts or seeds. To make the recipe extra delicious, carefully fold in fresh blueberries to the batter or add some mini chocolate chips! I love an extra dollop of yogurt or almond butter on top, and of course a generous drizzle of maple syrup. Simple, delicious, just perfect!

Wake up to a healthy breakfast with these whole wheat pancakes. Prepared with just a handful of simple ingredients, these pancakes are super fluffy, extra thick, and perfectly moist, with a subtle nutty flavor.

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Whole Wheat Pancakes

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Wake up to a healthy breakfast with these whole wheat pancakes. Prepared with just a handful of simple ingredients, these pancakes are super fluffy, extra thick, and perfectly moist, with a subtle nutty flavor.
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  • Author: Delphine Fortin
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 12 pancakes 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Wake up to a healthy breakfast with these whole wheat pancakes. Prepared with just a handful of simple ingredients, these pancakes are super fluffy, extra thick, and perfectly moist, with a subtle nutty flavor. 

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (260g) whole wheat flour
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ⅓ cup (85g) melted unsalted butter or vegetable oil
  • 1 ¾ cup (420ml) buttermilk*
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together in a large bowl.
  2. Whisk the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl until combined. Pour into dry ingredients and whisk until combined and no large lumps remain. Do not over mix. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes on the counter before using (not mandatory but recommended).
  3. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat, and coat generously with vegetable oil. For each pancake, spoon 2 or 3 Tablespoons of batter onto skillet. Cook until the surface of pancakes have some bubbles, about 1 minute. Flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until set on the underside. Top with berries, maple syrup, and enjoy!

Notes

* To make your own buttermilk, measure one Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and cover with milk until you reach 1 ¾ cup. Let sit for 5 minutes, stir, and it’s ready to use. Alternatively, you can use milk or yogurt instead of buttermilk.

Back-To-School, Eggs, Mardi Gras, Pancakes & Waffles, Year Round

Did you make this recipe?

Lastly, if you make this Whole Wheat Pancakes, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!

Wake up to a healthy breakfast with these whole wheat pancakes. Prepared with just a handful of simple ingredients, these pancakes are super fluffy, extra thick, and perfectly moist, with a subtle nutty flavor.