I know–light and fluffy aren’t two words you’d typically think of to describe Whole Wheat Pancakes, which have a reputation for being dense and chewy.
Light and fluffy is, however, the perfect way to describe this Whole Wheat Pancakes Recipe.
This recipe was originally published over ten years ago. I shared this recipe the very first week I started blogging! It’s hard to believe sometimes that it has already been that long.
Pancakes are my middle son Ben’s most frequent request for breakfast. While we typically eat a hot breakfast most days, we try to limit the sweet ones to once or twice a month. These pancakes never fail to make his day.
Whole Wheat Pancakes
I’ve made endless different recipes for pancakes over the years. Some have been good while others left something to be desired.
If I’m going to make pancakes for breakfast, you can be sure I want them to be nothing short of excellent. I also want whatever breakfast I make to provide my family with the energy they need to start their day.
There’s nothing wrong with eating good old traditional pancakes or buttermilk pancakes. And these Banana Pancakes are filled with coconut and pecan, making them truly irresistible.
However, I’ve often thought it would be nice to figure out a way to make this classic breakfast food a little more nutritious without sacrificing the taste.
As an added benefit, Whole Wheat Pancakes have more fiber than their white flour counterparts which makes them more filling too.
Wheat Pancakes
I first made this recipe with all-purpose flour and we all enjoyed it. After making it a few times, I realized that this pancake recipe could be great with all kinds of versions of flour.
A while back, when we were grinding our own wheat (yes, that was quite a while back), I used half whole wheat flour, all whole wheat flour, hard white wheat, soft white wheat; basically, I used whatever I have on hand in the freezer.
Now, I am more likely to make these with store-bought whole wheat flour or plain all-purpose flour when I don’t have whole wheat flour on hand.
The pancakes made from this recipe do not taste like any other whole wheat pancakes I have made.
While I’ve made some good whole wheat pancakes, they’ve never before turned out as fluffy as I prefer. These pancakes come out perfectly every time. We love them!
The biggest difference I’ve found with whole wheat pancakes is that we don’t eat nearly as many of them as we used to eat traditional all-purpose flour pancakes because they’re so much more filling.
If you make pancakes often, nothing beats a great electric griddle for streamlining the cooking process. A few years ago, when my 15-year-old griddle finally died, I tested every single griddle I could get my hands on.
When I finally tried this extra large electric griddle, I knew I’d found THE ONE. It’s a little on the spendy side, but I am telling you now, it beats all the others hands-down.
This nylon flexible turner is a pancake-making must-have, as is a dough whisk. If you aren’t familiar with the awesomeness that is a dough whisk for pancakes and waffles, you are missing out. It’s a crazy-looking tool, but it stirs the batter just enough without overmixing it.
I’ve tried pretty much all of the nifty pancake-pouring gadgets out there, and I stand by a good old measuring cup as the easiest way to make pancakes. I use the ¼ or ⅓ cup sizes for most pancake making – this set that I use every day will allow you to improvise for all kinds of sizes.
Whole Wheat Pancakes Recipe
I guarantee you that this is the only Wheat Pancake Recipe you’ll ever need! They are absolutely delicious.
This batter is also a fantastic canvas for mixing in all kinds of tasty additions. To make these into blueberry whole wheat pancakes, drop a few fresh blueberries onto each pancake as it cooks on the griddle.
Chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts would be another delicious addition to this batter.
We usually make and eat them just as written here, served with plenty of our favorite pancake toppings.
If you’re looking for a gluten free option, these Light and Fluffy Gluten Free Pancakes always get rave reviews. These 2 Ingredient Cream Cheese Pancakes remain a long-time favorite with my oldest son.
Pancake Toppings
These light and fluffy pancakes are so good they deserve only the best pancake toppings!
Many times I serve these, we enjoy them with a simple classic combo of butter and pure maple syrup. Cutting into a stack of fluffy pancakes with the side of a fork and letting the maple syrup soak into the pancake is my idea of a heavenly breakfast.
Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes
- Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. Combine wet ingredients and then add dry ingredients, whisking until fully combined.
- Pour onto hot griddle and flip when lightly browned on the bottom. I like to keep the finished pancakes warm in a basket lined with a tea towel until we are ready to eat.
- Serve with plenty of butter and maple syrup, or with fruit and whipped cream, or with peanut butter and maple syrup, or with peanut butter and jelly as a sandwich. The possibilities abound.
Can You Freeze Pancakes?
Yes! Pancakes are the ultimate breakfast freezer meal. Let the pancakes cool completely, before storing them in an airtight ziploc bag.
Reheat the frozen pancakes in the microwave. I frequently triple this recipe for my family, so that we’ll have plenty in the freezer for easy breakfasts.
I serve the butter and syrup on the side so everyone can drizzle on their desired amount. When it comes to syrup, there’s no substitute for maple but there are a few other syrups that we love just as much on pancakes!
Have you tried Buttermilk Syrup? I first encountered it served over waffles at a restaurant and was so impressed that I rushed home to recreate it. It’s a rich and caramel-y alternative to the usual maple-flavored syrups and tastes phenomenal on whole wheat pancakes.
My boys and I also really enjoy this homemade Brown Sugar Butter Syrup on our pancakes. It’s easy to make and brings a slight toffee-like flavor to the pancakes.
And I can’t forget to mention my Grandma’s Waffle Sauce. I learned the recipe for this creamy, buttery, perfect sauce from my grandmother and it’s never felt to impress. Sweet with notes of vanilla and nutmeg, it’s just as tasty on pancakes as it is on waffles.
Blueberry Syrup and this tangy Lemon Sauce would also be a welcome sight at my breakfast table on pancake days.
Fluffy, buttery, nutty, pecan pancakes topped with maple syrup make for a tasty and easy breakfast we all enjoy.
Naturally sweet and bursting with blueberry freshness, banana blueberry pancakes are a weekday breakfast must in our home.
Plenty of times, I’ve served these pancakes with fresh fruit and whipped cream or slathered with peanut butter and jelly. However, I serve them, they’re a hit.
Light Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 egg
- 1 cup, plus 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp butter melted and cooled
Instructions
- Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. Combine wet ingredients and then add dry ingredients, whisking until fully combined.
- Pour onto hot griddle and flip when lightly browned on the bottom. I like to keep the finished pancakes warm in a basket lined with a tea towel, until we are ready to eat.
- Serve with plenty of butter and maple syrup, or with fruit and whipped cream, or with peanut butter and maple syrup, or with peanut butter and jelly as a sandwich. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
{originally published 5/17/11 – recipe notes and photos updated 10/13/21}
Bola A. says
This recipe is perfect! My hubby loves it! I’ve bookmarked it on my phone. Will definitely be my go to whole-wheat pancake recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Lisa McClanahan says
Thank you for this recipe!
I did a few things I read about to make the pancakes more fluffy. 1.Separating the egg to whip the egg white for 3 minutes before adding it to the milk.
2. Being careful not to overmix the batter. 3. cooling the melted butter as the recipe says. All 3 things made the pancakes a happy success! Next time I’ll be doubling the recipe. I’ll experiment with less salt and adding honey to the liquid ingredients to replace the white sugar.
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you like the pancakes, Lisa!
Disappointed Pancake lover says
They said this makes 12 medium pancakes. I got like 5 4.5” ones. :-/
Mary Younkin says
5 pancakes? That seems really low. Did you substitute any ingredients? I typically get 10-12, 4″ pancakes.
Liv says
I subbed the milk for almond milk and the butter for plant butter to have dairy free pancakes and I only got 5 or 6 as well. I did really like this recipe though so next time I guess I’ll just double it to get 10.
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you like the pancakes, Liv.
Tabitha says
Loved this recipe. Being diabetic, I substituted the sugar for apriva and splash of vanilla. And I used Bobs red mill whole wheat pastry flour. These turned out fantastic!! The best whole wheat pancakes I have ever had!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so happy to hear that they were a hit, Tabitha!
Leah B says
These pancakes are absolutely delicious! They gave me that diner feeling which I love. I substituted Splenda for the sugar, Creamy oat milk for milk and added a splash of vanilla.
Mary Younkin says
Sounds perfect, Leah.
Alexis T. says
Absolutely delicious! I Don’t know why there was complaints on how many pancakes you get out of this recipe.I got 12 pancakes from it and I used a 1/4 measuring cup to batcher out the mixture. Also, this recipe even came out delicious even with me substituting some ingredients. I replaced the milk with almond milk, the butter with plant based butter, and the sugar with honey , and I added fresh blueberries and banana to the mixture and the recipe still came out fluffy and delicious. I look foward to trying more of your recipes.
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you’re enjoying the pancakes!
A.Thomas says
If I wanted to add oats to this recipe , how much would I add? Would the measurements be different for the flour listed above?
Mary Younkin says
I haven’t tried making these pancakes with oats.
Lyn B. says
This recipe is super easy, versatile, and they turn out really fluffy!! highly recommend making 🙂
Mary Younkin says
I’m thrilled that you like the pancakes, Lyn.
Salma says
This is my go-to WW pancakes and my family’s favorite, I made it many times! I tried it with melted butter and coconut oil and it always turns fluffy and delicious! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad to hear that you’re enjoying the pancakes!
Ellen warshofsky says
I would like to try these! They look great. I just started grinding my own grain. Can you advise me : would half hard white and half soft white be good? Or do you recommend something else?
Thank you!
Mary Younkin says
I’m guessing half and half would work nicely. I typically just used hard white, but half and half should be fine.
Nat says
These pancakes are so delicious. I used oat milk and added more for a smoother consistency and loved them.
Mary Younkin says
I am happy to hear you enjoyed them, Nat.
Maz says
These whole wheat pancakes are the best. I added cinammon. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Mary Younkin says
That sounds delicious, Maz.
Donna Calhoun says
As a diabetic on insulin I made these pancakes so I would be able to still enjoy them and not miss out. They were absolutely delicious with regular butter or pumpkin cinnamon butter! They also froze very well. I’m interested to know how to keep them a lighter color and not cooking so dark. Is it because the butter Browns quickly or is there a certain oil you use to do it?
Mary Younkin says
Is your griddle to hot perhaps? I have not had an issue with them being too dark.
Kristi says
My Hubby has dietary restrictions so I omitted salt and added a dash of vanilla. This is the best pancake recipe we’ve found! Thank you so much!
Mary Younkin says
You are most welcome! I am so happy you found a recipe that will work for you.
Stacie says
Just ate these for dinner topped with yogurt and walnuts with a side of sausage and apples. I have made them sooooo many times and they always come out great! It is my go to pancake recipe with a few minor adjustments (I leave out the sugar and cut back on the salt/butter)! Best of all they are super quick to make! Thank you!
Mary Younkin says
Breakfast for dinner, perfect. I love that you found adjustments that work for you, Stacie.
Kate says
it was ok…pancakes were very thick :/
Scott says
Made your whole wheat pancakes, added some Cinnamon and cloves and vanilla. Turned out great. Fluffy and tasty. Thank you
Mary Younkin says
Thank you, Scott. I am delighted you enjoyed them.
Gigi says
I followed the recipe exactly. Nope. Dough too thick, not moist enough, and it did not make 12 pancakes – it made 3. They were about an inch thick, 5-6 inches wide. Taste was pretty bland.
Mary Younkin says
I can’t even fathom what happened here. It sounds like there was a missing liquid ingredient, Gigi.
Maya says
I don’t usually rate, but YUM!!!
My family LOVED this recipe!! Added a splash of vanilla and paired with fresh berries! 😋
Mary Younkin says
Sounds like a wonderful breakfast, Maya.
Chris says
Not sure why my batter keeps turning out so thick. I need more liquid. I’ve had simpler recipes turn out better. Cooled melted butter? Nah
Mary Younkin says
Without being, there as you are making this I am not sure what you might be missing, Chris.
Cindy says
These are delicious! Would I need to add some baking soda if I used buttermilk for the recipe?
Mary Younkin says
You can if you prefer, Cindy.