Name: Fluffy Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8 pancakes (4 servings)
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 300 ml soy milk; 15 ml apple cider vinegar; 240 g all-purpose flour; 30 g granulated sugar; 10 g baking powder; 3 g baking soda; 3 g fine sea salt; 40 ml neutral vegetable oil; 5 ml vanilla extract

Equipment

liquid measuring cup

or small mixing bowl

large mixing bowl

whisk

or fork

silicone spatula

or wooden spoon

non-stick skillet

or cast-iron skillet or electric griddle

pancake turner

or thin wide spatula

wire cooling rack

or paper towel lined plate

Ingredients

4 servings

vegan buttermilk

300 ml soy milk, room temperature
15 ml apple cider vinegar, liquid

dry ingredients

240 g all-purpose flour
30 g granulated sugar
10 g baking powder
3 g baking soda
3 g fine sea salt

wet additions and cooking fat

40 ml neutral vegetable oil
5 ml vanilla extract

Nutrition (per serving)

Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.

359

Calories

Protein

55g

Carbohydrates

11g

Fat

Fiber

Sugar

Full nutrition

Calories: 359 kcal
Protein: 8 g
Carbohydrates: 55 g
Fat: 11 g
Fiber: 2 g
Sugar: 8 g
Water: 79 g

Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central

Method

Pour 300 ml of soy milk into a liquid measuring cup, add 15 ml of apple cider vinegar, and stir briefly. Allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes until curdled and thickened.

5mLook for: Liquid looks slightly clabbered with tiny curd specks forming along the sides.

Combine 240 g of all-purpose flour, 30 g of granulated sugar, 10 g of baking powder, 3 g of baking soda, and 3 g of fine sea salt in a large mixing bowl, whisking for 30 seconds to distribute the leaveners evenly.

0mLook for: Dry mixture is completely uniform with no visible pockets of leavening agents.

Add 30 ml of neutral vegetable oil and 5 ml of vanilla extract directly into the curdled milk mixture in the liquid measuring cup, whisking lightly until homogenous.

Pour the wet curdled mixture into the dry flour mixture in the large mixing bowl. Using a silicone spatula, fold the ingredients together gently until just combined.

1mLook for: Dry flour streaks disappear, but small flour lumps remain visible throughout the batter.Feel: Batter feels airy, thick, and pourable rather than smooth or elastic.

Let the batter rest undisturbed in the large mixing bowl for 5 minutes to allow the acid and leavening agents to produce lift.

5mLook for: Surface of batter becomes visibly bubbly and slightly aerated.

Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat to 175°C (350°F). Brush the surface lightly with 5 ml of neutral vegetable oil.

3mLook for: A flick of water evaporates quickly with a faint sizzle without smoking.

Scoop 75 ml portions of batter onto the preheated skillet. Cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes over medium-low heat.

3mLook for: Bubbles rise to the surface and burst, leaving open holes, while perimeter edges look set and matte.Feel: Edges feel firm enough to slide a pancake turner cleanly underneath.

Slide the pancake turner under each pancake and flip cleanly in one movement. Cook the second side for 1 to 2 minutes.

2mLook for: Both sides are evenly golden brown.Feel: Center springs back gently when pressed with the fingertip.

Transfer the cooked pancakes to a wire cooling rack so that steam escapes without making the bottoms soggy. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter and oil, then plate and serve immediately.

Chef's Notes

Soy milk curdles into a thick, creamy buttermilk replacement superior to most nut milks because of its high concentration of intact legume proteins.
Do not smooth out batter lumps; small lumps dissolve gently during cooking and guarantee a delicate, tender texture.
Resting the batter for exactly 5 minutes allows carbon dioxide gas bubbles to form and uniformly expand the starch network.
Elevating finished pancakes on a wire rack keeps condensation from softening the delicate exterior crust before plating.

Storage

Refrigerator: 4 days — Store stacked between parchment paper squares in an airtight container.

Freezer: 2 months — Flash freeze in a single layer on parchment before transferring to a sealed freezer bag.

Reheating: Reheat frozen or refrigerated pancakes in a toaster until crisp, or on a baking sheet in an oven at 175°C (350°F) until an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F) is reached.

Troubleshooting

Pancakes turn out rubbery or dense

Cause: The batter was stirred too vigorously, overdeveloping the gluten proteins in the flour

Fix: Cannot be fixed for this batch; discard heavy stirring and fold gently on future attempts

Prevention: Fold the wet and dry ingredients gently with a silicone spatula only until flour streaks disappear

Pancake exterior browns too fast while center remains wet and doughy

Cause: The skillet temperature is set too high, scorching the surface before heat reaches the center

Fix: Reduce pan heat immediately and transfer undercooked pancakes to an oven preheated to 175°C (350°F) for 3 to 4 minutes to finish cooking the centers

Prevention: Keep heat at medium-low around 175°C (350°F) to ensure even thermal transfer

Pancakes fail to rise and remain flat

Cause: Baking powder or baking soda is expired, or batter was left sitting too long before cooking

Fix: Cannot be fixed once poured; test leavening freshness before next batch

Prevention: Test leaveners in warm water before baking and cook batter immediately after the 5-minute rest period

Cultural Context

American buttermilk pancakes evolved from early European griddle cakes and became an enduring fixture of diner culture across North America during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Plant-based adaptations replace dairy buttermilk with an acid-curdled non-dairy emulsion, creating identical acidity and chemical leavening reactions to yield the signature tall, pillowy diner-style pancake.