Whole Wheat Pancakes
Whole wheat flour and buttermilk make these pancakes hearty and lightly nutty without weighing them down. Mix the batter gently, give it a short rest, and cook it to tender golden rounds for butter and maple syrup.

Recipe link
Prep time10 min
Cook time10 min
Total time25 MINUTES
- Course
- Breakfast
- Cuisine
- American
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Est. calories / serving
- 238
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (about 5 ounces by weight)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted, slightly cooled)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- butter or ghee (for griddling)
Instructions
Instructions
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.1 cup whole wheat flour, 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp sea salt
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla if using.1 cup buttermilk, 1 egg, 2 tbsp melted butter, 1 tsp vanilla
- Make the Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. The batter should be thick and a little lumpy.wet ingredients, dry ingredients
- Rest the Batter: Let the batter rest for 5–10 minutes while the griddle heats. If the batter becomes too thick to scoop, loosen it with 1–2 tablespoons of buttermilk.prepared batter, extra buttermilk if needed
- Heat the Griddle: Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Grease lightly with butter.butter
- Cook the Pancakes: Scoop about ⅓ cup batter per pancake onto the griddle. Cook for 2–3 minutes, until bubbles form on the surface and the edges begin to set.prepared batter
- Flip and Finish: Flip the pancakes and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.whole wheat pancakes
- Serve: Serve warm with butter and maple syrup.
Notes
- Do Not Overmix: Stir only until the flour disappears. A few lumps are better than tough pancakes.
- Rest the Batter: Whole wheat flour needs a few minutes to hydrate. The short rest makes the pancakes more tender.
- Batter Texture: Whole wheat pancake batter should be thicker than standard pancake batter but still scoopable.
- Cook Over Medium Heat: Whole wheat pancakes can brown quickly, so avoid high heat.
- Serving Suggestions: Use as the base for Banana Cream Pancakes, serve with Whipped Cinnamon Butter, Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce, Chocolate Drizzle, berries, bananas, or maple syrup.
Nutrition (Approximate Per Serving)
Yield
8 pancakes — Serving size: 2 pancakes
- Calories
- 238
- Carbohydrates
- 34 g
- Protein
- 8 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 74 mg
- Sodium
- 372 mg
- Potassium
- 265 mg
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Total Sugars
- 6 g
- Vitamin A
- 310 IU
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Calcium
- 168 mg
- Iron
- 2 mg
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Griddle or large nonstick skillet
- Spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Ladle or ⅓ cup scoop