These healthy vegan lemon poppy seed pancakes are a little tart, with a lovely texture from the poppy seeds throughout. They’re wholesome, sugar-free, oil-free, nut-free, and gluten-free, too!
This post was originally published in August 2019. It has been updated for content and photos.
We love pancakes in this house and make them on a weekly rotation, so I’m always looking for new, fun, and exciting ways to do pancake stacks!
This version is incredibly wholesome, like our lentil banana pancakes, blueberry pancakes, and pumpkin pancakes! (See ALL the vegan pancake recipes here.)
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ These pancakes were delicious and surprisingly filling! They also make yummy leftovers. My 4 year old loved them too and said they tasted like cookies. – Meg
Ingredients
All you need is 7 ingredients to make these delicious vegan lemon poppy seed pancakes.
- Oat flour: Choose gluten-free if needed, and if you don’t have any on hand, you can grind oats in a high-speed blender to make some. 😉
- Poppyseeds: They add incredible texture to these pancakes.
- Baking powder: Our rising agent, so make sure to use fresh and active baking powder. (Baking powder that has been opened and sitting in the pantry for several months can start to lose its effectiveness.)
- Flaxseed: Acts as a binder when combined with the liquids, and adds extra protein and nutrients to these wholesome pancakes.
- Lemon: Use a freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavour. Make sure to zest the lemon BEFORE juicing it.
- Vanilla: For added flavour, but you may skip it if preferred.
- Soy milk: Soy milk makes the best vegan buttermilk when combined with lemon juice and zest, but if you cannot have soy, almond milk is the next best dairy-free choice.
Instructions
(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Add the soy milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to thicken and curdle. (photo 1)
Then add all the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. (photo 2)
Now add your curdled milk plus the vanilla to the same bowl and mix until no floury bits remain. Set aside for 5 minutes. (photo 3)
While the mixture is resting, preheat your griddle and then spoon the batter on your griddle and cook 3-4 minutes on each side. (photo 4)
Serve your lemon poppy seed pancakes with the toppings of your choice.
I love fresh berries and maple syrup for these, but you may also try shredded coconut, powdered sugar, homemade Nutella, or coconut cream.
For the ultimate breakfast or brunch, serve up a stack of these with air-fried hash browns, or tofu (no-eggs) scramble, or top them with “baked” apples.
Equipment
I use this Cuisinart Griddler and get great results every time. You can make 8 pancakes at once, and get these pancakes done in just 2 batches. Make sure to preheat before pouring the batter on top. If the griddle is cold, the batter will stick.
If using a non-stick pan or skillet, make sure to preheat it as well, and be prepared to work in additional batches.
Storage
These pancakes taste best when freshly made. However, you may refrigerate leftovers for 2-3 days and reheat them in a pan, toaster, or toaster oven when ready to serve.
You may also freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months. Or use zip-top freezer bags. Make sure the pancakes are completely cooled to room temperature before freezing.
Expert Tips
- Use fresh, active baking powder. Baking powder that has been opened and sitting in the pantry for several months can start to lose its effectiveness.
- No need to overmix your pancake batter. If there are a few lumps, that’s perfectly fine. Just mix until combined and no floury bits remain.
- Preheat your pan or griddle. It should be hot before pouring your pancake batter to prevent sticking and for even cooking.
- Use medium heat to cook your pancakes. Although your pan should be hot, that doesn’t mean you should use high heat. This may result in uneven cooking, with crisp outsides and mushy middles.
- Flip your pancakes ONCE. When the edges are golden brown and they’ve cooked for at least 3-4 minutes flip them. Flipping too often can cause them to deflate and result in a denser pancake texture.
- The batter will thicken as it sits, so if it gets too thick in between cooking batches of pancakes, add 1-2 tablespoons of plant milk to the bowl.
More delicious vegan pancake recipes
Or check out ALL the vegan pancake recipes!
If you tried this recipe, please let me know in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don’t forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube to see more delicious food.
Buon appetito
Rosa
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1.5 cups soy milk
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice from approx. 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest from approx. 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 180 grams oat flour approx. 2 cups
- 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
Optional Toppings
- maple syrup
- fresh berries
Instructions
- Add the soy milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to let it thicken and curdle.
- In a large mixing bowl add all the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Then add the curdled/thickened milk and the vanilla and mix until combined. Set the pancake batter aside for 5 minutes while you preheat your nonstick griddle.
- Ladle the batter on your griddle to make your pancakes approx. 4 inches in diameter, gently spreading them as you pour.
- Cook the pancakes for 4-5 minutes, then flip them and cook another 3-4 minutes longer until the edges are golden. Serve with toppings of your choice and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ
A common substitute is a chia or flax egg, but applesauce is another popular choice.
Many pancake recipes contain dairy milk and/or eggs. So to make them vegan, you will need to substitute those ingredients.
Not always! Just because it’s vegan, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy. However, these vegan lemon poppyseed pancakes ARE wholesome and sugar-free, and YES they are healthy.
Kim
Just made these for breakfast, so, so good. Thank you for another delicious recipe. 🙂 Kim W.
Rosa
My pleasure Kim! Thanks so much for the review. 🙂
Meg
These pancakes were delicious and surprisingly filling! They also make yummy leftovers. My 4 year old loved them too and said they tasted like cookies.
rosa
Thanks so much for your feedback Meg. It’s always a win when your kiddos love a recipe! 🙂
Nick
These were delicious!
rosa
Glad you liked them 😘