Paleo vegan pancakes that are grain-free, dairy-free, and made with almond flour. This healthy gluten-free pancake recipe is made easily in your blender and results in fluffy, moist pancakes.
If you’ve been a long-time follower, it’s no mystery that my Almond Flour Pancakes have been one of my most popular recipes of all time.
Because many of you have an egg allergy or follow a vegan lifestyle, I thought it only appropriate to re-make my classic almond flour pancakes into a vegan version.
The swap for eggs couldn’t be any easier – I simply whip up two “flax eggs” using ground flax seed and water as a replacement.
Serve these beauties up with a dollop of vegan “butter” spread and pure maple syrup (or regular butter if you can do dairy), and dive into the fluffiest, moistest egg-free pancakes that ever did exist!
How To Make Paleo Vegan Pancakes:
Begin by preparing the flax “eggs.” To do so, stir together 2 tablespoons ground flax seed with 6 tablespoons of water in a bowl. Allow this mixture to sit for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it thickens to the consistency of a beaten egg.
Note: I like to stir the flax mixture every few minutes to make sure it has a uniform consistency and doesn’t clump up.
Add in the coconut milk and vanilla extract and whisk until well-combined. Add in the remaining (dry) ingredients and stir well until a thick pancake batter forms.
Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle to medium-low heat and add just enough coconut oil or avocado oil to coat the surface.
Measure out ¼ cup of pancake batter and pour it onto the hot surface. Note: the batter will be very thick, so use your finger to form a circular pancake shape in the batter, as it will not spread on its own.
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sides of the pancake firm up and the center appears to be set up as well. Carefully flip and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
Flip a third time and continue cooking and flipping 1 to 5 minutes, until the pancake is cooked through in the center.
Serve pancakes with choice of toppings, and enjoy!
Cooking Notes:
These pancakes are slightly more difficult to flip than regular pancakes, and they do take a big longer to cook.
Go into making the recipe with the expectation that you will need to exercise some patience throughout the cooking process.
There will be no air bubbles rising to the top the way you get with regular pancakes.
You’ll know it’s time to flip them when the sides begin to firm up and the center of the pancakes are a little firmer as well. When you flip, do so slowly and carefully, or else the pancakes will break apart.
Do not omit the tapioca flour – it is crucial in holding the pancakes together.
You can replace it with arrowroot flour, but either one is a key ingredient to the recipe. The pancakes will not turn out well without tapioca or arrowroot.
Are Vegan Pancakes Fluffy?
YES! These pancakes turn out delightfully fluffy. They also turn out super moist and buttery in flavor. Just be sure you give them enough time on the stove top so that they cook through and don’t turn out “raw” in the center.
Remember: grain-free, egg-free pancakes will always require more cook time than pancakes made with eggs and all-purpose flour.
How to Store Leftover Pancakes:
Store any leftovers in a zip lock bag or a tupperware container in the refrigerator or freezer.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Replace coconut milk with unsweetened almond milk. Note the pancakes will not be quite as fluffy if you do so.
- Substitute hazelnut flour for the almond flour.
- Use arrowroot flour instead of tapioca flour. Remember: do not omit the tapioca flour (or arrowroot) or the pancakes will not hold together.
- If you eat eggs, follow my recipe for Paleo Almond Flour Pancakes
More Vegan Pancake Recipes:
- Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes
- Vegan Sweet Potato Pancakes
- Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes
- Vegan Poppy Seed Pancakes with Caramelized Figs
Whip up a stack of fluffy egg-free pancakes!.
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!
If you make these Paleo Vegan Pancakes, please feel free to share a photo and tag me at @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!
Paleo Vegan Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp ground flax seed
- 6 Tbsp water
- 1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 2 cups Super Fine Almond Flour
- 2 Tbsp tapioca flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch sea salt
Optional Add-Ins:
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Stir together the ground flax seed and water in a bowl. Allow this mixture to sit for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it thickens to the consistency of a beaten egg. Note: I like to stir the flax mixture every few minutes to make sure it has a uniform consistency and doesn’t clump up.
- Add in the coconut milk and vanilla extract and whisk until well-combined. Add in the remaining (dry) ingredients and stir well until a thick pancake batter forms.
- Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle to medium-low heat and add just enough coconut oil or avocado oil to coat the surface.
- Measure out ¼ cup of pancake batter and transfer it to the hot surface. Note: the batter will be very thick, so use your finger to form a circular pancake shape in the batter, as it will not spread on its own.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sides of the pancake firm up and the center appears to be set up as well. Carefully flip and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Flip a third time, and continue cooking another 1 to 3 minutes, until the pancakes are fully cooked through the center. Note: If the pancakes are still "raw" in the center after a 4th flip, finish them off in the microwave for 10 to 30 seconds.
- Serve pancakes with choice of toppings, and enjoy!
Ohh, want to try these! Can’t see the maple in the ingredients list though?
Hi Hannah,
My apologies! That was a typo, as I don’t typically add pure maple syrup to my pancake batters, although it wouldn’t be a bad idea!..I fixed the recipe 😀 xo
Or vanilla?
Ok, see vanilla!
You mention maple syrup in the instruction, but it is not listed in the ingredients. How much???
My apologies, Patricia! That was a typo – there’s no pure maple syrup in the pancake batter. Unless of course you want to add a teaspoon or two. 😀
Are the Paleo pancakes low in Carbs?
They are! You can plug the recipe into myfitnesspal to get the exact macros depending on how many pancakes you consume 😀 Hope you enjoy!
I tried this recipe and despite putting butter in my cast iron while heating per usual the pancakes stuck terribly and wouldn’t even flip were just a mess. Any tips? I follow direction only sub was used coconut/cashew milk. Thx
I thought baking powder isn’t paleo because it has corn starch in it.
Traditional baking powders sometimes contain gluten and cornstarch, but there are paleo-friendly baking powders available now that do not. You can replace it with tapioca flour if you react to baking powder 😀
Hi! I have “neat egg”
Can I use that instead of flax seed??
How many “eggs” will I need??
Thank you!
Erica
Hi Erica,
I’ve never used neat eggs, so I can’t be sure about the measurement or how it would work out. For this recipe, you will need the equivalent of two eggs. Hope this helps! xo
I made these following the recipe precisely and for some reason they did not turn out well! The pancake was brown on one side when it was finally “ready” to be flipped, and even then it completely fell apart on the flip. I cooked on medium heat and flipped various pancakes at different times to test if that was the issue. I ended up just planing to eat a somewhat scrambled pancake, but even then the middle of the pancake pieces never firmed up and stayed liquid.
@Emilia, same for me. Didn’t turn out.
When you say it didn’t turn out, what do you mean? Providing more detailed information can help the creator of the recipe (me) assess what happened and provide helpful feedback. In general, the feedback is that the pancakes turn out “raw” in the center or that they are difficult to flip. The ways you can mitigate this (as mentioned clearly in the blog post) are to make small pancakes, use plenty of cooking oil, cook on a lower heat (I use medium to medium-low), and have patience while the pancakes cook because they take several minutes longer to cook than regular pancakes.
The key to the recipe is wanting to make it work (having a growth mindset, if you will), knowing that the pancake batter is not going to be exactly like regular pancake batter made with all-purpose flour (which is very quick and easy relative to grain-free pancakes). If you go into the recipe with the expectation that they should cook just like any pancakes made with wheat flour, you’ll be disappointed. If, however, you recognize that a grain-free egg-free pancake is a miracle in and of itself because grain-free recipes generally require eggs to work out, then you can have the patience to follow the instructions to a T in order to ensure they do turn out. Feel free to follow up with more information or let me know where I have been unclear. xo
Gluten free baking is best done low and slow. To fix the terrible sticking problem I encountered i switched to my best non stick surface, and cooked one at a time. They turned out perfect, no sticking.
I’m thrilled to hear it! Thanks for letting me know, Kimberly 😀
Do they need to have tapioca flour or can I leave that out?
Hi Emma,
I’d suggest using the tapioca flour, as it helps bind the pancakes together. Since there aren’t eggs to help with binding, the tapioca flour is important. Hope you enjoy!
So disappointed in this recipe. Unfortunately I didn’t read the previous reviews about the batter sticking to the pan. I used a non stick pan coated heavily in coconut oil and still ended up with a scrambled mess (a very expensive almond flour scrambled mess!) I definitely don’t recommend wasting you time and ingredients on this recipe. Especially frustrating with two hungry toddlers at your feet!
I followed all the recommendations even from the reviews and they turned out awful. I couldn’t’ flip them, they got too burnt on the outside and barely cooked in the middle. My family tried to muster through since I doubled the recipe and used so much almond flour. But we ended up tossing them.
Saw a few comments about it sticking but this recipe worked for me! Spread thinner, on lower heat, with a bit of oil – more than a simple coat but not a thick pool.
Excited to have found a simple and filling recipe! Thanks 🙂
I’m so happy it worked well for you, Bekah! I think the key is getting the correct temperature on the skillet and having the patience to allow them to cook slowly 😉 Thanks for the sweet feedback! xoxo
This recipe is a keeper! It’s the best vegan gluten free pancake recipe I have found! Thank you and well done! ??
Just looked at all the other comments and wanted you all to know I used a cast iron skillet (not a non-stick pan) with coconut oil and had no sticking at all! I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to cook!
That’s so great! Thanks for letting us know, Judy! xoxo
I hardly ever leave comments, but this recipe did not work for me. The pancakes were edible, but I can’t say I enjoyed them. The batter was super thick and ended up making these dense patties that made a thud when you flipped them. Far from “fluffy pancakes.” The only thing I can think of is that perhaps you absolutely must use “finely ground” almond flour, as mine was just regular. If that is the case, maybe you could emphasize that in the instructions.
Hi Megan,
The exact flour recommendation is listed in the ingredients list. Sorry the pancakes didn’t work out as you expected.
Hey! Just made these and they turned out quite alright. I did use a different coconut milk (without guar gum) For those who’s pancakes may be falling apart – just use more flax mix and be sure the flax mix has sat long enough 15 mins. I think the trick here is the cast iron and it wouldn’t hurt to make that recommendation in your recipe. Also, the pancakes will not turn out like the images, probably, unless you use the exact brands the author is using. But not bad – nice job 🙂
Thanks so much for the tips, Michelle! I’m so happy you like the pancakes 😀 xoxo
Tried the pancakes but was not that happy with it.. it was soggy in between and however slow the heat was, it never cooked in the middle of the pancake. But I guess, I should have skipped the flax eggs and put regular eggs. But that’s okay.. I never regret trying any recipes?
Hi Soujna,
You can follow my Paleo Almond Flour Pancakes recipe if you eat eggs. I think you’ll like that recipe better. xo
So I modified this recipe just a little bit with one important addition. I didn’t have canned full fat coconut milk so I used half canned coconut cream and half coconut milk that I had in the fridge. When the batter was done it was way too thick so I added 3/4 of a cup of water and then the batter was workable. I spread the pancakes out nice and thin on my nonstick copper griddle. They were about 3 to 4 inches in diameter. The first flip is a little bit tricky so I used two spatulas instead of one. The second flip is much easier. I cook them at about 200° for about 10 minutes on each side nice and slow. They came out amazing! I finished with a little more coconut cream on top with some organic maple syrup. Thanks for the post, I would consider adding some water to the recipe.
Love this, Chris! Thanks so much for sharing your adaptations and method! I’m happy they worked out so well for you! xoxoxo
Just wanted to say that I was a little scared to make these after reading reviews, but if you keep the heat VERY low and do them VERY slowly, you’ll have no problems with sticking! They were yummy! Thank you for the great recipe!
Thanks so much for the feedback, Julie! I tried to make that clear in the post, and it sounds like you nailed the preparation! Happy to hear you like the pancakes xoxoxo
I rarely comment on recipes. I’ve tried making them twice. Are the pancakes pictured the ones from the recipe? Because they look nothing like the finished product I made. They aren’t fluffy, and are hard to manage. Granted these are paleo and vegan, so I know it’s difficult to make them pancake-like. I appreciate the recipe however these are difficult to flip and definitely NOT fluffy.
Hi Ally,
Yes, the pancakes pictured are the exact pancakes from the recipe – I’m not trying to pull a fast one on ya. The key to these pancakes is cooking them slow and over medium-low to low heat. Are you using a good non-stick pan? That will make a difference too.
Used a cast iron and cooked them low and slow. Turned out great. All my kids ate them. I did add a little water to smooth out the batter. Will make again!
I’m so thrilled you like them, Megan! Also impressed at your skill with a cast iron skillet – I bet mine would turn into a scramble if I tried in cast iron, lol 😀 xoxoxo
Hi! So happy I found this recipe! But unsure whether it should be 2 teaspoons of flaxseed flour instead of two tablespoons? When I stir with water it clumps together very quickly…
Hi Frida! I’ve actually never used flaxseed flour, only ground flaxseed. Does it have instructions on the packaging for how to make one flax egg?
Just a tip- I don’t think these work very well with almond flour that isn’t superfine. If you have the chunkier bobs red mill almond flour, or the Whole Foods 365 it just keeps the waffle grainy and doesn’t cook as well. Definitely doesn’t make a ‘fluffy’ waffle. There is hope for this one but I think that is key!
I agree! The consistency of the almond flour does make a difference. Thanks for sharing, Gina!
I love these pancakes! I tried them while I was on an elimination diet and have never gone back to traditional wheat pancakes. I use coconut milk instead of almond, but all other ingredients are the same. I also use coconut oil to cook them and make sure there is plenty on my non-stick griddle. They come out perfectly every time.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Katy! This is so helpful to others who want to try the recipe 🙂 I’m happy to hear you enjoy the pancakes! xoxo
@Julia,
I also did this recipe- but used these ingredients too( adding in a banana for thickness and pumpkin seed powder protein), and way less almond flour and it came out perfect. **Tapioca flour and flax are important for baking without eggs! Thank you what a great grain free, vegan alternative! ☺️
I’m so thrilled to hear you enjoy the pancakes, Nicole! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback 🙂
has anyone used chia seeds instead of flax? i’m not sure if the consistency is the same or maybe i did something wrong lol