First thing in the morning, grab a big bowl and toss in the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Give it a good whisk or even sift it if you’re feeling fancy. I always say this part feels like I’m making a little floury cloud, and honestly, it’s kinda fun.
Now let’s make our buttermilk. Don’t panic, it’s super easy! Just mix your plant milk and lemon juice in a cup and let it sit for about 5 to 10 minutes until it looks a little curdled. I know, curdled sounds gross, but trust me, this is where the pancake magic begins.
While the buttermilk is chilling, mix your flax egg. Stir the flaxseed and water together in a small bowl and just let it hang out for about 5 minutes until it thickens up a bit. I always feel like I’m doing some secret kitchen science here.
Time to bring the wet ingredients together! Pour the buttermilk into a new bowl, add the alcohol-free vanilla extract, flax egg, and melted vegan butter. Please don’t explode your butter in the microwave like I almost did. Keep the power low and go slow. Whisk it all up until it’s smooth and ready to party.
Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and stir until it’s just combined. Seriously, don’t go wild here. Overmixing makes sad, chewy pancakes, and we’re all about that fluffy life. Leave some little lumps; that’s totally fine. Those lumps are like little golden tickets to perfect pancakes.
Turn on your stove to low heat and pop a non-stick pan or griddle on there. Add a little vegan butter or oil to the pan. Even if you’ve got a fancy non-stick pan, a bit of grease makes everything happier. Trust me on this one.
Scoop about 1/3 cup of batter into the pan for small pancakes. If you’re feeling bold, go for 1/2 cup for big ones. Let it cook until the bottom turns a nice golden color. Forget about waiting for bubbles on top. This vegan mix is a bit sneaky and won’t give you those obvious bubbles, so you gotta trust your gut and check the bottom.
Here comes the scary part. Time to flip! Be gentle. Don’t do that chef-y pancake toss thing unless you want to wear your breakfast. Carefully turn it over and cook the other side until it’s golden and cooked through. It’s totally fine to sneak a peek under the pancake to check. I do it all the time.
Keep going with the rest of the batter, adding a tiny bit more butter or oil to the pan when needed. And please, don’t wander off. These pancakes go from golden to burnt faster than my patience on a Monday morning.
