When I set out to make these doughnuts, I was simply attempting to make the very best vegan pancake that I could, but it turns out that these pancakes are not just truly delicious vegan pancakes… they are truly delicious pancakes. Period.
They are super light and fluffy, they have tons of bright lemony flavor and they are super simple to make. They contain no eggs, milk or butter and work great with gluten free flour too.
Even if you are not eating vegan or gluten free, I would not recommend changing anything about these pancakes. There is something about their flavor that makes you totally forget about the butter (and that is not an easy feat!) and their texture is so moist and fluffy, so there is no need to add eggs or milk either.
Just follow the recipe and enjoy lemon poppyseed pancake bliss.
Let’s get started…
Begin by gathering 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 cups of vanilla unsweetened almond milk, 1/4 cup of canola oil, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 4 teaspoons of baking powder, 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour and 2 tablespoons of poppyseeds.
In a large bowl or this beautiful Le Creuset batter bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 4 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of poppyseeds. Whisk everything well at this point to ensure that the poppyseeds, lemon zest and baking powder are evenly distributed.
Whisk in 2 cups of almond milk, 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/4 cup of canola oil until the batter is just combined. A great pancake batter is not supposed to be smooth and attempting to whisk out those lumps can create a tough, chewy batter and we definitely don’t want that!
*Note: My recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, but as I explain in my blog on bread baking, the actual amount of flour in a “cup” can vary by the method you use to fill that cup. If I am not weighing flour out, I use a spoon to scoop the flour from my container into the cup and then scrape the top flat with the handle of the spoon. This will prevent the flour from compacting too much in your measuring cup.
Once your batter is ready to go, place a flat griddle or wide skillet over medium to medium high heat. Once it is warm, grease the griddle using your favorite vegan non-stick spray, butter or coconut oil. Using a measuring cup, drop even amounts of batter onto the warm, greased griddle.
I use a 1/4 cup for smaller pancakes, a 1/3 cup for medium pancakes and a 1/2 cup for big ones. This recipe will make about 14 medium pancakes.
The pancakes are ready to flip when their tops are full of bubbles and the edges just start to turn lightly golden brown. Cook them on the other side until the center of your pancakes feel springy to the touch and the underside is also lightly golden brown. I always start out with my griddle over medium to medium high heat, but typically lower it over time if I notice the pancakes browning too quickly.
These pancakes fluff up so nicely and their edges get just little bit crispy, which I love. I garnish these beauties with some whipped cream (vegan or dairy free) and some extra poppyseeds and lemon zest… just because its pretty.
Because of their light texture, they soak up a wonderful amount of maple syrup, so dollop that whipped cream, drizzle some maple and get ready to be pleasantly surprised at just how amazing these lemon poppyseed pancakes really are.
Lemon Poppyseed Vegan Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cups vanilla unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons poppyseeds
- vegan whipped cream (optional)
- pure maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 4 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of poppyseeds
- Add 2 cups of almond milk, 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/4 cup of canola oil
- Whisk until the ingredients are just combined (do not over mix)
- Place a flat griddle or wide skillet over medium to medium high heat
- Grease the griddle with your favorite vegan non-stick spray, butter or coconut oil
- Drop 1/4 cup of batter (small pancakes), 1/3 cup of batter (medium pancakes) or 1/2 cup of batter (larger pancakes) onto the warm greased griddle
- Cook until bubbles form over the top of the pancake and then carefully flip
- Cook until the bottom is golden brown and the pancake feels springy to a light touch
- Serve the pancakes garnished with vegan whipped cream and some pure maple syrup
