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    Home » All Recipes » Breakfast

    Vegan Applesauce Pancakes

    Published: Aug 5, 2022 by Katie

    Jump to Recipe How-To-Photos Watch the Video

    These fluffy vegan applesauce pancakes consist of only 6 simple ingredients and make the most delicious healthy breakfast. There's no banana, no oats and no egg replacements involved!

    stack of vegan applesauce pancakes on a wooden plate topped with caramelized apples, nuts and applesauce.

    These fluffy vegan apple pancakes make a great quick breakfast but can just as easily be enjoyed as dinner- who wouldn't like pancakes for dinner?!

    For more breakfast recipes with applesauce see Applesauce Oatmeal, Applesauce Granola or Banana Applesauce Muffins.

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients & Substitution Notes
    • How to Make Vegan Applesauce Pancakes
    • Top Tips
    • Variations
    • Optional Add-Ins
    • Topping Ideas
    • Storage
    • FAQs
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    • It's a vegan pancake recipe without bananas, oats or flax egg involved!
    • They are oil-free and lower in fat.
    • It's a simple one-bowl recipe that doesn't require any special equipment.

    Ingredients & Substitution Notes

    all ingredients for vegan applesauce pancakes laid out on a table.
    • Unsweetened Applesauce: You can use canned applesauce or homemade applesauce.
    • Flour: We used white, plain flour, feel free to sub a gluten-free flour blend of choice for gluten-free pancakes.For pancakes higher in fiber you could swap out ½ of the flour for whole wheat flour.
    • Milk: We used oat milk because it's naturally quite sweet but any unsweetened plant milk such as almond milk, soy milk or cashew milk will work.
    • Maple Syrup: Acts as a sweetener but this is totally optional. Just skip if for sugar-free pancakes or if you use maple syrup as a topping anyways (highly recommended!).

    See recipe card for quantities.

    How to Make Vegan Applesauce Pancakes

    This easy pancake recipe comes together in just one bowl and doesn't require any special equipment.

    flour, baking powder and pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl.

    STEP 1: Dry Ingredients. Add flour, baking powder, salt to a large bowl.

    flour, baking powder and pinch of salt whisked together in large mixing bowl.

    Whisk until well combined.

    applesauce, maple syrup and almond milk added to the flour mix.

    STEP 2: Wet ingredients. Add in applesauce, non-dairy milk and maple syrup (optional).

    batter for vegan applesauce pancakes in a large bowl.

    Stir again with a whisk or spatula until you end up with a homogenous batter. Don't over mix, small lumps are fine!

    pancake being cooked in a frying pan.

    Step 3: Cook. Heat some olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add about ¼ cup of the pancake batter. Let cook on one side for about 2-3 minutes until you can see little holes (popped bubbles) forming and the bottom is slightly golden.

    other side of the pancake being cooked.

    Flip pancakes and cook on the other side for another 1-2 minutes.

    Top Tips

    • Equally sized: I recommend measuring out the pancake batter before adding it to the pan. For smaller pancakes, spoon out ¼ cup of the batter, for bigger pancakes use ⅓ cup. If you're somewhat a perfectionist like me, you can go a step further use a pancake ring or cookie cutter to achieve the perfect shape.
    • Fluffy pancakes: Don't flatten the pancakes out after you've added the batter to the pan. Otherwise, you might end up with flat pancakes.
    • Temperature: The right temperature is key for creating the perfect pancakes. Depending on your pan, go for medium-low to medium.
    • Don't over-mix: Overmixing the pancake batter could result in gummy pancakes. Whisk together the batter properly but don't overdo it.
    • Don't flip too early/too late: If you can see a lot of holes (popped bubbles) forming (see photo above), it's usually time to flip the pancake. However, I recommend double-checking! Slide a spatula under the pancake and lift an edge to see if it's golden brown, then it's ready to flip.
    2 pancakes on a plate topped with caramelized apples, maple syrup and almonds.

    Variations

    • Gluten-Free: Feel free to use a gluten-free flour mix for gluten-free pancakes. Don't use coconut flour or almond flour, they don't react the same as regular gluten-free flour.
    • Refined Sugar-Free: Skip the maple syrup if you want to cut back on sugar as much as possible.

    Optional Add-Ins

    • Cinnamon: Add some delicious fall flavors to these pancakes by adding ½ teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter.
    • Chocolate Chips: Choose your dairy-free chocolate chips of choice.
    • Vanilla Extract: Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for some extra vanilla flavors.

    Topping Ideas

    • Applesauce: I love adding a couple of tablespoons of applesauce on top of the pancake stack before adding any other toppings.
    • Caramelized Apples: By far our favorite topping for these vegan pancakes! They pair very well with the natural apple flavors.
    • Fruits: Any chopped fresh fruit such as banana slices, apple slices or berries will taste great.
    • Maple Syrup: a must-have topping for me- on any pancakes really.
    • Nut Butter: such as Homemade Almond Butter or peanut butter make great toppings.
    • Nuts: Add some chopped nuts such as almonds, pecans or walnuts for some extra texture and healthy fats.
    maple syrup being poured onto a stack of vegan applesauce pancakes.

    Storage

    • To store: Though these pancakes definitely taste best when consumed right away, you can store any leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
    • To reheat: Reheat in the microwave or in the oven. Spread them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cook on very low heat until warm.

    FAQs

    Is applesauce a substitute for eggs in pancakes?

    It is actually, the applesauce adds some moisture and helps with binding. As a result, you can make thick and fluffy pancakes without eggs and without any oil or butter.

    Can I make them gluten-free?

    Yes, simply opt for your regular gluten-free flour of choice (don't use coconut flour or almond flour).

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    If you tried this or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment or rating below! SIGN UP for the WSK newsletter and get the newest recipes delivered right to your inbox

    📖 Recipe

    stack of vegan applesauce pancakes on a wooden plate topped with caramelized apples, nuts and applesauce.

    Vegan Applesauce Pancakes

    Author: Katie
    These vegan pancakes are thick, fluffy and made with applesauce. They are oil-free and make the perfect quick, delicious breakfast for the whole family!
    If you love this recipe as much as we do, click on the 5-stars below!
    5 from 16 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American-Inspired
    Servings: 8 small pancakes
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup (150 g) all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoon baking powder
    • tiny pinch of salt
    • ½ cup (150 g) unsweetened applesauce *homemade or store-bought
    • ½ cup (115 ml) + 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk of choice *oat milk, almond milk, soy milk...
    • 2 tablespoon maple syrup *optional, see notes
    You can find detailed step-by step-photos above the recipe card.

    Instructions

    • Add all of the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined.
    • Add all of the wet ingredients (applesauce, milk, maple syrup)
    • Stir with a whisk or spatula until you end up with a smooth batter. DON'T over mix (small lumps are ok!)
    • Heat some olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
    • Add ¼ cup of pancake batter and let cook for about 2-4 minutes until you can see little holes (popped bubbles) forming.
    • Slide a spatula under the pancake and lift an edge to see if it's golden brown. Once the pancake is ready, flip and cook the other side for another minute or so.

    Video

    Notes

    • Optional Add-Ins: dash of cinnamon, vanilla extract, chocolate chips
    • Topping Ideas: applesauce, fresh fruit, nuts, nut butter, more maple syrup
    • Gluten-Free: Feel free to use a gluten-free flour mix for gluten-free pancakes. Don't use coconut flour or almond flour, they don't react the same as regular gluten-free flour.
    • Refined Sugar-Free: Skip the maple syrup if you want to cut back on sugar as much as possible and replace it with 1 tablespoon of milk.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 pancake. | Calories: 85kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 114mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 1mg
    All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates.
    Tried this recipe?Leave a rating and comment telling us how you liked it! Or tag @wholefoodsoulfood__kitchen on Instagram so we can admire your creations!

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    Comments

      5 from 16 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. PPMNY says

      August 27, 2024 at 10:09 pm

      5 stars
      These are really fantastic pancakes and took hardly any effort to make them. Added cinnamon and served with applesauce. *chef's kiss*

      Reply
      • Katie Roux says

        September 15, 2024 at 5:14 pm

        Thank's so much for the lovely feedback! Very happt to hear that you enjoyed the recipe 🙂

        Reply
        • Anonymous says

          March 17, 2025 at 4:06 pm

          5 stars
          Can these be frozen if so how long. Very good!

          Reply
          • Katie Roux says

            March 22, 2025 at 6:43 pm

            I have never tried freezing them tbh.

            Reply
    2. Elizabeth says

      November 16, 2023 at 11:05 am

      5 stars
      These pancakes were simply delicious!!
      I didn’t have any dairy free milk, so I risked it with water and surprisingly, they turned out perfectly!
      Thank you for my now go to recipe! It’s INCREDIBLE!!!

      Reply
      • Katie says

        November 18, 2023 at 7:16 pm

        Hi Elizabeth! Very happy to hear that, thanks a lot for letting me know! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Anonymous says

      September 03, 2023 at 3:19 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent! Better than my standard recipe which I had to abandon to accommodate a guest with milk, nut and egg allergies. We used coconut milk for her, and a little cinnamon and a tsp. of vanilla for me. It was a favorite of everyone. I made it again for my grandchildren and they loved it. Easy to make, it will become my go to recipe

      Reply
      • Katie says

        September 03, 2023 at 4:03 pm

        Very happy to hear that, thanks for letting me know 🙂

        Reply
    4. Anonymous says

      August 12, 2023 at 12:36 am

      5 stars
      I made these two times but used whole wheat flour, dairy milk, and a little bit of vanilla and they turned out delicious ! 🙂

      Reply
    5. Trisa says

      February 22, 2023 at 5:52 pm

      5 stars
      These were a hit with my daughter! We made waffles. So yum.

      Reply
      • Katie says

        February 22, 2023 at 6:20 pm

        Thanks Trisa for your feedback! Happy to hear that your daughter liked them 🙂

        Reply
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