Vegan Baked Pancakes (Spelt and Almond)

I love how easy it is to make these vegan baked pancakes on a lazy Sunday morning. They’re healthy, gluten free, naturally sweetened and have a sweet apple flavour. Baking them in a sheet pan means that everyone can enjoy a plate of hot pancakes all at the same time (no flipping required!).

What are vegan baked pancakes?

Pancakes are my favourite breakfast food when I fancy a treat. We always eat pancakes on the first weekend of the month, and it’s always something I look forward to. Unfortunately, I’m not so patient with cooking them!

The struggle is that the first ones are cold by the time the last ones are cooked, so it’s difficult for us both to enjoy them at the same time. Unless you have a huge hot plate, you can only cook two or three at once.

That’s where these vegan baked pancakes come in! Baked pancakes follow the same principle as normal pancakes, but with a thick batter which bakes in the oven. When the pancake is done, it can be cut into even pieces and shared by everyone.

The batter needs to be a little bit different because it’s being cooked on a larger scale, so we have to make sure it’s nice and thick. It bakes like a very thin cake and goes a lovely golden brown in the oven.

I’ve opted for a sweet apple flavour for these vegan spelt pancakes. It’s Autumn right now and apples are so full of flavour at this time of year. A mixture of applesauce in the batter and sliced apples on top, lends a lovely flavour and moistness to the pancakes.

Why I love baked vegan pancakes

• Everyone gets to enjoy hot pancakes at the same time!
• The recipe uses pantry staples, so I don’t need to buy any special ingredients.
• These vegan almond pancakes with spelt flour are completely gluten free, but you’d never tell.
• The delicious apple flavour is perfect for autumn.
• It’s an easy to make, vegan sheet pan breakfast and is customisable with ingredients you might already have.
• No need to flip! Less hands-on time means you can do other things whilst they cook.
• Naturally sweetened and refined sugar free, vegan baked pancakes are a healthier version of the classic pancake.
• You can make a big batch, so they’re perfect for feeding a crowd, or wrapping up for an on-the-go breakfast.

What ingredients are needed?

These gluten free vegan baked pancakes contain only a few ingredients, making them an easy option for weekend breakfasts.

Wet ingredients

• Almond milk- The main liquid forming the wet ingredients, it has a subtly nutty flavour and is a great choice for vegan baked pancakes.
• Applesauce- This works as a binder in a similar way to eggs, though doesn’t give any rise. It results in beautifully moist vegan apple pancakes with a naturally sweet flavour. It also acts as the main sweetener in the recipe. An essential ingredient, so don’t leave it out!
• Coconut oil- The fat in the pancakes, as a vegan alternative to butter.
• Apple cider vinegar- When combined with the baking soda in the dry ingredients, it gives rise to the vegan sheet pan pancakes. It also slightly curdles the almond milk, resulting in a substance similar to buttermilk.
• Vanilla extract- Compliments the flavour of apple and adds a slight sweetness.
• Apples- These are grated, squeezed, then stirred through the pancake batter for healthy baked pancakes. They add more apple flavour and moisture.

Dry ingredients

• Spelt flour- This is a gluten free flour which has a slight nutty flavour. You can buy this in most stores. I try to opt for the whole wheat variety for my vegan spelt pancakes.
• Almond flour- Another gluten free flour, made from milled almonds. Nutty in flavour and high in protein, it’s a great addition to gluten free bakes.
• Baking powder and soda- Help to give some rise to these easy oven pancakes.
• Salt- Enhances all of the flavours in the pancakes and balances out the sweetness.

The vegan baked pancakes are topped with thinly sliced apples and flaked almonds before baking, for added nutty apple flavour and a fun finish.

Best equipment to make healthy baked pancakes

The only special equipment needed to make these vegan baked pancakes is a deep baking sheet. You want your baking pan to be approximately 9×13 inches (quarter size). A larger baking sheet will result in an even thinner pancake, so you would need to reduce the cooking time. I wouldn’t recommend using a smaller pan as the pancake may be too thick to cook all of the way through.

It’s super important that you line your tray with parchment paper. This stops the vegan almond pancakes from sticking, and means that you can easily lift the pancake out once it’s cooked. It also makes the pan much easier to clean later!

How to make pancakes in the oven

Making these dairy-free sheet pan pancakes is super simple! Start by preheating the oven to 220c/425f. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper as explained above. 

Add the almond milk, apple sauce, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar and vanilla extract to a bowl. Mix them together well and place to one side whilst you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the spelt flour, almond flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients together until they are well combined.

Squeeze the excess water from the grated apple and discard it, then stir the grated apple through the wet mixture. Slowly add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, whisking gently as you go. Whisk until just combined and the apple evenly distributed, being careful not to over-mix.

Pour the vegan apple pancake mixture into the lined baking sheet, and smooth it down into an even layer with a spatula or spoon. Top the batter with slices of apple and flaked almonds.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Leave to stand for 5-10 minutes, before slicing into squares and serving.

Serving suggestions

These vegan baked pancakes are delicious served as they are, but if you want to make your breakfast extra special you can serve them with:

• A drizzle of maple syrup.
• Your favourite fruit, such as berries or bananas.
• More apples! I like to stew or caramelize some chopped apples.
• Dried fruit, seeds or nuts.
• Coconut cream or yoghurt.
• Peanut butter, choc chips, or jam.
• A dusting of powdered sugar.

My top tips for the best pancakes

The key to these vegan baked pancakes is all in the batter. It should remain slightly lumpy and you should mix it just enough to incorporate the wet and dry ingredients. The lumps are the air needed to make the pancakes light and fluffy. Don’t over mix the batter as this will make the pancakes chewy.

When transferring the batter into the pan, make sure you spread it evenly. It will be thick so won’t level off by itself.

Allow the vegan spelt pancakes to cool slightly in the pan for 10 mins after coming out of the oven. This will make them a better temperature for eating and will also help them to hold their shape.

Ingredient substitutes or additions

• Dairy free milk- You can use your dairy free milk of choice for this healthy baked pancake recipe. I like almond milk, but you could use oat, soya, cashew, or any other.
• Vinegar- The vinegar is important, so don’t leave it out. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you could use any other vinegar such as white wine vinegar.
• Change the flour- You could use your preferred flours in this recipe. If you don’t need to eat gluten free, you could use all purpose flour or whole wheat flour. Buckwheat flour would add a unique toasted and earthy flavour to the baked vegan pancakes, whilst rice or quinoa flour would be other gluten free alternatives.
• Swap out the almond flour- If you need to keep the recipe nut free, swap out the ground almonds for your flour of choice. You could also use sunflower or pumpkin seed meal as an alternative, just make sure that it is finely milled.
• Change the toppings- Everyone can have their favourite topping with vegan baked pancakes! Try swapping the apple and almonds out for chocolate chips, bananas, berries, nut butter or shredded coconut. You can even section off portions for each person using different toppings for each quarter.

FAQ’s

Looking for more vegan breakfast recipes?

You might like to give these a go!

• Spiced pear granola
• Tahini toast two ways
• Vegan shakshuka
• Homemade almond and chia seed butter
• Silken tofu scramble
• Chocolate and raspberry chia parfait

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Vegan Baked Pancakes (Spelt and Almond)

Chloe from Forkful of Plants

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American

Servings 4

I love how easy it is to make these vegan baked pancakes on a lazy Sunday morning. They're healthy, gluten free, naturally sweetened and have a sweet apple flavour. Baking them in a sheet pan means that everyone can enjoy a plate of hot pancakes all at the same time (no flipping required!).

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Ingredients

  

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Wet Ingredients

• 250 ml almond milk 1 cup
• 70 g apple sauce ¼ cup
• 3 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 1½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 small apples grated

Dry Ingredients

• 180 g spelt flour 1½ cups
• 50 g almond flour ½ cup
• ½ tbsp baking powder
• ½ tbsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt

Toppings

• 1 small apple thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp flaked almonds

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 220°c/425°f. Line a 9×13 inch baking sheet.
• Add the almond milk, apple sauce, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar and vanilla extract and to a bowl. Mix well and place to one side.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the spelt flour, almond flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. Stir until they are well combined.
• Squeeze the excess water from the grated apple and discard it, then stir the apple through the wet mixture. Slowly add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, whisking gently as you go. Whisk until just combined, being careful not to over-mix.
• Pour the mixture into the lined baking sheet, and smooth it down into an even layer. Top with slices of apple and flaked almonds.
• Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Leave to stand for 5-10 minutes for best results, then slice into squares to serve.

Notes

STORAGE AND REHEATING: You can make these pancakes up to 3 days in advance and store them in an airtight container in the fridge, or wrap them up in portions and enjoy them as an on-the-go breakfast. Freeze for up to 1 month in an airtight container, with sheets of parchment paper in between each portion to stop them from sticking together. Defrost them in the fridge overnight.

 

The best way to reheat the pancakes is in the microwave, as this helps them to retain their moisture. Heat them on high for 1-2 minutes (until piping hot through). You could also reheat them in a moderate oven for 10-15 minutes, but make sure that you cover them to stop them from drying out.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!