These gluten-free vegan poppy seed pancakes with caramelized figs are so easy to make, come together quickly, yet make for a unique – do I dare say – fancy breakfast!
I have Disney princess doe eyes for these pancakes.
I’ve made and consumed an exorbitant amount of pancakes in my life, and I truly think these Vegan Poppy Seed Pancakes may be among the top 5 BEST pancakes I’ve had the pleasure of eating.
Although, I’m tempted to say they are the actual best!
They’re fluffy, they’re sweet, they’re poppy, they’re fun and frisky, and they come with caramelized figs.
All the bases: loaded!
The quick rundown of this stack of steamy pancake lovin’ is they are:
Recipe Highlights:
- Vegan
- Gluten-Free
- Super Fluffy
- Nice and moist
- Naturally sweet
- Flavorful
- Amazing plain or with toppings
- Freezer-friendly
- The perfect carb load for two
- My picture perfect lazy weekend breakfast
And you’d never in a million years guess they were both gluten-free and vegan!
Have you ever caramelized a fig? Oh my stars, they’re amazing!
I made Maple Roasted Figs a couple years ago and fancy that method fiercely, but with this batch, I simply caramelized the figs on the stop top in a small skillet
. It only takes a few minutes, and it takes your fig experience from “Wow!” to “Ooh eeh ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang!!” <- I promise.
While you can skip the roasted figs and top the pancakes in any way you like, they really add to a unique and memorable experience.
It’s been many moons since my last vegan pancake recipe. In fact, the last time I made a successful egg-free pancake was these Vegan Banana Pancakes I posted back in 2014.
These Vegan Poppy Seed Pancakes are so moist and fluffy with that lovely flavor and POP of poppy seeds that you’ll want to put them on repeat every weekend!
Plus, the ingredients list is so simple!
Vegan Poppy Seed Pancakes Ingredients:
Gluten-Free Flour (or regular all-purpose flour): Select a flour you’ve worked with in the past that is either a gluten-free flour blend or regular all-purpose flour. Grain-free flours like almond flour or coconut flour won’t work for this particular recipe.
I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour for these vegan poppy seed pancakes, but you can use other brands just as easily.
Do note that the absorbency between brands of gluten-free flour blends can vary. If the pancake batter seems too thin, add more flour (2 tablespoons at a time, until it resembles regular pancake batter). On the other hand, if the batter seems too thick, add more full-fat coconut milk (3 tablespoons at a time).
Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: The majority of the liquid used in this recipe for vegan pancakes is full-fat canned coconut milk, as it has a decent fat content to replace the fat from the eggs. This ensures the pancakes turn out luscious and rich with amazing texture.
While you can replace the coconut milk with unsweetened almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, or any of your favorite non-dairy milks, I do love the rich flavor and silky texture the coconut milk brings to these vegan poppy seed pancakes!
Avocado Oil (or melted coconut oil): We use a little avocado oil to add to the deliciousness of the pancakes and to protect the batter from burning during the cooking process. You can also use melted coconut oil, grapeseed oil, or almond oil.
Almond extract (optional): A touch of almond extract brings that iconic poppy seed flavor to these pancakes. Did you know poppy seeds are typically combined with almond extract in baked goods to generate that warm, inviting flavor? You can skip the almond extract if you don’t have it on hand, but it truly does add a lot of enticing flavor to the pancakes!
Baking Powder: Used as a leavening agent to keep the pancakes held together nicely and ensure they fluff up rather than spread out. Don’t skip the baking powder! Most gluten-free flour blends already contain leavening agents, but you’ll still need the baking powder to make the recipe work.
Poppy Seeds: The star of the show here! Poppy seeds add an indescribable flavor and texture to any treat, and poppy seed pancakes are simply the best!
For a grain-free AND egg-free pancake recipe, check out my Paleo Vegan Pancakes. They require a lot of patience, but they work great as long as you read the instructions 😉
How to Make Vegan Poppy Seed Pancakes:
How do we replace the eggs in pancakes to make them vegan?
Well, the most important part is using the right flour. As long as you stick with regular all-purpose flour or a gluten-free flour blend, making pancakes without eggs is actually quite easy!
We simply replace the eggs with additional liquid. I use full-fat canned coconut milk and avocado oil to ensure the pancakes turn out nice and moist with fluffy texture. The goal here is to replace the fat content of the eggs in addition to the liquid.
Simply stir up all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl until the batter is nice and creamy, and proceed as normal!
These vegan pancakes require slightly longer cook time than regular pancakes to ensure the inside gets cooked through, but aside from that, the process is the same as making regular pancakes.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Add blueberries, chocolate chips, omit the poppy seeds, and/or add mashed ripe banana.
- Make my Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes for a lemon poppy seed adventure.
- You can use regular all-purpose flour if you don’t need these to be gluten-free.
I know the question of flour substitutions will come up, so I want to take a second to caution you against attempting the recipe using a grain-free flour (like almond flour, cassava, or coconut flour). Again, I definitely think a vegan grain-free pancake recipe is possible, it’s just going to be an entirely different recipe from this one.
So for instance, substituting almond flour for the gluten-free all-purpose flour won’t work. Believe me, I’ve tried.
For your weekend breakfasting and brunching!
More Poppy Seed Recipes:
- Lemon Poppy Seed Coconut Flour Pancakes
- Paleo Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Paleo Poppy Seed Almond Bread
- Lemon Poppy Seed Coconut Flour Pancakes
- Paleo Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes
Home run!!
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!
Gluten-Free Vegan Poppy Seed Pancakes
Ingredients
Vegan Poppy Seed Pancakes:
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract optional
- 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour see note*
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Caramelized Figs:
- 4 large ripe but firm figs quartered
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Prepare the Pancakes:
- Add all ingredients for the pancakes to a blender and blend until combined (note: if you don't have a blender, you can also use a hand mixer, or whisk by hand). The batter will be thick - this is normal!
- Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Measure a scant 1/4 cup of matter and pour onto the hot skillet. Note that the pancake batter won't spread the way regular pancake batter does, so you can use your finger or a spoon to shape it into a disc. Cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden-brown and cooked through in the center. Repeat for remaining batter.
- Top Pancakes with caramelized figs, roasted chopped almonds, pure maple syrup, and/or any other toppings you love.
Make the Caramelized Figs
- Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high. Add the chopped figs, pure maple syrup, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of sea salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until figs are deep in color and caramelize, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve on top of pancakes!
Notes
Nutrition
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What’s wrong!!! Mine weren’t fluffy! Help?!
Hi Gina! Oh no! What type of flour did you use? And did you use full-fat canned coconut milk, or did you substitute it with a different milk?
You have mastered the art of gorgeous pancake photography. I about died when I saw these on your IG. That fig topping is to-die-for! I love the addition of poppy seeds too. So much goodness going on in this recipe!
I’M FREAKING OUT OVER THIS PLATE O’ PERFECTION!!!! PS can we talk about how I’ve had plums in the fridge for a week that I totally thought were figs?! Let down.
LOL that sounds like something I would do to. Oh, I totally have a sweet potato, JK I have 2 carrots. I’m so glad you like the pancakes, girl! xoxo
YAASSSS to caramelized figs over fluffy pancakes! Way better than syrup any day. These look amazing Julia and I’ve gotta get making these while figs are still around!
Ahhh these pancakes! It’s been about two weeks since I’ve made pancakes and I am craving them something fierce! haha Must try these! Love that fig topping too – so fun!!
This is so going to happen this weekend! They look like absolute perfection Julia!