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Vegan Japanese Souffle Pancakes

This vegan souffle pancake recipe is inspired by the popular Japanese Souffle Pancakes which are super fluffy and thick. This version is egg-free, dairy-free and even easier to make than the original. Although the texture is not exactly the same, these vegan fluffy pancakes are wonderfully light and delicious with a touch of vanilla. They’re also super cute – the perfect addition to your weekend brunch.

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view of 2 stacked souffle pancakes from above

Video tutorial for Vegan Japanese Souffle Pancakes

Ingredients and Substitutions

The ingredients for these vegan souffle pancakes is very similar to my previous recipe for Sansa’s Vegan Lemon Cakes. Which is to say: very common pantry ingredients. You won’t need any vegan egg replacers or special stabilizers.

You might wonder why I didn’t use aquafaba in this recipe. Aquafaba makes a lovely alternative for egg white when making meringue cookies. But in that case, it’s the sugar in the recipe that forms the structure so the whole thing doesn’t dissolve. Aquafaba can provide some leavening but it’s delicate without extra stabilizers and can collapse very easily.

Instead I’m using a combination of baking powder and baking soda to give these vegan pancakes their extra puff.

For the plant-based milk, I default to using unsweetened soy milk. However, you should be able to use any plant-based milk you like, including almond milk and oat milk. The rest of the recipe is soy-free.

The apple cider vinegar in this recipe will react with the baking soda for extra lift. It also helps to produce a tender crumb to the souffle pancakes with a subtle apple flavour. If you don’t have any handy, what are you doing with your life? Get some. Just kidding.

Jokes aside, you can substitute lemon juice. However, I found lemon juice give the pancakes a more distinct lemon flavour (fine if that’s what you like) and the crumb does not come out as tender. It makes the pancakes seem a bit more dry.

inside a vegan Japanese-style souffle pancake

Making the Vegan Souffle Pancake Batter

Start with weighing out your flour. It’s hard to be really accurate with cups/spoons so I really really really encourage you to get a kitchen scale if you can. See the next section on Equipment if you need help with picking one out. 

If you have to measure by volume, make sure to fluff the flour first with a fork/whisk before going for the scoop and level.

By the way, I’m using regular all-purpose flour but an all-purpose gluten-free flour should work too. I like Bob Red Mill’s one to one. It always works for me for things like cupcakes, cakes, and pancakes. It doesn’t work on it’s own for yeasted recipes though.

Mix all the dry ingredients together first:

  • 80g (10 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon) flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • pinch of salt

Push the ingredients to one side and in the same bowl, add:

  • 80ml soy milk (or other plant-based milk)
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir the wet ingredients well, then incorporate the dry ingredients as well. Be gentle but thorough and stir until no dry spots remain. Do not over mix. Then you can take your batter to the stove.

Equipment for making Vegan Souffle Pancakes

As previously mentioned, you’ll get best results when you weigh your flour instead of just measuring out with cups and tablespoons.

Luckily, kitchen scales are typically inexpensive. Mine was less than 20 bucks and I find it super useful for all sorts of things. When you’re shopping for a kitchen scale, look for digital scale that will measure to the gram. Most will allow you to switch between using the US Imperial system (ounces, pounds) and metric (grams, kilograms). Also, look for one with at least a 10 lb capacity. Look out to avoid buying one that is just for lighter weights (like the kinds made just to measure coffee beans).

To make these vegan souffle pancakes tall and round, you can use ring molds or make your own. In the video, I used a square piece of aluminum foil and just folded it a few times until it was 1 1/4 inch tall.

Then, I wrapped it around a cup to shape it into a circle and stapled the end down. You can also use a stainless steel or silicone mold or cookie cutter.

Ideally you’re using something that is reusable, especially if you want to make this recipe again and again. I did order ring molds but when they arrived, I realized they were too tall for this recipe. Next time, I’ll try to order ring molds that are just about 1 inch tall and 3 inches wide.

Finally, you’ll need a non-stick wide pan or skillet with a lid. Make sure the pan you use is wide enough to fit the pancakes you’re cooking but also allow enough room to maneuver your spatula around when you get to flipping the pancakes. 

 

Cooking Vegan Japanese Souffle Pancakes

Pre-heat your pan or skillet over medium heat. You want it to be nice and hot before dropping in the batter. Add a thin layer of oil. I prefer using refined coconut oil because I find it works really well.  When the pan is hot, lower the heat to medium-low.

Grease the insides of your ring molds before placing them on the pan. Make sure you have enough room between them to get a spatula under later.

Spoon half the batter into one mold, then the other. You should hear a quiet sizzling sound. If you’re not using a mold, just spoon the batter into two tall piles.

Cover the pan with a lid and let cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

After 8 to 10 minutes, the tops of the pancakes should not be glossy anymore. They should have some bubbles at the top and the sides should be looking dry. Use a spatula to flip the pancakes. Cover the pan again and cook for another 3 minutes until the pancakes are completely cooked though.

golden-looking pancakes cooking under a glass lid

Remove the pan from heat and uncover. You can gently press the centers of the pancakes to test if they are done. They should spring back easily. You can also use the toothpick method if you’re not sure. Just poke a toothpick though the center of the largest pancake and then take it out.

If there is any batter clinging to the toothpick, your pancake is not cooked enough. You can just cover the pan back up and cook a little longer.

2 stacked souffle pancakes on a plate with sliced apricots

What would you add to these?

Afterwards, remove the pancakes to a plate. Remove the ring mold by sliding a thin spatula or the back of a knife around to release the pancakes. Serve immediately with some vegan butter or coco whip and maple syrup.

Watch out; they absorb syrup very readily so it’s easy to make these pancakes really sweet. I love to add some fruit on the side so the tanginess can balance out the sweetness. A big scoop of vegan ice cream would be awesome too. Whatever you choose, enjoy!

Printable recipe for Vegan Japanese Souffle Pancakes

Yield: 2 souffle pancakes

Vegan Japanese Souffle Pancakes

inside a vegan Japanese-style souffle pancake

This vegan souffle pancake recipe is inspired by the popular Japanese Souffle Pancakes which are super fluffy and thick. This version is egg-free, dairy-free and even easier to make than the original.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

  • 80g all-purpose flour (10 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • pinch of salt

Wet ingredients

  • 80ml soy milk (or other plant-based milk)
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. If you're using ring molds, generously grease them with oil or vegan butter.
  2. In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt) very well. Move the dry ingredients to one side and add the plant-based milk, apple cider vinegar, oil and vanilla extract.
  3. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together gently until no dry spots remain. Do not over mix.
  4. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add a thin layer of oil at the bottom. When the pan is hot, lower the heat to medium-low. Place the ring molds so there is some space between them. Spoon half the batter into one mold, then the other. You should hear a quiet sizzling sound. If you're not using a mold, just spoon the batter into two tall piles. Cover the pan with a lid and let cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
  5. After 8 to 10 minutes, the tops of the pancakes should not be glossy anymore. They should have some bubbles at the top and the sides should be looking dry. Use a spatula to flip the pancakes. Cover the pan again and cook for another 3 minutes until the pancakes are completely cooked though.
  6. Remove the pan from heat and uncover. You can gently press the centers of the pancakes to test for doneness. They should spring back easily. Remove the pancakes to a plate. Remove the ring mold by sliding a thin spatula or the back of a knife around to release the pancakes.
  7. Serve immediately with some vegan butter or coco whip and maple syrup. Enjoy!

Notes

Note that the texture not exactly the same as original Japanese souffle pancakes but they are wonderfully light and delicious with a touch of vanilla. They're also super cute - the perfect addition to your weekend brunch.

This recipe makes 2 very thick pancakes in about 20 minutes (5 minutes to prep, 15 minutes on the stove). Feel free to multiply this recipe to make more pancakes.

For equipment, you will need a large pan with a lid. Use 1" tall x 3" wide ring molds or make your own by folding up some aluminum foil into an 1" wide strip, wrapping it around a cup to make it round and stapling the end down. These pancakes can also be made without a ring mold though they may spread out more and may not end up as tall.

For best results, measure ingredients by weight. This recipe has not been tested using gluten-free flour. Please let me know if you do try making it gluten-free! I prefer Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 Baking Flour when I do make gluten-free baked goods

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 237Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 489mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 1gSugar: 8gProtein: 5g

Nutritional Information automatically calculated by a plugin and may not be correct.

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Vegan Japanese Souffle Pancakes

This recipe first appeared on VEGAN JAPANESE SOUFFLE PANCAKES RECIPE // WHAT I EAT IN A DAY: WEEKEND EDITION

Showing 19 comments
  • Jem Adamson
    Reply

    I watched the whole vid and learned a lot! Thanks. I’ll give these a try probably tomorrow morning 🙂

    • Mary
      Reply

      Awesome to hear! I’d love to hear how it goes. Good luck!

  • Donna
    Reply

    Looking forward to trying these pancakes and passing the recipe on to my gluten-free vegan dsughter! ? Have you ever done a vegan king pao?

  • Natalie Meek
    Reply

    Absolutely amazing! Reminds me of the pancakes at Gluten Free T’s kitchen in Tokyo, so good!

    • Mary
      Reply

      Thank you so much!

  • Thomas
    Reply

    This recipe is awesome! I made it with part whole-wheat flour and used apple sauce instead of oil and it came out nicely. Probably not as fluffy as normal, but still great. Thank you so much! These are so fun and fluffy!

    • Mary
      Reply

      That’s really good to know, Thomas. Thanks so much for sharing your experience!
      Cheers,
      Mary

  • Isabelle
    Reply

    I love this recipe so much! Have made it a couple times and they’ve turned out beautifully. For anyone curious, it worked great when I subbed ACV for lemon juice, and coconut sugar for normal sugar.

    • Mary
      Reply

      Thanks so much for sharing your tips, Isabelle! I’m sure they will be helpful 🙂 I appreciate your comment so much!
      Cheers,
      Mary

    • Elena
      Reply

      Can I bake them? I wonder if it’s ok to put them into muffin pans and bake them in the oven. Thank you

  • Louise Moore
    Reply

    I have made this recipe several times, it is my go to recipe for cheering up my girls when they’re down. This week I received some 4cm high food rings in different shapes and made the pancakes in heart and flower shaped moulds for my girls and they said the pancakes were too tasty to be real. Thank you!

    • Mary
      Reply

      That is so sweet. I’m sure everyone needs a little cheering up especially during these times. Thanks for sharing that lovely moment with me. It paints such a wonderful picture and I’m so glad to be a small part of that. Stay well and safe!
      -Mary

  • Lily Fang
    Reply

    Made these yesterday – the recipe was so easy, and the pancakes were so yummy! I didn’t have apple cider vinegar, so I used lemon juice instead, and it turned out fine (in case someone else is in the same boat). Thanks for this recipe, Mary!

    • Mary
      Reply

      Hi Lily,
      That’s great to hear! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe <3 Thanks so much for your comment.
      Cheers,
      Mary

  • Sushiboats
    Reply

    I made these and they’re amazing! I swapped some of the flour for protein powder, sub AVC for lemon and cooked them in a 4in diameter cake ring! One whole recipe fit in this ring so I doubled the recipe to make two pancakes… that I shared!

    I still want to know the answer to Elena’s question. Can I put these in a muffin mold and bake them??

  • Megan
    Reply

    Yummy and easy to make, followed the recipe just as it was! Thank you 🙂

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