The Original Vegan Spinach Pancake recipe! Learn how to make dye free green pancakes that can be sweet or savory, as a stack of pancakes or a sandwich.
recipe originally published June 7, 2010
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Dye free green pancakes
These vegan green pancakes have long held the title as most popular pancake on spabettie. Loved by everyone with a whimsical side, those who love greens, and those looking for an alternative sandwich bread!
These naturally green pancakes are a super popular recipe all year long.
With spabettie readers, Green Pancakes are all the rage for St Patricks Day and Halloween.
This easy recipe has a super short and all natural ingredient list, making it a popular recipe for moms wanting their kids to eat more veggies. That fantastic green hue is not from dyes, it is from spinach!
Read the how to make green pancakes section for tips on getting that great green color.
Do spinach pancakes taste good?
Absolutely one hundred percent, spinach pancakes taste great! Spinach does not add much flavor. Whether you add savory spice or sweeten these pancakes, the spinach is not prominent at all. The neutral flavor of spinach makes these green pancakes versatile, whether as a savory sandwich or a sweet stack of pancakes.
Spinach just adds a beautiful and natural green color!
How to make green pancakes
These pancakes are quick to make! I combine the fresh spinach with the liquids in a blender - blend until completely smooth. I then sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, and slowly pour the spinach liquid into the dry - whisking continually.
To make these vegan spinach pancakes, the flax is the equivalent of an egg.
You can add a banana or sweetener to the pancake batter, or make savory with a pinch of salt, some minced garlic, fresh basil.
How do you keep the pancakes green? Low and slow! Very low temperatures and a bit of patience are all it takes for your spinach pancakes to be green rather than brown with slightly green edges.
How to serve spinach pancakes
These gluten free vegan spinach pancakes make the best sandwich bread. We use these protein pancakes to make a more traditional ‘deli style’ sandwich, but this time it was simple but delicious.
This colorful sandwich is a colorful crunchy stack of red pepper hummus, greens, avocado, tomato, and pickled onion - a perfect sandwich full of fresh flavor.
You can sweeten the pancake batter (with a banana, maple syrup or your sugar preference), or enjoy as a savory stack or protein rich sandwich bread by adding minced garlic and sea salt to the batter.
Make an epic breakfast sandwich
We use these spinach pancakes for sandwiches just as often as we enjoy them as a sweet green stack. Breakfast sandwiches are one of my favorites, and here's how I assemble one:
- spinach pancake
- vegan egg (scramble or Folded Egg)
- vegan sausage
- our favorite dairy free cheese
- ketchup
Green pancakes work well as bread for this Vegan Breakfast Sandwich, too. The ingredient combinations are endless.
How long do spinach pancakes last? Storage tips
Spinach Pancakes will last a week in the fridge. Once they are completely cooled, tightly wrap the pancakes or store in a container with a sealing lid.
These pancakes can also be frozen if you are meal prepping for longer than one week. Separate each serving stack with parchment, tightly wrap and store in a sealing freezer bag. Use the frozen pancakes within 2 months.
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- Best Vegan Mushroom Burgers: really. they are the best. they stand up to a slice down the middle without squishing out the sides, and the flavor is fantastic!
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- Salt and Vinegar Crackers: a low carb, gluten free cracker! this super simple recipe gives you a crispy thin vehicle for all of your favorite dips.
- Vegan Goat Cheese: another tasty recipe that I have made for years. each batch turns out different - some crumbly, some smooth and spreadable, always tasty!
- Vegan Chicken Nuggets: years ago I made this gluten and soy free vegan chicken. these have been buffaloed, barbecued, and stuffed with (vegan) mozzarella!
Did you make these green pancakes?
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Spinach Pancakes
plant based and wildly vibrant green, you cannot even taste the spinach! sweeten these dye free green pancakes with maple syrup, or enjoy spinach pancakes as a savory stack or sandwich bread with some minced garlic and sea salt.
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon flax seed, fresh ground
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ cups fresh baby spinach
- ½ to ¾ cup dairy free milk (see notes about measurement)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
Instructions
- In mixing bowl, whisk together flour, flax seed, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a blender jar, add spinach, milk, and lemon juice / acv. Blend at high speed until smooth, with no spinach pieces remaining.
- Add spinach mixture to the dry ingredients. Fold together until just combined.
- Place griddle on stovetop over medium low heat. (For a bright green pancake, low heat is better.) Add dairy free butter or oil.
- Wait until butter is melted and griddle is heated to pour pancake batter (about a 3 inch circle). Wait for bubbles to appear before flipping.
Notes
dairy, egg, soy, oil, and gluten free, vegan
½ to ¾ cup milk: for thicker batter / pancakes, use less liquid. I prefer a thinner pancake / "bread" for sandwiches, so I use ¾ cup.
Tip: If you want savory and sweet Spinach Pancakes, make the neutral batter and use half of it for what will be a sweet stack. Then add savory flavor to the remaining batter for savory pancakes or sandwich bread.Â
Spinach Pancakes will last a week in the fridge. Once they are cooled, tightly wrap the pancakes or store in a container with a sealing lid.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
3Amount Per Serving: Calories: 139Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 149mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 7gSugar: 3gProtein: 4g
nutrition calculations results vary by calculator, are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to replace medical advice or treatment.
about Kristina:
Kristina is spabettie! She found cooking at an early age, and created spabettie in 2010 to share vegan recipes. Kristina turned her culinary training into sharing vibrant vegan food! Read more...
spabettie / Kristina Sloggett is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Christygee says
In the words of Rachael Ray, yum-O! I made myself these for dinner tonight by halving the recipe and adding in some Tony Chachere seasoning and holy yum! I actually topped them with a bit of Earth Balance and some of Trader Joe's Cuban-style black beans. For some reason, I thought it was one hell of a fantastic combination! Perhaps I'm crazy for having liked that combo, but the textures and flavor profiles complemented each other wonderfully! Thank you for this fabulous recipe. I know I'll be making it many, many more times in the future!
Kristina Sloggett says
nope, that combination sounds FANTASTIC to me as well! 😉 so happy you like these - they are so versatile, as you have already found out! I use these as sandwich "bread" just as much as a pancake!
Biljana says
Hey,
Greetings from Macedonia, in the Balkans;-)
I tried the pancakes over the w-end, greetings for the idea.
But, mine came a little chewy, do you know what that could be attributed to?
I combined them similarly as you did, with humus (though I added some mustard, and sesame paste in it) and they were still (no matter being chewy;-) really great.
I am experimenting lately with raw and vegan food, and I have come up with some great ideas as well. We stay in touch, best
Kristina Sloggett says
hello Biljana!
good to hear from you. this recipe does have more of a chewy texture than a traditional pancake, having more of a 'dense' batter from the protein rich spinach, I believe. I am happy to hear you still enjoyed them, even with a chewier texture. I have been meaning to revisit this recipe, now that I have several other pancake recipes in my collection, so perhaps the next version will be fluffier - I will keep you updated!
so happy you found me - I look forward to hearing about your raw and vegan journey - if you ever have questions or have recipe requests, please let me know!
Cheers,
Kristina
Nicola Madore says
These are great! I cant wait to give them a try!
Kristina Sloggett says
thanks, Nicola - I hope you love them like everyone else does!
Karen says
Ooooh, how yummy, GONNA try, 'specially with basil...hey, maybe with even other herbs...or nutmeg - nutmeg it GREAT with spinach...
Sooooo, spinach socca, huh...I have gram (chickpea) flour, DO TELL! How did you do it? 🙂 xoxo Karen
Kristina Sloggett says
hi Karen! Basil is one of my favorite herbs (our dachshund is named Basil...) and these taste GOOD with basil! I have also made an Italian version with herbs, and a lemongrass one as well - SO good. These are very versatile!
my spinach socca is here - pickle burgers with spinach socca Enjoy!
Karen says
You are the best, I so appreciate the response. Already visited the link you gave, woot! xoxo Karen
Kristina Sloggett says
you are most welcome, enjoy!
PatriciaRae says
These are wonderful!! I just tried my first batch (using the chia seed recommendation), and added some fresh cuban oregano! These are amazing! Thank you for sharing!
spabettie says
I am so happy to hear this, PatriciaRae! the oregano sounds like a nice addition - perhaps with a marinara topping?
Indre says
SpaBettie,
Amazing pancakes! I made it with kale and spinach! Amazing!
p.s. i do not know why my post do not appear :(((
Indre says
Spabettie,
fantastic grinch pancakes!!! So Yami and simple. I made with kale and some spinach. Yamii! Thanks for an idea!
Someone says
Hi, I was just wondering, everyone keeps saying these are made with chia, but on the recipe I'm reading flax. So if the chia works better, is it the same amount as the flaxseed with the same method, or something different? I would just like to clarify before I try these for dinner tonight. Thank you.
spabettie says
hello, you can use chia or flax, same amount, same method, with this recipe. enjoy.
Someone says
Thanks so much!
spabettie says
you are welcome - enjoy!!
Caroline says
These look amazing. The recipe texts calls for flax, but everywhere else the talk is all about chia. So, use ground chia NOT flax, correct?
spabettie says
hi Caroline, you are the first person to notice this - I thank you for actually reading the post! 🙂 I think my measurements ingredients were off the time I had the "goof", because I use ground flax almost exclusively now, and many times with these pancakes. (I thought I had a disclaimer at the bottom explaining the flax/chia change, I will add this).
This recipe works very well with either chia or flax, so please feel free to use either. I actually have another version that does not use either one (no 'egg' replacement), I will be sharing that soon.
I hope you enjoy these!
jonathan says
my kids would love these!