Vegan Corn Pancakes

A delicious and whole grain recipe for corn pancakes made with cornmeal that can easily be topped with sweet or savory toppings depending on your preference!

Fun fact! C and I are celebrating our 10 year anniversary this year. WOAH. We’ve been married for 3 of those years but we started dating when we were 21. At the time I was living in NYC and C was living in Montreal…yes we started out long distance!

Every time C would come visit me in NYC we would go to my favorite restaurant which served the most delicious corn pancakes. In fact, the restaurant still exists! Highly recommend you check out Coppelia on 14th street if you’re craving delicious Cuban food.

Because we’re coming up on a decade I’ve been thinking a lot about those early years and while I definitely have no desire to turn back time I do occasionally feel nostalgic. One of my favorite ways to relive great memories is through food. And so here is my interpretation of the best corn pancakes and feeling incredibly grateful to have found my person 10 years ago!

Ingredients in Corn Pancakes

• Flax egg – mix 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water. Let sit to allow it to gel up. This replaces a traditional egg, making these corn cakes vegan! If you’re not vegan you can use 1 large egg.
• Cornstarch – helps hold the cakes together and adds fluffiness (especially important if making them vegan)
• Cornmeal – the star of the show! Cornmeal is a coarse flour made from ground, dried corn. 
• Brown rice flour – or use white flour if not gluten-free
• Baking powder – to help these corn pancakes rise. 
• Unsweetened almond milk – any non-dairy milk works for this but I used unsweetened almond milk. 
• Maple syrup – just a hint of natural sweetness to balance out the flavors!

Why Use Corn?

I love substituting cornmeal in pancakes for an added whole grain touch. Corn pancakes are heartier than regular pancakes and are a great source of fiber and protein. They also have a slightly sweet flavor but work well in both sweet and savory dishes.

They’re Vegan!

That’s right, these corn pancakes are vegan! I use a flax egg to keep them vegan but if you aren’t vegan feel free to use a regular large egg. I like to cook my corn pancakes in coconut oil but you can sub butter if you eat dairy.

How to Make Corn Pancakes

STEP 1: Make your flax egg and set aside for 5 minutes

STEP 2: Combine all dry ingredients (cornstarch, cornmeal, flour, baking powder + salt).

STEP 3: Add in wet ingredients (almond milk, maple syrup + flax egg) and stir to combine. Set aside to thicken for 5 minutes.

STEP 4: Heat up skillet or pancake griddle over medium heat. Add coconut oil or non-stick spray. Add about a 1/4 cup of pancake mixture to the skillet or griddle and cook for 2 mins on each side or until cooked all the way through and edges are lightly browned.

How to Serve Corn Pancakes

The beauty of these corn cakes is that you can take them the sweet or savoury route… or both! Here are some topping ideas:

• Greek yogurt
• Berries
• Coconut whipped cream
• Avocado or guacamole
• Salsa
• Cream cheese
• Over easy egg

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Like this post? Here are more breakfast recipes to try:

• Egg Muffins
• Bircher Muesli
• Breakfast Patatas Bravas
• Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal
• Sweet Potato Egg Boats