Vegan Chia Pancakes

Fluffy Eggless Pancakes – It Works with Chia

These vegan pancakes show how easy baking without eggs can be: Chia seeds + water, after a short soaking time, become a chia gel that acts as a natural binding agent in the batter. Together with banana and plant-based milk, you get a smooth pancake batter that browns beautifully in the pan – perfect for a weekend breakfast or a quick "sweet meal" during the week.

First, stir 2 tbsp chia seeds with 6 tbsp water and let the mixture soak for approx. 10 minutes until it becomes gel-like. In parallel, mix 200 g spelt or wheat flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1 pinch of salt. Then add 250 ml plant-based milk, 1 mashed banana, and 1 tbsp melted coconut oil. Finally, fold in the chia gel, let the batter rest briefly, and cook the pancakes in batches over medium heat until golden brown. Serve them with berries or maple syrup.

Practical Tip: The typical ratio for a "chia egg" is 1 tbsp chia : 3 tbsp water (roughly replaces 1 egg in many recipes).

Things to Know & Safety When Frying

• Gluten-free vs. not gluten-free: Chia seeds are naturally gluten-free, but flour (spelt/wheat) is not – for gluten-free pancakes, you would need a suitable gluten-free flour blend.
• Acrylamide Notice (realistically formulated): Acrylamide can form in starchy foods during baking/frying above approx. 120 °C – more so with intense browning. Therefore: cook them until golden yellow instead of dark brown and do not fry too hot.

Ingredients

• 200 g spelt or wheat flour
• 2 tbsp chia seeds + 6 tbsp water (as egg substitute)
• 250 ml plant-based milk
• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch of salt
• Berries or maple syrup as topping

Preparation

1. Stir chia seeds with water and let them soak for 10 minutes until a gel-like mass forms. This "chia gel" acts as a vegan binding agent.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add banana, plant-based milk, and melted coconut oil and stir to form a batter.
3. Fold in the chia gel and let the batter rest briefly.
4. Heat a pan and grease it with a little oil. For each pancake, add two tablespoons of batter to the pan and cook over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.
5. Serve with berries or maple syrup.