"Fuwa fuwa" translates to "fluffy fluffy" which is the perfect way to describe these Vegan Japanese Souffle Pancakes! Find out how to make them below.
Japanese inspired pancakes
When you think of Japanese food do you think of pancakes? No, well you should! Thanks to social media they have been taking the world by storm and they are one of the hottest food trends right now. Fuwa fuwa pancakes are the lightest, most airy pancakes you will ever eat because they are a cross between an American style pancake and a souffle.
They are the tallest pancake you will ever eat. There's no need to build a stack of pancakes when they stand so high. Even though they are as light as air, just two of these pancakes will be plenty for one person.
I first tried traditional Japanese Souffle Pancakes in Kyoto. They were everything Instagram had told me to expect. As the waitress brought them over I could see them jiggling on the plate. The traditional version has such a high egg content they are incredibly rich. And, they do taste quite strongly of egg.
How to make Japanese Souffle Pancakes egg and dairy free
With such a high egg and dairy content in the traditional recipe you might be wondering how to make these delicious pancakes vegan. Luckily, I had the chance to try a vegan version while I was in Tokyo. That's right, I did my recipe research where the trend originally started!
For my vegan Japanese Souffle Pancakes I saw egg for aquafaba. If you've ready my big vegan baking guide you will know its a fantastic egg-free substitute for meringues, marshmallow and souffle pancakes! To make vegan buttermilk I curdle soy milk with apple cider vinegar. You can use other plant milks but soy milk is definitely the best!
The pancake batter will be nothing like you've ever cooked with before. It will be lumpy, full of air bubbles and look so delicate you will wonder how it could possibly set. But, trust me, this recipe works. You have to trust the process! The final result does not taste of eggs (a good thing in my opinion) and is a little more cake like than the non-vegan version but they are still "fluffy fluffy" or "fuwa fuwa"!
The recipe
Vegan Japanese Souffle Pancakes
Equipment
- Crumpet rings
Ingredients
- 175 ml soy milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 60 ml aquafaba from 1 tin of chickpeas
- 0.25 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 120 grams plain flour
- 50 grams caster sugar
- 20 grams baking powder
Instructions
- In a jug, mix the soy milk and apple cider vinegar together and place to one side. The apple cider vinegar will cause the soy milk to curdle and go lumpy. This is good!
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, caster sugar and baking powder to make sure they are well combined.
- In another bowl, whisk the aquafaba until it is bubbly. Add the cream of tartar and continue to whisk until it has turned white and is forming soft peaks.
- Brush a flat bottomed crepe pan or frying pan and your 4 crumpet rings with a little vegetable oil. Place the pan with the four crumpet rings over a low heat and let them warm up while you mix the ingredients together.
- Pour the soy milk / apple cider vinegar mix into the dry ingredients along with the vanilla extra and fold together with a spatula until just combined but still lumpy.
- Add the whisked aquafaba to the bowl and again fold in gently until just combined.
- Divide the lump batter between the four crumpet rings filling them no more than ¾ full as they will puff up and expand.
- Cook on a low heat for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms have cooked, the pancake batter is pulling away from the sides of the rings slightly and the top of the pancakes no longer look wet.
- Carefully flip the rings over and cook for another 5-8 minutes or until the bottoms are cooked.
- Once cooked, run a spatula around the inside of the crumpet rings to release the pancakes. Serve with toppings of your choice while still warm.
Nutrition
Top tips for making Vegan Japanese Souffle Pancakes
- Read the instructions then read them again. There are quite a few steps that need to all happen in quick succession. Preparation is key!
- You need to work fast and the batter actually works best if you don't overmix it.
- Fold your mix rather than beating - to fold draw your spatula around the edge of the bowl then drag through the middle. Repeat a few times to bring the ingredients together.
- Keep the heat low. You don't want the pancakes to burn on their bottoms before they are set enough to flip.
- Use well greased crumpet rings to get perfectly round pancakes!
Serving suggestions
When it comes to topping these pancakes the possibilities are endless. Here are some of my favourite flavour combinations:
- Bananas, caramel and chopped walnuts
- Strawberries and chocolate spread
- Mixed berries and plant based yogurt
- Mango and coconut yogurt with macadamia nuts
- Blueberry and lemon
More pancake recipes
More Japanese inspired recipes
Check out recipes inspired by my travels below
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