Do the chia seeds replace the egg in these pancakes?

Yes, that is exactly their job. While the batter rests for 5–10 minutes, the chia seeds soak up the coconut milk and bind the batter – no eggs needed. Together with the baking powder the pancakes still turn out light, and the seeds keep them lovely and moist.

Can I use coconut flour instead of regular flour?

Not as a 1:1 swap – coconut flour absorbs many times its weight in liquid, so the pancakes would turn out dry and dense. Stick with the wheat and spelt flour from the recipe; if you want more coconut flavor, replace 1–2 tablespoons at most and add a splash of extra coconut milk if needed.

What can I use instead of figs?

The figs are just the topping, not part of the batter, so swap them freely. Fresh figs are in season from about August to October; outside of that, berries, banana slices or grapes work just as well – or simply enjoy the pancakes with syrup.

Can I make the batter ahead and store leftover pancakes?

Yes. You can keep the batter covered in the fridge overnight – the chia seeds will thicken it further, so thin it with a splash of coconut milk before cooking. Cooked pancakes keep for 2–3 days in the fridge, freeze well and taste almost like fresh when briefly reheated in a pan or toaster.

How do I get the pancakes really fluffy?

Definitely let the batter rest for the 5–10 minutes so the chia seeds can swell, and use fresh baking powder. Cook the pancakes over medium heat and only flip them once small bubbles appear on the surface – and never press them flat in the pan.

25 AUGUST 2017

Chia Coconut Pancakes with Figs

By Verena Frei

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Last updated 10 July 2026

What can I cook tonight?Tap what you have at home and I will show you what fits.e.g. withcoconut milkcoconut blossom sugaroats

Hello lovelies,

yeah it's the weekend and that usually means one thing in our house: waffles or pancakes for breakfast, unless someone is in a savory mood, in which case a batch of about 35 pretzel balls snipped into a chestnut pattern wins over the pancake batter. On school mornings it is a bowl instead, most often my warm quinoa porridge with coconut milk, topped with mango and passion fruit. We love to take some more time for our breakfast on Saturdays or Sundays since the whole family is together and we can chat about our week and make plans for the weekend.

A pancake stack never lasts long here and when I want to take pictures, oh well, then I have to make sure I have some pancakes ready first to feed the crowd. I love adding chia seeds to my pancakes since it helps to make them fluffy and moist. Fat is the relaxed part of a pancake batter, since nothing in it has to stay solid, and I only get strict about the right fat for every dough once shortcrust and cookies come along. So today I want to share a new recipe for these Vegan Chia Coconut Pancakes, with coconut milk and I added some coconut butter to the batter as well as some oats, to give them a bit more hearty touch.

Chia coconut pancakes stacked with figs, close-up

Tall stack of vegan chia coconut pancakes with fig quarters and syrup

Top-down view of chia coconut pancakes with figs on a blue plate

For the girls I added some chocolate chips directly on the batter when the pancakes were in the pan already.

Chia coconut pancakes with figs plated on a dish

And since I found the most perfect figs this week, they have been the best addition to the pancake stack, and the ones that never made it onto a plate ended up in fig muffins stirred together in minutes with vegan butter, raw cane sugar and a squeeze of lime. I have a deep love affair with figs, in my opinion the sexiest fruits out there - I mean just look at them. And the taste - just divine. Their sweetness pairs beautifully with goat cheese and honey, which is why I would tuck a few onto my savory beet waffles with walnuts in the fall. We also added some coconut blossom syrup to go with the pancakes.

Overhead view of the chia coconut pancake stack with fig slices and a syrup drizzle

Chia coconut pancakes with figs against a dark napkin backdrop

Whole or ground, how much a day, and the right ratio for every use: I collected everything on chia seeds here.

And with a spoonful of soy yogurt instead of syrup alone, the stack becomes a high-protein breakfast without any powder, one of 12 ideas from my big breakfast post.

What is your favorite fruit to go with pancakes? Let me know and also if you try the recipe, would love your feedback!

Close overhead look at the pancake stack topped with fresh fig slices

Three vegan chia pancakes side by side with syrup and fig halves

Cut stack of vegan chia coconut pancakes with a fork bite and figs around it

Yours, Verena

TIPS

Verena's notes

Tip from my kitchen: really give the batter its 5–10 minutes of resting time – only then do the chia seeds swell properly and make the pancakes fluffy and moist. Cook them over medium heat and flip them as soon as small bubbles appear on the surface. For the kids I like to sprinkle a few vegan chocolate chips directly onto the batter once the pancakes are already in the pan. And if you love the coconut flavor, cook them in coconut oil like I do.

5.0 from 2 votes

Chia Coconut Pancakes

Fluffy vegan chia coconut pancakes made with coconut milk and topped with fresh figs – egg-free thanks to chia seeds. A perfect weekend breakfast treat.

Vegan

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INGREDIENTS

1cupflour I used half wheat/half spelt
2Tbspcoconut blossom sugar
2Tbspoats
2Tbspchia seeds
2Tbspcoconut butter
1 1/2cupscoconut milk
2tspbaking powder
pinchof salt
vanilla extract

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INSTRUCTIONS

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and than add the wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Let rest for about 5-10 minutes, so the Chia seeds can soak.
Heat a pan add some oil of your choice, I used coconut and bake the pancakes on medium heat.
We also added some vegan chocolate chips to some of the pancakes.
Enjoy with fresh fruits or maple syrup.

Made it?

5.0 out of 5 · 2 votes

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GOOD TO KNOW

Frequently asked questions

Yes, that is exactly their job. While the batter rests for 5–10 minutes, the chia seeds soak up the coconut milk and bind the batter – no eggs needed. Together with the baking powder the pancakes still turn out light, and the seeds keep them lovely and moist.
Not as a 1:1 swap – coconut flour absorbs many times its weight in liquid, so the pancakes would turn out dry and dense. Stick with the wheat and spelt flour from the recipe; if you want more coconut flavor, replace 1–2 tablespoons at most and add a splash of extra coconut milk if needed.
The figs are just the topping, not part of the batter, so swap them freely. Fresh figs are in season from about August to October; outside of that, berries, banana slices or grapes work just as well – or simply enjoy the pancakes with syrup.
Yes. You can keep the batter covered in the fridge overnight – the chia seeds will thicken it further, so thin it with a splash of coconut milk before cooking. Cooked pancakes keep for 2–3 days in the fridge, freeze well and taste almost like fresh when briefly reheated in a pan or toaster.
Definitely let the batter rest for the 5–10 minutes so the chia seeds can swell, and use fresh baking powder. Cook the pancakes over medium heat and only flip them once small bubbles appear on the surface – and never press them flat in the pan.

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TAGS:RECIPEVEGAN BAKINGVEGANCHIABRUNCHBREAKFASTPANCAKESVEGAN PANCAKESCOCONUTOATSCHIA PANCAKES

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Chia Coconut Pancakes with Figs