These delicious Vietnamese crispy pancakes are a favorite at home: quick to make, full of flavour and nutrition, and naturally vegan and gluten-free. The turmeric-scented coconut crepe folds around a crunchy, tangy salad for a delightful contrast of textures. Paired with a classic nuoc cham-style dipping sauce, these pancakes are a perfect light meal or shared starter.
Why you will love this recipe
- This crispy Vietnamese crepe recipe is quick and easy to prepare.
- Each bite is an explosion of fresh, balanced flavours.
- Made without wheat flour, these pancakes are naturally gluten-free and suitable for people with coeliac sensitivities.
- The yellow colour comes from turmeric, so there are no eggs — the recipe is naturally vegan.
- The crepe can be used as a tasty vegan alternative to an omelette in other dishes.
- The salad can be served on its own as a vibrant side dish.
Origins
This recipe is inspired by the Vietnamese street food Bánh Xèo, a savory crispy rice flour pancake filled and folded around fresh ingredients. Variations exist throughout Southeast Asia, such as Banh Chev in Cambodia and Khanom Bueang Yuan in Thailand.
Vietnamese cuisine is known for punchy flavours and quick cooking, and Bánh Xèo is no exception. The name translates roughly to “sizzling cake,” a nod to the loud sizzle you hear when the batter hits the hot pan — the sound that helps create the pancakes’ crisp edge.
These pancakes are thin and crepe-like rather than fluffy American-style pancakes; think of them as delicate Vietnamese crêpes with a crisp finish.
How this version differs from the traditional one
- The classic batter uses rice flour and water with turmeric. This version adds coconut milk for a milder, slightly richer flavour and a creamier batter.
- Traditional fillings often include prawns and pork belly. This recipe omits animal products and is entirely vegan while staying deeply flavorful.
- The filling here is a fresh, uncooked salad instead of a cooked filling, making the dish lighter. You can cook the filling if you prefer.
- The dipping sauce is adapted to be vegan without losing the salty-sour-spicy balance typical of nước chấm.
Adapting for children
Many children enjoy pancakes and anything eaten with the hands. With a few small adjustments these pancakes work well for a family meal:
- Serve the spicy salad version to adults, and reserve some sauce before adding chilli for a milder children’s option.
- If kids don’t like raw salad, briefly stir-fry some of the vegetables so they can enjoy a cooked filling inside their pancake.
Main ingredients
The ingredient list looks substantial only because the recipe includes three components — pancakes, sauce and salad — but each part uses simple, accessible ingredients.
Pancakes
- Rice flour — brown rice flour adds fibre; white rice flour works too.
- Cornstarch — helps create a lighter, crisper texture; arrowroot or tapioca starch can be substituted.
- Turmeric — essential for the classic yellow colour and subtle aroma.
- Coconut milk — softens the flavour and thickens the batter slightly; water can be used for a thinner batter.
Nước chấm-style dipping sauce
This sauce combines lime juice, a vegetarian fish sauce (optional), water, tamari or coconut aminos, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, brown sugar, red chilli and garlic. If vegetarian fish sauce isn’t available, omit it and adjust tamari and vinegar for balance. The sauce is quick to make and keeps well in the fridge.
Salad
- A mix of fresh vegetables such as carrots, red cabbage and rocket (arugula) for colour and crunch.
- Spring onions sliced thinly.
- Mung bean sprouts for texture and gentle digestion.
- Fresh herbs like coriander, mint and Thai basil to add aromatic brightness.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient quantities.
Basic instructions
- Whisk the pancake batter ingredients together or blend them, then chill for 30 minutes to let the flour absorb the liquid.
- Prepare the salad vegetables and keep them in a bowl; toss with a little sauce just before serving.
- Whisk the sauce ingredients and refrigerate until needed.
- Heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat with a little oil. Pour a ladle of batter and swirl to form a thin, even layer. You should hear a sizzle.
- Cook until the underside is golden, then flip and cook briefly on the other side. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and keep warm under a clean tea towel.
- Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve each pancake with a spoonful of salad and dipping sauce; fold and enjoy.
See the recipe card below for full step-by-step directions.
Knife skills
A julienne peeler makes quick work of carrots and gives a light texture to the salad. To julienne by hand, halve the carrot, slice each half lengthwise very thinly, then stack and slice again into matchstick-like strips. For cabbage, slice as thinly as possible or peel thin ribbons with a Y-shaped peeler.
Making ahead
This recipe lends itself well to preparing parts in advance. Store each component separately in sealed containers in the fridge:
- Salad: can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead; add sauce only before serving.
- Nuoc cham-style sauce: keeps for up to a week in the fridge.
- Batter and pancakes: batter can be made a day ahead. Pancakes can be cooked a few hours in advance and warmed gently before serving; reheating briefly in a pan restores some crispness.
Making pancakes ahead is practical for feeding a crowd, though fresh pancakes will always be the crispiest.
Substitutions
The filling is flexible — use whatever vegetables you have on hand. The salad also works beautifully as a summer roll filling: skip the crepes and wrap the salad in hydrated rice paper wrappers for fresh Vietnamese-style rolls.
Serving suggestions
These pancakes are perfect for an al fresco lunch or a light shared meal. To add protein, serve with crispy tofu cubes or other plant-based proteins that pair well with the dipping sauce. Leftover salad keeps well and makes a handy lunch accompaniment during the week.
Vietnamese pancakes FAQs
The traditional batter is vegan, but common restaurant or street versions often include prawns or pork and the dipping sauce may contain fish sauce. This recipe is adapted to be fully vegan without compromising on flavour.
Make sure the oil is hot before adding the batter; if the pan isn’t hot enough the batter will steam instead of frying. The cornstarch in the recipe also helps achieve a crisp edge.
The batter should be thin, similar to pouring cream, so it spreads easily across the pan but still firms enough to flip. Adjust with small amounts of water if too thick or a touch more flour if too thin.
📖 Recipe 📖
Vietnamese Bánh Xèo Pancakes (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
Pancakes
- 225 g brown or white rice flour
- 70 g cornstarch (or arrowroot / tapioca starch)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 200 ml water
- 1 tbsp flavourless oil (sunflower, rapeseed or grapeseed)
Sauce
- 40 ml lime juice
- 40 ml vegetarian fish sauce (optional)
- 40 ml water
- 1 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (or maple syrup)
- 1 red chilli, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
Salad
- 2 carrots, peeled and julienned
- 200 g red cabbage, sliced very thinly or julienned
- 80 g rocket (arugula)
- 3 spring onions, sliced on a diagonal
- 100 g mung bean sprouts
- 40 g fresh herbs (coriander, mint, Thai basil)
Instructions
- Make the batter: Whisk together rice flour, cornstarch, salt, turmeric, coconut milk and water in a large bowl or blend until smooth. Cover and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes to let the flour hydrate.
- Prepare the salad: Julienne the vegetables, pick and roughly chop herbs, and combine everything in a bowl. Keep chilled until serving.
- Make the sauce: Combine lime juice, vegetarian fish sauce (if using), water, tamari, sesame oil, rice vinegar, brown sugar, diced chilli and crushed garlic in a small jug. Adjust seasoning to taste and refrigerate.
- Cook the pancakes: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour a ladleful of batter and swirl to coat the base in a thin layer. It should sizzle, bubble and firm up. When the underside is golden, flip and cook for another minute or two. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and keep warm under a tea towel.
- Repeat with the remaining batter, adjusting heat or batter thickness if needed. The first pancake often serves as a test.
- To serve: Toss a little sauce through the salad, place a warm pancake on a plate, add a spoonful of salad, fold the pancake over and drizzle or serve extra sauce for dipping. Garnish with coriander leaves, if desired.
Notes
- A julienne slicer speeds up vegetable prep and keeps the salad light in texture.
- Adjust batter consistency after the first pancake — it should spread easily but still hold together when flipped.
- All components can be made ahead and stored separately; warm the pancakes briefly before serving for best texture.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 574 kcal | Carbs: 80 g | Protein: 9 g | Fat: 26 g | Fiber: 5 g | Vitamin A: 7178 IU | Vitamin C: 73 mg
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating on the recipe card.
More recipes
If you like this Vietnamese Bánh Xèo pancake recipe, you might also enjoy other vegan and gluten-free lunch ideas such as vegan sushi bowls, asparagus tarts with macadamia pesto, quick ginger-sesame soba noodles, or a fresh herby quinoa salad.
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Vegan Sushi Bowl -
Vegan Asparagus Tart with Pesto Macadamia Filling
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Quick Ginger & Sesame Soba Noodles (GF & VG)
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Fresh Herby Quinoa Salad
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