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Vegan okonomiyaki! These savory Japanese cabbage carrot pancakes are packed with veggies and so delicious served with sweet and sour homemade tonkatsu sauce. (nut-free with soy-free and gluten-free options)
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Vegan okonomiyaki is an easy weeknight meal. Just shred the veggies, mix them with the batter ingredients, and cook these tender, savory pancakes on the stovetop. The sauce comes together in one bowl!
Okonomiyaki are usually made with eggs, vegetables, and meat. In this vegan version, I’m using lots of veggies, plus some chickpea flour and black salt to give them that signature egginess. You can use all chickpea flour instead of the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free option.
These are absolutely delicious served with sweet, tangy, 1-bowl tonkatsu sauce made with ketchup, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and a little bit of sugar. You can also drizzle on some vegan mayo for a creamy element.
What I love about these Japanese cabbage pancakes is that they are so versatile! You can add veggies of choice, add some sliced mushrooms for a meaty pop of texture, or add more crumbled nori sheet for a fishier flavor, if you like.
No matter how you serve them, okonomiyaki are an absolutely delicious and easy dinner!
Why You’ll Love Japanese Cabbage Pancakes
- quick and easy weeknight meal
- packed with veggies and flavor! Add your favorite veggies of choice, too.
- super quick, 1-bowl tonkatsu sauce to drizzle or dip
- naturally nut-free with easy gluten-free and soy-free options
More Cabbage Recipes
Vegan Okonomiyaki – Japanese Cabbage Carrot Pancakes
Ingredients
For the Pancakes
- 1/2 head of cabbage
- 3/4 cup carrots
- 1/2 red or green bell pepper
- 2 tbsp scallions
- 1 inch ginger, minced
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp miso, optional
- 1/8 tsp Indian black salt, kala namak- optional
- 2 tsp crumbled nori sheets , or 1/2 tsp togarashi – optional
- 1/2 cup unbleached white flour (ap flour) , or a mix of rice flour and all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup chickpea flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder optional
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water
For the Easy Tonkatsu Sauce
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce , or whatever sauce as we refer to it in my house 😉
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- a few tsp water
Instructions
Make the okonomiyaki.
- Shred all the veggies. Add the vinegar, soy sauce, salt, white pepper, nutritional yeast, miso, black salt, and crumbled nori sheets. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- Mix the flours and baking powder into the bowl and mix in. Add a little water to make a mix that can spread. You might not need much, as the veggies leak a lot of water, depending on how you shred them.
- Heat a pan over medium heat, and add the oil. Spread the batter to even it out into 1/4" to 1/2" thick pancake ,and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side.
- Serve with the tonkatsu sauce, vegan mayo and pickled ginger if you have some. You can also sprinkle on some green onion and sesame seeds.
Make the tonkatsu sauce.
- Mix all the ingredients until well combined, and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients
- veggies – Shredded cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, and chopped scallions add flavor and texture.
- ginger – Boosts the flavor even more!
- sauces – Rice vinegar and soy sauce add moisture and flavor to the pancakes. Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce for gluten-free and soy-free. For the tonkatsu, you need ketchup and vegan Worcestershire sauce.
- spices – White pepper adds a signature flavor, and black salt (kala namak) gives the okonomiyaki an eggy flavor. Nutritional yeast adds umami and color.
- miso – This is optional but adds even more umami! Use chickpea miso for soy-free, if needed.
- nori sheets – Gives this a fishy flavor.
- flour – A mix of white flour, rice flour, and chickpea flour act as the binder. Use more chickpea flour instead of white flour for gluten-free.
- baking powder – This is optional but makes the pancakes fluffier.
💡Tips
- The veggies will release moisture as they sit in the bowl, so the amount of water you need to add to the batter at the end will vary. You want a thick, spreadable batter.
How to Make Okonomiyaki
Shred all the veggies. Add the vinegar, soy sauce, salt, white pepper, nutritional yeast, miso, black salt, and crumbled nori sheets. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Sift the flours and baking powder into the bowl and mix in.
Add a little water to make a mix that can spread. You might not need much, as the veggies leak a lot of water, depending on how you shred them.
Heat a pan over medium heat, and add the oil. Spread the batter to even it out into 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick pancake ,and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side.
Serve with the tonkatsu sauce, vegan mayo and pickled ginger if you have some. You can also sprinkle on some green onion and sesame seeds.
What to Serve with Okonomiyaki
Serve these drizzled with vegan mayo, the tonkatsu sauce, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and green onions. They’re great with some pickled ginger on the side, too!
Frequently Asked Questions
Vegan okonomiyaki are naturally nut-free with easy gluten-free and soy-free options. For gluten-free, use more chickpea flour instead of the all-purpose flour and coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. For soy-free, also use the coconut aminos and use chickpea miso for the miso element. Also make sure that your vegan Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free and soy-free.
When do you add the soy sauce, salt, yeast, miso and nori. The instructions aren’t that clear.
In step 1: Shred all the veggies. Add vinegar, and everything through nori sheets keep aside for 10 minutes. (you add all listed from the top of ingredients up to and including the crumbled nori.). 13 items. hope this clears things up
Oh sorry, I guess I missed that. Thanks.
no problem =)
Delicious but I must have over shredded the veg as the batter was wayyyyy too sloppy.i
I shall try adding more flour to the remaining batter!
Yes that will very likely lead to lot of moisture leaking from the veggies. Fine shred means more moisture
What does this mean, please?
“Shred all the veggies. Add vinegar, and everything through nori sheets keep aside for 10 minutes.”
Hi! It means shred all of the veggies into a bowl then add everything listed in the ingredients from rice vinegar to the ingredient before “nori sheets”. So mix these ingredients into the shredded veggies then set bowl full of this to the side for 10 minutes: rice vinegar, soy sauce, salt, white pepper, nutritional yeast and miso paste.
Thanks Richa! So at what point do you add the nori sheets? Anyway, I made this recipe and it was delicious!
awesome! add with the flour.
I’ve been using this recipe, with some mild variations (eg. wholemeal SR flour only, peas, Obento sushi seasoning, spring onions, more carrots & ginger) for about 2 years. Each time the okonomiyaki just seem to get more delicious and more non-vegans ask for the recipe. I’m currently in protective isolation with my 91yo Mum (with early-stage dementia). She usually lives at home with help from family and private carers each day, but Covid made that too risky. She isn’t vegan, but this is one vegan dish she really loves and never tires of. I’ve discovered that prior to cooking, the mixture can be frozen for several weeks. Also, many of the ingredients last a long time before preparation. Partly as a result, I’ve been able to reduce Mum’s risk of exposure to Covid by only going shopping (with PPE) once every 3-4 weeks. Thank you so much for this. I must look at your other peaceful recipes. If all humans embraced veganism, Covid wouldn’t exist and climate change could be halted. Good luck!
We loved this. Thank you! I used cabbage, beet, celeriac, and turnip. I used a box grater for all of it. I had a lot of veg maybe 5 cups so I used the customizing metric on your site (loveit) and made a recipe for 8 people. We loved them. I have sent it to 2 friends:). Refrigerated all the leftover (there are 3 of us). We also put some vegan mayo (fabanaise) on them as that is how we get them at out favorite Japanese restaurant. This is a keeper!! Thank you
Excellent, thanks!
What temp in the oven would you recommend baking them at? Our stovetop situation is sad.
400 deg F
Would you still do the 5-7 minutes per side and take out to flip?
it will takae much longer for baking. prob 15 mins then flip
Delicious! Thank you for this recipe. I had the pancakes with spicy pickled carrots and it was a perfect combination!
awesome
Delicious – I made these last night and they were a winner all round. Everyone loved them, thanks Richa.
awesome!
Should the dough be “dry” like sweet pancakes, or is it normal to be on the wet side, if properly cooked? I never get them or similar things absolut right. Even when they are extra thin and cocked longer. But anyway a nice recipe. 🙂
its a stiff batter. Thinly sliced or shredded veggies and thin pancakes do well. With thicker pancakes or bigger veggies, it would take longer to cook. Adjust based on your pan. Some thinner pans might burn some parts before the cooking is done.
Do you think I could use white bread flour or cake flour as a sub here for regular flour?
white bread flour will work