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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.
So yummy! Is the cabbage supposed to be a little crunchy in the pancake? I used green cabbage, but might go for savoy cabbage next time since it seems softer.
Oh! It’s supposed to be just a little crunchy~ especially if you shred all the veggies really small. But savoy would definitely be softer.
Yum, this turned out delicious! I used a whole nori sheet instead of 2 tsp and it smelled sooo good. Had it with spicy mayo.
Nice
This did not work at all for me. Pancakes fell apart in the pan, nothing to bind it together.
The flour is the binder. Add more flour as needed. Did you change anything?
Needed a bit more flour to make the batter due to the amount of veg I had, so doubled up on the chickpea flour. Replaced capsicum with grated pumpkin, as it’s all I had. Also used soy milk in place of water. Held together well and very tasty, thank you!
pumpkin – yummy & nutritious!
This recipe is delicious. One note though: half a head of cabbage varies widely depending on the size of the cabbage. The first time I made this recipe, I used half a head of cabbage. I had to double the batter recipe.
Another commenter asked about this and was told to start with about two cups of shredded cabbage and increase as needed. I wish I had seen that comment before making the recipe.
you may like this instead https://schlank-natura.today/tofu-scramble-and-scramble-seasoning/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I’ve been making these a bunch. So good and super easy – thank you!
thanks for popping in
I make this gluten free by using a total of 3/4 cup chickpea flour instead of plain plus chickpea in the recipe as printed. The best recipe! Love it.
good to know, thank you!
I made these last night and I woke up thinking about them because they were so good! I added a couple potatoes and made a vegan spicy chili garlic aioli to go with the tonkatsu sauce. Thanks for the recipe! Cant wait to make it again!
wow Okonomiyaki dreams; yummy
Delicious! We followed the recipe and added mushrooms. We found we needed to keep adding water to get it the right consistency. It was a perfectly delicious and satisfying meal. Thank you!
nice twist
Looks yummies!
Can’t wait to go to work on my red cabbage smiling in the fridge!!