Apparently the main problem was that the batter I made according to the instructions on the bag of pancake mix was way too viscous. A friend told me to add more water and showed me the consistency it’s supposed to have. Now my pancakes are round and thin instead of being two-inch thick lumps. I still need to work on finding the right temperature. I used to burn the outsides without cooking the inside and I’ve gotten better but I think I still had the heat up just a little too high today.
You kind of buried the lede. Obviously the pancakes are going to turn out differently than traditional pancakes if you sub out like half the usual ingredients.
I won’t deny that vegan baking is quite limited. These pancakes are not going to taste just like traditional pancakes (and to the extent that they’re different, they’re probably worse) but they can still be round, golden-brown, and cooked all the way through without being burned. I’ll be happy if I get to that point.
Minimalist Baker has some delicious vegan (and gluten-free, etc.) recipes, although I admit that I haven’t tried any of their pancake recipes yet: https://minimalistbaker.com/best-vegan-pancake-recipes/
Most of those are incredibly solid. I’m not a vegan but I actually prefer standard pancakes made with oil and almond milk instead of buttermilk and butter with a little touch of coconut sugar. They tend to come out better and I like the almond milk flavor.