Molasses and red whole wheat flour make them dark. I can make it lighter with maple syrup and white whole wheat flour.

dry: 1.5 cups whole wheat flour. 1.5 tsp baking powder, .5 tsp baking soda, .25 tsp salt wet: 1.5 cups soy milk, 2 tbsp molasses or maple syrup, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar flax egg: 2 heaping tbsp flax meal, 6 tbsp water

mix the flax egg into the wet, then mix the wet into the dry. I then usually fold in a mashed banana. I cook 1/4 cup sized pancakes at 375f

I sometimes make pancakes/flatbread with my sourdough discard. My starter is half wheat half rye. Those pancakes often end up dark-looking, from the rye I assume. I don’t know if OP used rye flour.