This is the first dairy free pancake recipe that has worked out for me! Tender and fluffy yet didn’t fall apart nor remain uncooked in the middle. I’m super happy with how these turned out! Saving this to use again! I used oat milk for my milk substitute. Delicious!
You’ll never buy pancake mix again.
Six years ago, before we ever moved to France, I had never made pancakes for myself. Not once. I never even considered it. It was something I could get at any restaurant that served breakfast, and I never really liked breakfast that much.
But, somehow, when you can’t have something, you want it even more. So of course, when we were faced with spending several euros for the smallest box of sub-par pancake mix or making some from scratch, I figured it out.
More dairy free breakfast ideas: no milk French toast / asparagus quiche / homemade waffles / tater tot breakfast casserole
Can you make pancakes without milk?
I slightly adapted this recipe – using oil because I didn’t like melting butter, and eventually switching to dairy free milk – and we never looked back. Why would we when it literally takes 2 extra minutes to measure out ingredients instead of paying for pricey pancake mix.
Maybe pancake mix isn’t that pricey, but it’s still something I don’t need to spend money on. Plus, I almost always have all of these ingredients in my pantry.
So anytime we want pancakes, I whip up a batch of this batter, and Marc mans the griddle. He’s really strangely good at making pancakes. I know I’ve told you that before.
More pancake recipes: Bananas foster pancakes / Birthday pancakes / Gluten free pancakes / Cornbread pancakes / Whole wheat pancakes
How do you make dairy free pancakes?
We’ve used all different kinds of milk in the recipe – coconut milk (from the refrigerated section, not the can), almond milk, lactose free milk and regular milk – and it turns out great every time.
They’re the fluffiest with traditional milk, but they are still so fluffy and good no matter what we use. Use whatever you have on hand, and I promise it will still work. If you use flavored or sweetened nut milks, adjust the recipe accordingly.
More dairy free breakfast recipes: Scrambled eggs without milk / Cinnamon apple bread / Asparagus quiche / Zucchini muffins
Tips for making dairy free pancakes:
- Don’t skip the baking powder. I know the recipe seems like an excessive amount, but if you want them to be fluffy, especially without dairy, you need it.
- Use canola oil or other vegetable oils. This is my go-to substitute for melted butter because I always have it on hand.
- Keep the eggs. I know these pancakes could easily be made vegan, but the eggs do wonders for the texture of these pancakes.
- Keep your cooked pancakes warm in the oven (about 200˚F) while you’re making the rest.
Extra Fluffy Dairy Free Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cup almond or coconut milk*
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Add milk, canola oil, egg and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- Preheat a non-stick griddle or large skillet to medium heat. (Coat pan with butter or oil if not using non-stick).
- Pour about ⅓ cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Allow it to cook until bubbles are visible throughout the pancake before flipping.
- Repeat until all batter has been used.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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My go to recipe! Fab
I used the canned coconut milk because that is all I had. I used 1 cup of that and 1/2 cup of water. The batter is thick and gorgeously silky looking. They are delicious and thick, but not exactly fluffy. More like the thickness makes it hard to cook all the way so they are delicious but difficult. The outside crisp insanely well, maybe the fat from the coconut? Maybe more water next time, if I dont buy thinned coconut milk. My son who we are trying to go no milk for as a test said they were better than regular pancakes and devoured them.
Thank you for the great review! I think that the amount of fat in the canned coconut milk probably contributed to the lack of fluffiness. Definitely try a light version next time! I’m so glad your son liked them!!
Hi, I made this with oatmilk, coconut flour and avocado oil. It did not turn out well. Any suggestions? I was hoping to make it extra healthy for my baby. Do you think oat flour would work better? My son is 9 months and has nut allergies so I think oatmilk is my only option for the milk but maybe oat flour is better for it than coconut flour?
Made it with coconut milk and blueberries. Delicious. I also substituted maple syrup for the sugar and they came out perfect!
I’m always looking for scratch pancake recipes using almondmilk, but instead of toasty brown, the pancakes were pale and cratered, looked like the moon versus the picture in this blog? How do I get pancakes to look like yours?
I’m sorry they didn’t turn out for you. Based on your comment, I’m guessing your pan wasn’t hot enough. Next time, let it preheat a bit before you start and always try one pancake, and make adjustments before cooking the rest.
Right, i was taught by my father to make sure the pan is really hot, it you drop a little batter in the pan and it sizzles, the pan is ready. plus pancake batter has to have a few lumps in it, if it is completely smooth, it will usually be thin. Let them cook until all the bubbles pop on top of the batter, keep an eye to make sure they’re not burning, you can turn the heat down a little at this point, then turn and it will puff up.
I’m not sure why no one else seems to have had this problem, but for me it was definitely too much baking powder. The pancakes ended up tasting chemically with a metallic aftertaste. Such a bummer, we ended up throwing the whole batch away. 🙁
I’m sorry they didn’t turn out for you. I have a feeling you might have used baking soda instead of baking powder. That would explain the metallic taste.
These were the best dairy free pancakes I have ever had! I made them this morning and they are so soft and fluffy! These are the fluffiest pancakes I have ever made, they were so delicious!! I am allergic to dairy and gluten, and this recipe was a life saver! I followed the recipe exactly only substituting gluten free flour. I will definitely be using this recipe again and sharing it to my friends! Thank you so much for this delicious recipe!! ☺️
I just made it this morning. The taste was perfect! The only thing I substituted was organic avocado oil, I don’t use regular vegetable oils at all. I do think that the batter is a little thin, but I let it sit for a few minutes to thicken up, made sure the pancakes were done completely on the first side (crispy on the edges) before flipping which made them really puff up. Love it!
It worked! Thank you! And I substituted for baking soda + vinegar, they still turned out fluffy and cool.
First time making dairy free pancakes, as my daughter is now on a dairy free diet, and I was a bit skeptical! Wow! Was I wrong!!! They were fluffy and delicious!! I added some lemon extract and they were wonderful!! Thank you for this great recipe!!!!
Made these with a flax egg (1 tbsp flax meal + 2.5 tbsp water, set aside for a few min), oat milk and coconut sugar (with the same measurements). They came out amazing! Definitely using this one in the future!