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.
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.
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.
More pancake recipes you’ll love:
- Bananas foster pancakes
- Birthday pancakes
- Gluten free pancakes
- Cornbread pancakes
- Whole wheat pancakes
More dairy free breakfast recipes:
- Scrambled eggs without milk
- Cinnamon apple bread
- Chocolate chip waffles
- Asparagus quiche
- Zucchini muffins
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.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Best pancakes ive ever eaten. Substituted with coconut oil and added a dash of cinnamon to the dry ingredients. Wow.
This is the 1st 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!
Amazingly good! Fluffy and so, so tasty!
I used Chobani oat milk, highly recommend it, the creamiest non dairy milk I have ever tasted
Amazing recipe!! We use Oat milk or Ripple unsweetened milk, and applesauce instead of egg. Better than any other allergy free recipe!! It’s bookmarked on my husband’s and my phone!
Hi Melissa, I tried making pancakes using your recipe. They came out hard/crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. They were also pretty thin. I tried lowering the heat when cooking the next batch and although it took a bit longer to cook, they ended up essentially the same as before. Do you know what could be the issue? Fyi I used a regular non-stick pan to cook them, and I used regular sweetened almond milk as the milk substitute.
If I had to guess, I think you might have used expired baking powder. It doesn’t sound like they had any rise, so that would be my guess. Otherwise, you may have measured your flour incorrectly. The difference in the sweetened milk wouldn’t have enough of an impact to ruin the pancakes. I hope that helps!
This recipe is my go-to pancakes. I’ve been making these for a week straight now. The recipe is delicious and easy to make. I did use chia egg substitute and just water instead of plant milk, but it still came out fluffy and yummy.
Best pancakes ever! I used soy milk and melted olive oil butter instead of oil. Nice and fluffy!! Even my granddaughter who is anti pancake ate some. Thanks for the great recipe!
Has this recipe changed recently? Do you still have the old ingredients list I can access? I used to make these years ago for my son who is dairy free and quoted them as the best pancake recipe I’ve ever used but when I tried them this morning the batter was so much thinner. The pancakes were then much less fluffy. I double checked the recipe and made it exactly to instructions using coconut milk.
No the recipe hasn’t changed. I’m guessing you either need some fresh baking powder because it may have lost its leavening power over time, or you measured your flour wrong and ended up on the lighter side.
Amazing. They cooked really well and tasted amazing! Were very fluffy.
This is my go-to pancake recipe. So much backing powder really makes the pancakes bitter- I find myself double the sugar and the salt. This time I cut the powder in half and added some baking soda to replace it. Worked fine with less bitterness to hide. ;p