Dairy Free Pancakes
These dairy-free pancakes are light, fluffy, and don’t miss a beat! They’re made without milk or butter and still come out as soft and as melt-in-your-mouth as any other pancake.
Whether you’re hosting someone with lactose intolerance or a dairy allergy, or someone who just prefers to limit dairy, treat them to a stack of delicious dairy-free pancakes! They’ll love waking up to a breakfast of fluffy pancakes specifically catered to their preferences. Of course, you don’t need to have a special reason to enjoy a stack of these babies! They taste and feel like your classic pancake recipe so they’ll be a hit with everyone!
We like ours with a dairy-free nectarine smoothie and obviously a couple slices of bacon!
About this recipe
Dairy-free pancakes are made without milk or butter and yet they manage to be extra fluffy and delicious! You’d never know they were missing a couple of classic ingredients because those ingredients are replaced by very suitable alternatives.
Other than a couple of easy swaps, this is pretty much a standard pancake recipe using ingredients you most likely have in your pantry, including flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In this recipe, we replace dairy milk with almond-cashew protein milk. You can use any dairy-free milk of your choice.
The added bit of vinegar reacts with the leavening agents, giving these pancakes a light and airy texture. Although you’re not making a separate buttermilk substitute, the dairy-free milk, vinegar, baking powder, and baking soda all work together in much the same way. The pancakes are similar to popular buttermilk pancakes.
To keep it dairy-free, serve the pancakes with fresh fruit, a dollop of coconut yogurt, or a drizzle of homemade pancake syrup!
What you need
- Dairy-Free Milk Alternative – We used Silk cashew-almond protein milk but any non-dairy milk will work: almond milk, cashew, oat, coconut, etc.
- Vinegar – The acid reacts with the leavening agents and the milk, giving the pancakes a rich and fluffy texture.
- Egg – Eggs are used as a binding agent to maintain the structure of the pancake. The yolks also add needed fat so the pancakes are tender.
- Canola Oil – Replaces the melted butter found in more traditional pancake recipes. If you prefer, use melted coconut oil.
- Pancake Basics: You’ll need all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Egg Whites – The egg whites are whipped and folded into the batter which is similar to how waffles are made. This step leads to a crispy exterior with a soft fluffy interior.
How to make it
Preheat an electric griddle to 375ºF, or a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat.
Stir together the dairy-free milk alternative, vinegar, whole egg, and oil. Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, dash of salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Whisk in the liquid mixture until smooth.
Using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form.
Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter. Don’t over mix.
Pour about ¼-⅓ cup of batter onto preheated griddle or frying pan. Cook for approximately 3 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook another 1 ½ minutes on the second side.
You can use any non-dairy milk of your choosing, almond milk included. It’s a very popular choice for people who have a dairy-free diet.
How to make these pancakes your own
- While these pancakes are not vegan, using a few vegan toppings is a great way to ensure they stay dairy-free. Top your stack with vegan caramel sauce, strawberry sauce, or blueberry sauce.
- Add fresh fruit, fresh berries, or make apple cinnamon compote, swapping vegan butter for the regular butter.
- Spread pancakes with your favorite nut butter like this almond butter that uses candied almonds!
- Use a dairy-free yogurt to dollop on top. Coconut yogurt is delicious!
Make Ahead Ideas
As with any pancake batter, it’s always best to use it within the first few minutes while the leavening agents are still active. One thing you might consider doing a few minutes ahead of time is mixing the milk and vinegar to make a buttermilk substitute and then adding the mixture as one ingredient.
Storage Suggestions
Keep these pancakes stored in an airtight container in the fridge for easy access to leftover pancakes! They’ll stay fresh for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them for up to a month. Layering with parchment paper helps to keep them from freezing in a clump. That way you can just take out one or two at a time to reheat what you need.
Reheating Tips
Reheat in either the toaster or microwave. The toaster will give you a slightly crisper texture and the microwave a much softer one.
Other dairy free recipes
- Vegan Apple Pancakes
- Roasted Tomato Avocado Toast
- Caprese Avocado Toast
- Homemade Almond Butter
- Nature’s Cereal
Get the Recipe: Dairy Free Pancakes
Ingredients
- ¾ cup dairy-free milk alternative (recipe tested with Silk cashew-almond protein milk)
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 whole egg
- 2 tablespoon canola oil (or other neutral tasting oil)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 2 egg whites
Instructions
- Preheat an electric griddle to 375ºF or a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat.
- Stir together the dairy-free milk alternative, vinegar, whole egg, and oil. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, dash of salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Then whisk in the liquid mixture until smooth.
- Using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter. Don’t over mix.
- Pour about ¼-⅓ cup onto preheated griddle or frying pan. Cook for about 3 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook anther 1-2 minutes on the second side.
Notes
- Makes about 12 pancakes using 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake.