For a great start to the day, make this pancake recipe without milk. Even without dairy, this pancake recipe turns simple ingredients into a fluffy pancake stack. It‘s so easy and turns out delicious every single time.
Pancakes are one of my favourite ways to make the best part of the day extra special. A little bit of batter, a little bit of fruit and maple syrup and viola, you have yourself a delicious breakfast. But a pancake recipe without milk? Surely that can‘t be right. Isn‘t milk one of the essential ingredients to create fluffy, delicious pancakes? Turns out it isn‘t.
If you grew up in the 90s and early 2000s like me, chances are none of your childhood friends had any food intolerances. Schools served peanut butter sandwiches and boiled eggs as a snack and you flushed those down with a carton of milk. Sounds familiar? It certainly does to me.
But things have changed over the past decades. In today‘s world it seems more and more people are discovering food intolerances or allergies, and these nostalgic school-canteen favourites are top of the list of irritants. For food bloggers and recipe creators, this means those long standing recipes need to be adapted to strip out allergens without impacting the flavour.
So today, we‘re creating a pancake recipe without milk. Pancakes are one of those dishes people just assume cannot be made without milk. But the truth is, you can create a fluffy, delicious stack of pancakes with pretty much any liquid substitute. Making a pancake recipe without milk isn‘t just a great way to accommodate for food intolerances, but also a step closer towards simple living and a more minimal lifestyle. It teaches us to make do with what we have and use the items on hand more creatively. No milk, no problem. There are plenty of ways to create a stack of pancakes everyone will enjoy. Let‘s dive in!
Ingredients for my pancake recipe without milk
Eggs. We will use the whole egg for the pancake batter and there is no need to separate.
All purpose flour as our flour. I like to use all purpose for this recipe as it‘s nice and light, but feel free to mix in whole wheat flour or substitute for another white flour.
Plain water. It might seem strange to use plain old water for this homemade pancake recipe. At the end of the day, all we need is a liquid to stretch our wet ingredients. You can absolutely substitute for regular milk to make this a milk pancake recipe. For milk-free pancakes, opt for oat milk, soy milk or other non-dairy milks instead.
Vanilla. I like to use a teaspoon of vanilla extract, but you can use vanilla beans instead If preferred.
Baking powder to make these delicious pancakes rise.
Baking soda
Optional: Melted butter helps the pancakes stay nice and moist. Because water doesn‘t have the fat content of milk, a little extra fat helps these pancakes become fluffy. While absolutely non-essential, it‘s one of my favorite ways to create airy pancakes.
Pinch of salt
How to make the best pancake recipe without milk from scratch
In a large mixing bowl, mix your dry ingredients.
Next, we add the wet ingredients. Add one large egg at a time, and combine with the flour mix. Fill a measuring cup with water and slowly add it to your mixture. Your dough should form small bubbles on the surface.
Melt your butter on medium heat in the frying pan or large skillet you are intending to use to bake your homemade pancakes. Allow the butter to just melt before pouring it into your pancake mix. Immediately combine it into the dough.
Place your pan back on the stove and increase the heat to high.
Add a ladle batter to your pan and allow it to cook until it forms a crispy edge, then flip the pancake.
Cook the other side. To make the perfect pancake, keep flipping your pancake until both sides are golden brown. This should take about 2-3 minutes per pancake.
Repeat this process until all batter has been used up. If you notice your pancakes turning darker and darker in colour, lower the heat a little to ensure your pancakes don‘t burn.
Serve with maple syrup, chocolate chips, or fresh fruit and brown sugar.
You can keep any leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge over night.
Tips and tricks
Mix in stages. To make the perfect pancakes, mix the batter well after each ingredient addition. I like to add my flour slowly to avoid any clumps from forming.
Make ahead. For those busy mornings, prepare the batter for this easy pancake recipe the night before. You can store it in the fridge over night and bake them in the morning.
Take them to work. Once baked, these dairy-free pancakes can be packed in freezer bags and taken to work for a delicious lunch or snack. Try to eat them fairly soon if stored at room temperature.
Add extra fat for moisture. Without the milk, our pancake recipe benefits from a little extra fat. I often add a tablespoon of melted butter, but you could use coconut oil or any other type of fat instead.
Spice it up. Fat is a carrier of flavours, so you might find your basic pancake recipe to taste a little bland of only mixing water, flour and eggs. To make your pancake recipe without milk just as delicious as its dairy containing counterpart, add a few spices like vanilla or cinnamon For extra flavour.
Use carbonated water. If you are still not happy with the consistency of your pancakes, try and use carbonated water instead of tap water. The bubbles will help make the batter fluffy, helping each cup of batter turn into a deliciously light and fluffy pancake.
Other breakfast recipes to try
Frequently asked questions
Can you use water instead of milk for pancakes?
Yes, you can absolutely use water instead of milk for pancakes, as I have done in my pancake recipe without milk. With so many people being diagnosed with food intolerances, these new recipes help turn traditional pancakes into healthy recipes for those on a medically restrictive diet.
Water is a great substitute for any liquid ingredient. Especially on days where your fridge is close to empty, using water instead of milk will save you a trip to the grocery store. While the texture and flavour are a tiny bit different to traditional pancakes, this recipe still creates delicious, fluffy pancakes.
Does pancake mix need eggs?
Store-bought pancake mix usually need you to add a few simple pantry ingredients, yes. I personally prefer to cook pancakes from scratch. The total time of whipping up a large bowl of batter barely differs from cooking with pancake mix. Once you have mastered making regular pancakes, variations are easy and will always achieve best results.
What are the ingredients for pancakes made from scratch?
The best way to start is by combining flour, milk and eggs for a basic batter. Once comfortable with the consistency and process, you can experiment with adding different flours, for example whole wheat for whole wheat pancakes. Using non-dairy milk is another option. Almond milk pancakes are popular due to their nutty flavour, but you could use any other plant milk such as coconut milk to create a dairy-free pancake recipe. My favorite things to add to a good recipe like this are berries or chocolate chips.
Pancake recipe without milk - how to make them fluffy
Even without dairy, this pancake recipe turns simple ingredients into a fluffy pancake stack.
Ingredients
- 3 Eggs
- 2 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Essence
- 1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 Cups Water
- Pinch of Salt
- Optional: 1 Tbsp Melted Butter
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mix your dry ingredients.
- Next, we add the wet ingredients. Add one large egg at a time, and combine with the flour mix. Fill a measuring cup with water and slowly add it to your mixture. Your dough should form small bubbles on the surface.
- Melt your butter on medium heat in the frying pan or large skillet you are intending to use to bake your homemade pancakes. Allow the butter to just melt before pouring it into your pancake mix. Immediately combine it into the dough.
- Place your pan back on the stove and increase the heat to high.
- Add a ladle batter to your pan and allow it to cook until it forms a crispy edge, then flip the pancake.
- Cook the other side. To make the perfect pancake, keep flipping your pancake until both sides are golden brown. This should take about 2-3 minutes per pancake.
- Repeat this process until all batter has been used up. If you notice your pancakes turning darker and darker in colour, lower the heat a little to ensure your pancakes don‘t burn.
- Serve with maple syrup, chocolate chips, or fresh fruit and brown sugar.
- You can keep any leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge over night.
Notes
- Mix in stages. To make the perfect pancakes, mix the batter well after each ingredient addition. I like to add my flour slowly to avoid any clumps from forming.
- Make ahead. For those busy mornings, prepare the batter for this easy pancake recipe the night before. You can store it in the fridge over night and bake them in the morning.
- Take them to work. Once baked, these dairy-free pancakes can be packed in freezer bags and taken to work for a delicious lunch or snack. Try to eat them fairly soon if stored at room temperature.
- Add extra fat for moisture. Without the milk, our pancake recipe benefits from a little extra fat. I often add a tablespoon of melted butter, but you could use coconut oil or any other type of fat instead.
- Spice it up. Fat is a carrier of flavours, so you might find your basic pancake recipe to taste a little bland of only mixing water, flour and eggs. To make your pancake recipe without milk just as delicious as its dairy containing counterpart, add a few spices like vanilla or cinnamon For extra flavour.
- Use carbonated water. If you are still not happy with the consistency of your pancakes, try and use carbonated water instead of tap water. The bubbles will help make the batter fluffy, helping each cup of batter turn into a deliciously light and fluffy pancake.
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