Fluffy and delicious, these pancakes without milk are a delightful twist on the classic breakfast staple. Made without milk, they are flavored with a touch of vanilla and a handful of other ingredients.
If you don't have milk, you can make almond milk pancakes too!
Pancakes are one of our favorite things to make for breakfast. They are fast, easy to make, and delicious! If I'm being honest, I sneak a lot of healthy stuff into them too like chia seeds or flax meal for breakfast for my kids.
I first made these pancakes when my kids wanted pancakes for breakfast, I opened my refrigerator and guess what? NO MILK! So now what? The kids wanted pancakes, so I needed to figure out what exactly I am going to do, and this recipe was born!
Be sure to serve these pancakes with lots of maple syrup or blueberry sauce for pancakes and a glass of orange juice, cup of coffee or a lavender latte!
Be sure to check out these delicious blueberry oatmeal pancakes, this amazing Blueberry French Toast Casserole, or Bisquick breakfast casserole next time you are looking for some new breakfast recipes!
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Can I Make Pancakes Without Milk?
Yes! I'm going to show you step by step how to make fluffy pancakes when you don't have any milk on hand or if you are on a dairy-free lifestyle and can't eat dairy.
After making these pancakes, they might actually be my favorite ever. I might only use water to make pancakes from now on! Call me crazy!
Ingredients in Pancakes Without Milk
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these perfect pancakes!
- All purpose flour. There are a lot of different types of flour out there that can be used to make pancakes. You can make pancakes with cake flour or pancakes with self-rising flour too! For this recipe, we are sticking with the common all purpose flour.
- Baking powder. In order to get that fluffy pancake, you need baking powder. Make sure it is fresh and not expired, otherwise they will not rise.
- Water. Instead of milk, we will be using less than 2 cups water in this recipe.
- Vanilla extract. This easy recipe has a hint of vanilla to give them some added flavor.
- Melted butter. If you wanted to make these pancakes completely dairy free because someone has a dairy allergy in your life, simply use coconut oil, olive oil, or any neutral oil.
See printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Pancakes Without Milk
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients.
Step 2: In the large bowl, mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until a batter forms.
Lynn's Tip!
It's ok if there are a few lumps left in the batter. You do not want to overmix the batter. The best batter has a few lumps, and is not super smooth.
Step 3: With an ice cream scoop or a small measuring cup, spoon the batter into the large skillet or onto an electric griddle. Cook for 2-3 minutes until bubbles form in the middle and the edges start drying out.
Step 4: Flip the pancake over and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side until both sides are golden brown. Serve immediately.
Milk Alternatives in Pancake Batter
Here are some delicious alternatives to regular milk to use in traditional pancakes.
- Almond milk (like these almond milk pancakes)
- Pistachio Milk
- Soy Milk
- Cashew Milk
- Coconut Milk
- Oat Milk
- Eggnog (like these eggnog pancakes)
Tips and Tricks
- Do not push down on the pancakes when you flip them. Though it might be tempting to push down on the pancakes, that stops the pancakes from being as fluffy as they can be.
- The pancakes are ready to flip when the middle bubbles. Small bubbles will start to come through the batter. The edges of the pancakes will also start to dry out. When you see these two signs, it's time to flip the pancakes.
- Use an ice cream scoop or a measuring cup to measure the batter. This ensures the pancakes are all the same size will cook evenly.
- Do not cook the pancakes too high. Medium-low heat to medium heat is the best for cooking pancakes in the frying pan. Too high and the outside will be too cooked and the inside will be raw. Too low and the pancakes will take a long time to cook.
- If you are making a big batch and need to keep the pancakes warm, after they are cooked place them on a parchment lined baking tray or baking sheet and keep them warm in a 200 degree f oven.
Variations
- Add mix-ins into the batter before cooking. Add 1 cup of chocolate chips, 1 cup of your favorite berries, ½ cup of pumpkin puree, or ½ cup of sprinkles to make funfetti pancakes.
- Change the flour. If you want to add some more fiber to your pancakes, feel free to add a little bit of whole wheat flour, ground flaxseeds, or some chia seeds to the batter.
- Add spices! Cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or a gingerbread spice blend would all take these regular pancakes to the next level!
What To Do With Leftover Pancakes
Once the pancake batter is mixed together, cover the batter with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. The batter will stay fresh in the refrigerator up to 24 hours.
Once the cooked pancakes are cooked, store leftover pancakes in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator up to 4 days. To reheat them, place them in the toaster oven for 1 minute or until the pancakes are warm. You can also reheat the pancakes on the stovetop in a dry pan.
How To Freeze Pancakes Without Milk
Once the pancakes are cooked, allow them to cool to room temperature. Wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in freezer bags. Freeze the pancakes up to 4 months. To reheat these delicious pancakes, place them in the toaster oven in a single layer for 2 minutes or reheat them in a dry pan over the stovetop.
FAQs About Pancakes Without Milk
Make sure to cook the pancakes in a pat of butter and do not flip them until the bubbles come through the middle of the batter.
No, even though they do not have milk in them, they still have an egg and melted butter in them.
Getting a nice light batter by mixing air into the batter and by using baking powder that is not expired will give you light and airy pancakes.
More Pancake Recipes
📖 Recipe
Pancakes Without Milk
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Flour
- 3 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Egg
- 3 tablespoon Melted Butter
- 1 ⅓ cup Water
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- Add the egg, water, vanilla extract, and melted butter to the bowl and mix well but do not overmix. It's ok if there are a few lumps left in the batter.
- With an ice cream scoop or a ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop the batter into a frying pan greased with 1 tablespoon of butter. Cook for 3-4 minutes over medium heat or until the edges dry out and bubbles start coming up through the center of the batter.
- Flip the pancake over and cook for another 2-3 minutes until both sides are golden brown. Continue with the rest of the batter. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Do not push down on the pancakes when you flip them. Though it might be tempting to push down on the pancakes, that stops the pancakes from being as fluffy as they can be.
- The pancakes are ready to flip when the middle bubbles. Small bubbles will start to come through the batter. The edges of the pancakes will also start to dry out. When you see these two signs, it's time to flip the pancakes.
- Use an ice cream scoop or a measuring cup to measure the batter. This ensures the pancakes are all the same size will cook evenly.
- Do not cook the pancakes too high. Medium-low heat to medium heat is the best for cooking pancakes in the frying pan. Too high and the outside will be too cooked and the inside will be raw. Too low and the pancakes will take a long time to cook.
- If you are making a big batch and need to keep the pancakes warm, after they are cooked place them on a parchment lined baking tray or baking sheet and keep them warm in a 200 degree f oven.
Mindy says
Loved how these pancakes came out! They were super soft and fluffy, and they took hardly any time to whip up. Already looking forward to making them again.
Destiny says
I made these and these pancakes turned out so light and fluffy, and you can't even tell they're dairy-free! This will be a breakfast favorite going forward! Thank you for the recipe!
Lynn Polito says
I am so happy to hear that!
Niko says
I love how fluffy these pancakes come out but I love even more that they freeze so well! Great for busy mornings.
Lynn Polito says
So happy you enjoyed them!
Katherine says
I can't believe how fantastic these homemade milk-free pancakes turned out! I tried this recipe, and to my surprise, they were super fluffy and incredibly yummy.
Lynn Polito says
awesome!
Tara says
Delightful twist on the classic. Light, airy texture with a subtle vanilla flavor. Perfect if you're out of milk but craving fluffy pancakes. A go-to recipe!
Lynn Polito says
So happy to hear that!
Quynh says
I normally use milk but ran out this morning so I decided to try this recipe. These were the fluffiest pancakes I've ever made! Half I made plain and the other half I added blueberries. So delicious!
Lynn Polito says
I love that! So happy to hear that!