These pancakes without milk use water but you can’t tell. They’re super fluffy, flavorful and easy to make. You can make them traditionally or gluten-free and dairy-free.
A lot of pancake recipes without milk don’t call for regular dairy milk, but dairy-free milk such as almond milk. I’m guessing if you’re looking for pancakes without milk, you don’t have any kind of milk on hand.
So these homemade pancakes without milk are truly without any kind of milk. It just uses water.
If you prefer to use dairy-free milk (or regular milk) in place of the water, go for it! But don’t use buttermilk.
That adds acidity to the recipe, and you’d probably need to adjust the amount of baking powder and use some baking soda. It’d be easier just to find a buttermilk pancake recipe.
But these milk-free pancakes are really perfect with the water. I was surprised.
My old go-to recipe used to be Old-Fashioned Pancakes on Allrecipes. Now it’s these!
I don’t make them often because I have zero self-control and just end up in a carb coma. But for a special treat, I’ll make them, and immediately freeze all but one so I don’t go wild.
They are so perfectly fluffy, and the flavor is great. Even my taste testers who don’t like pancakes loved these.
Ingredients for Milk-free Pancakes
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, see my disclosure.
You only need basic ingredients. Nothing fancy here!
- Oil or butter – the flavor is better with butter, but you can use a neutral-tasting oil. If using coconut oil, be sure to melt it first. And I would recommend refined coconut oil unless you’d like some coconut taste to your pancakes. To make dairy-free pancakes, make sure to use oil or vegan butter.
- Eggs – I tried chia eggs a few times, and while they work – the pancakes come out too dense. Any vegan option I offer has to be just as perfect as the non-vegan version, so, unfortunately, there’s no vegan option for this recipe. I’m working on a fluffy vegan pancake recipe, though!
- Vanilla extract – I find that a lot of pancake recipes are lacking flavor, which is probably due to them lacking vanilla. Be sure to add that!
- Flour – you need to use all-purpose flour or a gluten-free baking mix that’s meant as a sub for all-purpose flour. I can’t recommend bread flour, pastry flour, whole wheat flour or any other flour than the two mentioned ones.
- Sugar – I rarely add any sweetener to my pancakes, choosing to smother them in maple syrup instead, but… I really wanted these to be a treat and added 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. And again, that really helps with the taste!
- Baking powder – 3 tablespoons is not a typo! I wrote it in the recipe, too, but I know someone is still going to ask if that’s a typo. It makes these pancakes super fluffy!
Using aluminum-free baking powder is important! If you use regular baking powder, there may or may not be some metallic taste. Some people have experienced it, but most haven’t. If you’re worried about using 3 tablespoons, one commenter has used 2 tablespoons and said they were still fluffy! - Water and salt – I don’t think these need any explanation. :)
Please use a scale!
Using a scale ensures that your pancakes come out properly. If your pancakes are too thick, it’s almost definitely because you packed your cups when measuring.
If you don’t have a scale, then here’s how to measure flour: fluff up the flour in the bag or container using a spoon. Then use that spoon to scoop the flour into your measuring cup. Use a knife or anything with a straight edge to level the flour across the top of the measuring cup.
Gluten-free Option
These pancakes are fantastic with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free Baking Flour. We couldn’t tell the difference between the two versions.
If you don’t want to use that specific flour, then you need to use another one that’s meant as a 1-to-1 sub for all-purpose flour.
But as always, I can’t say the result would be as perfect as with the mix I used. All brands are different, and so are the final outcomes.
If you need a grain-free or paleo pancake recipe, see the Healthier Pancake Options section below!
There are some oat-based options in that section. Unfortunately, there’s no way to use oats, oat flour, or other alternative flours (except for a gluten-free baking mix) in today’s recipe.
Healthier Pancake Options
These milk-free pancakes aren’t healthy at all. If that’s what you’d like, I have some better options for you!
- Banana Pancakes – another pancake recipe without milk! These pancakes are bananna-sweetened and made with ground oats (oat flour), making them 100% whole grain. So they’ll keep you fuller for longer.
- Paleo Pancakes – a grain-free and paleo option! This one uses dairy-free milk + lemon juice or vinegar to create buttermilk. They’re not as fluffy as today’s recipe but like a cross between fluffy American pancakes and crepes.
- Easy Swedish Pancakes – you can use regular or dairy-free milk in these pancakes. They also use oat flour like the banana pancakes above, and the results are just like the pancakes I used to enjoy when I lived in Sweden.
Topping Ideas
- Blueberry Maple Sauce – this is just blueberries + maple syrup + vanilla. And it is amazing. So much better than store-bought blueberry syrup!
- Honey-sweetened Strawberry Sauce – another naturallly-sweetened option with tons of strawberry flavor.
- Homemade Peanut Butter or almond butter mashed/mixed with bananas and maple syrup
Pancakes that Freeze Well
I love a good recipe that I can double and freeze! These milk-free pancakes freeze great, so eat what you want, and freeze the rest for busy mornings.
Or just refrigerate them. They last for several days in the fridge.
Live Outside of the US?
As I’ve mentioned in several of my posts, basic ingredients like flour and butter vary a lot from country to country. So I had my parents in the US test these, and with great results.
I also tested them with US all-purpose flour and German butter. So you can make these with confidence!
All-purpose flour is really different from country to country and usually, I wouldn’t recommend using a recipe that was developed using flour from a different country.
But I’ve had really good experiences with pancake recipes. I think it’s safe to try these no-milk pancakes, no matter where you are.
I’m pretty sure this would work perfectly with Swedish flour – just the normal vetemjöl. Edit: a reviewer has confirmed it works great! If using German flour, I’d recommend half Type 405 and half Type 550.
Commenters from Australia and New Zealand have also tried these and loved them. From the UK, one commenter, Carris, used ASDA Gluten-free Self Raising Flour + 2.5 tablespoons (instead of 3) of baking powder and said they tasted just like regular pancakes!
Pancake Day
I actually wanted to post these milk-free pancakes just in time for Valentine’s Day, but it turns out that Pancake Day is in a few days!
Something I find really interesting is that in some countries, they eat jam-filled (or custard/Nutella/whatever-filled) donuts instead of pancakes for Pancake Day. In Germany, the word Pfannkuchen is a direct translation to pan cake. But they’re what we would call filled donuts!
So what is pancake day, you ask? Well, amazingly it has a long history. First, let’s start with who invented the pancake.
First known as Alita Dolcia or ‘another sweet’ in Latin was originally made by the Romans in the 1st century CE from milk, flour, egg and spices. It was sold hot on the corners of the squares and slathered in honey.
During the Middle Ages, Pancake Day became a traditional fest the day before Ash Wednesday as a way of getting rid of rich foods before the days of Lent known for a time of fasting and giving up sweet foods.
So Pancake Day or Pancake Tuesday is celebrated on Shrove Tuesday which you might know as Fat Tuesday.
By the 15th century, the pancake had made its rounds in Europe and diversified through the addition of spices like cloves and alcohol.
In 1445 an all-female pancake race began with the legend that a housewife who had lost track of time, arrived at church late on Shrove Tuesday still clutching her frying pan with, of course, a pancake. The race has been an international event since 1950.
So pancake day is a time for indulging before the beginning of Lent, and if you find yourself in Britain on Pancake Tuesday, as they say, “When in Rome”, you’ll be racing around with a frying pan and flipping pancakes.
I hope you’ll enjoy the pancakes! If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pictures of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Please hashtag them #texanerin so I can find them. :)
Pancakes Without Milk (of any kind!)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: eight 4.5" pancakes
Please read the notes below the recipe for important info!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (355 milliliters) water
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) neutral-tasting oil or 1/2 cup (113 grams) melted, warm butter (use oil or vegan butter for dairy-free)
- 2 large (50 grams each, out of shell) eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons (297 grams) all-purpose flour1 or for a GF version, use 2 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons (328 grams) Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free Baking Flour
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (not a typo) aluminum-free baking POWDER2
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Mix the water, oil, eggs and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour (please read the notes on how to measure flour correctly), sugar, baking powder and salt. Add dry mix to the wet and stir until combined. Don't stir out all the lumps. You don't want gigantic lumps but some medium lumps are okay. If you overmix, your pancakes won't be fluffy!
- Grease a pan with cooking spray or butter and place on medium-low heat (I used 3 out of 9 but stoves vary and you may need higher heat).
- Pour 1/8 of the batter (120 grams) into the center of the pan. Use a spoon to form into a more circular shape, if desired.
- Cook until you start to see some bubbling under the surface, rather than actual bubbles you see in some pancake recipes. Once the pan is really hot, this should only take about 2-3 minutes per side. Once you see the bubbling, check and if it's brown on the bottom, then flip.
- Cook another 2-3 minutes.
- Serve immediately. Let leftovers cool and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for 3 months.
Notes
- Please use a scale to measure the flour! If your pancakes are too thick, it's almost definitely because you packed your cups when measuring. If you don't have a scale, then here's how to measure flour: Fluff up the flour in the bag or container using a spoon. Then use that spoon to scoop the flour into your measuring cup. Use a knife or anything with a straight edge to level the flour across the top of the measuring cup.
- Using aluminum-free baking powder is important! If you use regular baking powder, there might be some metallic taste. Some people have experienced it, while others haven't. If you're worried about using 3 tablespoons, one commenter has used 2 tablespoons and said they were still fluffy!
Join over 12,400 readers and sweeten up
your inbox with new posts for free!
This subscription is free of charge and can be canceled at any time.
146 comments on “Pancakes without Milk (of any kind)” — Add one!
50 comments are awaiting moderation!
Finally a great tasting pancake recipe with no dairy or milk of any kind!🥰
Yay! I’m glad that you think so. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! :)
This was a good recipe. All of my 4 children shared how good they were. And they liked the fluffy softness.😊. I had to improvise, mixing gluten free flour and all purpose flour since I only had 1 cup of all purpose flour left. And I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m glad that your kids liked the fluffy softness. :) And that’s great that your mixing of flours worked well! That is something I’ve never tried. Thanks for your comment!
These were a hit for our Sunday breakfast! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome! And I’m happy to hear that they were a hit. :D
Erin my dear! Your recipe for these milk less pancakes are “AMAZING”! This person Taylor must have issues with something good. You handle it perfectly. Bravo my dear. Bravo. I’m 80 years young and have been making pancakes since I was 5.I have tried hundreds and hundreds of pancakes and your recipe beats them all! Thank you for your recipe and I will for sure without a doubt be checking your other recipes. Sometimes if you beat your batter to long or to hard you don’t get a good fluff.( just saying Taylor)🤔😁 I will be using this recipe all of the time. Blessings to you and your loved ones Erin. And again thank you. All my best,Mickie.👍👍🙏🙏🥰
Aww, thanks! Your comment made my week. It drives me crazy when one person doesn’t follow a recipe or makes a mistake, then says all the other reviewers are wrong. 🤦♀️ I am thrilled that you liked the pancakes so much! What a compliment from an 80-year-young expert pancake maker. :D Thanks again and I hope you have a fantastic weekend! And I hope you’ll like the other recipes if you try some.
WOW! Mine came out so pretty and fluffy! They freeze really well too, thnak you!
You’re welcome! I’m glad that they came out fluffy for you. :) Thanks for your feedback!
This is brilliant! I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to make pancakes but was out of milk….these were still fluffy and flavorful!
Woohoo! Glad to hear that. Thanks for your comment! :)
I dont understand, I followed this recipe exactly and its thick like dough not like pancake mix? I dont believe any of these other comments, we must be reading a totally different recipe. Im guessing moderators dont let any criticism through. It tastes fine but its far more like fry bread.
So you’re implying that all the other reviews are fake or that all the other people who left the comments were reading another recipe and accidentally left their review here? I’ve got to say that it’s far more likely that you made a mistake. 🤔 I would normally troubleshoot with you to find out the issue, but when you say that you “don’t believe any of these other comments,” then I don’t think there’s any point.
Like i said, if you could read… I follow the directs and measurements exactly and it is thick like dough. I never once said they were bad. And No I’m not implying that every comment is fake, its called an exaggeration. I am however implying you don’t let comments that critize this recipe through, although it would’ve been helpful to see if others were experiencing this same issue or commented on how thick the batter is.
Hmm. I think it’s pretty clear that I can read. 🤔 It’s just that most people usually come back to say things like, “Oooh, I just realized that I doubled the flour. Sorry!” And stuff like that. I let your comment through, so I’m not sure why you’re again saying that I don’t let comments through that criticize the recipe. I clearly do. It’s just that other people don’t seem to have problems with it.
I think polite critiques are super helpful for recipes for sure. But at this point, Taylor, wouldn’t it be better to just find a different recipe out there rather than waste your time here? Especially if you find that your words aren’t being allowed through here? It’s just not worth the frustration and there are plenty other places that will appreciate your input without a fight.
I found these a little thick too, but I was able to add a little water and my family was none the wiser that I ran out of milk.
I appreciate input, but what Taylor did was imply that the reviews are fake. So, no, I don’t appreciate that at all. That is beyond absurd. I don’t have time for such a thing, but even if I did, I would never do that because it’s unethical. My reply also wasn’t a fight. I would have been happy to troubleshoot with her, had she not been rude. I usually make recipes at least 6-10x before posting them. I do this over weeks. Then I spend $300 to have the photos and video done (because I don’t have time to do them myself). All so that I can provide a free recipe (there are ads, but they don’t even come close to covering that cost of just the photos/video). So I get a little irritated when someone implies that the reviews are fake. I hope that’s understandable. :) I’m glad that your family accepted the pancakes! But since you said they’re a little too thick – how did you measure the flour? I learned to just put the measuring cup in the flour, fill it up, and then level it. That’s not correct, though. Here’s how to measure flour. But a scale is really the best way! 297 grams of flour is 297 grams of flour. Always. With cups, there’s so much variation! I will add a tip to the recipe notes telling people how to measure flour and try to find a video of someone properly measuring flour that I’m allowed to embed into this post. By the way, I’m not saying you measured it incorrectly – I just asked how you measured. Because if you measured the way I learned, then that would explain why the pancakes were too thick.
I added a note at the beginning of the recipe, at the end of the recipe, and have a section on how to measure flour with a video towards the beginning of the post. I hope that works. :D
Out of milk on Christmas morning and these were a lifesaver! These will be my go to recipe from now on – such a perfect flavor and texture was amazing! Thanks for sharing :)
You’re welcome! I’m so glad that you enjoyed them. :) Thanks a bunch for your comment! And sorry for just now seeing it.
My son is allergic to dairy. He loves pancakes so I had to look for a dairy-free recipe. I just tried these, and they are amazing!!! Just like the regular pancakes!
Yay! I’m really glad to hear that you enjoyed them. :) Thanks a ton for your feedback and my apologies for just now seeing it! The last month has been crazy.
Easy to follow directions and great taste!
Thanks for your feedback! I’m happy that they worked out well. :)
I have tried many pancake recipes that are made with water, (my daughter and I are both lactose intolerant) and these are by far the absolute best!!! They rise so high, are so fluffy and extremely delicious!! My adult children love this recipe. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. I will be making these for my boyfriend tonight.
I’m so glad that everyone enjoyed them! I’m terribly sorry for just now seeing your comment. I hope that your boyfriend liked them, too! Thanks for your kind words and sorry again for my slow reply.
These gluten free pancakes taste just like normal pancakes, thank you!!! I used the measurements in the recipe but with Asda brand gluten free self raising flour + 2.5 tablespoons of baking powder. Thank you this will be a regular treat for me you angel 💛
Aww, thanks! I’m so glad that they worked well for you. :) That is awesome that they worked great with that GF flour – thanks for sharing the brand! I added the tip to my “live outside of the US?” section. :) Thanks again for your wonderful feedback!
I wanted pancakes for dinner but didn’t have any milk. Enter the google and found this recipe! My youngest was amazed that I made pancakes at all (couldn’t figure out where I got the milk from – I told him it was “mom magic”!) and my middle said he liked them better than pancakes made with milk. So thank you, your recipe was a winner for my family!
You’re welcome! I’m really glad that you and your sons enjoyed them! Mom magic is so cool. ;) I really appreciate you leaving your feedback. I’m so sorry for just now seeing it! 🤦♀️
I found this recipe about a month age. My son and I make it quite often. This is really good when you put blueberries with it. Thank you for this recipe. God Bless
You’re welcome! I’m glad that you’ve been making them often. :) Blueberries are always a nice addition! Thanks for your comment. :)
These were wonderful! I used the exact measurements an used these for a delicious breakfast for dinner! Very fluffy!!!♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
I’m thrilled that they came out so well! Thanks a bunch for your feedback. :) Having these for dinner sounds wonderful!
These are great light and fluffy pancakes. Perfect for my son who can not have milk products because of eczema. Thanks for the great recipe.
I’m glad that you enjoyed them! I hope your son was happy with them. :) Thank you for your comment!
This weekend, I had my little nephew, who is allergic to dairy, over, and these dairy-free pancakes were a huge hit! I was glad I was able to make him something yummy. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad that you enjoyed them. :) Thanks a bunch for your comment!
The were really good and fluffy! We loved them and can’t wait to make them again soon!
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks a bunch for your feedback. :)
These pancakes were delicious! You don’t miss the milk. This recipe is a keeper!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed them! :) Thanks for your feedback and I’m sorry for just now seeing it.
It was delicious. Super light, super fluffy and a typical cultured pancake with maple syrup is a delight. Keep up the great work. My family loved it.
I’m so happy that you and your family liked the pancakes! Thanks for the kind words and my apologies for just now seeing your nice comment.