Dairy Free Fluffy Homemade Pancakes (made with water instead of milk).
(Updated photo, finally)
I didn’t know if it was possible to make dairy free pancakes. All of the recipes I found had weird ingredients in them with milk substitutes like almond milk & I couldn’t use any of them because the person I wanted to make them for had bad food allergies. So I made up this recipe that uses water instead of milk & vegetable oil instead of butter. They turned out light & fluffy & tasted just as good as my regular homemade pancake recipes. I served them with maple syrup & they were delicious.
So if your dealing with a milk allergy or perhaps you’ve ran out of milk at your house, you can still make fluffy pancakes from scratch. If your pancake batter is too thick add a little more water, you want it to be the same consistency as regular pancake batter. I find that sometimes I have to add an extra tablespoon of water to mine to thin it out.
You will have to forgive my bad pictures, it was dark out when I made these & I used my phone to take the photos, I will update the pictures when I get a chance. Recipes makes 1-2 servings, double recipe if you want more pancakes.
Dairy Free Pancakes made with water.
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup water
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 2½ Tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add egg to mixing bowl & whisk really well. Add water, sugar, oil, & vanilla & stir. Add in flour, baking powder, & salt. Mix just until everything is combined. If mix is too thick you can add a little bit more water. You want it to look like normal pancake batter.
- Let sit for a few minutes.
- Heat up a non-stick fry pan or griddle to about medium heat or less. You can add a teaspoon of oil to pan to prevent sticking.
- Once its warmed up you can test by pouring one pancake onto pan. Wait until bubbles start to form on top then flip over. Cook both sides until they are golden brown.
- Serve warm.
I’m always looking for new pancake recipes because I’ve never made a batch I loved! Can’t wait to give these a go!
Do not use salt it will ruin it ?
Hello Eden, Did you try making it? ALL pancake recipes call for salt in them.
Crazy me used baking soda instead of powder by accident. Not a good mistake to make! I will try again with baking powder next time thank you for a great dairy free recipe.
Mixing baking soda up with baking powder is an easy mistake to make, I’ve done that too! These pancakes definitely taste much better with baking powder, hope you get the chance to try them again. :)
Baking soda and cream of tartar will make a single acting baking powder, I use it all the time
Recipe is PERFECT! Super fluffy and delicious! <3
Hi Erica, I’m so glad you liked the recipe! Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
Delicious! Thank you for this recipe. I was recently diagnosed with a milk allergy and this is by far the best milk free recipe I’ve found. I substitued Splenda and they still came out great!
Hi! I’m so glad the recipe worked out for you! Thanks for commenting!
I’ve been making fluffy buttermilk pancakes for 30 years. My daughter has developed Lactose Intolerance and these are a wonderful solution. Lower calorie too.
Hi Matt, I’m glad this recipe works for your daughters lactose intolerance. I also use this recipe to make waffles.
I made banana pancakes using this recipe. I used Stevia instead of sugar, cake flour, and coconut oil as well. They are delicious!
Hi Lori, Banana pancakes sound delicious! I’m glad your alterations worked out.
This are great light and fluffy. I used almond milk
Hi Rose, I’m glad using almond milk worked! :)
Found your recipe this morning looking for a pancake recipe for when you have almost no milk left (1/4cup). Wife and I loved it, we will use in the future, with or without milk! I added a bit more salt, my personal preference, but they come out beautifully. A double batch makes about 12 – 4″ pancakes. Thanks for a delicious Sunday morning!
Hi Robbie, I’m so glad you both liked the recipe! It definitely comes in handy when your out of milk. :)
Hey Katie I made your pancake receipe, it did not come out as good as I hoped. I don’t know if it is because I use Blue Agave instead of sugar or not. My pancake did not rise ar all and the inside didn’t cook either, it was disappointing but I don’t think all is lost with the receipe. Anyway I hope you are having a great day.:)
Hello Elnoa, The problem was probably that you did not use sugar. Agave might have made the batter too dense. As long as you whipped the eggs really well they should have been light & fluffy.
Hi Katie! I used blue agave also, but I also decreased the water based on the amount I used to keep the liquid ratio the same. They turned out great! I also used rice and almond flour since I can’t have gluten and everyone loved them!!
Hi Sarah, I’m glad the alterations you made to the recipe worked out! Thanks for sharing the info!
Honestly I never comment on anything….but my little brother loved these so so much it made me proud. Greatly recommend these….thanks and have a swell day ;)
Thanks for commenting we appreciate it! I’m glad your brother liked the recipe!
I just made these and they are delicious. I am out of milk AND sugar. I used brown sugar and also added a dash of cinnamon. So good!
Hi Darla, I’m so glad you liked the recipe! I’ve never tried using brown sugar, sounds good!
Thank you so much for a great recipe. I ran out of box mix but I wanted pancakes. The skim milk was in the freezer frozen. So I searched for a recipe that I could make without milk. So so perfect!!! So much so that I decided to no longer buy the box mix as I am moving further and further away from boxed foods. Again, I thank you.
Hi! I’m so glad the recipe worked out good for you! This recipe works well if your all out of milk. :)
I had a breakfast emergency this morning when I realized I was out of milk. After a bit of research I found this recipe. The instructions were well written and easy to follow for a novice chef like myself. I also added a dash of cinnamon. The pancakes were epic, thanks for posting this recipe :)
Hi Tim, Glad to here the pancake recipe came in handy for you!
Made these a few days ago and here I am at 5:14 am craving some more, they’re delicious and I don’t even like pancakes!
Hi Joey, I’m so glad you liked the pancake recipe. :)
Hey was wondering how many calories each serve contains, thanks
Hi Bella, I’m not sure but you could try using a nutrition calculator like this one: https://www.verywell.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4129594
Thanks – these are so great. I am GF, so substituted 1 cup flour for 1/2 cup rice flour and 1/2 cup buckwheat if that helps anyone :)
Thanks for sharing the info about how to make them gluten free. I’m glad it worked!
How many pancakes does this make
Hi! The recipe makes 1-2 servings depending on how big you make your pancakes. I make 5-6 smaller sized pancakes with the recipe. If you need more you can double the recipe.
Hi Jenniffer, Sorry to hear you did not like the recipe. I have had nothing but positive feedback from people about this recipe until yours. I’ve made this recipe so many times & my family absolutely loves it. I’ve never had a problem with them not staying together. Perhaps the batter was too thin or thick. This can be easily fixed by adding more water or more flour to the batter. Also whipping up the egg with a whisk is a very important step for this recipe to turn out.
I made waffles with the no milk recipe using self rising flour. They turned out great! Thanks!
Hi Tina! I’m so glad they turned out great for you!
These are AMAZING! My new favorite recipe even if I have milk in the fridge!
Great! I’m glad you like it!
We had no mil at home so I resorted to this I added 6 tablespoons of sugar because I LOVEEEE sweet pancakes and only 3 more tablespoons of flour because it seemed a bit waterie lol (By The Way I’m 12 and I love baking!!)
Hope you liked it! :)
I ran out of milk and searched for a recipe. So glad I found this!! My kids and I really loved them!! I will make these from now on. Thank you.
Hey Selena, I’m so glad you liked this recipe! It comes in handy when your out of milk.
My son asked for waffles, we were out asked him if he wanted pancakes instead only to realize the mixture in the cupboard was expired. Then ……… remembered we were also out of milk anyhow glad we were cause these pancakes were greatttttt I did them about the size of the frozen pancakes you buy from the store and he ate 3 of them!
Hi Danielle, I’m glad you liked this recipe! This recipe comes in handy when your out of milk. Thanks so much for commenting!
This has become o or go to pancake recipe thank you!! Works great as waffles too.
I’m so glad you like the recipe! I’ve used it for making waffles too. Thanks for commenting!
I don’t know what happened. I followed the recipe using margarine instead of oil and brown sugar. But I felt like I was eating sweet glue. But good sweet glue LOL
Hi Brett, Sorry your pancakes didn’t turn out. You may have better luck if you use vegetable oil with the recipe, most pancake recipes use oil. Using regular sugar instead of brown sugar may help too, brown sugar is usually much stronger in flavor & contains molasses.
Thank you some much! I made these because I didn’t have milk and they were delicious light and fluffy! My only problem is that I doubled the recipe and it only made around 14 small pancakes
Hi Jo, You are welcome! I’m glad you liked it. I know the recipe makes a small batch, I usually only cook it for 1-2 people.
I tried these with Pillsbury’s gluten free flour blend and added 4 crushed thin style Oreos to the batter (per my son’s request). They came out great!
Hi Heather, I’m glad the recipe turned out with gluten free flour. Adding oreo style cookies sounds like a delicious idea!
Wonderful recipe! Thank you! Made these today and they were delicious :).
I’m so glad you liked the pancake recipe! Thanks for commenting!
These were absolutely delicious!! I made them this morning and they are so light and fluffy and can’t believe how much flavor they have! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, these are the only pancakes I will ever make!
Hi Gina, I’m so glad you liked the pancake recipe. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
Light fluffy recipe.. But why is there a burnt aftertaste? I haven’t found a recipe that doesn’t have an aftertaste that is non dairy. My son is a picky eater. I keep trying new recipes! And no pancakes are not burnt! Please help!
Hello Maria, I have never heard of pancakes having a burnt aftertaste. What type of pan are you using, perhaps that is the problem. I use a non stick pan made by T-fal: http://amzn.to/2CQOVKF
GREATTTTTTT RECIPE!!! Wow!!! Turned out PERFECT!
Hi Latrice, I am glad it turned out for you. Thanks for commenting!
Wow I never ever ever comment on recipes. I really don’t. This is incredible!! They are so fluffy and delicious!!! Thank you!
Hi Sarah, I’m so glad you liked the recipe! I appreciate your feedback!
AMAZING!! Just made these for my one year old and she loves them too :) we never have milk/butter in the house so this was a great recipe! Thanks for sharing :)
Arielle from DC
Hi Arielle, I’m so glad you liked the recipe! It does come in handy when you don’t have milk in the house. Thanks for commenting!
I cant wait to try these! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Bernadine, Hope you like them!
Hi! This recipe was a lifesaver tonight. Best pancakes I’ve ever made. Used gluten free flour too. Thank you!
Hi Bella, So glad you liked the recipe & that it worked with gluten free flour! Thanks for commenting!
Made these this morning cause I ran out of milk. Delicious and easy to follow recipe. Thanks!
Hi Selena, So glad you liked the recipe! Thanks for commenting!
Very good! This is a sweet pancake and if you prefer more conventional pancakes you can cut the sugar in half and leave the vanilla out. Will make again!
Thanks Leslie!
This is a quick and easy recipe that is also delicious!
I’m glad you liked it! Thanks for commenting.
Love this recipe. Will be using it from now on when making pancakes. Delicious flavor. I added some blueberries. Thanks for posting.
Hi Nancy, Thanks for commenting! I’m glad you liked the recipe!
I didn’t have vanilla so I used lemon zest instead. I’m lactose intolerant and my dad is diabetic, so used stevia instead of the sugar and they came out wonderfully. The lemon was really nice with it will definitely make these again!
Hi Laura, Thanks for sharing! I am so glad the recipe alterations turned out! Sounds delicious with lemon zest.
This was able to satisfy my sudden pancake craving – just when I was worried I’d have to head out to the store to get milk! These smelled heavenly while they were cooking <3!
I did substitute cake flour for the all-purpose, since it was at hand… I might not do that next time I make these since the texture wasn't quite what I'm used to in a pancake. But that was just a minor (self-inflicted) inconvenience!
In any case, thanks for saving my dinner!
So glad the pancake recipe worked out for you. Thanks for commenting!
I’m out of milk and wanted to make pancakes for my daughter. She said they are yummy (she’s 5, and I put sprinkles on top). I’m pregnant and can’t stomach anything right now but I can say they were very fluffy and easy to make. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Lindsey, I’m glad your daughter liked the pancake recipe. Thanks for commenting!
Used this as we were out of milk and my girls wanted pancakes, substituted the baking powder which I was also out of for 1/4 tsp of baking soda and 1/2 tsp of cream of tarter. My daughter said def a way to go again
Hi, I’m glad you liked the recipe & the substitute worked. Thanks for commenting!
No, seriuosly…these are better than “regular” pancakes. I don’t know what it is about these but I love the flavor and texture… the absence of milk makes them lighter, more fluffy and…just delicious. This is my new go to recipe. I’ve made them 4 times just this week!
Hi Amber, I’m so glad you like the Dairy Free Pancake recipe! Thanks so much for commenting, we appreciate it!
I rarely leave comments on websites, but I was just so happy with the result! Tasted great and fluffy. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Keiko, Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, we appreciate it! I’m glad you liked the recipe!
Book marking this recipe and saving it for later. I made these this morning and my husband said they were the BEST EVER, better than restaurant pancakes. And I even left out the vanilla because we didn’t have any!
Hi Scarlet, I’m glad your husband liked the pancake recipe! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, we appreciate it!
Thanks for the recipe Katie worked out amazing!! Also good on you for keeping up with comments AND the replies. Take care
Hi Albert, I’m so glad the recipe worked out for you! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Great pancake recipe . first time my girlfriend had a home made style pancake .awesome thanks
Hi Duncan, So glad you liked the recipe! Thanks for commenting, we appreciate it!
Eating dairy free while nursing my son. It’s been so hard to find tasty foods, so it was wonderful to find this recipe. I made them exactly with the ingredients you listed, no substitutions, and they were AMAZING! I am terrible at the box mix pancakes, and these came out wonderfully. It took me a minute to balance the water and flour to the right consistency, but other than that, I am so grateful to have found your site. Can’t wait to try your dairy free dinner rolls. Thanks again!
Hi Holly, I’m so glad you liked the dairy free pancake recipe. I also have a dairy free hamburger bun recipe that makes really good cinnamon rolls if you like those. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
These are absolutely amazing!!! Better than a best ever recipe I usually follow! Thanks for making and posting this! It will be my go to pancake recipe from now on!!
Hi Amber, I’m so glad you liked the recipe. It’s a breakfast favorite at our home. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
I don’t often have milk on hand and wanted pancakes. I have tried several on-line recipes but this recipe has worked the best for me. Pancakes ARE thick and fluffy and taste great. I pan fry them in a light coating of butter. I honestly can’t notice the absence of the milk in this recipe.
Hi Alan, I’m glad the recipe worked well for you. Thanks for commenting, we appreciate it!
These were great! I added a bit of cinnamon sugar. They turned out fluffy and couldn’t even tell there was no milk. Had to cook them on VERY low heat and flip them before they bubbled or else they would burn. Probably could have helped that if i thinned out the batter some more.
Hi Lucy, I’m so glad you liked the recipe! Adding cinnamon sugar sounds delish! Once my pan gets hot I have to to turn the heat down to cook them also. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
I found this recipe when we were out of milk and the kids fancied pancakes. They are delicious! I have had to adapt the recipe to cater for my son’s gluten intolerance and have used 1 & 1/2 cups of gluten free flour (it’s called self raising in the uk, not sure of the American – the one you’d use for cake!) and as I didn’t has baking powder, I used bicarbonate of soda (think it’s known as baking soda too) but just under a teaspoon full. Keep up the great work ladies :)
Hi Tracey, I’m so glad you were able to adapt the recipe to work gluten free! Thanks for sharing, we appreciate it!
Hey, I tried this & it was great! Didn’t have any milk one morning. Wonderful! Thank you for sharing a great recipe with all of us. Good job!
Hi Christina, I’m so glad you liked the recipe! It comes in handy when your out of milk. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
This recipe is the first i have made without milk that turned out decent. Even the last batch of regular pancakes i made turned out to be duds…not fluffy at all. I have saved this recipe, it is a keeper. Thank you for prefection.
Hi Michelle, I’m so glad you liked the pancake recipe! It’s one of my favorites. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
Hi there!
Was planning on making pancakes for my daycare children today (recipe calls for milk) turns out my grandson will be here and he has dairy allergies. Found your recipe, but realized i have olive oil and not vegetable oil. Do you think that will work?
Hi Jennifer, You can use olive oil in the recipe, however it has a stronger flavor vs. vegetable oil and might affect the overall taste of the pancakes.
Hi, I’m going to try this recipe for my son who has a dairy allergy. How long can the pancakes keep for in an air tight tub. I would like to send them for his school snack as the ones in school aren’t df.
Hi Jennifer, I’m not certain how long they can last, we always eat them right after making them. I’m reading online that pancakes can be kept in the refrigerator for 1-2 days after making them & still taste good.
These were yum! Thank you for this great recipe.
Hi Abigail, I’m so glad you liked the recipe. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
Last few months I suddenly got a crave for pancakes and I ran out of the pancake mix, so I had to make my own. Then I realized I’m out of milk too. My aunt used to make pancakes without milk and I don’t like how it turned out, but now I had no choice to be picky (when I say I craved it, I really do!). Really scared to give this recipe a go but I’m glad I did, cause it turns out superb! Leaving this comment only now since I’m in my pancake moods and gonna use this recipe again 😋
Hi, I’m so glad you liked our pancake recipe. I sometimes getting a craving for pancakes too. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
I ran out of milk yesterday and my son really wanted pancakes. I tried your recipe and they were delicious! I swapped apple sauce for oil—because I always do. They were really fluffy. Thanks!
Hi Tracy, I’m glad you liked the recipe. I will have to try it with applesauce sometime. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
Was snowed in at home. I like to make pancakes if I am stuck home in winter. Didn’t have any milk. So googled milk free pancakes. Most of the recipes called for soy or other type milk. Saw this recipe and tried it. The pancakes were GREAT! Now snowed in while eating some delicious pancakes!
Hi David, I’m so glad you were able to make pancakes even though you were snowed in. This recipe does come in handy when you are out of milk. Thanks for taking the time to comment & hope you are not snowed in too long!
This recipe is so scrumptious! I will admit I found this recipe early this morning before work cause I had a hankering for chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast(39 weeks pregnant). I made them for myself and then raved to my husband about them so much I had to make him some for dinner! Lol. I’m excited to have a dairy free recipe just incase our baby ends up with any milk troubles.
Next time I plan to attempt to sub in either ripe mashed bananas or apple sauce for the oil/reduce some sugar. Have you tried either?
Thank you for putting this recipe out there!
:-) The baby bump enjoyed them. Lol
Christina
Hi Christina, I’m so glad you liked the recipe. I have not tried using substitutes with this recipe but it may work. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it! And congrats on the baby on the way!
Mine came out very dry
Hi Jaime, It should not be dry, add more water or oil until you get the consistency you want.
Amazing!!! OMG best dairy free pancakes EVER!!!!!
Hi Eleanor, I’m so glad you liked the recipe! Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it.
Just made these pancakes substituting soy milk for water and using Red Mill 1 for 1 gluten free flour. It came out great and was delicious. However I used maple syrup as the GF flour requires a bit more liquid.
Hi Simone, I’m so glad the recipe worked with the gluten free flour. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
I tried these out for my lactose intolerant fiance, and they were delicious. However, I was wondering if you’ve ever tried making this recipe with a mix of wheat and all-purpose flour, or quinoa flour and APF, or mixing in some protein powder? I love the taste and texture, but I’d like to up the nutritional profile with something other than fruit:-) But great recipe – can’t even tell the milk is missing!
Hi MK, I’m glad the recipe worked for you. I have not tried to substitute any of the ingredients yet but I have heard that the recipe still works with gluten free all purpose flour so other ingredients might work as well. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
Hey Katie! I would really love to try the recipe but I’ve ran out of gluten free baking powder and i was wondering if it could still work out?
Hi Laney, You can make pancakes without baking powder but they will not be light and fluffy nor will they resemble a typical pancake, they look more like crepes. Also adding baking soda & lemon juice work as a substitute if you don’t have baking powder.
Wonderful recipe, used as my first time ever making pancakes from scratch. Wish I could post a pic here of how pretty they were.
Hi Tiffany, I’m so happy that the recipe worked out for you! Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it. If you ever want to share a photo of them you can post it on instagram and tag us @thesemisweetsisters or share it on our facebook page. Thanks!
I have a dairy allergy and my mom is diabetic and sodium restricted. This recipe is perfect because skim milk has 130 mg of sodium. The amount of salt is quite low. I used Splenda Sugar Blend instead of sugar and only 2 tsp of baking powder as there is about 65 mg of sodium per 1/8 tsp. They turned out as well as when I follow the recipe exactly just for me. Thanks for the recipe Holly and Katie.
Hi Ingrid, I am glad you were able to alter the recipe for your mom. Thanks for sharing what you did and taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
These pancakes are a little sweeter than I’m used to but that just means I don’t need syrup. I cooked them in a bit of butter then wrapped them around a rasher of bacon. Perfection. the pancakes were just awesome and it’s saves money by not using milk or maple syrup. Thanks for wonderful recipe!
Hi Linda, I’m glad you liked the recipe! Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it.
Being lactose intolerant is a struggle when it comes to foods…I just finished making this recipe…and I am so happy! Thank you for giving me and others access to it!:) They taste phenomenal!
Hi, I’m so glad you liked the recipe & that it worked out for you. Thank you for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
I just had to go dairy free due to lymes disease (I’m already gluten, corn and soy free). I’ve been craving pancakes and since I can’t use my old recipe anymore I’m so happy I found your page! I doubled everything except sugar (used 4 tbsp of coconut sugar instead), and changed to coconut oil, plus added a couple dashes of cinnamon and unsweetened cocoa powder. And OMG these are sooooooo good and super fluffy! Totally helped my craving! Thank you for posting this!!!!
Hi Rachael, I’m so glad the pancake recipe was able to accommodate your allergies. I hope you get healed up of the lymes diseases soon. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
OK we have to talk about these pancakes. I am blown away. I wasn’t looking for a dairy free recipe as much as I was looking for a milk free recipe as I didn’t have any. I used butter in place of the oil. These were the fluffiest pancakes I have ever eaten. I also stole the idea to add a pinch of cinnamon. That was a game changer. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Howard, Thank you for the wonderful feedback. We are so glad you liked the recipe. This recipe does come in handy when your out of milk. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
I am another one of those people that searched for this recipe because I ran out of milk! I actually have another dairy-free pancake recipe, however, in that recipe, they use another kind of dairy-free milk (that I didn’t have). So I searched again. Boy am I glad I found this recipe! These pancakes are so delicious and fluffy, it doesn’t even seem like they’re made without dairy! My husband also likes them, evidenced by the fact that he asked for one just to try, and ended up wanting another (which I happily gave him!)
Hi Faith, I’m so glad you liked the recipe. It definitely comes in handy when you are out of milk. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
My kids wanted pancakes for supper but I didn’t have milk. Going to recipe, will never use another recipe again! These were amazing. Thank you!
Hi Andrea, I’m so glad the recipe worked out for you. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it!
Came out pretty good i double the ingredients but the sugar seem to much but it was great very easy recipe to follow…
Hi Maurice, I’m glad the recipe worked for you. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it.
These were delish! I will make again! I normally don’t have milk in the house so this will be my go to recipe! Thanks!
Hi Sarah, I’m so glad you liked the recipe! Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it.