Almond Milk Pancakes (Dairy-Free!) | The Picky Eater

May 28, 2023

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It isn’t brunch without a short stack of pancakes! Homemade almond milk pancakes are quick and simple, with just a handful of ingredients and no buttermilk. These dairy-free, fluffy pancakes disappear quickly and are great for the entire family! Gluten-free and vegan options included too!

A tall stack of almond milk pancakes drizzled with maple syrup on a white plate.

This fluffy almond milk pancakes recipe is a staple plant-based breakfast in our house. They taste just as good as buttermilk pancakes but are made with heart-healthy almond milk.

My kids devour these delicious pancakes. They can’t even tell the difference between these breakfast cakes and a traditional pancake recipe, and neither can I!

You might be wondering, classic pancake recipes call for regular milk, so can you use almond milk for pancakes?? Yes! You can! These are light, fluffy, and are dangerously good.

If making this healthy pancake recipe from scratch on a busy morning feels daunting, make a double batch on the weekend and freeze the leftovers. Reheat in the toaster and breakfast is ready! Who knew homemade pancakes with almond milk could be as easy as frozen waffles?!

This is my favorite homemade pancake recipe without milk and I know it will become your favorite too. Top them with a hefty drizzle of maple syrup and enjoy!

👩‍🍳 Why You’ll Love This Almond Milk Pancake Recipe

Just As Good As Traditional: These milk-free pancakes taste just like regular pancakes; no one will ever know the difference!
Better Flavor Than Pancake Mix: But without too much extra fuss! You can also make your own homemade pancake mix without milk by mixing the dry ingredients up ahead of time.
One-Bowl Recipe: This is truly a no-fuss recipe! Just add all of the ingredients to the blender or a bowl and blend or whisk up. No additional mixing bowls or fancy tools are needed!
Quick & Easy: With only 5 minutes of prep time, this easy pancake recipe with no milk is a great option for even the busiest of mornings!

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🥘 Ingredients

These pancakes made with almond milk require only pantry staples found at your local grocery store.

All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose regular flour creates classic pancakes with a light texture and structure.
Baking Powder: A classic leavening agent for these pancakes using almond milk, giving them a nice fluffy consistency.
Sugar: Just a touch of granulated sugar adds a mellow sweetness to the pancakes.
Unsweetened Almond Milk: This is my favorite milk substitute for pancakes. Almond milk in pancakes provides the same light fluffy texture that regular milk will, and unsweetened almond milk has the added benefit of less sugar and calories than regular milk! Sweetened almond milk could also work, though you will want to cut the amount of granulated sugar in half if using it.
Egg: Eggs provide structure and a rich flavor for this dairy free pancake recipe.
Vanilla Extract: For a sweet vanilla essence! For the best flavor, use pure vanilla extract.
Butter: Butter creates moist pancakes with an airy texture.

🍲 Substitutions

Flour: For more whole grains, you can replace 1/2 cup of the flour with whole wheat flour. Avoid using almond flour though. Almond flour pancakes have a different ratio of flour to milk.
Sugar: If granulated sugar isn’t your thing, you can also substitute coconut sugar, raw sugar, or packed light brown sugar.
Milk: Oat milk, coconut milk, soy, or even dairy milk can all substitute for almond milk. You can even use unsweetened vanilla almond milk to increase the vanilla flavor in these pancakes.
Butter: Vegan butter, light oil, or coconut oil can work in place of unsalted butter. Any of these options will make this pancake recipe dairy-free!

🔪 How To Make Almond Milk Pancakes

The best part about these pancakes is how easy they are to make! Here is how to make this no milk pancake recipe:

Blend Ingredients: Just add all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth!

All of the ingredients for almond milk pancakes in a blender.

Let Pancake Batter Rest: Let the batter rest for 10 minutes. This allows the baking powder to work its magic.

Almond milk pancake batter resting in a blender.

Cook Pancakes: Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour batter by 1/4 cup-fulls and cook until small bubbles appear. The bottoms should be golden brown.

Almond milk pancake batter poured onto a skillet.

Flip Pancakes: Flip the pancakes and cook for 3 to 4 more minutes, until the cakes are cooked through. Repeat until all the batter is gone.

Flipping almond milk pancakes on a skillet.

Serve: Serve these easy almond milk pancakes with your favorite toppings!

A pile of almond milk pancakes on a plate.

💭 Expert Tips

For a blender alternative, just whisk the ingredients together thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Alternatively, you can blend up the batter using an immersion blender.
For the best almond milk pancakes, let the batter rest! Baking powder activates once it’s mixed with wet ingredients. Rested batter will create fluffier pancakes.
Cook the pancakes on a hot skillet. Wait until the skillet is up to temperature before you add the batter.
Use a non-stick skillet. For best results, use a nonstick pan so the pancakes don’t stick. I like to spray the pan with cooking spray too.
Use a thin-set rubber spatula. This makes flipping a breeze!
Adjust the skillet heat as you cook the pancakes. If these griddle cakes brown too quickly, turn down the heat. If the heat’s too high, the bottoms will burn before the insides can cook.
Keep the pancakes warm while cooking the rest. To serve the pancakes hot all at once, store the freshly cooked pancakes in an oven preheated to 200 degrees until serving.
Optional: make the pancake batter ahead of time. The batter for this pancake recipe using almond milk can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time. Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator before cooking it up.

📖 Variations

These pancakes made with almond milk are easy to customize! Here are a few tasty variations to try.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes: Stir 1/3 cup of mini chocolate chips or dairy free chocolate chips into the almond milk pancake batter to add a chocolate twist!
Double Chocolate Pancakes: Blend 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder with the rest of the pancake ingredients and stir in 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips for an extra chocolate kick!
Blueberry Pancakes: Sprinkle the pancake batter with fresh or frozen blueberries after pouring it onto the skillet. The fruity burst of flavor is irresistible!
Milk Free Pancakes: For milk-less pancakes, replace the milk with water. If the batter is a bit thin, add a tablespoon or two of flour until has reached the desired consistency.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

This pancake recipe with almond milk is delicious with scrambled eggs, hash browns, sliced fresh fruit, and any of your other favorite breakfast foods.

And, of course, you can serve the pancakes with all kinds of toppings and drizzles! Here are some of our favorite toppings:

Sweet Toppings & Drizzles: Chocolate chips, maple syrup, vegan honey, strawberry simple syrup, blackberry simple syrup, vegan nutella, a little bit of cinnamon, nutmeg, or powdered sugar, whipped cream, jam, and apple curd are just a few options that will turn these pancakes into a decadent treat!
Crunchy Toppings: Sprinkle on some low calorie granola or high protein granola, chopped nuts, or pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
Nut Butters: Try peanut butter, regular butter, almond butter, pumpkin seed butter, or this white chocolate hazelnut spread.
Fresh Toppings: Fresh berries or other fresh fruits, chopped dates, sliced bananas, shredded coconut, or even fresh fruit compote (like fresh blueberry compote or pear compote) would all taste great.

A stack of fluffy almond milk pancakes on a white plate with a forkful taken out of it.

🙌 Dietary Adaptations

Dairy-Free Pancakes: Make the perfect dairy free breakfast by swapping the melted butter for the same amount of vegetable oil, olive oil, coconut oil, or even vegan butter. This will create non-dairy pancakes that are light, moist, and fluffy.
Gluten-Free: To make gluten-free pancakes, replace the all-purpose flour with 1-to-1 gluten-free flour (I recommend Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour) and continue with the recipe as directed. To make gluten-free dairy-free pancakes, make this substitution with the dairy-free substitution above. Delish!
Fluffy Vegan Pancakes: You can easily make these pancakes with almond milk and eggs into 100% plant-based pancakes! Just use a flax egg in place of the regular egg for an egg-free recipe, and swap a light oil, coconut oil, or vegan butter for the unsalted butter to make these totally vegan friendly.

🫙 Storage Directions

Refrigerate: Store these pancakes made with almond milk in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Leftover almond milk pancakes can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Re-Heat: For best results, reheat these leftover no-milk pancakes until warmed through in the toaster, a toaster oven, or even in the air fryer! You can also warm them up on a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Though these pancakes can technically also be warmed up in the microwave, I recommend against it as they can become soggy.

❓ Recipe FAQs

Can I substitute almond milk for regular milk in pancakes?

Yes, you can use almond milk for pancakes! In fact, it is my preferred plant-based milk because of its mild flavor and creamy texture.

What milk alternative is best for pancakes?

The best milk alternative for pancakes is the one that you like the best! Though I love almond milk, any plant-based milk works in this easy recipe. A few great options are oat milk, soy milk, coconut milk, and cashew milk.

Is almond milk healthier than milk?

Unsweetened almond milk can be healthier than regular milk because it’s lower in calories (30 calories for a cup vs. 120 calories for low fat milk), and lower in sugar (1 gram for almond milk, 12 grams of naturally occurring lactose for regular milk). However, regular milk does have much more protein (8 grams for an 8oz cup vs. 1 gram for almond milk), which is something to keep in mind if you’re using almond milk – you’ll have to make sure you get your protein elsewhere!

🥞 More Pancake Recipes!

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