Dairy-Free Pancakes (With Egg)
These pancakes are dairy-free, not vegan - the egg stays, and it is the milk and butter that get swapped out. Use a dairy-free milk in place of dairy milk and a dairy-free spread or neutral oil in place of butter, and the batter behaves almost exactly like the standard recipe: same thin pour, same fast flip, same golden edges. That makes this the quicker fix for a dairy allergy or intolerance where egg is not the problem, with no flax egg, no extra resting time, and no change to the method at all. Ready in 15 minutes from bowl to plate.
Ingredients
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- 125g (4.5oz)plain flour, sifted
- 300ml (10fl oz)dairy-free milk, unsweetened oat or soya milk work best
- 1large egg, at room temperature
- 25g (1oz)dairy-free spread, melted, plus extra for the pan; or 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1pinch of salt
Method
- 1
Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre.
- 2
Crack the egg into the well, add a pinch of salt, and pour in about a third of the dairy-free milk.
- 3
Whisk from the centre outwards, gradually pulling the flour in from the sides. Add the remaining milk in stages until you have a smooth, thin batter about the consistency of single cream.
A few small lumps are fine - they cook out in the pan. - 4
Stir in the melted dairy-free spread. Rest the batter for up to 30 minutes if you have time - it is not essential, but it gives the flour longer to hydrate.
- 5
Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a small knob of dairy-free spread, or a thin film of oil, and swirl to coat.
Dairy-free spreads can brown a little faster than butter, so keep an eye on the pan once it starts to foam. - 6
Pour in just enough batter to thinly coat the base of the pan, tilting as you pour. Cook for about 1 minute until the underside is golden and the edges start to lift.
- 7
Flip - with a spatula or a confident wrist flick - and cook for a further 30-45 seconds.
The first pancake is almost always a write-off, dairy-free or not. Adjust the heat and carry on. - 8
Slide onto a warm plate and repeat with the remaining batter, adding a little more spread or oil to the pan between pancakes.
Stack and keep warm in a low oven (100C) while you cook through the rest.
Pro Tips
- →This is a straight swap, not a new recipe - the same 125g flour, 300ml liquid and one egg ratio as the standard British batter works whether the liquid and fat are dairy or not.
- →Oat and soya milk brown the pancake edges closest to how dairy milk does, since both have a little natural sugar and fat. Thinner milks like rice or almond milk work but give a paler result.
- →Choose an unsweetened dairy-free milk. Sweetened versions throw off the balance of the batter and can make the pancakes catch in the pan.
- →A dairy-free spread with at least 60% fat behaves closest to butter for browning. Very low-fat spreads can make the pan smoke before the pancake sets.
- →Neutral oil such as sunflower or vegetable oil is the simplest swap for the fat if you do not want to buy a dairy-free spread - use 2 tablespoons in place of the 25g of spread.
- →Because the egg stays in, this batter needs no extra resting time and behaves like the standard recipe. It is the vegan version, not this one, that needs the longer rest and gentler flip.
Topping Ideas
Learn More
Terms in this recipe
Defined in the Pancake Day glossary.
Questions & answers
Are dairy-free pancakes the same as vegan pancakes?⌄
What milk should I use instead of dairy milk?⌄
What can I use instead of butter?⌄
Do dairy-free pancakes taste different from the standard recipe?⌄
Is this recipe nut-free?⌄
Can I make this recipe egg-free as well?⌄
Does the batter need to rest?⌄
Can I freeze dairy-free pancakes?⌄
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