These dairy free almond buttermilk pancakes use a few basic ingredients to make incredibly fluffy, soft and delicious pancakes ever! You even make your vegan almond buttermilk from scratch! This recipe works great for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and can also be served with sweet and savory toppings.
This recipe was inspired by our almond milk pancakes, which are made with almond milk and eggs so are not vegan. But, they were so incredibly delicious that a vegan version was in high demand! Here, we will show you exactly how to make almond buttermilk pancakes and have included some useful tips and tricks too.
Almond milk is our favorite non-dairy milk although we are not vegan. We do love its nutty flavor, so use it in several recipes including almond milk hot chocolate and almond milk crepes.
Why should you make this recipe?
- This recipe makes the best thick vegan American pancakes. They are extremely fluffy!
- This recipe is incredibly easy to make and doesn’t take long.
- You don’t need any eggs or egg replacers like flax egg.
- These dairy free buttermilk pancakes make a healthy and filling vegan breakfast.
- You don’t need to be vegan to enjoy these delicious fluffy vegan pancakes! We guarantee that your whole family will fall in love with these instantly.
About The Ingredients
- Almond milk: You can buy your favorite product from the store or learn how to make creamy almond milk at home. We use it to make a quick vegan buttermilk, which is the key ingredient for these dairy free pancakes to become thick and fluffy. Oh and if you don't want nut milk, you can use soy milk and have the same fluffy result.
- Apple cider vinegar: This light-colored vinegar won’t add a flavor to the pancakes. We just mix it with almond milk to make buttermilk. You can also use white vinegar or even lemon juice too.
- Oil: It helps tenderize the pancakes and give them a little moisture. We use olive oil, but you can use vegetable oil, sunflower oil or coconut oil too. Or use vegan butter instead.
- Sugar: We use plain granulated white sugar to help balance the tartness of the buttermilk. It also gives that nice golden color to pancakes. You can use an alternative like coconut sugar or even maple syrup. Keep in mind that liquid or syrup-like sweeteners may change the consistency of your batter. To rectify this, add a tablespoon or two of extra flour.
- Flour: We use all purpose flour but you can use whole wheat flour, a gluten free flour blend or oat flour.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon is great in pancakes. You can also use the fall spices in our pumpkin spice pancakes and maybe pumpkin puree too. But if you don't like spices, don't use any. On the other hand, you can add in vanilla extract if you want.
How to Make
These are the best dairy free pancakes you can ever make! They are incredibly fluffy and can be served alongside a bunch of savory and sweet accompaniments!
Make the vegan almond milk buttermilk: Combine the unsweetened almond milk and apple cider vinegar into a cup. Then, stir it well and allow it to sit for a minute or two to curdle. Once curdled, add the olive oil and set the mixture aside until it’s needed. You can learn all our tips about making vegan buttermilk and use it in several other recipes.
Make the plant-based pancake batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Mix the ingredients well. Slowly pour the wet buttermilk oil mixture into the dry ingredients.
While adding the liquid, whisk the ingredients together until they are just combined. Do not over mix!
Make the pancakes: Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat and brush it with some oil or a dollop of vegan butter.
Then, measure out ¼ cup of batter and pour it into your preheated pan. By using a ¼ measuring cup, you can make evenly sized pancakes. You can make one or two pancakes at a time depending on the size of your pan.
Cook the pancakes for about 2 minutes or until you see bubbles forming on the surface.
Then, flip the pancakes around and cook them on the other side for another minute. Repeat until you have finished your batter. These measurements make 4 pancakes when each pancake is made with a ¼ measuring cup of batter.
Serve these healthy vegan buttermilk pancakes immediately alongside some maple syrup and fresh berries like raspberries, blueberries or strawberries.
Variations
Other than substituting some ingredients for these fluffy dairy free pancakes with vegan alternatives, you can add some additional flavoring ingredients.
Simple additions are chocolate chips, finely chopped nuts, or cookie crumbs. However, you can also change the flavor profile of these pancakes completely.
You can substitute some of the flour with cocoa powder to make chocolate pancakes. Alternatively, you can add some mashed bananas to make them fruitier.
If you don't feel like changing the recipe, you can also play around with the toppings for these pancakes. You can choose any type of syrup or glaze you want, and garnish them with sprinkles, berries or other cut fruits, and nuts or seeds.
You can also make these a savory breakfast recipe by serving them with bacon, sausages, or eggs for breakfast in the morning.
You can even make waffles using the almond buttermilk batter. The waffles will come fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Expert Tips
If you don’t have apple cider vinegar (or a vinegar substitute) you can use lemon juice instead. But, if you are worried about the homemade buttermilk tasting like vinegar, rest assured you will not notice it in the flavor of the pancakes at all!
If you don’t want to use olive oil in the pancake batter itself, you can use melted vegan butter instead.
Do not over mix the batter. It will make this vegan pancake recipe extremely dense, chewy, and not fluffy at all. Your pancakes will come out very thin.
This recipe for dairy free pancakes can also be made using a gluten-free flour blend. You can either make your own using this recipe or buy some from the store.
This is the best lactose free pancakes recipe that can even be made in advance! Simply store them in the fridge for about 2-3 days. Then, before serving them, reheat them in a pan or a microwave for a couple of seconds. This will help soften them again.
To freeze: Once these almond buttermilk pancakes have completely cooled down, you can freeze them for up to 2 months. Place them in a freezer-safe bag with a piece of parchment paper between each pancake. Reheat them frozen in a microwave oven for roughly 20 seconds.
FAQs
Yes, you can. Substitute a gluten-free flour blend for the flour.
You can make these pancakes ahead of time and simply store them in the fridge or freezer. To reheat them you can place them in a pan or microwave for a couple of seconds. Alternatively, you can reheat them straight from the freezer in a microwave oven for 20 seconds.
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📖 Recipe
Almond Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe
These are the fluffiest dairy free pancakes thanks to our homemade almond buttermilk.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 pancakes 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond milk, unsweetened
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (use any light colored vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup and 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon oil or vegan butter, for frying
Instructions
- To make the vegan buttermilk, put almond milk in a cup, pour vinegar into it and stir well. Let it sit for a minute until it curdles.
- Add in olive oil and stir well.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk just until combined. Don’t over-mix!
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Brush it with oil or melt ¼ teaspoon vegan butter in it.
- To make equal size, round pancakes, lightly oil a ¼ measuring cup, fill it with the pancake mix and pour it in the pan. You can make one or two pancakes at a time depending on the size of your pan.
- Cook until you see bubbles on the surface, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for about 1 minute. Repeat for the remaining batter.
- Serve with maple syrup and berries.
Notes
- You won’t feel the taste of vinegar at all but you can use lemon juice instead.
- Instead of oil, you can use melted vegan butter.
- Don’t over-mix the batter! You will end up with chewy and thin pancakes otherwise.
- You can use a gluten-free flour blend to make these pancakes gluten-free.
- You can make these ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in the pan or microwave if you want.
- To freeze, let them completely cool. Put them in a freezer bag with a piece of parchment paper between each. Store in the freezer for 2 months. Reheat them frozen in the microwave oven for about 20 seconds.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 218
- Sugar: 6.4 g
- Sodium: 206.6 mg
- Fat: 5.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 39.4 g
- Protein: 4.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Dean says
Can't thank you enough for this recipe. Made these for my vegan girlfriend this morning. They turned out super fluffy and tasty! Can't believe these are vegan. Will definitely make them again!