In this dairy-free pancake recipe, I added some spice and sweetness to completely change the flavor of plain pancakes. This quick breakfast requires a little more effort than cereal, but satisfies your hunger and taste buds without being unhealthy. There are many twists to this recipe to make it even healthier, but I aimed at using less sugar while maintaining flavor, yet still being totally dairy-free. 

Dairy-Free Pancakes with a Twist

  • Prep Time:15 mins
  • Cook Time:5 mins
  • Total Time:20 mins
  • Servings:25
  • Easy

    Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 Tablespoon white sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
cream, bread, butter, pancake
Allison Curley
  • Step 1

    Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl and whisk together.

    salt, cereal, flour
    Allison Curley
  • Step 2

    Add the egg and milk and whisk slowly until all ingredients are combined well.

    egg
    Allison Curley
  • Step 3

    Add the vegetable oil to a large frying pan on medium heat.

    dairy product, soup, tea, coffee
    Allison Curley
  • Step 4

    Use a ladle to scoop up the mixture and drop it onto the frying pan one by one. Cook the pancake on one side until several bubbles begin to form in the batter. Flip the pancake at that point and continue to cook the other side until golden brown.

    white sauce, sweet, pudding, milk, cream, dairy product
    Allison Curley

In order to make these pancakes as healthy as possible, while still making them taste good and remain dairy-free, I called for less white sugar than most pancake recipes. To balance this, I used coconut milk, as it's dairy-free as well as naturally sweet. I also added cinnamon to bring out more flavor. 

If you're like me and need to have a topping on your pancakes but cannot indulge in butter, try an all-natural syrup. I really enjoy this brand of pure Vermont Maple syrup because, while it is sweet, I know that the ingredients are all natural. It's definitely better to eat than "fake" and processed syrup like Aunt Jemima in most grocery stores. 

cream, dairy product, milk
Allison Curley

Another really great--and healthier--topping idea for this recipe is applesauce. This would go really well with the cinnamon and coconut flavor in the pancakes. If you buy the all-natural applesauce, you'd only be adding natural sugar. This is much better for you, especially to start off your morning. You could also chop up fresh fruit like apples, blueberries, or bananas to go on top too. 

Add your own variations to these dairy-free pancakes and start your morning off with a healthy, yet indulgent breakfast. Regardless if you are dairy-free or not, you should try this quick recipe for the flavor that changes the concept of plain pancakes. I love this recipe because dairy-free folks like me never have to feel like we are missing out on classic buttery pancakes again!