If you are lactose intolerant or have any an other type of dairy intolerances, you can still enjoy the great classic taste of mouth watering, fluffy buttermilk pancakes. The key to get that great buttermilk taste is to add an acid into your favorite dairy free milk. Almond milk or cashew milk are two of my favorite go to dairy free milks.
The key dry ingredients that you will need are as follows: all purpose white flour, baking powder, baking soda, coconut sugar, and salt. The key wet ingredients include your nut milk, apple cider vinegar, eggs, and melted coconut oil. The melted coconut oil is a great substitute for melted butter if you want to get that rich classic taste in your pancakes. In my opinion, coconut oil gives pancakes a much better flavor than canola oil or olive oil.

To start off, you want to get your measuring cup, measure out each dry ingredient, and place them in a small bowl. You will want to mix them together with a fork or a whisk. If you have access to a flour sifter, you can use this to sift in each ingredient into the bowl. This helps mix the ingredients and incorporates air into the particles, which helps make the pancakes fluffier.
Next place your apple cider vinegar and nut milk of choice into a medium bowl and let it sit for about 5 minutes. This will cause the milk to curdle a bit just like regular buttermilk. Melt your coconut oil into the microwave and add it your milk-vinegar mixture. Last, crack your eggs, separate the whites into a small bowl, and add the egg yolks to your mixture. Stir everything together.
Then, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula. You want to intentionally undermix the batter.
Then add in the egg whites and gently fold them in until everything is mixed together but still a little bit lumpy. You don’t want to over mix the pancake batter.
Turn on your electric griddle or stove top to medium-low heat. Let the batter sit while you wait for the pan or griddle to heat up. This will allow the double acting baking powder (your main leavening agent) to do its magic and bubbles will start to form in the batter.
Place a little bit of vegetable oil cooking spray or melted coconut oil onto the pan. Place about 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan and wait until bubbles form in the pancake and the edges curl up. Flip the pancake. If you timed your flip right, the side you just flipped should be golden brown.
This recipe is such an easy recipe and is great for beginner cooks and advanced home chefs alike!

Delicious Dairy-Free Buttermilk Pancake Recipe using Almond Milk
This a great classic dairy-free pancake recipe that gives you that same great buttermilk pancake flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups of unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
- 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of melted coconut oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
Instructions
- Measure out your dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) and sift each ingredients into a small mixing bowl. Mix the ingredients with a whisk or a fork
- Measure out the almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Place the almond milk and the apple cider vinegar in a medium bowl and let it set for a few minutes until the milk curdles
- Measure out the coconut oil and place it in the microwave for about 30 to 45 seconds to melt it, then add the coconut oil to the milk-vinegar mixture
- Crack the eggs and separate the white from the yolks, place the whites in a separate small bowl and add the yolks to the milk-vinegar-coconut oil mixture
- Whip up the whites with a hand mixer until they form soft peaks
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and add the whipped egg whites.
- Stir gently using a spatula until the dry ingredients and egg whites are mixed in. Don't over mix! The batter should still look lumpy, but you shouldn't see any large pockets of dry ingredients
- Let the batter sit for about 10 minutes while you heat up the griddle or pan to medium-low heat
- Test the griddle by placing a splash of water on it - it should evaporate within 1-2 seconds but not "explode" into steam
- Use a 1/4 measuring cup to scoop out the batter and place it on the pan
- Wait until bubbles form on the pancakes and the edges curl up, then flip
- Remove the pancakes about 1-2 minutes after flipping and place them on a serving plate
FAQ’s:
What can I substitute for apple cider vinegar? White vinegar or lemon juice can be used, but keep in mind the flavor will change a bit.
What can I substitute for coconut sugar? I love coconut sugar because it cooks similar to brown sugar but has a lower glycemic index. Brown sugar is a great option and gives some extra sweetness to the pancakes. White granulated sugar will also work. If you use it, your pancakes will be a bit sweeter and lighter in color.
Can vanilla almond milk be used? It can, but it will change the flavor a bit. If you want a hint of that vanilla flavor but don’t have vanilla almond milk, just add one teaspoon of vanilla extract per one cup of milk to the recipe. I don’t recommend using sweetened almond milk. It is better for you to control the sweetness of your pancakes with the amount of sugar you add to the recipe.
What other non-dairy milks can be used instead of nut milks? Oat milk or soy milk can be used the same way as almond or cashew milk, but the pancakes will have less of a nutty flavor.
Can whole wheat flour be used? It can be used, but it will change the texture of the pancakes quite a bit. One suggestion is to use half whole wheat flour and half regular flour.
Can vegan butter be used instead of coconut oil to keep the pancakes dairy-free? I haven’t tried this, so I can’t speak to the results. If you make this recipe and use vegan butter, let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
What are some topping options other than good old-fashioned pure maple syrup? Fresh fruit is great. I like adding fresh strawberries, blueberries, and banana slices. If you are in the mood for a sweeter option, try some chocolate chips! Make sure to add them over the pancakes when the pancakes are still hot, so they melt a bit. Yum! Another less common option is adding almond butter or peanut butter with a little bit of your favorite fruit jam for peanut butter and jelly pancakes!
Do you want a plant-based vegan version of the this recipe? Substitute flax eggs for the eggs or use one ripe banana and mash it up. You won’t have to worry about whipping the egg white in this case. Keep in mind, the pancakes will not be quite as thick and fluffy as the traditional version, but they will still taste great!