Dairy-Free Buttermilk Pancakes
Tall, tender dairy-free buttermilk pancakes made with oat milk soured with lemon juice, eggs, dairy-free butter, and a balanced mix of baking powder and baking soda. This is the tangier, diner-style companion to the simpler everyday dairy-free pancake recipe. Makes about 10 to 12 pancakes.
Recipe by Non Dairy Dude
Ingredients
Dairy-Free Buttermilk
- 1½ cupsUnsweetened oat milk
- 1½ tbspFresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cupsAll-purpose flour
- 3 tbspGranulated sugar
- 2 tspAluminum-free baking powder
- ¾ tspBaking soda
- ¾ tspFine salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2 largeLarge eggs
- 4 tbspDairy-free butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 tspVanilla extract
Cooking
- 1 tbspNeutral oil or dairy-free butter, for the pan
Serving
- ½ cupMaple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- 1
Make the dairy-free buttermilk. Stir the oat milk and lemon juice or vinegar together in a measuring cup and let stand for 10 minutes. It will not curdle as dramatically as dairy milk, but it should taste lightly tangy.
- 2
Whisk the flour, sugar, aluminum-free baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until evenly combined.
- 3
Whisk the eggs, melted dairy-free butter, and vanilla into the dairy-free buttermilk until smooth.
- 4
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold gently until the flour is hydrated. Stop while the batter is still slightly lumpy.
- 5
Let the batter rest for 10 minutes while the griddle heats. The batter should become thick, airy, and scoopable. If it is too thick to spread slightly on its own, fold in oat milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
- 6
Heat a nonstick griddle, large skillet, or well-seasoned cast iron pan over medium heat. Lightly grease with neutral oil or dairy-free butter.
- 7
Scoop 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges look set, the bottoms are golden, and bubbles appear and begin to pop on the surface.
- 8
Flip once and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the second side is golden and the centers are cooked through. Do not press the pancakes after flipping.
- 9
Transfer to a plate or a 200 F oven while you cook the remaining batter, greasing the pan lightly between batches as needed.
- 10
Serve warm with maple syrup, dairy-free butter, berries, or dairy-free chocolate chips.
Dairy Substitutions Used
Traditional buttermilk pancakes rely on cultured dairy buttermilk and butter. This recipe sours unsweetened oat milk with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to create the acidity needed for baking soda lift and classic tang, then uses dairy-free butter for richness. Eggs remain in the recipe because the goal is dairy-free, not vegan.
Tips & Variations
Yield note: This makes about 10 to 12 pancakes, depending on your scoop size.
Buttermilk versus everyday: Choose this recipe when you want extra tang, a slightly taller stack, and baking soda lift from soured oat milk. For a quicker pantry version, use the everyday dairy-free pancakes recipe.
Oat milk works especially well: Its body and mild sweetness make it a better dairy-free buttermilk base than very thin plant milks. Soy milk also works if you prefer a more neutral flavor.
Use aluminum-free baking powder: These pancakes use both baking powder and baking soda. Aluminum-free baking powder keeps the flavor clean and avoids a bitter finish.
Give the milk time to sour: Ten minutes is enough for the acid to season the oat milk and activate the baking soda later. It may look only slightly thicker, and that is fine.
Do not overmix: Buttermilk-style batter should look a little lumpy. Overmixing develops gluten and knocks down the tenderness.
Rest after mixing: The second 10-minute rest hydrates the flour and lets the batter puff before it hits the pan.
Do not press after flipping: Pressing pancakes with a spatula collapses the bubbles that make them tall.
Adjust the heat between batches: If the pan gets too hot, the outside browns before the middle sets. Lower the heat and give the pan a minute to calm down.
Chocolate chip option: Sprinkle dairy-free chocolate chips onto each pancake right after scooping the batter onto the pan so the chips stay evenly distributed.
Freeze leftovers: Cool completely, freeze in a single layer, then reheat in a toaster or low oven.
Get new dairy-free comfort food recipes
New recipes, substitution tips, and classic dishes rebuilt without dairy.