Can You Make Pancakes With Water Instead of Milk?
Craving pancakes in the morning, but you’re out of milk? Don’t go for a grocery run just yet!
Can you make pancakes with water instead of milk? Yes, pancakes can be prepared the same way using water instead of milk! As long as you flavor the batter using flavoring extracts or syrups, you can substitute milk with water and create delicious pancakes that taste just as great.
Read below to learn more about the right way to make pancakes without milk, how they taste, how they differ, and more!
Pancake Basics
Historically, pancakes have been prepared in many different but simple ways — and oftentimes, only with the ingredients at hand.
Before the advent of prepackaged pancake mixes and other flavoring and additives, pancakes were just made with a simple mixture of flour, salt, sugar, and water.
That’s right. People once prepared pancakes without milk; not out of necessity or lack of resources, but because they simply enjoyed it — and some still do!
Dairy-free pancakes have a few textural differences from regular pancakes, but they can taste just as good.
You can even add butter to bring them close to the real deal, but in most cases, they will taste great so long as you pair them with the right flavoring ingredients and sides.
Here are some of the characteristics of pancakes and how they can differ from milkless pancakes.
Regular Pancake Texture
Regular pancakes are soft, fluffy, and just the right amount of airy. They can be paired with syrupy or sugary ingredients and are easily able to absorb ambient flavors due to their airy and slightly porous texture.
The milk in regular pancakes adds a very subtle creaminess and helps soften the bread as it cooks. This is one of the reasons why pancakes can remain fresh and retain their softness even when they cool down.
Milk can also help add air to the mixture, especially if you use skim milk, which traps more air bubbles as it is agitated. This effect is compounded, especially if you use an electric mixer to process the batter!
But if you don’t have any dietary restrictions, then you may get more textural benefits from whole milk due to the extra milk fat.
Milkless Pancake Texture
Milkless pancakes will not have that big of a difference, but some people may still be able to detect a few standout characteristics.
Since milk also plays a role in adding a soft texture to the pancakes, a milkless pancake can be a bit firm. People usually describe it as being a bit on the denser side.
But the pancake can regain some of its softness if it is paired with syrups or other moisture-rich ingredients.
Milkless pancakes are also known to firm up more in the fridge due to evaporation. Reheating the pancakes may also result in the same effect, especially if you do it on an open pan.
Regular Pancake Flavor
Regular pancakes have a very balanced sweet flavor — while the milk doesn’t add a lot of subtle flavor notes, it does impart a rich and lightly buttery flavor that is compounded with the added butter in the recipe.
Pancakes made using whole milk can also take on a deeper and more delicious flavor if they are combined with flavoring extracts!
Milkless Pancake Flavor
Milkless pancakes provide more or less the same flavor, especially if you use the same ingredients. As mentioned above, not many people will be able to detect much of a change in the flavor of the pancakes.
You can also add maple syrup or vanilla extract to the batter to compensate for the lack of milk in the recipe. These flavoring ingredients will not only mask but also enhance the overall flavor notes of the milkless pancakes!
How To Make Pancakes With Water
Here is how you can easily make pancakes using water instead of milk!
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1¼ cups water
- 3½ tsp baking powder
- 1½ tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
1. Start by making the batter. In a large bowl, add flour and baking powder and whisk well. Then add the salt and sugar. Mix all the dry ingredients well!
2. Now add egg and butter and gradually add in water. Incorporate all the wet ingredients into the flour and then continue adding more water until you have a nice and not-too-runny batter.
- Make sure that you deal with any flour lumps before proceeding forward.
- For the best experience, we recommend sifting the flour before adding it to the bowl!
3. Add the vanilla extract to the batter and mix well. Let the batter sit for about 3-4 minutes. In the meantime, heat your frying pan or griddle!
4. Add a bit of butter or oil to the pan, let it heat, and scoop up some batter. You can adjust the size of the scoop as per your preference.
5. Cook the pancake until it is golden brown on the underside. Then flip once and continue cooking the pancake for 2-3 minutes. When both sides are equally golden-brown, remove the pancake and put it on a plate.
- You can keep pancakes warm in the oven at 200°F while you cook the rest. Just use a microwave-safe plate, platter, or baking tray.
6. Repeat until you have your desired amount of pancakes or until your batter runs out!
7. Cut some fresh fruit or keep it simple by adding a drizzle of maple syrup over the pancakes. Top with a small piece of butter and enjoy!
How To Make Pancakes With Water
Here is how you can easily make pancakes using water instead of milk!
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1¼ cups water
- 3½ tsp baking powder
- 1½ tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
1. Start by making the batter. In a large bowl, add flour and baking powder and whisk well. Then add the salt and sugar. Mix all the dry ingredients well!
2. Now add egg and butter and gradually add in water. Incorporate all the wet ingredients into the flour and then continue adding more water until you have a nice and not-too-runny batter.
* Make sure that you deal with any flour lumps before proceeding forward.
* For the best experience, we recommend sifting the flour before adding it to the bowl!
3. Add the vanilla extract to the batter and mix well. Let the batter sit for about 3-4 minutes. In the meantime, heat your frying pan or griddle!
4. Add a bit of butter or oil to the pan, let it heat, and scoop up some batter. You can adjust the size of the scoop as per your preference.
5. Cook the pancake until it is golden brown on the underside. Then flip once and continue cooking the pancake for 2-3 minutes. When both sides are equally golden-brown, remove the pancake and put it on a plate.
* You can keep pancakes warm in the oven at 200°F while you cook the rest. Just use a microwave-safe plate, platter, or baking tray.
6. Repeat until you have your desired amount of pancakes or until your batter runs out!
7. Cut some fresh fruit or keep it simple by adding a drizzle of maple syrup over the pancakes. Top with a small piece of butter and enjoy!
Three-Ingredient Pancake Recipe
If you want a vegan-friendly and dairy-free pancake alternative, then here is a three-ingredient recipe that you can make with just flour, water, and sugar.
Fun fact: this is how most people used to enjoy pancakes back in the day! This recipe is also called the “poor man’s pancake” and is an excellent substitute for the ingredient-heavy pancake mixes of today.
The basic idea of this recipe is to show you that you can make pancakes in the most unexpected ways and they can still turn out great so long as you use the right proportions and follow the recipe correctly!
Ingredients
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
Instructions
1. In a large bowl, add flour and sugar. Mix well using a whisk.
2. Add a bit of water to the mixture and mix it until all of the water has been incorporated. Then continue adding more water until a batter forms.
3. Fire up a griddle or pan and then cook these pancakes using butter or oil! The pancakes will cook within 3-4 minutes per side on a medium flame.
4. Dish the pancakes out on a plate and dust them with some sugar and enjoy them with fruit! You can also optionally add maple syrup or other flavorings to compensate for the lack of other ingredients.
Three-Ingredient Pancake Recipe
If you want a vegan-friendly and dairy-free pancake alternative, then here is a three-ingredient recipe that you can make with just flour, water, and sugar.
Ingredients
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
Instructions
1. In a large bowl, add flour and sugar. Mix well using a whisk.
2. Add a bit of water to the mixture and mix it until all of the water has been incorporated. Then continue adding more water until a batter forms.
3. Fire up a griddle or pan and then cook these pancakes using butter or oil! The pancakes will cook within 3-4 minutes per side on a medium flame.
4. Dish the pancakes out on a plate and dust them with some sugar and enjoy them with fruit! You can also optionally add maple syrup or other flavorings to compensate for the lack of other ingredients.
Pancake-Making Tips And Tricks
- Water and milk can be substituted in the same proportion. So, don’t add extra water just to compensate for the lack of milk!
- Remember: a good way to determine the right quantity of water is to keep an eye on the consistency of the batter. If the batter is too thick, add a splash of water to “loosen” it.
- Adding maple syrup to the batter is a great way to get the most out of the flavor and texture of the pancakes. The maple syrup will help the pancake’s surface caramelize better and will also provide a delicious flavor that will cover up the lack of milk in the batter.
- Flavoring extracts such as vanilla extract or maple syrup extract can also be added to the batter to give it a rounded flavor. You can also experiment with other types of extracts such as almond extract — or try adding a bit of cinnamon to the pancakes!
- If you don’t have milk but have condensed milk at hand, then we highly recommend that you add some of it to the batter to add a dairy-like flavor. Please make sure that you adjust the quantity of sugar when using other sugar-heavy ingredients.
- Batter too runny? Then add a bit of flour to cover up the added water in the recipe. Just make sure that you increase the quantity of the other ingredients, especially if the added flour surpasses 2-3 tablespoons.
Related Questions
Pancakes made using water are just as delicious! Now that you know how to make them, here are some related questions we thought you might have.
What other milk substitutes can you use instead of water to make pancakes?
If you don’t want to use water, then you can also make dairy-free pancakes by using almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, cashew milk, or other types of nut milk.
These milk substitutes might not provide exactly the same texture or flavor characteristics as regular pancakes, but they are a great and nutritious substitute!
Do water-based pancakes have a longer shelf life?
No, pancakes made using water have more or less the same shelf life as pancakes made with dairy. Both types of pancakes can go bad within a short time.
We recommend storing the pancakes in the fridge or freezer to prolong their shelf life by about 2-3 days (fridge) or 1-2 months (freezer).
