By Jehan Yusoof  |  Updated September 30, 2026  |  ★ 4.8 (4 reviews) | 2 comments

Fluffy pancakes without milk; you don’t even need eggs or baking powder either.
These homemade pancakes come together with just flour, water, a little sugar, baking soda and vinegar, so they’re dairy-free and vegan too.
Some call them eggless pancakes, but in my house they are quick and easy pancakes that come together even when our fridge is empty.

★★★★★
If you try this, I’d love to know how it turned out. Just tap the stars in the recipe card; it helps other cooks find this recipe.

Why this homemade pancakes without milk and eggs work

Remember 2020, when we were all stuck at home because of social distancing, shops were half empty?
When we had to make things with limited ingredients or make do with ingredients we had?
So this no egg, no milk and no baking powder pancakes came together after a lot of experimenting.
My first attempts were ok, but they mostly ended up flat, less fluffy and somewhat hard.
Until I managed to come up with this pancake mix without milk or eggs that can be doubled or tripled as per your need.

The best homemade pancakes without eggs and milk

A few weeks back, I ran out of ingredients to make my Sunday fun day pancakes.
Because of social distancing, we are stuck at home with difficulty in getting our groceries.
I ran out of eggs, flour and baking powder, the main ingredients that you really do need to make great pancakes.
So I began experimenting. 
That meant coming up with a good pancake recipe that is egg-free and milk-free, as well as finding a substitute for baking powder.

Ingredients for Pancakes without milk or eggs

• 2 and 1/2 cups of bread flour(regular wheat flour)
• 2 tablespoons of Sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla(optional but if you have the essence, use it)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• The rising agent
  • If you do have baking powder, use 2 teaspoons of it instead of making the rising agent with the ingredients mentioned below.
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of soda(also known as bicarbonate soda, or baking soda)

Tips for fluffy pancakes without eggs

• How to avoid spills and mess while making pancakes.
  • Let’s talk about the drips and tiny batter drops that can happen as you transfer a cup of pancake mix from a bowl to a frying pan.
  • It’s going to happen, and here’s how you avoid it.
  • Simply have a small plastic bowl or measuring cup.
  • As you dip the measuring cup to scoop batter and transfer it to the griddle pan, hold the bowl underneath the cup until you pour it into the pan.

No-drip pouring

You can also use this plastic bowl to hold the measuring cup rather than placing the cup inside the pancake bowl and watching it sink, then go fishing for it with another spoon, ending up with a couple of spoons in your pancake batter bowl(it happens).

Get same size pancakes

I do not pour my batter from a spouted jar or a ladle spoon.
Instead, I use a measuring cup.
For these pancakes, I’m using the 1/3 cup measuring cup to pour my batter.

Making a big batch of pancakes

Say you are making your pancakes with the given quantity in this recipe and you realise you’ll need more pancake mix. 
Simply continue making pancakes with the batter you’ve already mixed.
But at the same time, grab your measuring jug or a regular jug with a spout and mix your next batch of pancake batter into it.
Let it rest while you finish your first batch, then pour the new pancake mixture into the large bowl and continue.
Once you do this a couple of times, you will know exactly how much pancake mix your whole family can devour.
You can then make a large bowl of batter in one go.
In my case, I have had to triple my pancake mix and make almost close to 30 pancakes for 4 kids.
This is because they like to munch on them throughout the day(after playtime in the garden, etc. until nothing is left.

Cooking Two Pancakes at Once on a Tawa

This comes in handy when you have a large batch of pancakes to make.
Do this multitasking method ONLY after you’ve made a few pancakes, and you are confident enough to make two at the same time.
If you simply don’t have a Tawa, use both your stove burners with two frying pans and make the pancakes.
If you are using a Tawa, these pans can hold two to three small pancakes at the same time.
So once you’ve cooked one side of the 1st pancake, flip it over and cook for a few seconds, then slide it to the edge of the pan and pour the second pancake in the middle.
This way you have two pancakes cooking at the same time at any given time.

Batter and heat

Finally, here are a few important tips to keep in mind.
Make sure the pancake batter is well mixed and without lumps.
Consistency of the batter is important.
It’s a somewhat thick batter(not too thick that it falls in dollops, but you have a steady flow)and takes time to spread as you pour it on the frying pan.

Once you make the pancake mix, let it rest for a few minutes.
The slight burst of high heat as you cook the first side of the batter and then immediately reduce the heat to cook the other side makes all the difference in making these pancakes rise.
Look out for those tiny holes appearing on the pancakes.

What you will need in the kitchen

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Large bowl
• Whisk
• Small bowl
• Measuring jug or regular jug to make 2nd batch of pancake mix
• Tawa or frying pan
• Spatula.
• Plate to hold pancakes

How to make Pancakes without milk or eggs

Add flour( 2 and 1/2 cups), salt(1 tsp), sugar(2 tbs), vanilla(1 tsp, optional), oil(1 tbs)into a large bowl.

Into a cup, pour in the vinegar(1 tsp)and baking soda(1 tsp).
As I mentioned earlier on my ingredient list, you can substitute this by adding 2 teaspoons of baking powder if you have it.
You will want to see the baking soda fizz as it hits the vinegar. Set aside.

Into the dairy-free pancake mixture, pour in 1 and 1/2 cups of water.
Use a whisk to combine the ingredients and make the eggless, milk-free pancake mix.
Once you have a smooth and thick batter, add the baking soda and mix it into the pancake batter.
Do not whisk; use a spoon to combine.
Set aside for 3-5 minutes.

Cook the Pancakes

I am using my Tawa(large flat pan used to make dosa)because I need to make a large batch of pancakes.

Using the Tawa, I can make two pancakes at a time, but you can use your regular flat frying pan as well(refer to tips on this).
Place the Tawa or frying pan over a low fire for a few seconds(30-40 seconds).

Now here’s where you need to pay attention to get your pancakes to rise like mine.
You need to keep an eye on and take note of the little signs that will help you know when to flip the pancake once it rises.
Once you pour the batter, gently increase the heat from low to medium(not high).
What you are doing here is giving a little burst of heat to get the baking soda to activate and make the pancakes rise.
Then, seconds into cooking, you will notice a little smoke as well as the pancake rising, with tiny holes appearing on top.

Once you notice the tiny holes appear, continue to cook for 10 seconds.
Flip as the outer edges of the pancake are cooked, but the middle of the pancake still has a little bit of raw batter.
Reduce heat as you gently flip the pancake.
Cook the flipped side for 20-30 seconds over reduced heat and transfer to a plate.
Continue cooking until the batter is done.

My three-batch water test

For your reference, I have tried out 3 batches of pancakes without milk.
My personal preference was batches 1 and 3.
So here are my three experiments with the same amount of ingredients, but only the amount of water added was increased.
I wanted to know how much I could increase the quantity of batter by increasing the amount of water and yet get fluffy pancakes.
1st batch with 1 and 1/2 cups of water.
Batter poured with a 1/3 measuring cup.
Makes 4 to 4 1/2-inch diameter pancakes. 10 pancakes.
Results: Fluffy and thick.

2nd batch with 2 cups of water.
Batter poured with 1/3 measuring cup.
Makes slightly larger pancakes, with less rise and a soft texture. Gives you 11-12 pancakes.

3rd batch with 3 cups of water.
Batter poured with a 1/3 cup measuring cup. Gives you 15 pancakes.
Less rise but soft and fluffy.

Toppings and what to serve

• Serve with chocolate, caramel or maple syrup
• Drizzle honey or jaggery (kithul) syrup
• Serve with a dusting of icing sugar and fresh Bananas or fresh fruits(strawberries, mangoes)

More pancake recipes

• Fluffy American pancakes
• Banana chocolate chip pancakes made in a blender
• Paper-thin crepes
• Breakfast crepes with jaggery syrup
• Pani pol (crepes with sweet coconut filling)

How to Store, Freeze and Reheat Pancakes

• These pancakes without milk are better eaten warm, just off the pan.
• Store the leftover pancakes in a container and refrigerate.
• Consume within 24 hours.

Watch more recipes on my YouTube channel

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JEHAN
Recipe creator. Food Blogger. Video creator
I’ve been cooking and sharing Sri Lankan recipes, along with other dishes I love making at home on Island Smile since 2015. I’ve tested every recipe on this site more than once in my own kitchen before it goes on the blog.
I grew up eating this food, and I still cook it the way my family taught me, just written down clearly enough for you to follow.
If a recipe doesn’t work the way I say it will, tell me in the comments; I read every one, and I’ll help you fix it.