Pancakes without baking powder or baking soda (or any leavening agents to rise the flour or pancake batter) or pancake mix is super easy and simple to make at home using whipped egg whites as a replacement for any leavening agents. These easy, homemade fluffy pancakes from scratch without using baking powder, baking soda or storebought or homemade pancake mix is so delicious, fluffy and makes perfect pancakes for breakfast or brunch!
easy pancakes without baking powder video
You can watch below the Youtube Video of me making these pancakes!
Pancakes are super delicious, fluffy, popular breakfast food and old fashioned pancakes requires baking powder, but if you are out of baking powder in your kitchen, do try this easy recipe using whipped egg whites as a replacement for baking powder in pancakes.
more similar pancake recipes:
substitute for baking powder in pancake recipes
There are different ways to substitute baking powder in pancakes.
If you do not want to use self rising flour or baking powder, there is an easy way to make fluffy pancakes without using both. In this easy recipe for pancakes, we use whipped egg whites as a substitute to make the pancakes, which you can easily make at home.
1- using whipped egg whites as a baking powder replacement or substitute
- By Adding beaten egg whites to the pancake batter at the end, you can make fluffy pancakes! That is to separate the egg whites and egg yolks and whip the egg whites separately and fold that into the batter made of other ingredients. The addition of whipped egg whites naturally make the pancakes fluffy. However, there are other ways to substitute baking powder in pancakes.
2- using self rising flour
- One easy way to make fluffy pancakes without using additional baking powder is to use self rising flour. Since the self rising flour comes with baking powder, you do not need to add any extra baking powder. So just using self rising flour in place of flour if you do have self rising flour at home. Or you may buy some self rising flour next time and store it in your pantry so that you do not have to add the baking powder every time you make pancake, which is even more easier, convenient and quicker if you want to save time in kitchen!
3 - using bisquick pancake mix
- Store bought bisquick pancake mix already has baking powder as leavening agent in it, so you do not need to add baking powder! Some easy bisquick pancake recipes include bisquick banana pancakes, bisquick chocolate pancakes with chocolate chips, bisquick chocolate banana pancakes etc!
4 - more baking powder substitutes
- To substitute baking powder in pancakes, it is helpful to understand what constitutes baking powder. Baking powder is made of a mixture of baking soda and cream of tartar where cream of tartar is acidic in nature (along with a little cornstarch for stability). So if you have baking soda at home, you can substitute baking powder in pancakes by combining baking soda with something mildly acidic in nature like lemon juice, vinegar, apple cider vinegar etc.
- Keep in mind that the ratio of the ingredients is really important and also they can change the flavor of the pancakes. In short, if you want to make 1 teaspoon of baking powder, you need to evenly mix ¼ teaspoon of baking soda and ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar and also ¼ teaspoon of cornstarch to the mixture for stability.
- There are other ingredients that you could use instead of cream of tartar if you have baking soda at home. That includes lemon juice, vinegar, apple cider vinegar, buttermilk or yogurt, or any food that is mildly acidic in nature like even sour cream or molasses (this is if you have baking soda but do not have cream of tartar). However, we do not use any of these in this recipe for pancakes. We have a recipe where we use whipped egg whites to make the pancakes, which doesn't require baking soda or baking powder! You may use a good quality non stick pan or a good quality iron skillet or use any good quality pancake makers to make delicious pancakes.
So here is how you can make easy, fluffy and delicious homemade pancakes using egg whites as a replacement for baking powder.
how to make pancakes without baking powder or baking soda?
In this recipe, we use the following ingredients to make the delicious pancakes at home from scratch without using baking powder or baking soda or boxed pancake mix.
ingredients to make pancakes without baking Powder
- 1 cup all purpose flour - all purpose flour works the best if you want to make fluffy pancakes but you may also use whole wheat flour, cake flour etc
- 2 tablespoons sugar - for sweetness
- ¼ teaspoon salt - regular salt
- 2 large eggs - refrigerated
- ½ cup whole milk - chilled
- 2 tablespoons oil - I used olive oil but you may use other oils like canola oil or you can use melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - for vanilla flavor
- butter or oil as needed to grease the pan and cook the pancakes - for easy cooking of pancakes
step by step instructions with photos
To make the pancake batter without baking powder
- Step 1 - In a medium sized bowl, mix together the dry ingredients – flour, salt and also the sugar until well mixed.
- Step 2 - Separate the egg yolks and egg whites carefully and transfer the egg whites to a different bowl.
- Step 3 - Whisk the egg yolks and add the milk, vanilla extract and oil to this, mix everything very well.
- Step 4 - Add the wet ingredients mixture (do not add the egg whites now) to the dry flour mixture slowly.
- Step 5 - Mix well until well combined and the batter is formed without any lumps.
- Step 6 - In another bowl, whip the egg whites (make sure there is no trace of egg yolks in this) using an electric mixer until soft peaks are formed. I whipped the egg whites using the electric mixer for about 2 to 3 minutes starting from the lowest speed. And then proceed to the highest speed gradually.
- Step 7 - Immediately fold in this beaten egg white mixture to the batter and mix well to combine evenly in the batter.
- Once you have prepared this pancake batter, you have to make the pancakes immediately for best results.
To make the pancakes
- Step 8 - Heat an iron skillet or pan (or use non stick pan) and grease with little oil or butter.
- Step 9 - Add one ladle of batter to the hot pan and let it cook for a minute or until the bottom side is cooked and bubbles appear on top side.
- Step 10 - Gently flip the pancake and cook the other side too, which will cook faster.
- You may add a little butter if needed which will make the pancake even more delicious.
- Step 11 - Once the pancake is cooked, transfer it to the serving dish, similarly cook all pancakes until the batter is finished.
- Step 12 - Enjoy the pancakes hot with butter or maple syrup or any of your favorite toppings as you wish!
easy pancake recipes:
- dairy free pancakes without milk or butter
- self rising flour pancakes
- cinnamon pancakes without eggs
- fluffy pancakes from scratch
- banana pancakes
- 3 ingredient pancakes
- bisquick chocolate pancakes with chocolate chips
- chickpea flour pancakes (savory pancakes)
- banana crepes thin banana pancakes
- carrot pancakes
- blueberry pancakes
- yogurt pancakes
- pancakes with flax
The answer is yes, it is absolutely possible to make fluffy homemade pancakes without baking powder or baking soda!
You can easily make pancakes without baking powder or baking soda (which is basically sodium bicarbonate) using whipped egg whites as a replacement or substitute for baking powder.
So if you want to make pancakes but just found out you have no baking powder left in the kitchen, you can learn here in detail how to make pancakes without baking powder or baking soda for an easy, delicious, homemade breakfast! Also you do not need any store bought boxed pancake mix to make these delicious homemade pancakes from scratch! This easy recipe for pancakes makes simple, delicious homemade breakfast pancakes that is perfect for even beginners learning to make pancakes! All you need to make these homemade pancakes without baking soda or baking powder or pancake mix are all purpose flour, eggs, milk, oil or butter (and sugar as desired).
Also you can add in some flavors like vanilla extract! Sometimes I even make these pancakes without vanilla extract and it is still delicious. But you can add even more flavors like cinnamon powder or other flavors as you like.
In regular American pancake recipes, if you skip baking powder, the result is that you don't get fluffy pancakes. Instead they will be more dense in texture. The airiness and fluffiness of the traditional pancakes usually come from using baking powder, so when you skip it, that affects the texture of the pancakes making it more denser and less tasty. Read more about the science of pancakes here.
If you wonder whether the texture of pancakes using whipped egg whites as a substitute for baking powder will be soft and fluffy, the answer is yes! You can easily make homemade fluffy pancakes from scratch without using pancake mix or even baking powder or baking soda just by using a little technique using eggs.
The first tip is that make the best effort to separate the egg whites from the yolks without getting the yolks mixed in with the whites, because if the yolks mix with the whites you may not be able to whip the egg whites perfectly.
The most important and second tip to make fluffy pancakes without baking powder is that, make sure to whip the egg whites really well so they are really foamy and form soft peaks.
The 3rd tip is that, once you have made the whipped egg whites, immediately fold that into the prepared pancakes batter or the texture won't be right after a while. The 4th tip is that once the whipped egg whites are folded into the batter, immediately make the pancakes, to get the best fluffy pancakes!
Since there is no baking powder in the recipe and since we rely on whipped egg whites for the fluffiness, it is important to follow these above tips so you can make the best pancakes without baking powder! As you know, pancakes are very popular American breakfast often enjoyed at weekends or from restaurants, however they are usually made with the help of baking powder or baking soda. You can enjoy these delicious & easy American breakfast pancakes at home even when you can't go to restaurants as they can be made easily and quickly at home. You can make these delicious & soft, fluffy homemade pancakes during weekends, holidays or even during busy weekday mornings or whenever you wish.
The most important two ingredients of these homemade pancakes recipe from scratch without using pancake mix are eggs and flour. To get the best texture for your pancakes, you can use all purpose flour to make these pancakes. However you may also use wheat flour if you wish. But if you use wheat flour, the texture may be little more dense than all purpose flour. For best results, you can use either bleached all purpose flour or unbleached all purpose flour. In this simple and easy pancake recipe, we simply make use of a simple method using egg whites to prepare the delicious and fluffy pancakes.
Whipped egg whites act as a substitute for baking powder as well as baking soda in this easy homemade pancakes recipe from scratch. Almost all pancake recipes uses baking powder or baking soda. However we can also make regular pancakes using all purpose flour or wheat flour pancakes without baking powder or baking soda as well following this easy pancake recipe at home. This is not a dairy free recipe since we use whole milk in the preparation.
Try this pancakes without milk if you are looking for dairy free milkless pancakes and also read about substitutes for milk in pancakes for more information on this! I tried this recipe with both all purpose flour and also wheat flour and they both turned out fine. But for perfect texture, I recommend you to stick with all purpose flour. All purpose flour will give you the best results since this kind of flour is perfect to make any pancakes including these pancakes without baking powder or baking soda. You may also try super fine cake flour to make the pancakes for a more fine and soft texture.
Yes, In this recipe for pancakes without baking powder, we make pancakes by adding beaten egg whites to the prepared batter mixture to make the final batter. However there are certain things to keep in mind when you make the pancakes in this way.
You can separate the egg whites from the egg yolks in many ways but I always just break the narrow tip of the eggs a little and let the white out while saving the yolk inside. A little white mixed with yolks is fine for this recipe, but make sure there is no trace of yolk in the whites you separated. If this method is difficult for you to do, you may use a curved slotted spoon where you can gently break the egg inside the slotted spoon so just whites will fall through the slots in the spoon and thus you can separate the whites from the yolks. You can also use store bough egg separator to separate the egg yolks from whites.
If there is any other method that you prefer to separate the egg yolks from whites, you can follow your own method and you can also share any tips in the comment section. Once you have separated egg yolks and white, first make the wet mixture of ingredients using the egg yolks and other ingredients as mentioned in the recipe. Then make the egg white mixture by beating the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. This is important because once you have prepared the egg white mixture, you have to immediately mix it with the rest of the ingredients to make the batter, or it won't hold well and the result won't be as good.
Also while you beat the egg whites to form soft peaks, I recommend using an electric mixer as it does the job so easily and fast. I whipped the egg whites using an electric mixer for about 2 to 3 minutes (starting from the lowest speed and proceeding to higher speeds) until soft peaks are formed. This step is also very important since the texture of the pancakes will depend on how well you whip the egg whites.
If all these steps seem difficult for you, the best and easy method to make pancakes without using baking powder is by using self rising flour. This is because self rising flour already have added baking powder in it so you will not need to add any extra baking powder. However if your intend is to avoid using any baking powder, self rising flour may not be an option since it contains baking powder. So in that case, you can use this recipe to make easy pancakes without baking powder.
Pancakes without baking powder or baking soda can be easily made at home from scratch and they usually comes out little dense in texture but they are very delicious. There are different ways to make pancakes without using baking powder.
One way is to make crepes which will be thin naturally, but soft and delicious!
Another way is to make pancakes like this three ingredient banana pancakes without baking powder which will be naturally soft due to the addition of bananas (though traditional banana pancakes are made with baking powder). I really love those banana pancakes without baking powder and even my kids love those delicious pancakes.
However regular pancakes will usually turn out quite dense without baking powder. If you do not like the dense texture of pancakes made without baking powder or baking soda, there are ways you can make fluffy pancakes without baking powder like using self rising flour or by using beaten, whipped egg whites to the batter. The pancakes without baking powder or baking soda taste the best when they are enjoyed as soon as they are made.
For best results, try to serve these yummy pancakes while they are still hot or warm.
Below you can get the detailed recipe for making the best homemade fluffy pancakes without baking powder or baking soda from scratch using whipped egg whites!
Pancakes Without Baking Powder Or Baking Soda
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or another oil like canola or sunflower oil
- butter or oil as needed to grease the pan and cook the pancakes
Instructions
To make pancake batter without baking powder
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the dry ingredients - flour, salt and also the sugar until well mixed.
- Separate the egg yolks and egg whites carefully and transfer the egg whites to a different bowl.
- Whisk the egg yolks and add the milk, vanilla extract and oil to the whisked egg yolks, mix everything very well.
- Add the wet ingredients mixture (do not add the egg whites now) to the dry flour mixture slowly.
- Mix well until well combined and the batter is formed without any lumps.
- In another bowl, whip the egg whites (make sure there is no trace of egg yolks in this) using an electric mixer until soft peaks are formed. I whipped the egg whites using the electric mixer for about 2 to 3 minutes starting from the lowest speed and proceeding to the highest speed gradually. Immediately fold in this beaten egg white mixture to the batter and mix well to combine evenly in the batter.
- Once you have prepared this pancake batter, you have to make the pancakes immediately for best results.
To make pancakes without baking powder
- Heat an iron skillet or pan (or use non stick pan) and grease with little oil or butter.
- Add one ladle of batter to the hot pan and let it cook for a minute or until the bottom side is cooked and bubbles appear on top side.
- Gently flip the pancake and cook the other side too, which will cook faster. You may add a little butter if needed which will make the pancake even more delicious.
- Once the pancake is cooked, transfer it to the serving dish, similarly cook all pancakes until the batter is finished. Enjoy the pancakes hot with butter or maple syrup or any of your favorite toppings as you wish!
Anonymous says
Thank you for the recipe
Alexandra says
I flippinggg mixed all the ingredients together and it did not turn out very good and when I followed the instructions the were gr8 thank u
Recipe Garden says
Hi Alexandra, its important to follow the instructions for this recipe since it very much depends on the process of whipping the egg whites separately. It won't work if the ingredients are just mixed together. Thank you so much for trying and letting me know the feedback. Much appreciated 🙂 I am glad that it turned out good for you when you followed the instructions!
Anonymous says
if you dont have a mixer?
Recipe Garden says
I guess it could be very difficult without using a mixer. You may try whisking by hand using a spoon or something but it could take longer and the results may not be the best unless you are very used to doing it already. In this recipe, it is very important that the egg whites are whipped until they are very foamy to form peaks. If not, the resulting pancakes may not be fluffy as you would want them to be. Hope this helps. Thank you.
Anonymous says
This is for how many portion?
Recipe Garden says
This recipe makes about 4 to 6 pancakes. Thank you.
ROBYN says
It's look like my cake. lol.. I mean not really good looking. But I try it with honey and still delicious!
Recipe Garden says
Hi Robyn, I am glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Thank you for trying and leaving the feedback!
Nicole says
What happens if you leave out the salt as well? My blood pressure is very sensitive to sodium and I think this recipe is really reducing the sodium by eliminating the baking powder and baking soda.
Recipe Garden says
Hi Nicole, you may leave out the salt as well to reduce the sodium content. It wouldn't make much of a difference I believe. Thank you.
Monika says
Great instructions and I learned something new about egg whites! I used half the sugar, oatmilk, and some vanilla extract. Delicious.
Recipe Garden says
Thank you so much for the feedback Monika! I am glad you enjoyed these 🙂
Erika says
First time cooking pancake. Love this recipe the sweetness is just nice. And the taste is tasty. Easy to follow.
Recipe Garden says
Hi Erika, I am glad you enjoyed these pancakes, thank you for the feedback 🙂
Diya says
It is heavenly taste! Light, fluffy, sweet and fresh.
Recipe Garden says
Thank you Diya, I am glad you liked it!
Steph K says
It was delicious
Recipe Garden says
Thank you!
Katy says
These were yummy. The kids loved them and are fun to make it. Thank you!
Recipe Garden says
Thank you, I am glad to hear that your kids loved it. Thank you for the feedback!
Judy says
Hi: I can no longer use baking powder or soda, due to kidney diet. So I was looking for alternative. this ws great. I just wanted to say that instead of making them on the stove, I baked them in the oven! I put a parchment in my 6x9 pan so the the parchment is coming up the side. Then put about 1 1 /2 T butter in pan, and put in the oven to melt, but watch so doesn't burn. I then followed your recipe, but also added on top some sugared blueberries. Baked beautifully, Rose much like a soufflé. It was a little dense, but I didn't care. When they ere done, I took them out, and then smeared a little cream cheese on them. Tased much like a danish. so good. but with a lot fewer calories, fat and sugar. Oh, I forgot to say that I didn't put any sugar in the batter, just on the blueberries. So nice and simple. I also used 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 all purpose flour. But for me, the idea was not using baking powder or soda. And these came out great! Thank you.
Recipe Garden says
Hi Judy, I am so glad to hear such a great feedback! Thank you so much 🙂 It's wonderful that you could add blueberries & bake them in the oven. That's a great idea. I am so happy that you found this recipe for pancakes helpful for your diet. Its so nice to know how it worked with the said changes too. I very much appreciate you stopping by and giving a very valuable feedback on this recipe. Thanks again, have a great day!
Imelda says
I would really like to try this recipe as it sounds great. I would have to use water as we cannot have milk of any kind due to allergies. I would like to know more about the oven baking method rather than frying. At what temperature and for how long should they be baked? Also, could these pancakes be frozen for later use?
Recipe Garden says
Hi Imelda, I haven't tried baking these pancakes but a reader has mentioned the pancakes came out great in the oven too. Maybe you can look for pancake recipes in oven and try this recipe the same way and see if it works. If I try anytime, I will update it in the post. Also, you may use water or try applesauce instead of milk for a different flavor, but I am not very sure how it will turn out. If you try, please let me know! Thank you.
Monique says
I’m at a cottage and wanted to make pancakes and didn’t have any baking powder or soda so I was looking for an alternative. This recipe did the trick. I didn’t have any cinnamon or vanilla but I used a maple bacon syrup instead and added raspberries. They were delicious and a big hit with all. The only other obstacle I had was not having an electric mixer to whisk the eggs so I had to do it by hand with a whisk but it turned out with a little time. Thanks for sharing.
Recipe Garden says
I am so glad to hear this recipe worked for you. Thank you so much for letting me know!
Anonymous says
Hi, I definitely think I'll try these tomorrow. But the problem is, don't have baking powder. Instead, I have baking soda. i don't know if baking powder and baking soda are the same things, so I'm still debating on if I should use baking soda for the pancakes or not. I know this recipe requires no baking powered, but I'm not sure if I should trust it. I've never ever made pancakes before and never even separated them! What do i do???????
Recipe Garden says
Hi, you can make these pancakes without using baking powder or baking soda. They are two different things. While some recipes use baking soda, I haven't used both in this recipe. It works very well if you separate the egg whites from the yolks and whisk the egg whites separately and follow the instructions as directed. I have also included a video for this recipe which you can see in the post. Hope the pancakes turn out great for you 🙂 Thank you!
Vanessa says
Omg. I'm not much of a cook but I love food and can follow a recipe. I didn't have a hand mixer but I had a small blender so I used that for the egg whites and it worked just fine. These pancakes are SOOOO GOOOD! I usually use a box but didn't have any, and didn't have any baking powder so I googled recipes without and yours came up... I'll be using this recipe from now on! Thank you for sharing 🥰
Recipe Garden says
Hi Vanessa, Thank you so much! You made my day! It's very helpful to hear that this worked with using a blender as well, that's a great tip helpful to other users as well. Thanks again for leaving the wonderful feedback for the recipe, it's much appreciated 🙂
Awau says
Thank you I just learn how to make pancake from here I will make sure I try it
Recipe Garden says
Hope you like it!