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Can you make epic -and by epic, I mean delicious pancakes using a substitute for the egg? Yes, with this recipe and the tips below for each substitute option, making delicious egg-free pancakes is possible!
With many pancake recipes on this website, I always get comments and emails asking how that particular pancake recipe can be made without eggs.
So, I took my classic fluffy pancake recipe and tested it with my top egg substitutes for you.
Jump to:
Why Do Pancakes Have Eggs?
The reason for eggs in a pancake recipe is to bind the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) with the wet ingredients (milk and butter). This binder helps achieve a good consistency when making pancake batter.
Whether you can't eat eggs because of an egg allergy, or dietary preferences, or you ran out of eggs but want to eat pancakes, the egg substitutes below will yield awesome pancakes.
Can You Make Pancakes Without Eggs?
Yes, it’s possible to achieve a nice thick batter that yields thick and delicious pancakes without using eggs. In this post, I will show you the best methods and substitutions so you can make amazing pancakes with what you have on hand.
Egg Substitute for Pancakes
The best egg substitute for pancakes is one that works seamlessly with a pancake recipe that yields the texture and taste you prefer.
The great news is that there are several substitutes for eggs using ingredients you probably have at home like banana, pumpkin, chia seeds, or flax meal.
Whether you’ve run out of eggs and need a quick substitute or you can’t have them, below are the best substitutes I’ve tried and used to make delicious pancakes you can stack, drizzle with your favorite syrups, or top with pancake toppings.
While there are other “substitutes” for eggs that work with other recipes, when it comes to yielding fluffy and delicious pancakes, the list above is what I recommend and have noted in the recipe below.
Here are 5 egg substitutes for pancakes that I’ve personally tested and can recommend with the recipe below.
Flax Egg instead of Regular Egg
A flax egg is the result of mixing ground flax seeds (flax meal) with warm water. You wait for the mixture to become gelatinous and then it can be used in your pancake recipe instead of an egg.
When you use a flax egg in the pancake recipe below, you’ll get nearly identical pancake results as you would when using a traditional egg. A flax egg does not alter the taste of the pancakes but it does leave little brown specks in the batter –the natural color of flax meal.
Make one (1) flax egg by combining 3 tablespoons of warm water with 1 tablespoon of flax meal in a small bowl. Wait 10 minutes until a gel-like mixture forms. Proceed to mix it with the wet ingredients in the pancake batter.
Mashed Banana
Mashing up a ripe banana is also an option I’ve used many times to make pancakes without having to use eggs.
When you use a mashed ripe banana in your pancake batter, your pancakes will have a slightly banana-like flavor. This also sweetens the batter and with the recipe below, you’ll also have fluffy pancakes.
For each egg, you’ll need ¼ cup mashed banana. The riper the banana the better since the creamy and stick texture will help bind the ingredients. You can add up to ½ cup, about 1 small banana, to the recipe below and get great pancakes.
Pumpkin Puree
Using canned pumpkin in your pancake batter is also another way to substitute eggs in a recipe. The thick, fiber-like texture binds and dissolves well with the wet ingredients.
By mixing canned pumpkin with the wet ingredients, you’ll tint the batter slightly orange and add a bit of pumpkin flavor to your pancakes. The pancake density is nice and thick with the recipe below. I recommend adding a bit of cinnamon to the batter to compliment the pumpkin nicely.
For every egg in a pancake recipe, use ¼ cup canned pumpkin puree
Chia Egg
Chia seeds can be used to make an egg substite because when they absorb hot water, they soften up and turn into a gel-like liquid that can be added to the pancake batter.
When you use chia gel in the pancake recipe below, you’ll get a similar texture and flavor of pancakes to using a traditional egg. However, chia seeds are dark grey so you’ll see dark grey specks in your pancake batter and finished pancakes.
Make one (1) chia egg by combining 3 tablespoons of hot water with 1 tablespoon of chia seeds in a small bowl. Wait 10 minutes for the chia seeds to absorb the water and turn into a grey gel-like mixture. Proceed to mix it with the wet ingredients in the pancake batter.
Commercial Egg Replacers
If you regularly substitute eggs when cooking, such as making pancakes or in other baked goods like breakfast bread loaves, having a commercial egg replacer package in your pantry is a convenient option.
Some egg replacers are made with ground chia seeds others are made with golden flax meal, both options try to reduce the traces of those ingredients in your white pancake batter, and the pancake results with the recipe below are very good.
My top egg replacers are Neat Plant-Based Replacer, Ener-G Egg Replacer, and Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer.
To use an egg replacer in the pancake batter below, check the amount recommended in the package since it can vary by brand.
Arrowroot Powder
Arrowroot powder is a thickener, similar to corn starch, that can be used in place of an egg when making the pancake recipe below, but don’t use it to make more than 2 eggs total.
If you decide to use arrowroot to make pancakes, you’ll have a thicker batter and light and fluffy pancakes. It’s tasteless so I recommend adding a little vanilla extract or an additional tablespoon of butter to the batter for added flavor.
Use arrowroot powder to make an egg for pancakes by mixing 3 tablespoons of warm water with 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder. Wait 10 minutes and use the mixture in the recipe.
Watch this video to see me use a few of these so you can see the batter consistency and hear my best tips for making eggless pancakes.
Pancake Batter Consistency Without Eggs
Generally, the pancake batter consistency when using one of the egg substitutes above: flax egg, chia egg, banana, pumpkin, and arrowroot, tends to be very similar to my traditional pancake batter.
Using canned pumpkin will turn the batter slightly orange, using banana will flavor the batter, and using a chia or flax egg will leave grey or brown specks in the batter.
Tips When Using Egg Substitutes in Pancakes
The egg substitutes I recommended above work very well with my pancake recipe below. To avoid the most common pancake fails, here are a few other tips:
Dairy-Free
You may use a dairy-free milk substitute for this recipe, which is different than my pancake batter using water.
Double the Recipe, No More
While we often make pancakes to serve a crowd, for best results, each batch of pancake batter should not be more than doubling the recipe below.
Substitute Two Eggs at Most
If you’re not using the pancake recipe below, I don’t recommend substituting more than two eggs in any pancake recipe. Results tend to be inconsistent.
Pancake Ingredients Without Egg
If the only thing you are substituting is the egg in a recipe, the following pancake ingredients are what you need to make the recipe without an egg:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Sugar
- Salt
- Butter
- Milk, dairy or non-dairy
- Egg substitute, pick one option
- Butter, oil or spray, for cooking
Eggless Pancake Recipe
If you can measure ingredients and mix them in a bowl, you can make this eggless pancake recipe. Print the recipe below, or pin it for later!
Egg Substitutes for Eggless Pancakes
Watch how it’s made:
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour*
- 1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar, optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons melted butter, optional
- 1 ¼ cups milk, dairy or non-dairy
- 1 egg substitute
- butter, oil or spray, for cooking
Egg Substitutions (pick one)
- Flax egg: mix 3 tablespoons warm water with 1 tablespoon ground flax meal in a small bowl. Wait 10 minutes until a gel-like mixture forms. Mix with the wet ingredients
- Chia egg: mix 3 tablespoons hot water with 1 tablespoon chia seeds in a small bowl. Wait 10 minutes until a gel-like mixture forms and use that in the recipe. Mix with the wet ingredients.
- Commercial Egg Replacers: see package directions for 1 egg.
- ¼ cup Mashed banana: use ¼ cup of ripe mashed banana. For added banana flavor, use up to ½ cup. Mix with the wet ingredients.
- ¼ cup Canned pumpkin puree: use ¼ cup and mix with the wet ingredients. For a nice touch, add ¼ teaspoon cinnamon to the batter.
- Arrowroot powder: mix 3 tablespoons of warm water with 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder. Wait 10 minutes and combine with the wet ingredients.
- Commercial egg replacers: follow the package recommendations to make 1 egg for this recipe. Mix as noted in the package.
Instructions
Choose an egg subsitute:
- Measure, mash, or mix your egg subsitute with the recommended amount of water and wait 10 minutes.
Measure dry ingredients:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add a bit of cinnamon if desired.
Mix the wet ingredients:
- In a bowl, place the melted butter and milk. Mix these with your chosen egg replacer (after the wait noted).
Make the batter:
- Make a well in the middle of the large bowl containing the dry ingredients and add the liquid ingredients. Using a whisk, mix moving outwards to incorporate everything into a cohesive batter.
Cook the pancakes:
- Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Once hot, grease it with butter, oil, or spray.
- Pour ¼ cup of batter for each pancake. Cook for about 2 minutes, until defined edges form and the batter has begun to bubble up at the top. Flip the pancakes and cook for one more minute on the other side. Remove from the pan, continue making pancakes with the rest of the batter, and serve.
Notes
- Nutritional information calculated using a flax-egg as the replacer. Some data will vary when another substitute is used.
- Make this recipe gluten-free by using a 1:1 gluten-free flour mix.
- My top egg replacers are Neat Plant-Based Replacer, Ener-G Egg Replacer, and Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer for achieving consistent results.
- Use the right baking powder: Since pancake batter naturally has a mild, neutral flavor, it’s important to use aluminum-free baking powder. The metallic flavor will ruin the taste, especially in fluffy pancake recipes that call for 2 or more teaspoons. Trust me on this one.
Lisa says
I’ve tried three of these substitutes on different days now and they were all great!
Abel Villagomez says
it worked my kids loved it
Natalia says
Would this work with psyllium husk using the same ratio as the flaxmeal? I use it in my GF, vegan bread and works as a binde keeping it spongy and lift.
Laura Fuentes says
I have not tried this swap. If it works for you, will you let me know? I’m working on a psyllium husk pancake recipe.
Cheri says
So good. I used flax seed. First pancakes I’ve had since going gluten free.
Laura Fuentes says
Thank you for sharing you enjoyed these pancakes using flax as the egg substitute!