Do you ever have almond milk that’s gone a little sour? Don’t throw it away, it can actually be used to make super fluffy buttermilk pancakes!

I make a new batch of almond milk about once every week.

It’s my favourite plant milk to have in smoothies, hot chocolate, tea, when baking… Pretty much any recipe that calls for milk.

However, because the almond milk I make fresh at home is free of preservatives, it only lasts 3-4 days in the fridge before it goes sour. And I really don’t enjoy the taste of sour milk in my smoothies or drinks.

I would constantly find myself throwing the almond milk out in my garden and it felt so wasteful as it was only just a few days old. I wanted to be able to saver every last drop, but no matter how much I tried, sour almond milk just doesn’t taste good.

But, my saving grace came in the form of a post @going.zero.waste shared on her Instagram feed. My twin sister tagged me in it because she knew I was always throwing away sour almond milk, and when I saw the post, I was so excited to have some use for it after all!

Why is Sour Almond Milk Good for Baking?

The sour almond milk acts as buttermilk in this recipe, which gives the pancakes a light, fluffy texture to them, similar to what buttermilk does in baking.

Another way you can achieve the “sour” almond milk consistency is by adding apple cider vinegar to plain almond milk if you don’t have any sour almond milk on hand, I’m just sharing this recipe today for those of you who, like me, are left with sour almond milk most weeks and are looking for recipes to use it in.

Now, my pancakes are a little different to the recipe @going.zero.waste posted, just because I like to put my own twist on things. Her pancakes were the inspiration for this recipe, and the idea of using sour almond milk has been a game changer for me when baking. I use it all the time now, especially when baking muffins (here are some more recipes for using up any leftover sour almond milk).

These pancakes are vegan-friendly, gluten-free, and absolutely delicious. I love pairing them with maple syrup or honey, berry compôte, or some dairy-free butter on top. It’s next level good.

Before we get started in learning how to make these fluffy buttermilk pancakes – if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my email newsletter at the bottom of the page to keep up to date on the latest recipes, DIYs, gardening and health tips I share!!

Sour Almond Milk Pancakes

Buttermilk pancakes are the perfect way to use up any leftover sour almond milk you might have sitting in your fridge. These pancakes have a light, fluffy texture and taste pleasantly sweet – I promise, they don’t taste like sour almond milk at all.

Makes 6 pancakes.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups sour almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• Honey, maple syrup, berry compôte, or butter for topping (optional)

To make:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients and mix well to combine.
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine your wet ingredients together and mix until combined. Pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk together. Do not overmix the batter as this will cause the pancakes to become more dense than fluffy. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes to help it thicken and rise.
3. Grease a fry pan with some coconut oil and heat on medium heat. Once hot, add 2-3 tbsp of batter and cook until you see bubbles start to emerge on top. Flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining batter.
4. Serve pancakes immediately with toppings of choice, or let them cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.

As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor before trying or using any new products. I am not a doctor. All opinions expressed are my own personal thoughts and feelings of the products mentioned. Check with your doctor or health practitioner if you are uncertain about trying out any of the products, recipes or tips mentioned in this post. 

Have you made buttermilk pancakes before using almond milk and apple cider vinegar before? Were they light and fluffy? Share in the comments below.

Lots of love,

🖤 Vanessa