A good alternative to vegetable oil for making pancakes?

Question

I've been trying to cut highly processed food out of my diet and use more natural fats, so out went vegetable oil and shortening. This has been fine, except when I make pancakes. Usually, I'd use vegetable oil to grease the pan, but since that isn't an option, I've been trying other alternatives. I've tried butter, olive oil, even lard, but they all smoke and brown before one side of a pancake is cooked. And I don't crank the heat up (I use low-med heat on an electric stove). Does anyone know of a good alternative? I love pancakes, but this is driving me nuts.

Update:

Unfortunately, cooking spray is made from canola oil, a vegetable oil. Again, trying to avoid them.

KiKi · Accepted Answer

Use cooking spray, i.e. Pam...works every time :)

Karen L · Answer

What's wrong with vegetable oil? Pick the right one, processed the right way, and you're fine. You ought to be able to find a cold-processed one at a health food store if not in a regular supermarket. And if you keep the heat down, no cooking fat should smoke before the food is done. Butter, unless it has been clarified, is problematic for some frying because the milk elements in it tend to burn and stick. Maybe clarified butter(also called ghee) would work for you. Or maybe you need a better frying pan and melted butter in the pancake batter.

psYA · Answer

A quarter gram of cooking spray won't have any effect on anything.  That's why some of them once said "fat free" even though they're 100% fat.  You hardly use any.

Or a couple oils that are good for you are walnut oil and rice bran oil.

Blank · Answer

Use a little cooking spray and a non stick skillet. It worked out for me.

Meinit · Answer

baking powder .cream of tartar and cornstarch. use buttermilk if your using baking powder.
or milk with a tsp vinegar. or just plain old melted butter

S · Answer

you can use butter

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A good alternative to vegetable oil for making pancakes?

6 Answers