Better Pancake Options for Digestive Health
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Pancakes and Diarrhea

For some people, this comfort food has unfortunate side effects.

Pancakes and Diarrhea
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Updated on August 6, 2025
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There’s nothing like a warm, fluffy stack of pancakes with butter and syrup to usher in the day — but for many people, eating flapjacks can be a less-than-desirable experience. The ingredients in some pancakes can be difficult for individuals with digestive issues to tolerate, often causing intestinal distress and diarrhea. The good news is that if you suffer from a GI complaint, you probably don't have to give up pancakes completely to avoid those side effects. In the following situations, a few simple tweaks to the recipe or the prep can make a major difference.

Gluten Intolerance

The most obvious potential cause of GI issues is gluten intolerance. Pancakes are made with wheat flour, and both the refined and whole-grain varieties contain gluten. Gluten can cause pain, diarrhea, and bloating in people with celiac disease, but an entire range of nonceliac gluten sensitivities also exists.

 Some people without celiac disease find that high amounts of gluten cause issues for them, though the tolerance threshold varies from person to person.

 If this sounds like something you’re dealing with, look for gluten-free pancake mixes or experiment with alternative grain flours, such as soy, buckwheat, rice, or amaranth.

Sweetener Intolerance

If your pancakes come from a boxed mix, check the ingredients to see if the mix contains sorbitol or fructose. These common sweeteners are known to cause digestive complaints similar to irritable bowel syndrome, and they can trigger flare-ups in people who live with that condition.

 Since sorbitol and fructose are common in processed foods, steering clear of boxed mixes is the best way to avoid those sweeteners. Whip up a batch of your own batter, and use real sugar or maple syrup instead.

Lactose Intolerance

If you are lactose-intolerant, the milk in the pancake batter may be just enough to trigger digestive symptoms. When you add butter as both a cooking fat and a topping, it increases the lactose burden even more. Some boxed mixes contain nonfat powdered milk, so just adding water won't help you avoid lactose entirely. Look for mixes that are lactose-free, or make your own using milk alternatives.

 Cook your pancakes with cooking spray or a dash of canola oil instead of butter, and skip the buttery topping.

Greasy Pan

Even if you don't have a digestive disorder, there's another thing about pancakes that can cause diarrhea: the grease. It can take up to a half-stick of butter to cook an entire batch of pancakes, and thicker batter can absorb much of that fat due to the longer, slower cooking time. The traditional butter-laden cooking method results in what are essentially fried cakes, so it's no wonder that your intestines end up as lubricated as the pan — especially if you overindulge. Use cooking spray instead, or choose premade frozen pancakes that need only be toasted or microwaved.

The Takeaway

  • If you frequently experience digestive issues such as diarrhea after eating pancakes, consider whether gluten intolerance might be the culprit. You may want to try gluten-free alternatives, such as buckwheat or rice flour.
  • People who are sensitive to the artificial sweeteners in many processed pancake mixes may find that using homemade batter with natural sweeteners such as sugar or maple syrup is gentler on their gut.
  • Lactose intolerance can also cause digestive problems. Using lactose-free milk or milk alternatives could make a noticeable difference for people who live with this condition.
  • Whipping up pancakes with cooking spray instead of butter may help to prevent the intestinal distress associated with greasy foods.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Celiac Disease. Mayo Clinic. July 30, 2025.
  2. Non-Celiac Gluten/Wheat Sensitivity. Celiac Disease Foundation.
  3. 5 Foods to Avoid if You Have IBS. Johns Hopkins Medicine.
  4. Leonard A. A Day of Lactose-Free Eating: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Recipes. Canadian Digestive Health Foundation. January 29, 2025.
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Reyna Franco, RDN

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Reyna Franco, RDN, is a New York City–based dietitian-nutritionist, certified specialist in sports dietetics, and certified personal trainer. She is a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has a master's degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Columbia University.

In her private practice, she provides medical nutrition therapy for weight management, sports nutrition, diabetes, cardiac disease, renal disease, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, food allergies, eating disorders, and childhood nutrition. To serve her diverse patients, she demonstrates cultural sensitivity and knowledge of customary food practices. She applies the tenets of lifestyle medicine to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve health outcomes for her patients.

Franco is also a corporate wellness consultant who conducts wellness counseling and seminars for organizations of every size. She taught sports nutrition to medical students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, taught life cycle nutrition and nutrition counseling to undergraduate students at LaGuardia Community College, and precepts nutrition students and interns. She created the sports nutrition rotation for the New York Distance Dietetic Internship program.

She is the chair of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine's Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist Member Interest Group. She is also the treasurer and secretary of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, having previously served in many other leadership roles for the organization, including as past president, awards committee chair, and grant committee chair, among others. She is active in the local Greater New York Dietetic Association and Long Island Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, too.

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Angela Brady has been writing since 1997. Currently transitioning to a research career in oncolytic virology, she has won awards for her work related to genomics, proteomics, and biotechnology. She is also an authority on sustainable design, having studied, practiced and written extensively on the subject.

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