Just in time for the weekend, here is one of our favorite breakfasts: gluten free pancakes.
Gluten Free Pancakes
(Yield: one dozen)
2 1/3 c. "Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix Recipe"
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. soy milk (or cow’s milk)
3 Tbsp butter, melted (or canola oil)
2 eggs, beaten (or 6 Tbsp. water and 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Instructions: Combine the first four ingredients in a large mixing bowl and give it a few whisks. Crack the eggs into a separate bowl and whisk them until they are well beaten. Add the soy milk, butter, and vanilla to the eggs and whisk again.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until the ingredients are combined. (I usually abandon the whisk at this point and grab a wooden spoon.) Stir the batter until all of the flour is mixed in. This should just take a few seconds – there will still be lumps in the batter and that is okay. Put the batter aside while you heat up the griddle.
Put a teaspoon of butter on your griddle or non-stick skillet and heat on medium. Once the butter has melted, use your spatula to spread the butter over the entire surface of the skillet. This is going to keep the pancakes from sticking.
Using a 1/4 c. measuring cup, dip the batter out of the bowl and pour onto your skillet. I can generally fit three pancakes on my skillet at once. Let the pancakes cook and do not touch them until you see bubbles popping in the middle of the pancake like this:
Now, flip the pancakes immediately. They will only cook for a minute or two on the second side, and you can use your spatuala to peek and see if they are as brown as you want them. Once they are, take them off the griddle and slip them into a plate that is warming in a 200 degree oven. Put some more butter on your skillet and do it again.
Tips:
Adding the melted butter to the other ingredients can be a bit tricky. If the butter is too hot, then it may cook the eggs. If the milk and eggs are super cold, then the butter may resolidify once you add it in. The solution is to have all of your ingredients at room temperature. However, this is not always convenient, so I sometimes substitute canola oil for the butter just to make my life a little easier.
If the pancakes are turning out darker than you like, or if the butter in the skillet is turning brown, turn the heat down. I usually have to turn my skillet down to medium low after the first batch. You may even need to take the skillet off of the heating element for a few minutes to let the skillet cool down. Don’t worry, you’ll soon get a feel for it.
On the other hand, if you’re not sure that the pancakes are done, just use the corner of your spatula to make a small slice in the middle of the pancake. Press down on the pancake and if you see oozing batter keep cooking.
If you’re having trouble with the pancakes sticking to the skillet add more butter or try another skillet. I use a Lodge Logic Cast Iron Griddle
If the pancakes fall apart when you flip them, then you’re either flipping them too soon, or you need a bigger spatula. Ideally, the spatula should be wider than the pancakes. Here is a list of pancake spatulas
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Hi Mary! These pancakes look delicious and fluffy…I’m imagining them with blueberries…yum
How do these compare to Pamela’s Baking and Pancake mix? That’s what I currently use. The flavor is great, but they are flat. I’ll have to give this recipe a try.
@Renee, I rarely use gluten free mixes and haven’t tried any of the Pamela’s brand yet. I can tell you that my gluten eaten relatives like my pancakes, though they can tell a slight difference from Bisquick (wheat flour) pancakes. We did try the Whole Foods 365 brand pancake mix after the baby was born, and it was pretty sad in comparison to this recipe.
Mary Frances, I made these pancakes this morning for the first time and they came out rather flat. (Thankfully my kids are trained not to be picky!) In your picture they look so fluffy. My mix was very runny…although I followed the recipe…so I added more baking mix (about 1/2 cup) and a little more baking powder (1/2 tsp.) Can you give me any tips?
These are great! My son has multiple food allergies (including wheat, egg, and dairy – to name a few), and it can be difficult finding recipes that actually have “normal” texture and flavor. He LOVES these! I make in large batches and freeze them for quick reheating.
Hi, I tried this recipe this morning and found these pancakes to be rather good. I usually use Pamela’s Baking and Pancake mix and find I have to doctor it up a little — I did not have to do that with these and they certainly satisfied my pancake craving. A good recipe indeed. And to those who expect a fluffy pancake like you would get using Bisquick, that is just not really going to happen. Flours are different, it is also why you do not get the same size loaf of bread etc.
Add a half teaspoon of xanthum gum to make these pancakes fluffy. LOVED THEM! Thanks.
All purpose flour mixes give the right consistency but they have bean flour in them. If you don’t want bean pancakes try: http://gfmomcooking.blogspot.com/2009/11/gluten-free-pancakes.html
Hello everyone with fluffy/flat issues- I haven’t tried these yet but I’ve been cooking gluten free for awhile and gluten-free batters (whether bread, muffins, or pancakes) are notoriously runny, and they need xanthan or guar gum in order to “bind” the batter together. These things are actually what allows them to “fluff”. Gluten-free Mommy has a *wonderful* sandwhich bread eith which I only recently figured out that wet, sticky, very un-bread-dough-like dough makes a glorious light and fluffy bread that I personally prefer to wheat bread. We can live deliciously gluten-free, but it is important to remember that many of the tenants of cooking we grew up with no longer apply. Things just need to be made differently!