These fluffy gluten free pancakes are so good and easy to make. I use a simple, all purpose gluten-free flour that is a 1:1 substitute for wheat and makes the process so foolproof. The end result are perfect pancakes, to be devoured with a generous amount of maple syrup and berries.
Making something gluten free and having it taste like it’s not is my obsession. I need it to be delicious, but also suitable for my partner that has a gluten intolerance. I’ve now made these gluten free pancakes so many times, I think I like them better than regular ones.
You could make gluten free pancakes with oats, like I do in this gluten free banana pancakes recipe. But those have a more distinct flavor. Whereas the recipe I’m sharing here, for these fluffy gluten free pancakes, is much more universal because it uses no bananas and no oats.
A note on flour
The secret in making perfect gluten-free pancakes is in the flour you use. Luckily, there are plenty of option to choose from these days. You could also make your own gluten-free mix, but I like to make things easy for myself and just buy an all-purpose flour.
The best gluten free flour isn’t a specific brand of flour, but a specific blend. I find that I have the best success with any gluten free flour that is sold as an all-purpose or universal or 1:1 flour. These are generally good for most recipes.
A universal, all purpose gluten-free flour will normally consist of a mix of flours like rice flour, brown rice flour, sorghum flour and tapioca (sometimes listed as flour, sometimes as starch).
In addition to that, it usually has a mix of starches. Like rice starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, etc. I often see psyllium husk listed too, which is a fiber that acts like a food thickener, because it gels when mixed into a liquid.
Which brings me to my last ingredient – a thickener or binder. A good gluten free flour blend will include a thickener of sort, like xanthan gum, guar gum or cellulose. Not a lot, but just enough to help bind the ingredients and mimic that elasticity and thickness we all know from gluten.
Once you have the right flour, the rest is easy.
About the recipe
I use a moderate amount of butter and sugar in the recipe. Despite using a non-stick pan, I’m still using grease to cook the pancakes. Having some in the batter itself and in the pan gives you the best possible flavor. Using grease, either oil or butter, to cook the pancakes is also what gives them that nice sheen. It makes them look alive, so do not skip it!
The same goes for sugar. A good pancake needs maple syrup. So I only do a bit of sugar in the batter itself, to give it some flavor, but not overpower it. I don’t like pancakes that are too sweet. I much prefer to drown them in syrup, because it gives a better flavor than just sugar and it’s more satisfying to eat.
It’s the mix of a warm, fluffy pancake and caramel maple syrup that I adore the most. If I have mascarpone at home, I love a dollop of that too. It gives a flavor similar to whipped cream, but I actually prefer that it’s thicker. I like to spread it on each bite like butter.
Fresh berries are not to be skipped as they round up the whole meal. Although other fruit, like a banana or a ripe mango, works amazingly too.
More gluten free recipes to explore
- Banana pancakes with oats (Really easy recipe that uses blended oats in place of flour.)
- Italian soft almond cookies with cherries (Delicious and simple to make with so much flavor.)
- Creamy oatmeal apple smoothie (A thick oat smoothie with apples that is suitable for breakfast.)
- Cruciferous vegetable soup (A soup packed with vegetables that is also dairy free.)
Recipe
Fluffy gluten free pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups gluten free flour mix
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons oil or butter – for greasing the pan
- maple syrup
- mascarpone cheese or yogurt
- strawberries or a sliced banana
Instructions
- Whisk eggs with sugar, butter and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in half of the milk until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the flour and sprinkle baking powder and salt on top. Whisk by hand (or beat on low speed with a mixer) until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
- Lastly, add the rest of the milk and mix until smooth. Allow the batter to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes (this allows the thickener in the flour to thicken the batter, which is what makes thick, fluffy pancakes).
- Heat a non stick pan (or a cast iron pan) over medium heat. Add a teaspoon or so of neutral-tasting oil (like sunflower oil) or butter. For each pancake, ladle about 1/4 cup (60 ml) of batter into the hot pan.
- Cook for about 2-3 minutes, until you see bubbles forming in the batter and the edges of the pancake begin to look less wet (they go from looking glossy wet to a waxy dry-ish sheen). Flip the pancake and cook for another 60 seconds or until the other side is golden brown too. Continue with the rest of the batter and add more oil or butter to the pan as needed (usually after every second pancake).
- Transfer pancakes to serving plates. Top with a dollop of mascarpone cheese, sliced berries, a sprinkle of powdered sugar and plenty of maple syrup.
Love this recipe! It’s so easy to follow and the way they taste, I still can’t believe they are gluten free!
thank you so much 🙂
These were our breakfast today! Really lovely recipe, definitely need to let batter rest for the best result..
thank you so much 🙂