Gluten Free Pancakes… Revisited
The feedback pertaining to the Pancake and Flapjack recipes on my website has been interesting to watch.
Many people have loved and had great success with these recipes and many have had trouble with them as well. Since these 2 recipes seemed to be more troublesome then most, I decided to re-work them in this post.
- Don't cook the pancakes on low (as recommended in my gluten free cookbook, The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook
); cook on medium or high
- Make sure to let your batter set up for 15 minutes before making the pancakes; this way it will thicken and the baking soda can have time to activate which will make the pancakes fluffier and easier to turn
- Keep these pancakes small, silver dollar sized to not more than 2 inches in diameter
- Many have inquired as to whether altitude has an impact on this recipe, however I've made it at sea level on each coast, as well as here in Boulder, so I can tell you that this is not an issue
Here's a comment from a helpful reader:
I had problems, like other comments have mentioned, that the flapjacks weren't firm enough to flip. I used the almond flour at room temperature (I had been storing it in the refrigerator but after reading that you don't I tried that). I also had to cook them a lot longer than a normal pancake is cooked. It took about 3-4 minutes for the first side and 2-3 for the second side, but it is well worth the wait! Hopefully this will help others who are having problems with this!
-Sherron
2 eggs
¼ cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups blanched almond flour
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
grapeseed oil
for sautéing
- In a Vita-Mix
(or other high speed blender), combine eggs, agave and vanilla and blend on high until smooth
- Add almond flour, salt and baking soda and blend again to incorporate dry ingredients into batter
- Let batter sit for 15-20 minutes to thicken up
- Warm grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium heat
- Ladle pancake batter onto skillet
- Pancakes will form little bubbles, when bubbles open, flip pancakes over and cook other side
- Remove from heat to a plate
- Repeat process with remaining batter, adding more oil to skillet as needed
editor's note: I use a cast iron skillet to make these pancakes
Some of you have asked for a lower GI alternative to maple syrup --my boys are really enjoying Ohgave's agave based "maple" syrup, which I have found to be quite tasty as well.
I am thrilled to let you all know that as I was reading the New York Times Book Review last weekend, I saw that the Pioneer Woman's cookbook
In media news I had the pleasure yesterday of being interviewed by Dr. Faith of the Faith Middleton show on Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network. We talked for an hour, yes a full hour about my book and many of the recipes in it. Dr. Faith is an almond flour evangelist and it was wonderful to be on air with her. Listen to the show
Last but not least, the winner of last weeks Friday Freebie retweet giveaway for a jar of Naturally Nutty Sunflower Butter is Ricki Heller. Congratulations!
Posted on January 26, 2010 in breakfasts by Elana
other entries you may like: Silver Dollar Pancakes
or Pancakes
or Flapjacks
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Before you leave a comment...
"Check out Elana's FAQ page for info on substitutions -- there are just too many possibilities so she can't answer all of these : ) But the Forums are an excellent resource and I highly recommend posting your substitution questions there; everyone is friendly and helpful." -Katie
Yep, I'm one of those who have had issues with the pancakes so thank you for revisiting these. One of the questions I have is about the pancakes sticking to the pan. What kind of pan do you use for these (and everything else for that matter) and have you ever had problems with grapeseed oil and everything sticking to the pan?
I also have never been able to get them to work. I had been thinking it was an East Coast Issue, but I will try again with the suggestions. I also store my flour in the fridge, so perhaps it will be better room temp. I'll report back if I get it to work.
Hi Hannah, I also live on the east coast. We make her dairy version and it works fantastic. I also store my AF in the fridge and only let the portion I am going to be using sit on the counter a minute or so before working with it. If you can have dairy, I highly recommend them. Also, I use raw honey in place of agave.
In my house, we also use the pancakes for sandwich bread! They make amazing tuna sandwiches.
Thanks for the great idea of using the pancakes as sandwich bread! I often make a large batch of these and freeze them for quick weekday breakfasts, but now we'll use them for sandwiches as well. Thanks!
Have you ever tried freezing the batter to make the pancakes fresh in the morning?
I have made these on a Sunday and kept the leftover batter in the fridge for a few days for quick weekday meals. I haven't tried freezing the actual batter but think it would ruin the consistency... maybe make the entire batch and freeze the already made pancakes for a quick re-heat. That works well too!
Thank you so much for your idea of using the pancakes for the sandwich bread. My mom found out that she is gluten intolerant and it has been very challenging finding things that we can cook. Now that I found this website my mom and I are going to be making a lot of amazing recipes. Thank you so much.
Who cares -- they taste so darn good I don't care if they are round, folded over, I have even eaten them broken up. The leftovers are great kept in the refrigerator and eaten cold -- tastes like a soft butter cookie. Thanks Elana!
If you're in a hurry or too lazy to make homemade (I fall in this category), Maple Grove Farms makes a great boxed all natural gluten free pancake & waffle mix. You just have to add milk, eggs and oil. I usally make a batch and then freeze the leftovers individually in seran wrap. When my schedule allows, I will definitely have to try your recipe. Thank you!
Another really good pre-made version is by Namaste. I was amazed at how light & fluffy their waffles were. And they're GFCF (gluten- & dairy-free)! Don't worry Elana, I live for your recipes, & I've devoured your cookbook! My favorite recipe is the vanilla cupcake.
Hiya. I only recently found your site and look forward to trying recipes. I was wondering if you've ever experimented with teff flour for gluten-free baking? I made pancakes with it a few weeks ago without much trouble, and a batch of brownies that no one even realized weren't standard white flour brownies.
I hope it is OK to reply to Magess' comment. I have made teff pancakes, with 100% teff flour. They are terrific, dark and delcious. And I think teff pairs really well with chocolate.
These look delicious and one thing we miss a lot since going GF are great pancakes. To further complicate matters we now have a family member who seems unable to eat eggs or any dairy.
Has anyone tried these with egg replacer and if so which form works best?
I tried the recipe with flaxseeds and coconut milk since I am a vegan, but it didn't work - couldn't flip them over. The batter was delicious -similar to the taste of cookie dough, just added bluberries and water and made it into a smoothie since I wasn't successful with the pancakes. Would love to know if anyone else was successful with an egg replacer. Thanks.
I first made the pancake recipe which turned out great! I actually divided the recipe in half also since it's just me and my boyfriend, and we still had left overs! I also made them all the size of regular pancakes instead of silver dollars and had no problems. I then later tried the flapjack recipe (since I was out of cream) and it was a disaster :( they would not flip at all...I compared the recipes and thought perhaps it was due to the water in the flapjack recipes? I've made the original pancake recipe several times since and have had no problems. I'd love to try this new version though since we don't carry cream too often in our house. I also just received Elana's cookbook and can't wait to try out all the fun new recipes! I was excited to see so much new stuff! Thanks again for all your hard work Elana!
Thanks Elana for all your recipes!
I will definitely try these out tomorrow morning for my family.
Your almond cookies are a staple in our house-and my favorites are with goji berries, walnuts and dark chocolate chips.
I too am trying to navigate the gluten free world and your recipes are of great help.
Thanks
Carrie Adair(Calgary, ALberta Canada)
http://www.wheatfreemom.com
I made these pancakes long time ago, it was hard to flip them but there were so delicious.
Thank you so much
I was also one of the people who had trouble making these the first time and was so excited to see your "revisited" version, Elana! Thanks so much and I look forward to trying them again...
p.s. If you ever do a class or take your book tour to Michigan, I'll be there!!
Hi Elana,
I tried the pancake recipe from the book. This must be a third recipe. It is slightly different than the one printed above as it has 1/4 cup water and 1 tablespoon of arrowroot powder also.
I had trouble with that recipe. I don't stock agave, so tried a mix of sorghum syrup and honey. I know it isn't fair to judge a recipe when you don't follow it exactly. Never the less, the pancakes burned right away. From the sugars in the syrup and honey I am sure.
I did have great success when I used 1/2 cup water and on agave, syrup or honey. A very simple solution. Picture perfect pancakes, easy to flip, easy to eat.
I used a KitchenAid blender too, not a Vitamix.
And we have fruit sauce instead of syrup. Often that is pureed raspberries from our garden. Or a blueberry sauce.
Spelling is a problem for me. I meant to say I used 1/2 cup water in the recipe and NO agave, syrup or honey.
[...] Gluten free Pancakes – Gluten free recipes | Elana’s Pantry The feedback pertaining to the Pancake and Flapjack recipes on my website has been interesting to watch. Many people have loved and had great success. [...]
Just buy Pam's Baking mix, the best. I have 6 different types of "flours" and additives just to make a baking flour, I no longer have to mess with those.
I also had difficulty setting and flipping with the last recipe. I increased the almond flour and decreased the water, as mentioned in my previous comments for that recipe, and had better luck. This morning, using this recipe, I added 2 tablespoons of Grapeseed oil to the batter as well as using it on a seasoned cast iron skillet and had no difficulty flipping. As Elana mentioned, keep them small as they are somewhat fragile. The only other change I might make to the next batch is to decrease the salt to 1/4 tsp. since they seemed a bit saltier than I like pancakes to be. I do love the flavor of these, hot or cold. I don't even have the need to add any syrup or honey. They are just that good!
Hey Elana -
I've enjoyed your blog for awhile now, and congrats on the success of your book! Your post on the pancakes is timely for me. I've made more failed GF pancakes and had one too many morning meltdown over failed breakfast than I care to admit. I have multiple allergies and sensitivities, eggs being on the bad list. So before I try these:
1. Can these be made w/ either egg replacer or flax seed?
2. Do you have to use a vita mix? I don't have one, but do have a regular blender and a regular food processor, as well as a kitchen aid mixer.
Thanks so much for sharing the fine products of your hard work. I attempted these new "modified" pancakes this morning. I didn't have agave, so I subbed half honey, half real maple and used unblanched almond flour. The resulting batter was far too thick, and thickened more upon standing. So I added a cup (or so?) of coconut milk (the drink, rather than the cream) and it worked PERFECTLY. Again, maybe it is an east coast thing? But I'll try it again, to the letter when my gallon of agave comes!
Hi! I know Almond flour is the flour of choice here - and I love it best! But is Pecan Flour a good substitute? Has anyone ever tried this?
As well - are there any problems overloading with nuts? I have discovered that I can't really handle any grains at all - even non gluten ones seem to do funky things to both my blood sugar and my guts. So I basically eat chicken, fish, nuts - a lot.., tons of veggies and a little fruit. I guess I am worried about fat content....is this a problem I should be concerned with?
THANKS!
Good morning from northern Canada! I am fairly new to this GF world and am thrilled that there are sites such as yours to help educate and guide us newbies. We have tried several of your recipes off your website and have been very happy with all of them, albeit we have had to modify slightly as some items are not available where we live.
I tried a slightly modified version of this recipe this morning - and it was FANTASTIC! My husband and I are on a detox cleansing right now so no sugar or sweeteners are allowed for 12 days. So, instead of the agave, I substituted the same amount of pureed baked apple and added enough water to smooth the batter out for some good 'movement' in my regular old blender. I also tossed in some extra ground flax seed that I had staring at me on the counter.
I cooked them the same as I would my old pancake recipe - electric skillet at 400 degrees and NO OIL. The pan has a stainless steel base that is naturally non-stick (no coating on the pan). At this temp, the bottom sears and pulls away from the pan naturally when the pancake is cooked enough to flip without burning. I also put the lid on the pan while they were cooking to help circulate the heat within the pan. When we opened up the lid to see how they were doing.... WOW what a great smell!
We gobbled them back topped with mixed frozen berries and more of the baked apples I had made this morning. YUM YUM YUM!
The plan now is to make another batch to freeze. These will make a quick and delicious breakfast throughout the week.
Best and healthy wishes to you all!
~Christine
I made these this morning ... I don't have a vitamix so I just used my blender and that may have made the difference. The batter was so thick that there was no way to make a pancake -- I burned the first three (ate them anyway to experience the flavor). Since there was still plenty of batter, I decided to try it in the waffle iron -- awesome! I had to whip up a second batch because my kids scarfed down the first four out of the iron.
Thanks for the great recipe ... any tips on getting the batter to work better in a regular blender would be appreciated. Maybe just add water?
Hi Cathy, I don't have a Vitamix either and our blender isn't very powerful so I used a food processor and that worked quite well. Don't know if you have one but if you do, I recommend giving it a try...
If I don't own a vita mix can I use a blender?
My blender worked fine, it was just a little too stiff to do pancakes. Maybe adding water would help. But, as I suggested, putting the batter in the waffle iron works like a charm ... got some cooking right now.
these are perfect!! one of the girls I at work (I am a personal chef) is always wanting pancakes but I have never found a good recipe! She is going to be so excited when I make these!
I have sadly discovered an intolerance to almonds--after years of pounding them daily. For some reason I just don't digest them, and I'm not sure why. Almonds are a big loss when you're grain free!
So I used your recipe above, but substituted half macadamia nuts and half roasted pecans. I simply ground them on the "grind grain" function of my vitamix equivalent, called a Blend Tec. They got a little buttery on the bottom of the mixer, but I used that portion anyway and went forth with the pancake recipe, also substituting honey for agave at half the portion you suggest. They were amazing, fantastic, gorgeous and really tasty pancakes. Incredibly filling, too.
Jenny Epstein Kessem
Boulder, CO
I had a little trouble with the flapjack recipe off of your site, but I made the one out of your cookbook and they turned out perpect. I thought it might have been the arrowroot powder that helped. My daughter loves these with homemade strawberry syrup!
I saw your original recipe but never got around to trying them... I bet the kids would love these. Thanks for all the great stuff!
[...] my sister made a perfect batch of gluten-free pancakes using some of the revisions from Elana’s website. This is so refreshing because I was really [...]
I just made the pancakes (revisited recipe) this morning.
and ran into some problems. I followed the recipe with one exception, I substituted coconut oil for the grapeseed oil.
(my almond meal was stored in the cubboard)
They started burning well before they bubbled so I had to flip them over before I saw any bubbles. But they were already burnt by the time I flipped them.
I tried lowering and raising the heat but they still never bubbled. I tried flipping them while they were still brown but they were hard to flip until they had been on that first side for a few minutes and were already burnt.
thinking the batter might be too thick I added some milk but then they cooked very quickly.
why are they not bubbling?
how can I avoid burning them?
I am on the east coast so maybe that is a factor as others have mentioned.
Thanks,
drea
Craving pancakes, I tried again to make some this snowy morning. However, I found I had to had a lot of water 'cause nothing was moving in my vitamix. I can't flip them over and if I do, they are partially burnt and raw inside. I have added some garbanzo flour to see if it helps. I don't use eggs and used Egg Replacer. Can someone please help I am craving pancakes and have bought this bag of almond flour which I would like use successfully! Thanks.
Hmmm... I actually just made these this morning and they turned out great!
Besides the egg replacer, are you using all the other ingredients Elana indicates in the list?
I'm guessing it might have to do with not using eggs or maybe another ingredient you are substituting for?
I wonder if someone in the forums might have an idea?
I don't use agave nectar, so I added more water - it was still very dry. I ended up pouring the batter into a muffin pan and baking it. Still no results. Have to find a way to make gluten-free, vegan pancakes. Thanks.
Gluten free pancakes made with almond flour? hmm..never would have thought of that, I'll have to try em out
When i made the revisted recipe this morning, I found the batter very thick (even thicker after letting it rest)...I compared it to the recipe in the Almond Flour Cookbook and noted that there was no water (1/4 cup in the cookbook). I had to add the water to thin them out a bit. Not sure what happened, but they ended up being very tasty!
These pancakes are delicious!
To cut down on sugar, I substituted the agave with organic plain whole milk European style yogurt (from Trader Joe's) & a few drops of liquid stevia. Aside from that substitution, I made them according to this recipe - the first batch was delicious, but a little too heavy for me (my son loved them). I thinned it out with more yogurt and some butter, and fluffed it up with a little extra baking soda for the next few rounds of pancakes. These were lighter and still just as delicious. My son really digs the vanilla flavor. He is really pleased to finally have a replacement for the Nourishing Traditions wheat pancakes I used to make (and I am pleased to have a naughty-tasting breakfast which doesn't raise my blood sugar). Thank you so much!
Elena,
Just a heads up. I ordered the 25# bag of almond flour from Lucy's Kitchen Shop and not only did it really make my family Gluten-sick somethin' fierce----it made the other Celiac family I baked some goodies for sick too! Just so you know. The Honeyville almond flour seemed to be just fine for us. We were enjoying Pancakes, Lemon Bars and the Fig Newtons until our Celiac symptoms returned with a vengeance within 1 day of eating everything.
I just made these this morning. The taste was nice, but I also burnt the whole batch (started at med/high heat, then tried all the way down to low heat). My pancake batter is brown, the color of brown sugar. The photo here is a light color. Why is my batter so dark? I also used a kitchen aid mixer. My batter was very thick and now I realize alot of people added water to thin. I guess the vitamix makes the batter thinner. I'll try adding some water next time.
Really great recipe! A little sweet for our taste, I think next time I'll leave out the agave altogether (or maybe try 1/8c.). I also used syrup so the combo of sweet pancakes and sweet syrup was probably the issue... but you can't NOT have syrup on pancakes, right?!?
First batch I cooked on high as suggested in the revision at the top of the recipe... they really burned! So 'low and slow' turned out to be the solution for me... no higher than 275-300 degrees on my griddle. I also found that if I turned them as I would on a 'regular' pancake (waiting for the bubbles to form and pop), it was too late. I turned them when they were still a little runny in the middle but holding together on the outside rim... perfect! :)
I had a lot of batter left over so I'm hoping it holds up in the fridge for a couple of days!
I wanted to try the pancakes,so I dried the leftover pulp after making almond milk and then realized I only had half a cup! And since I promised my 4 year old pancakes for breakfast I improvised a little.I used dried coconut which I ground into meal and added in with the dried almond pulp. About 1 cup coconut, half a cup almond.I added the other ingredients and a pinch of almond milk because the batter went a little dry on me.And they came out AMAZING!!! Thank you for the great recipe:-)
great idea on the coconut! yum!
[...] book, my favorite and the one I make most often is the recipe for pancakes (you can find this recipe here). These pancakes aren’t “gluten-free good,” they’re simply delicious. And [...]
I just tried these pancakes this morning ~DELICIOUS!!
Thank you Elana for all your hard work perfecting all these recipes. Your blueberry muffins are in the oven right now. I can't wait to try them.
Thanks again!
Deb
I love pancakes and miss them being on a wheat free diet. I recently discovered a great alternative - ricotta pancakes. I found a recipe and have made some modifications to make it GF and healthier
Ricotta Pancakes
Serving size - 4 pancakes
Ingredients
6 tablespoons all-purpose gluten free flour
4 teaspoons sugar or stevia
2 teaspoon baking powder
2 egg whites
1 cup ricotta cheese
lemon zest
4 ounces fresh blueberries
dash of vanilla extract
Directions
In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder and mix together. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites (with a whisk) then add to the bowl with the dry ingredients and then add the ricotta cheese. Blend well. Gently fold in blueberries and add lemon zest and vanilla extract.
Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle or fry pan for each pancake. Take a spatchala and the back of a spoon to spread the batter into a thinner, rounder pancake right. Make sure your griddle is heated thoroughly and maintain a medium heat.Since this batter is a bit heavier and thicker, they need to cook a little more slowly than other pancakes. It could take several minutes on each side. You will have to cut one pancake in half to test and see how long it takes to cook through in your pan. I covered my pan with a lid to keep the heat in to help them cook. They should be golden brown when served. Eat right away. Delicious!
I added a few drops of Toffee Nut flavored Stevia to the batter and it was so delicious! My first batch also burned right away so I turned the heat down for the second batch and they came out beautifully golden! I used 1 cup almond flour and 1/2 cup coconut flour so they were naturally sweetened and so yummy! The batter was a bit thick but I probably could have just added some water to thin it out. Great recipe!!
On the flapjack recipe it includes a 1/2 cup of water. Yet on this recipe it does not. I think the 1/2 cup of something is essential to get batter. Did you forget to include the water in the recipe or was this itentional?
[...] The recipe I used is by Elana, of Elana’s Pantry [...]
The batter came out really thick for me and was the color of brown sugar. I added some almond milk and canola oil and made them into muffins instead. Very yummy, even had a buttery taste.
I figured out on my own to the silver dollar size and high cook on my own, and only after a few trial runs lol of course had i looked at the new recipe sooner i wouldn't have need to go through those trial runs X-). glad i look at the updated version cause i wouldn't have thought to let it sit for a bit. Thanks for tips!!!!
Recently grain free
[...] our favorites, hands down), or even home-made gluten-free whole-grain or grain-free pancakes (like these from Elana’s Pantry) and waffles (like these from The Spunky Coconut). Just have fun, think outside the box, and mix [...]