Hello there! School has started here at Four Chickens and that means breakfast is more important than ever! Our goal is to make sure that Girlfriend is well-prepared to start her day and to be able to make it through the morning until lunch. Lunch, as many parents know, is where your child dutifully eats their whole lunch and is happy for the rest of the day is where your kid usually talks too much with her pals and won’t eat anything, and comes home super-cranky because she’s hungry. So we need to make sure that she has a substantial breakfast. More on lunch in another post where I yell and scream and beg her to eat lunch at school.
Anyway, one of Girlfriend’s and dAhub’s breakfast favorites are pancakes. They are quick to make and have so many possibilities of add-ins and toppings. For protein we add nuts or top them with creme fraiche, sour cream, or cream cheese. For a little sweetness, we had fresh fruit while they’re cooking. We also vary the amount of sugar we put in the pancakes–sometimes we want them sweeter, sometimes not as sweet.
Below is the recipe I have been using for years. I adapted it from the good ol’ Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker. I’ve had this book for over 20 years–since my mom gave it to me as a “going off to college” gift. If stuck on a desert island, this would be one of the main cookbooks I would want to bring. And if you don’t have it, I highly recommend that you go get it right away! The following recipe makes light, fluffy pancakes that are super-yummy!
Gluten-Free Pancakes
-adapted from Joy of Cooking (1975 edition)
Ingredients
1 1/2 C Jeanne’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
3 tablespoon sugar (you can leave this out or decrease amount if you prefer)
2 extra large eggs, lighten beaten
3 TBL melted and cooled butter (or butter alternative)
1 1/4 cups milk (or milk alternative)
-Mix together dry ingredients in small bowl.
-Mix together wet ingredients in a larger bowl.
-Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mixing until just blended. The batter should be kind of lumpy. This means there are small pockets of flour that will burst into air pockets in the finished pancakes.
-Heat a griddle, well-seasoned cast iron pan, or non-stick frying pan on medium-high heat. It’s best to use a pan that doesn’t need oiling to keep the pancakes from sticking.
-Heat pan until a drop of water shaken on pan immediately bubbles up–this means the pan is ready for the batter.
-Drop large spoonfuls of batter onto the griddle or pan. Be sure to leave enough room between each so they don’t run into each other:
If you would like to add something, now is the time to do it. Sprinkle chopped nuts, sunflower seeds, or fresh fruit on to of each pancake:
After a couple of minutes, the cakes will look dry around the edges and will start to have holes on top. Check undersides to see if the bottoms are light brown. When they are, turn each one over carefully to cook on other side:
Again, wait a couple of minutes and then check to see if they’re light golden brown. When they are they are done–move to plate and repeat until you’ve used all the batter.
Top with butter, maple syrup, cream cheese, creme fraiche, fresh fruit, jam, or whatever strikes your fancy.
Enjoy!
Note: If you use a different gluten-free flour mix, alter the amount of or eliminate the xanthan gum or use a different gluten-replacer, use dairy-free or egg-free substitutes, or change any other ingredients in this recipe, your results may not match my results.
This post contains affiliate links–which means that I get a tiny percentage of each purchase you make through the link (at no extra cost to you!). Thank you!
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2015 Jeanne Sauvage
“The batter should be kind of lumpy.” I often mix the batter until smooth 😮 Thank you for the tips. Gonna try it this weekend. I have never made a thick pancake like this ^^
Le Lenny: Happy pancake making!
Yay yay yummy gf pancackes for me and my kiddo. Added fresh blueberries and ate with no syrup! May God bless you, Jeanne!
Amy: Yay! I’m so glad!
Jeanne, thank you for another winning receipe. Sometimes it’s the simple things that bring a smile.
Not only were these perfect pancakes, they will save money. I was buying a name brand box mix for over $5 a box, but no more.
Connie: Yay! I’m so glad!
Not sure what I did wrong. The pancakes ended up being very thin. More like crepes than traditional pancakes. However, they taste good and they don’t fall apart like every other pancake recipe I’ve tried. Usually gluten free pancakes are kind of sandy and pretty much disintegrate as soon as you put syrup on it. These don’t do that. I just have to figure out how to get them thicker/fluffier.
I love your website and pretty much plan on trying all your recipes one by one! Thanks for sharing!!
Alice: Did you follow the recipe exactly, exactly? Meaning, no substitutes for my flour mix or the other ingredients?
Yes…guilty of substituting white rice for brown rice for financial reasons. :/ I think that’s the only thing I changed though.
Alice: It sounds like there wasn’t enough flour to liquid. I’m wondering if you measured a bit off? Also, did you make your substitutions by weight or by volume (cups)? Substitutions are best made by volume (cups), not weight–contrary to what might have read other places.
Yes, I measured by cups, when I realized the flours didn’t weigh the same. 🙂 Thanks for responding! I’ve recommended your website to a friend, my mom and sister in law!
Alice: Yay! Also, try the pancakes again and see how it goes. 🙂
We love them!! We made them with semi sweet chocolate chips and they were delicious. Thanks you!
Annmarie: Yay! You’re welcome!
Hi there,
Finally some gluten free recipes that taste Devine. It is so depressing baking recipe after recipe to have the thumbs down by they family. Not anymore. We are dairy free also so I have had to make some substitutions and on other recipes it has been easy and the result has been great. I am struggling with the pancake recipe though, possibly due to the larger quantity of milk compared to the other recipes I have tried. I am sure they are perfect with regular milk however they are quite rubbery using rice milk and unfortunately my kids really do not like coconut milk. Has anyone had any success using a different milk substitute?
Thanks Jeanne, this I’m now my go to website for baking some yummy treats for the family. We are new to this gluten and dairy free world and I like to stay away from as many store bought products as possible. X
Michelle: Yay! I’m so glad that my recipes are helpful. Hm, I’m not sure what’s happening with the pancakes and the alternative milk. I used to use rice milk and they were fine. If you haven’t already done so, try using less milk in the recipe. Also, it might help to use a milk with more “body” like soy milk or a nut milk. Also, I have found that coconut milk in the tetra pack (vs. in the cans) doesn’t taste like coconut. I couldn’t tell you that it gives a taste to my baked items. The one we use is So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut milk.
Hey Jeanne,
I have been meaning to reply for some time now. Our pancakes or coming out perfectly now, not too sure what i had done wrong in the earlier stages. I do find if I measure a little over on the rice milk the mixture goes quite runny so I tend to use a cup of rice milk and then add slowly to the consistency I like.
Thanks so much for all you hard work coming up with these great recipes.
Michelle: I’m so glad! Thanks for letting me know!
Hi Jeanne, I made your pancake recipe for the first time and they are absolutely fantastic. My 6 and 8 year old boys said they were the best pancakes ever, crunchy on the outside and deliciously soft on the inside. I have to confess that I had to substitute the white rice with quinoa flour and added some vanilla and cinnamon. We’re still new to gluten-free and it’s sometimes a bit overwhelming, but your website is such a great help.
Thank you so much for the amount of work you’ve put in to educate us all.
Frederic: Yay! Happy to help!
Holy cow, even my hubby loved these, so fluffy and light. Your mix and recipes are the best!! I cannot make enough of the hamburger buns either. Oh happy days.
Dawn: Yay!
These are fantastic! Even my “non gluten free” relatives prefer these to the wheat variety. I have made them several times and they are consistently delicious!
Thank you!!
Hazel: Yay! I’m so glad!
Hi jeanne,
I’ve tried the recipe and I love it! I’ve used King Arthur’s gluten-free all purpose flour, substituted the melted butter with equivalent amount of coconut oil, and added 1 tsp of vanilla extract too. Thank you for the recipe.
Bee: Yay!
These were better than any pancake I have ever made! Thank you! (I ran out of butter and canola oil worked fine in its place.)
Stacey: Yay!
Hi! Love the recipe…going camping and would like to make batter ahead of time and freeze for easier packing….will the batter freeze ok?
Thanks!
Darlene: Hm, I’ve never frozen the batter before. I’m not sure how it will do after it’s frozen. The pancakes themselves freeze beautifully. I would make and freeze the pancakes and then take them out and fry up (to defrost them) as needed.
I tried these tonight for dinner and they were amazing.. Thank you so much for your great recipes..
Diana: Yay! I’m so glad!
Why didn’t I try these sooner!? They are PERFECT! No more store-bought mix for me. Thank you Jeanne.
XX
OO
Becca
Becca: Yay!!! I’m so glad, my friend!
I made these this morning with the following modifications:
I made some GF oat flour from Trader Joe’s GF Oats and Hemp seeds ( bout 3 T. of seeds to 1c. of oats) .. and replaced 3/4 c. of the basic flour blend with the oat flour. I used Sunflower oil instead of the butter and added fresh ground nutmeg to the dry ingredients.
They were yummy, a bit loose in the beginning but as I cooked, the batter thickened up .. so letting the batter sit for 10 min prior to making the cakes would be advised. Yummy Yummy!!!!! And plenty left over for snacks later.
Kai: Awesome! And I love your modifications! Yum!
These came out great. I swapped plain yogurt for the milk, omitted the sugar, and cut the salt in half. The batter puffed up really high! I added thawed blueberries and pine nuts. Really delicious.
Ivy: Yay!!
Just linked your recipe to my timeline in Facebook so everyone I know can share it. Made the pancakes this morning and they were a major success with kids and husband (and that man loves his gluten!). Substituted sugar with coconut sugar which is a bit less sweet. I am just new to this but happy with results so far and found all ingredients in NZ without a problem.
Vanessa: Yay! Thank you! So glad you like the recipe and I’m thrilled that you can find all of the ingredients in NZ–that’s terrific to know!!
I came across your blog yesterday, and I am really grateful to you for all your work in converting recipes and sharing these recipes with others. I have been reading recipe after recipe on your website, excited as can be. Luckily, I had all the ingredients for your gf flour mixture (several ingredients imported from the States, as I can’t find some items here in Germany). This morning I mixed up the flour mix, and made pancakes. These were the first pancakes I have had in over 2 years since going gluten free, and they were delicious! Better yet, my hubby ate them and enjoyed them, too! He has been very critical of gf food — and I must admit, I have also been disappointed that several of the flour blends I have made just didn’t taste the same as or have the same mouth feel. I have thrown out lots of things after 1 or 2 bites. You and your recipes are renewing my enthusiasm for baking. If I can bake gf items that my hubby will also eat and can enjoy, as well as friends, I’ll be delighted. Thank you so much.
Susie (living a little east of Munich, Germany)
Susie: Yay! I’m so glad! Happy baking!
I need help! I am new to GF cooking/baking and when I tried to make these pancakes and they were so thick I couldn’t stir them. I tried adding more almond milk to them and it didn’t help at all! What did I do wrong? 🙁
Ashley: Did you follow the recipe exactly? No substitutions or deletions? Also, did you read my Troubleshooting Baking Problems post?
I had to sub the tapioca and sweet rice flours for the potato starch and potato flour, cup for cup like your page said to. Other than that and running out of regular milk and having to use almond milk to thin it out. I got them to brown nicely but I had to really flatten them out to make it work. I LOVE the recipe! Tastes so much better than the all purpose flour I got!
Ashley: Ah. I think the potato starch and flour suck up more liquid than my mix does.
I see! I am going to try and find the other flours then but in the meantime do you have any suggestions to make my substitutions work better for me?
Ashley: Just do what you’re doing: add more liquid until the batter is thin enough to pour.
Will do! Thank you!
Can I use almond milk instead of milk. I am lactose intolerant.
Theresa: Yes!
What does tbl mean? Beside the amount of butter called for says tbl
Kim: TBL is an abbreviation of tablespoon.
Made these for breakfast this morning and they’re the best I’ve ever made. Too bad I had to send a burned one to the compost pile! Continually amazed by your recipes…
Amanda: Yay! I’m so glad!
I love these pancakes. It is better than store bought. Your flour mix really makes a big difference. I use coconut milk, not the can one, Earth balance soy-free and grapeseed oil into the mix. Friends and family are wowed when I served them this breakfast treat. I even rarely use syrup because it’s already tasty by itself. One time I used virgin coconut oil on the pan and, of course, it tasted coconutty. It didn’t taste bad but I still like using grapeseed oil on the pan. Thank you.
Minette: You’re welcome! Happy baking!
These pancakes were fantastic! Not that I’m surprised. Everything I make off of this site turns out delicious. I subbed almond milk for dairy milk and lemon oil for the butter.
Heather: Yay! I’m so glad!
These were great! Great flavor and very light. I sprinkled on some chopped pecans before I flipped them, and that went over very well. Thanks!
Michelle: I’m so glad! Yay!
Hi there. I ran across your site and your recipes look divine. However, I’m also vegan and I’m a little concerned about using egg replacer in place of eggs. Can you give me some guidance on this?
Cheers!
Cat: Welcome! And check out my post regarding substitutions–there are ideas in there for how to substitute for most common ingredients.
Thanks for all the great recipes! I made these pancakes and they came out better than any other pancakes I have tried.
I substituted coconut milk (So Coconut) for the milk and canola oil for the butter. I had to use a bit more milk than the recipe called for because the batter was super thick.
The best part about these was that they were just as good heated up the next day.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Michal: Oo, yay! I’m so glad–and it’s good to hear about the adaptations you did–yay!
These were completely awesome!! Our family thanks you!!!!
Morgan: Yay! Thanks for letting me know!
I have been making gluten free pancakes for years- but can’t wait to try them with your flour mix. The recipe I use is adapted from the little recipe book that came with the Williams Sonoma waffle iron. The thing that makes that recipe so good (in my opinion) is that the eggs are separated. The yolks are mixed in when normal recipes add in the eggs. The whites are beaten sep into the consistency of meringue and folded in after the rest of the mix is done. They are so light!
Also, sometimes I replace the milk with orange juice and add cranberries and chopped nuts. You will have to change the spices, but you get the idea!
Linda: Your pancakes sound delish! The method you describe for the eggs is what I use for my waffles. Haven’t done it with pancakes, though–will try it!
Do you think I could pre-make and freeze these, to be heated in the toaster in the mornings? I’ve been dying to have something readily-available to me that is similar to Eggo’s, but I am allergic to all of the pre-made, boxed gluten-free frozen waffles. 🙁
Also, your recipes are incredible. Thank you SO much.
Rachel: Yes, these should be fine frozen and then reheated. Also, check out my waffle recipe–those can also be made, frozen, and reheated. You will need to do some experimenting to see how long either thing takes to toast up in the toaster. 🙂
I have a son that came over last week and ate these pancakes with us and he called this a.m. to see if he could bring his wife out for pancakes and she loved them and took the recipe and some mix to do her first batch.
I make them thinner by spreading them out in a circle and then filling in the center from the out side and just swirling it around and getting it thin and they are great. I use rice dream milk. Thank you for sharing!!
Just wanted to fyi you that Rice Dream is not necessarily GF. Our son used to drink it all the time- being miserable, until I finally found out they use barley in their manufacturing process. They claim it all is removed, but we react badly to it. :(. Just thot I’d letcha know.
Morgan: Bleh. I’m guessing that if they use barley, it’s in the sweetener–which is a hidden source of gluten. I just looked on their site, here’s the list of things they say are gluten-free: http://www.tastethedream.com/health/glutenfree.php. Regardless, the rice milk we use is Pacific–it is labeled gluten-free and I’ve not reacted to it.
Wow! VERY delicious!!! I made with Rice Milk instead of real.. I added 2 TBS. sugar instead of 3.. Added 1 tsp. of vanilla extract. and 1 1/2 cup banana and made banana pancakes!! So good!! :] This recipe made me very happy to know I can make pancakes!! Thank you!
Megan: Yay! I’m so glad! Thanks for letting me know!
Hi, I’m new to gluten free baking (and an added challenge is an allergy to eggs and milk as well…) but I experiemented with plantain flour (import food from Ecuador, it is a large banana used only in cooked recipes). The pancakes were amazing! A slight banana smell, very sweet. I was wondering if you might want to try it for some recipes and then share your results with us! Light and yummy. The flour is heavy like a bread flour and more moist than wheat, but I was amazed. I’d been using rice flour and quinoa and a number of other flours in mixture, when we stumbled on this. So this post isn’t really a note to the pancake recipe, but rather to you.
Spring:
Thanks for the note. I’ve not baked with plaintain flour. I will check it out. My limitation with it might be that I’m somewhat allergic to bananas, so I’m not sure how I would react to plaintains. But, it’s fun to learn about new flours. What, in particular, attracts you to it?
–Jeanne