Gluten-Free Pancakes: 5 Delicious and Healthy Recipes

Disclaimer: Results are not guaranteed*** and may vary from person to person***.

gluten-free pancakesIt’s the weekend, and likely you’re lounging in your pajamas and enjoying the morning. What’s different today than the rest of the week, is you actually have time to cook this morning. What’s it going to be? Definitely pancakes! Why not make gluten-free pancakes with better ingredients, and without any bothersome symptoms afterwards?

The problem with traditional processed pancake mixes is many of them contain additives and preservatives, and a lot of unfamiliar ingredients. Not to mention, virtually all of them contain some sort of wheat flour and gluten. That is why some people experience a post-pancake coma, along with bloating, cramping, and fatigue after your pancake breakfast.

5 Gluten-Free Pancakes Recipes

Pancakes are one of the best things to happen to breakfast. After all, it is basically dessert disguised as breakfast, or flour (i.e. sugar) topped with syrup, or again sugar. But, once in a while having a treat is a good thing.

Although the following gluten-free pancakes should be a treat, they a lot better for you than many of the staple pancake mixes on the market today. Here are five gluten-free pancake recipes you will enjoy. You have my word!

1. Simple Gluten-Free Vegan Pancakes Recipe

This simple gluten-free pancakes recipe will get you started on your journey to guilt-free pancakes. But, do be warned—you will want to have a big stack of these flapjacks! It is probably a good thing that the following recipe only makes four large gluten-free pancakes, while serving just two people. Double the recipe if you have more mouths to feed.

Ingredients:

  • Coconut oil, for cooking
  • ¹⁄3 cup of rice flour
  • ¹⁄3 cup of buckwheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon of flaxseed meal
  • ¼ teaspoon of coarse grey sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon of baking soda
  • ½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of maple syrup

Directions

Heat a skillet or griddle on medium with coconut oil. Sift the flours, salt, flaxseed, and baking soda into a bowl, and form a well. Pour in a half cup of water and olive oil into the well. Mix until smooth, and add the maple syrup, and stir.

Pour pancake batter onto the griddle, and flip when the tops are bubbly. Cook until the sides are both golden brown.

Serve with your favorite toppings like maple syrup, chopped nuts, or fresh berries.

2. Healthy Spinach Pancakes Recipe

You likely wouldn’t think pancakes and salad go together. That being said, the following gluten-free pancakes recipe contains nutrient-dense spinach, which is one of the healthiest things you can eat. Spinach is full of vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, folate, magnesium, vitamin C, and the list goes on. You can also put in some spirulina in these pancakes. Spirulina contains 12 times the digestible protein than beef. This gluten-free pancakes recipe makes for the perfect weekend treat.

Ingredients:

  • 3 large organic eggs
  • ¹⁄3 cup of organic coconut milk
  • 1 cup of almond flour
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut nectar
  • 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon of raw apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon of coarse grey sea salt or pink rock salt
  • 2 cups of baby spinach
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, for cooking
  • 1 teaspoon of spirulina powder (optional)

Optional blueberry sauce:

  • 2 cups of wild blueberries, fresh or frozen
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar or coconut nectar

Directions

Place eggs, coconut milk, coconut nectar, vanilla, and vinegar in a high-speed blender. Add the almond flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and spirulina powder if using. Blend on medium speed for 30 seconds, or until well combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender then add the spinach. Blend on high speed until the spinach is completely incorporated and the batter is smooth. Set the mixture aside.

To make the blueberry sauce, in a saucepan over medium heat, combine blueberries and coconut nectar or coconut sugar. Cook and stir frequently as the berries heat up and start to break down. Using the back of a spoon, gently squash the berries. Cook for four to five minutes, or until the sauce becomes syrup-like, or with a few berries still intact. Remove from the heat, and set aside.

Heat a griddle or skillet on medium heat, and coat with coconut oil. Spoon the batter onto the skillet, and keep your pancakes about three inches wide. Let them cook for about two minutes on each side.

Serve immediately with the blueberry sauce. You will get about nine pancakes from this recipe.

3. Coconut Flour and Banana Pancakes Recipe

Maybe you’re in the mood for grain-free pancakes? Try the combination of banana and coconut flour, and you will not be disappointed. The following gluten-free pancakes recipe makes up to eight pancakes that will come out nice and fluffy. They will taste just like any other pancake and you won’t even know the difference!

Ingredients:

  • 4 medium organic eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 ¼ cups of unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup of coconut flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
  • 2 bananas, sliced and about ¼-inch thick

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, and stir in a cup of almond milk and the vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk the coconut flour and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and whisk until they are combined. Some clumps of flour are fine. Let it stand for three minutes, and lightly whisk again until the batter is thick and smooth. Since the coconut flour is absorbent, add another quarter cup of almond milk if necessary.

In a large skillet or griddle, melt the coconut oil over low to medium heat. Pour a quarter cup of batter into the pan for each pancake, and spread the pancake slightly if your batter is thick. Place two or three banana slices on top of each pancake. Cook the pancakes for a few minutes, or until the top starts to form bubbles and it becomes golden brown. Flip, and cook for about a few minutes, until it is fully cooked

4. Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberries Recipe

The following pancake recipe seems similar to some of the other recipes from this article. That being said, the recipe will yield up to 14 pancakes. Although you will likely have leftovers, you can pop them in the toaster the next day, and finish them off then. This gluten-free pancakes recipe will likely be a favorite for whenever you do have a pancake craving.

Ingredients:

  • 1 banana, mashed
  • 1 ½ cups of light buckwheat flour
  • 2 medium eggs, whisked
  • 1 ¾ cups of unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon of almond extract
  • ½ teaspoon of sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder

Topping:

  • ½ cup of fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 1 tablespoon of filtered water
  • Pure maple syrup (optional)

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, banana, almond milk, and almond extract. In a large bowl, whisk together buckwheat flour, sea salt, and baking powder. Stir the wet ingredients together with the dry ingredients, and let it sit for a few minutes.

Melt the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour about a quarter cup of the batter into the pan for each pancake, and cook for a few minutes until soft bubbles form on top. Then slip and cook for another couple of minutes.

For the topping, combine blueberries and water in a small pot over low heat, and press down on the berries using a fork to release some juices. Heat the blueberry mixture just until it is warm.

Spoon the blueberries over the pancakes, and top with maple syrup, if you prefer.

5. Chocolate Pancakes Recipe

Chocolate pancakes you say? You bet! The following chocolate pancake recipe has a combination of gluten-free flours, including buckwheat, arrowroot, brown rice, and chickpea flours. It also has two different types of chocolate with dairy-free chocolate chips and raw cacao powder. The recipe is perfect for a family of four, and makes eight pancakes that you can top with your favorite ingredients, like maple syrup or berries.

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

  • ¾ cup of brown rice flour
  • ½ cup of arrowroot starch
  • ½ cup of buckwheat flour
  • ¼ cup of chickpea flour
  • ¼ cup of raw cacao powder
  • 2 tablespoons of baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon of grey coarse sea salt

Wet ingredients:

  • 1 egg or 1 chia paste serving*
  • 1 ½ cups of filtered water
  • ¹⁄3 cup of organic unsweetened applesauce
  • ¼ cup of pure liquid honey or maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons of organic ghee or coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoonof tahini
  • 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar

Chocolate:

  • ¹⁄3 cup of dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips

*Chia paste:

  • 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
  • ¼ cup of warm or room temperature filtered water

Directions

In a medium bowl, sift all the dry ingredients. Although this step is tedious, it does make the pancakes fluffier.

For the chia paste, grind the chia seeds in a spice grinder, and whisk the ground chia with the water. If using warm water, it will be ready in two minutes, and if using room temperature, it may take up to eight minutes.

In another bowl, mix all the wet ingredients. If the coconut oil is solid, you may want to liquefy it on the stove. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, and stir in the chocolate chips.

Heat your skillet with some ghee or coconut oil (I use a cast iron skillet). Scoop a quarter cup of batter at a time into the hot skillet. After a couple of minutes, or once bubbles start to form, it’s time to flip them. You should get about eight pancakes.

Let your pancakes sit about five minutes before serving. Serve with your favorite toppings like shredded coconut, goji berries, ground flax, or some maple syrup.

Are you looking to live a healthful life, but still want certain pleasures? I think everyone can relate to that sentiment. You don’t just want your “cake,” you want to be able to eat it, too—without the guilt.

Breakfast doesn’t always need to be smoothies and oatmeal. Know that gluten-free pancakes can still fulfill your craving for pancakes. At the same time, you won’t have to feel guilty because your pancakes will include better ingredients from whole foods, and not ingredients made in a lab.

Enjoy your pancakes!


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McCarthy, J., Joyous Detox: Your Complete Plan and Cookbook to Be Vibrant Every Day (Toronto: Penguin Group, 2016), 105.
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