Aaron and I have a bit of a tradition on Sundays. We sleep in for as long as the dogs will let us (for me, that means around 7am when Honey decides she’s going to get really close to my face and stare me down), take our time making breakfast together, and settle in to watch CBS News’ Sunday Morning.
Have I mentioned I sometimes have the TV taste of an eighty-year-old? Well, really it oscillates between senior citizen programming and bad reality TV – the Bachelorette, Real Housewives – you know, things that are super intellectual. My current obsession, however, is Girls on HBO. At least that show has good writing. Lena Dunham is one seriously talented twenty-six-year-old.
What was I talking about?
Oh, yes. Sunday mornings. More to the point – Sunday morning pancakes. I’m usually a smoothie girl during the week, but it’s nice to take a break from those to enjoy something more indulgent on the weekends.
I previously posted a recipe for my favorite pancakes, which use a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flours. They’re slightly sweet, fluffy, and take about the same amount of time as making a store-bought mix. They’re that simple.
But ever since doing the Crazy Sexy Diet 21-day cleanse, I’ve significantly reduced my gluten intake and my stomach has been a lot happier. I also love the challenge of playing around with gluten free flours – chickpea, coconut, brown rice, white rice, sorghum – the list goes on. Each has a unique flavor, texture, and end result, which is why it took me several months to adapt my favorite pancake recipe and come up with a winning, gluten free combination. There were plenty of mishaps along the way, and lots of ugly, runny, under-cooked, stick-to-the-pan pancakes. It happens.
I’m happy to report that this latest recipe is none of those things. I finally settled on a mixture of all-purpose, brown rice, sorghum, and potato or tapioca starch gluten free flours. The batter is thick, but the pancakes hold their shape really well. They’re slightly crispy around the edges, but also a little chewy and doughy in the center.
Topped with some chopped walnuts, a few raspberries, and a drizzle of agave and maple syrup blend…all enjoyed while watching a little Charles Osgood. What can I say? I’m an old soul.
- ½ C. All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- ⅓ C. Brown Rice Flour
- ⅓ C. Sorghum Flour
- ⅓ C. Potato or Tapioca Starch
- 1 Tbs. Gluten Free Baking Powder
- 1 Tbs. Coconut Sugar (optional)
- 1 Tsp. Sea Salt
- ¾ Tsp. Xanthan Gum
- 1½ C. Non-Dairy Milk (I used unsweetened Almond Milk)
- ½ Tsp. Vanilla
- 1 Flax Egg (1 Tbs. Ground Flax Seeds, 3 Tbs. Water)
- 1 Tsp. Melted Coconut Oil, plus additional for greasing the pan
- Prepare your flax egg by combining 1 Tbs. of freshly ground flax and 3 Tbs. of water.
- Set the flax seed mixture aside for 3-5 minutes, and allow it to thicken.
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flours, potato/tapioca starch, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum.
- Add the non-dairy milk, coconut sugar (if using), vanilla, coconut oil, and flax egg, and mix everything until just combined.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Lightly grease the pan with coconut oil and pour the pancake batter onto the pan. Cook for 2-4 minutes per side.
- Plate with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
{ 41 comments… read them below or add one }
That first picture is magical! I love the powdered sugar sprinkling down. Awesome recipe!
Thanks, Amy! That first picture reminds me of snow/winter – which is kind of nice at the moment considering the crazy heat and humidity.
that first photo is gorgeous! the pancakes look so delicious. i love the addition of raspberries and walnuts- walnuts pair so perfectly with berries
i always preferred my pancakes a little doughy, too..even a tiny bit underdone in the middle. i’m so glad you were able to convert your favorite pancake recipe to be gluten-free. now you can have fun with it and mix it up even more! i love making pancakes for dayv and using different flours every time, it makes them each a little different
I also like my pancakes to be a tiny bit underdone in the middle. The great thing about vegan cooking/baking is that you don’t need to worry about raw eggs!
Will definitely have to give these a try! I third the comment about the gorgeous first photo, makes me all warm & fuzzy inside. Where do you buy the xanthan gum? Can you find it at the supermarket or do you buy it online?
I know Whole Foods sells xanthan gum, but I bought mine online from iherb (it was cheaper!).
I buy online from Manna Organics. Their xanthum gum is so much cheaper. Just wish they carried guar gum. I could only find that at Whole Foods and Amazon. I get rice & tapioca flours much cheaper at Asian stores. An employee at Earth Fare told me she buys Bob’s Red Mill flours cheaper at Big Lots. I plan to check that out!
Good to know! I’ve been buying a lot of that stuff from Vitacost recently because the prices tend to be so much cheaper.
I really need to try that Crazy Sexy Diet cleanse. I think that every time you post about it. Also, these pancakes look magical!
I’m a big fan of the Crazy Sexy Diet cleanse. I felt SO good during those 3 weeks! It also gave me the push I needed to cut down on the processed sugar/carbs and eat more raw produce (hopefully permanently).
These look perfect! I’m not gluten-free, but always willing to try a gluten-free recipe…especially when pancakes are involved.
You won’t miss the gluten in these!
My little Chloe likes to get on my chest and stare at me when she is ready to get up in the morning. She is such a morning dog it drives me nuts. Guinness on the other hand could stay in bed and be lazy all morning…we are soul mates.
Raspberries and walnuts…yummmmm
haha Love the name Guinness! Honey used to sleep in, but since we got Olive, it’s like some sort of competition to eat her breakfast. Except Olive sleeps in her crate in another room, so really, there is zero competition.
Hi Amanda! The pancakes look fantastic. I am wondering about your lighting setup here. I’ve been so frustrated with taking pictures of the food for my blog. Sometimes I feel my lighting/composition is OK but them I cringe when I look at the photos again.
I have a lighting set up in my office that my husband put together for me a few months ago (he does some professional photography). I use an Impact Octacool 6 with fluorescent lights that have been calibrated for daylight. Here’s the link if you’re interested:
http://www.impactstudiolighting.com/detail?sku=699025
That said, nothing beats good old-fashioned natural light and I try to take advantage of that when I can.
Yes, natural light is best. My problem is that I always cook/shoot after 5 pm. Ha, stupid full-time jobs! I guess my best bet would be waiting for the weekend and shooting then. Thanks!
Omg my mouth is totally watering now and it’s time to go to bed! I should not be reading your blog this late!
I am really intrigued by this recipe because I haven’t used a lot of those ingredients before! And I will definitely pass this along to my friend who has to stay away from gluten.
And yes… how amazing is Girls?!!
OMG. Girls is amazing!!! I plowed through the entire season in about 3 days and now I’m so sad I don’t have any more episodes!
first picture pure magic….. i will steal this idea for one of my winter posts in the future….. inspirational!!
Thank you! I didn’t realize it at the time, but it’s very winter wonderland.
These look so delicious! Others have said it, but I will too. I am in love with that first photo- really stunning. I’ll be honest, I tend to be skeptical of gluten free baked things, however these look so good that I may have to give them a try!
Thanks, Ruby! I understand the skepticism when it comes to gf baked goods – I’ve had my share of flops. The texture of these pancakes is a little different from traditional all-purpose or wheat flour, but I actually prefer it. They’re a tiny bit crispy around the edges, but doughy in the center – pancake perfection as far as I’m concerned.
I made these this morning, but I have to say…the doughy center is not my thing. Mine are downright gummy in the center. I usually use a gf pancake recipe I got off of Food.com. Crispy edges and fluffy center. They taste like regular pancakes. I wanted to try something new…but alas…these aren’t for me:(
Sorry you’re not a fan, Holly. I love the doughy center, but it sounds like your pancakes might be under-cooked if they’re gummy. GF and vegan pancakes take a lot longer to cook than more traditional recipes. Either way, I’m glad you found a recipe that’s more your style.
I fed them to my family and although they aren’t my favorite, my 5 year old said they were great…lol.
haha Well, at least they didn’t go to waste.
I can always use more pancake recipes! I can’t wait to try that “chewy and doughy” center. And your pictures look like they came out of a fairy tale:)
Awwww, thanks, Kylie! Let me know what you think of the pancakes!
we are usually in a hurry in the morning.. so it doesnt really matter how fluffy or doughy or whichever way the pancakes come out:) everyone eats their share! i havent tried gf pancakes yet, i like playing around with gf flours just because they add so many other grains to the daily diet
I agree! It’s nice to change up the flours/grains. Keeps things interesting.
Stunning photos! I’ll have to try this recipe : )
Thanks, Dana! Let me know what you think if you try them!
I just made these, literally 10 minutes ago, after finding your site on google. This is THE BEST vegan GF pancake mix I have ever tasted! Seriously, thank you so much from me (and my partner, who gobbled them up as I pulled them off the pan). I used enerG instead of flax egg, but it all works out in the end. So delicious.
You just made my day, Zoe! I’m so, so happy you like the pancakes. It took me a lot of trial and error to get the right mix of gluten-free flours.
The photos look amazing and have got my taste buds going! Im going to try this recipe with Bob Red’s Guar Gum instead of xanthan gum that I read about here http://www.xanthangumsubstitute.com My daughter does not like xanthan gum, just wondering if you have tried this recipe with an other gum alternatives?
I haven’t tried it with other gum alternatives, but I think the guar gum should work!
Amanda,
I love your blog! My husband and I had a craving for pancakes last night, and tried your recipe (since we are newly gluten free/vegetarian). So good! We used blueberries and warm honey as a topping since we didn’t have maple syrup or raspberries. I am glad I had the craving, typed in google for “gluten free pancakes”, and stumbled on your blog. I look forward to reading more, and trying more of your recipes. Thank you!
Thanks, Sarah! I’m so happy you and your husband liked the pancakes. There’s just something about pancakes for dinner that makes them taste even better.
This was exactly the same as another gf recipe I tried. The xanthum gum makes it so thick you have to add gallons of water and it’s still to thick. You end up with a glutenous mass. No matter how much water I added, the center was still thick and uncooked.
Sorry the recipe didn’t work out for you, Rosalie. The batter should be very thick, but not so thick that the center doesn’t cook. I usually spread it out in the pan with a spatula or a spoon and that helps it to cook evenly. That said, gluten free pancakes do take a significantly longer to cook through than wheat pancakes. The xanthan gum helps to bind everything together, but I’m sure you can experiment with the amount or find alternatives. I’ve heard good things about the Babycakes recipes…
Best of luck!
{ 4 trackbacks }