Fluffy Gluten-free American Pancakes

This easy gluten-free pancake mix comes together with a few simple ingredients and makes the best fluffy gluten-free American pancakes every time.

Stop buying the store-bought gluten-free pancake mixes. Trust me; you don't need them to make easy, gluten-free pancakes. I've been making pancakes for as long as I can remember. They are a family favorite around here. I even made a completely grain-free cassava flour pancake recipe because, even being grain-free, I needed pancakes in my life.

Needless to say, these fluffy pancakes came up against some harsh critics, and no one can tell they are even gluten-free. They are that good.

Jump to:

• Are pancakes gluten-free?
• Ingredients.
• Dairy-free pancakes.
• Egg-free pancakes.
• Vegan Pancakes.
• Gluten-free pancake mix.
• Cooking pancakes.
• Tips and tricks.
• Add more flavor.
• Gluten-free pancake FAQ
• Make ahead.
• Freezing pancakes.
• More gluten-free breakfast ideas.
• 📖 Recipe

Are pancakes gluten-free?

No, pancakes are not typically made gluten-free. Most pancakes are made like pastries and cakes that use flour that is not gluten-free. Pancakes can easily be made gluten-free by swapping out the gluten flour for some gluten-free alternatives.

Ingredients.

This gluten-free pancake mix is simple to make with only a few ingredients you probably already have on hand.

• Butter or a Dairy-free Alternative
• 1:1 Gluten-free Flour - I use the King Arthur 1:1 blend.
• Corn Starch - This is used to lighten up the flour. If you don't want corn starch, you can use arrowroot starch instead.
• Sugar - A little bit of sugar adds a bit of sweetness without making them overly sweet.
• Baking Powder - Baking powder helps get our gluten-free pancakes extra fluffy.
• Salt
• Vanilla
• Milk or Dairy-free Milk. You can also use buttermilk to make these delicious gluten-free buttermilk pancakes.
• Eggs - Eggs bring our batter together and give our pancakes structure. See below for how to make these egg-free pancakes.

Dairy-free pancakes.

You can make these gluten-free pancakes dairy-free. Just swap out the butter for a dairy-free alternative like Earth Balance sticks and the milk for coconut milk or almond milk.

Egg-free pancakes.

These pancakes can be made egg-free by swapping the eggs for an egg substitute like Bob's Red Mill or Just Egg.

Vegan Pancakes.

Making these egg-free and dairy-free makes them delicious vegan pancakes. No matter how you make these pancakes, they are delicious.

Gluten-free pancake mix.

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Add the butter to the bowl of dry ingredients.
3. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles wet sand.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, vanilla, and eggs and whisk them together.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and butter.
6. Carefully mix the pancake mix. It will be thick but pourable.

Cooking pancakes.

Cooking pancakes isn't hard, but there are a few things to look out for so you end up with light and fluffy pancakes that are cooked all the way through.

1. Start with a griddle over medium heat. You do not want your pan to be too hot.
2. Lightly grease your griddle.
3. Pour a little bit of pancake batter onto the hot griddle. Your batter might look a little bumpy, but that is okay.
4. Once you see little air bubbles coming through the pancakes, it's time to flip.
5. Flip the pancakes over and let them cook a little bit longer.

Tips and tricks.

These are my best tips for making the best gluten-free pancakes.

• Measure your gluten-free flour carefully. - Gluten-free flour settles a lot, and it's important to fluff your flour before using a spoon to put it into a measuring cup and then a knife to level it off. I prefer to measure my gluten-free flours by weight so I get the exact amount every time.
• Don't overmix the batter. - Overmixing your pancake batter can cause your pancakes to become tough.
• I like to use a ¼ cup scoop when measuring out pancake batter to cook. It helps to get equal-sized pancakes.
• Don't overheat your skillet or griddle. - Pancakes need to cook at a lower temperature. If your griddle is too hot, your pancakes will burn on the outside and still be raw on the inside. Turn down the heat if you notice your pancakes are getting brown but are not easily flipped.
• Don't press down on your pancakes as they are cooking. - This will cause your pancakes to become thin and not stay fluffy.
• Only flip your pancakes once. - Just like when you are making hamburgers, you don't want to flip your pancakes more than once. There is no need to.
• Make sure your syrups are gluten-free. I like to use pure maple syrup. My kids like it when I make some of my homemade strawberry pancake syrup.

Add more flavor.

These classic American-style gluten-free pancakes, or flapjacks, as some people call them, are delicious on their own, but sometimes they are more fun when we add to them.

Note: Don't add more than about ¼-1/3 of a cup of mix-ins to the pancake batter. Too much, and there won't be enough batter to help support the mix-ins.

Best topping and mix-ins for pancakes.:

• Chocolate Chips
• Add a scoop of cocoa powder to make these into delicious chocolate pancakes.
• If you really want, you can add a scoop of your favorite chocolate protein powder and turn these into chocolate protein pancakes.
• Bananas and chocolate chips make delicious chocolate banana pancakes.
• Fresh Berries - Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries taste delicious on top of pancakes.
• Whipped Cream
• Cinnamon and sugar on top will make your pancakes taste like snickerdoodles.
• The possibilities are endless.

Do you want to know my favorite way to take these gluten-free pancakes to the next level? I like to turn them into the ultimate gluten-free breakfast sandwiches! You read that correctly. Trust me; you have to make these gluten-free breakfast sandwiches at least once in your life.

Gluten-free pancake FAQ

Make ahead.

These gluten-free pancakes are easily made ahead of time, and I often do it. My two favorite ways to make pancakes ahead of time are below.

Make the gluten-free pancake mix - I like to have a container of pancake mix on hand to make pancake mornings even easier.

To make pancake mix:

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Add the butter to the bowl of dry ingredients.
3. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles wet sand.

This is like making a store-bought gluten-free pancake mix. I like to keep my pancake mix in the fridge or freezer since it has butter. I will let it sit at room temperature for about five minutes before using it.

When you are ready to make pancakes:

1. Add your vanilla, eggs, and milk to a bowl, and then add your pancake mix.
2. Cook the pancakes as if the batter was fresh.

Freezing pancakes.

You can easily freeze pancakes once they are made. I will often double the batch so that way I have leftovers just to freeze.

To freeze pancakes:

1. Make your pancakes and let them cool to room temperature.
2. Place your pancakes onto a baking tray in an even layer.
3. Freeze your pancakes for about 30 minutes or until they are solid.
4. Once your pancakes are frozen, you can transfer them to a ziplock bag or a freezer-safe container for storage.

These gluten-free pancakes can be frozen for up to three months.

When you are ready to eat your pancakes, let them defrost in the fridge overnight, and then warm them in a skillet or in the microwave for about 30 seconds to a minute until they are heated through.

More gluten-free breakfast ideas.

Maybe you aren't a pancake person, but you love a good gluten-free waffle. Perhaps you love a good gluten-free muffin, or you like your breakfast more savory. Check out some more delicious gluten-free breakfast recipes below, or find more here.

📖 Recipe