Quintessential American pancakes are fluffy, moist, tender and a canvas for lovely toppings.
Technique makes these pancakes different, the ingredients are pretty standard. Whipping the egg whites makes all the difference. That and the modifications my husband had made over the years.
Thirty five years ago I ate the best pancakes I had ever eaten in a tiny summer cottage overlooking Lake Michigan. It was an idyllic place filled with music and water and good company. But the pancakes were sublime. We begged our hostess for the recipe.
These are the only pancakes we have made in our house for 35 years (other than lemon ricotta pancakes with lemon blueberry sauces and zucchini fritters . . .but the only” regular” pancakes!)
My husband is the pancake maverick in our house and my son learned how to make them several years ago. Every time he comes home from college, he makes them to keep in practice.
But then my husband went gluten free. I must admit that gluten free flour blends are too gritty for me in most recipes. We did not make our beloved pancakes for months at a time.
Gluten-free
We already reduced the gluten in these pancakes with oatmeal. But could I substitute gluten free flour for the rest of the flour? Did they need the gluten for structure?
My first gluten free attempt was my favorite blend – half oat flour and half almond flour. My neighbor who tested them raved about them. They are so tender. But they are fairly flat – not as fluffy as usual. They froze well and tasted good out of the freezer so they passed those tests.
Next I decided to try a gluten-free measure for measure blend, specifically the one from King Arthur Flour. I adore most King Arthur products, but I must admit that I am less than enamored with gluten free flour blends, even theirs.
The pancakes made with King Arthur Baking Company’s Measure for Measure gluten free flour were great!! Tender and moist. No grittiness. Hooray!! My daughter and I who are not gluten free happily eat these pancakes.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Flour – I have tested two options: half oat flour (remember to purchase gluten-free oat flour) and half almond flour. (See above for comments on the half oat flour, half almond flour pancakes.)
Second, a measure for measure gluten free flour blend. I tested King Arthur Baking Company Measure for Measure flour. I have had experience with it being gritty in many applications, but not in these pancakes. Based on this experience, I think most gluten-free flour blends should work well. Try what is in your cupboard. If you are purchasing some, I recommend King Arthur’s as I have tested it.
Eggs – I have not tested any egg substitute. If you need an egg substitute, I would try aquafaba (the liquid from a can of beans like garbanzo or white beans.) first since it can be whipped. For the proper texture, you need to be able to whip the eggs. For the yolks I would try either more aquafaba or a flax egg, but the flax egg may give a grittier texture to your pancakes. You might also try adding mashed banana or pumpkin.
Oats – we use quick oats and you would never know there are oats in these pancakes. Soaking them in milk allows them to melt into the background while still providing whole grain goodness and soluble fiber. Be sure to use a gluten free oats if needed. If you cannot find gluten-free quick oats, just run your gluten-free oats for a quick spin in the blender so they will be smaller pieces.
Milk – I have not tried milk substitutes. Try any unflavored milk your family tolerates.
Buttermilk – again, I have not tried any substitutions. I would probably try a non-dairy Kiefer or half non-dairy plain yogurt, half milk alternative. If using regular buttermilk, remember to read the label. Many have a variety of additives. We have a local dairy that makes one with few additives. If your family is sensitive, you can probably find one.
Oil – whatever neutral oil your family tolerates. I use canola oil.
Sugar – just a little bit
Baking powder
Baking soda
Salt
Preparation
- Soak the oatmeal in milk. I use the same measuring cup I use to measure the milk, just adding the oats to the top and stirring until well combined.
- Separate the eggs. They separate best when cold, but whip more quickly when closer to room temperature. Put the eggs whites in a stand mixer bowl or medium size bowl to whip them.
- Put the yolks in a large bowl.
- Measure the buttermilk and let sit at room temperature to warm a little. You can also warm gently in the microwave to room temperature.
- Prepare your mix ins. Take the blueberries out of the freezer if frozen. Partially thaw slowly in the microwave. Coarsely chop the pecans. Placing the mix ins in bowls will enable you to access them more quickly and easily.
- Weigh the flours in a medium bowl and combine with the baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix. You can use measuring cups if you do not have a scale.
- Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 tablespoon sugar when eggs begin to turn white. Set aside.
- Preheat the griddle.
- Add the oil to the egg yolks and whisk. Add the sugar. Add the oats and milk mixture. Add the buttermilk. Mix well.
- Add the flour mixture half at a time, stirring well to combine.
- Gently fold in the whipped egg whites. I suggest a rubber spatula. This will take several minutes. Be patient as you want it combined, but don’t want to get rid of all the air bubbles you whipped into the egg whites. A few lumps of egg whites remixing is ok, but you want them to be smaller than a dime.
- Lightly grease the griddle or pan. I use a silicone brush to spread a small amount of oil on the griddle.The small amount of extra oil causes a few bubbles in the pancakes. My husband folds a paper towel, places it over the spatula and wipes the griddle with it so the oil is a very thin layer. His pancakes are more beautiful than mine. They taste the same!! 😊
- Drop the pancakes on a lightly greased griddle or pan with a 1/4 cup muffin scoop, ladle or measuring cup. If using a pan, use two if you have them. The pancakes made with almond and oat flour are harder to flip so making them a little smaller helps.
- Begin dropping extras immediately after all the pancakes are on the griddle or in the pans (blueberries, pecans, chocolate chips, etc.)
- It is time to flip when numerous bubbles have formed all over the pancakes, and the edges look set and matte (not shiny), . Carefully flip the pancakes and cook for another few minutes (usually less on the second side.)
The pancakes on the right in the above picture are still yummy, just a little too done.
- As the pancakes come off the griddle put them on a cooling rack inside a half sheet pan. This helps them to not become soggy. If you are adding extras I suggest placing the mix in side up, especially for the blueberries which may juice or fall out.
- Lightly grease the griddle again and repeat.
- Serve with warm maple syrup, or any of your other favorite pancake toppings. We usually make some blueberry, some pecan and some chocolate chip pancakes. But if you make plain pancakes, I suggest topping with fresh or frozen (thawed) berries, pecans or other nuts or chocolate chips.
Variations
- Drop nutritious add ins onto your pancakes. We regularly make pecan, blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes. While the pancakes are on the griddle we drop blueberries (from frozen is fine), chopped pecans and chocolate chips in these pancakes. We only use one type of add in per pancake but I won’t report you to the pancake police if you mix them!
- Add mashed banana to the last part of your batter if you want a few banana pancakes.
- Try adding canned pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger and all spice or a pumpkin pie spice blend.
- Real maple syrup is a treat, but other toppings can be delicious also. Thawed, previously frozen berries such as strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries alone or in combination make a fabulous pancake topping.
Enjoy!
Storage
We freeze our leftover pancakes for breakfasts all week. I place them in a freezer bag with parchment between layers of pancakes (you can usually reuse the parchment.)
Serve with homemade breakfast sausage for a real treat!
Lamb Breakfast Sausage
Veal Breakfast Sausage
Looking for other gluten-free breakfast ideas?
Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal
High Protein Chia Pudding
Vegan Chia Protein Pudding
The Ultimate Guide to Whole Grain, Gluten Free Blackberry Muffins (tested dairy free and egg free options)
Gluten-Free American Pancakes
Ingredients
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup gluten-free quick oats
- 4 eggs separated
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1½ tablespoons sugar divided
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ cups flour *
Instructions
- Soak the oatmeal in milk. I use the same measuring cup I use to measure the milk, just adding the oats to the top and stirring until well combined.
- Separate the eggs. They separate best when cold, but whip more quickly when closer to room temperature. Put the eggs whites in a stand mixer bowl or medium size bowl to whip them.
- Put the yolks in a large bowl.
- Measure the buttermilk and let sit at room temperature to warm a little. You can also warm gently in the microwave to room temperature.
- Prepare your mix ins. Take the blueberries out of the freezer if frozen. Partially thaw slowly in the microwave. Coarsely chop the pecans. Placing the mix ins in bowls will enable you to access them more quickly and easily.
- Weigh the flours in a medium bowl and combine with the baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix. You can use measuring cups if you do not have a scale.
- Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 tablespoon sugar when eggs begin to turn white. Set aside.
- Preheat the griddle over a low heat.
- In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks and oil. Add the sugar. Add the oats and milk mixture. Add the buttermilk. Mix well after each addition.
- Add the flour mixture half at a time, stirring well to combine.
- Gently fold in the whipped egg whites. I suggest a rubber spatula. This will take several minutes. Be patient as you want it combined, but don’t want to get rid of all the air bubbles you whipped into the egg whites. A few lumps of egg whites remixing is ok, but you want them to be smaller than a dime.
- Lightly grease the griddle or 2 pans. Use a folded paper towel and push around with spatula to spread the oil thinly. Or you can use a silicone brush to spread a small amount of oil on the griddle. (One pan will just increase the cooking time.)
- Use a ¼ cup muffin scoop or ladle to drop the pancakes on a lightly greased griddle or pan. Gently spread the pancake into a round about 4 inches in diameter. The pancakes made with oat and almond flour are harder to flip so use a scant ¼ cup to make them smaller.
- If you are adding extras (blueberries, pecans, chocolate chips, etc) to your pancakes, begin dropping them immediately.
- When numerous bubbles have formed all over the pancakes, and the edges look set and matte (not shiny), it is time to flip. Carefully flip the pancakes and cook for another few minutes (usually less on the second side.) Adjust the heat as needed so the pancakes brown but do not get too brown before they are done.
- As the pancakes come off the griddle put them on a cooling rack inside a half sheet pan. This helps them to not become soggy. If you are adding extras I suggest placing the mix in side up, especially for the blueberries which may juice or fall out.
- Lightly grease the griddle again and repeat.
- Serve with warm maple syrup, or any of your other favorite pancake toppings. We usually make some blueberry, some pecan and some chocolate chip pancakes. But if you make plain pancakes, I suggest topping with fresh or frozen (thawed) berries, pecans or other nuts or chocolate chips.
- Enjoy!
- Storage: We freeze our leftover pancakes for breakfasts all week. I place them in a freezer bag with parchment between layers of pancakes (you can usually reuse the parchment.)
Notes
- * for flour use a commercial (or homemade with xanthan gum) measure for measure flour. Or use 1/2 almond flour and 1/2 gluten-free oat flour. If you are making these delicious pancakes for people who can tolerate wheat, I recommend 1/2 all purpose and 1/2 white whole wheat flour. (You can sneak in the whole grains without anyone knowing!)
