Breakfast – the most important meal of the day. While certainly some breakfasts are healthier than others, sometimes you, your spouse, the kids, guests will want pancakes. Who doesn’t like pancakes?! Those steaming stacks of fluffy pancakes with butter, syrup, or whatever your favorite topping may be. But when you are gluten free, it may seem a bit difficult to think of what flour to use when making gluten free pancakes. Will they taste the same? Well, I’ve experimented with a few different flours and have come up with the best, in my opinion but, more importantly, in my husband’s opinion. And he’s not even gluten free!
I started my gluten-free pancake quest by using a buttermilk recipe for buckwheat pancakes. Buckwheat flour – despite the common name and the grain-like use of the crop, buckwheat is not a cereal or grass. The grain is called a pseudocereal to emphasize that the plant is not related to wheat and it’s completely gluten free. And who hasn’t heard of the famous buckwheat pancakes? Yummy, right? Well, I made them and, while they turned out to be edible, something just didn’t taste quite right. I was also using buttermilk in the mix but I didn’t think that was the reason for the off-taste. So I tried some of Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose flour. Nope, not quite right either. Just didn’t have the right taste or texture.
Then I thought I would try some of the gluten free oat flour I had ordered online from Montana Monster Munchies. While I was mixing up the ingredients, the batter was getting fluffy – a good sign. Next, I tried a test pancake. After it was cooked to the golden brown I prefer, I put some butter on it and popped it in my mouth. Wow! Fluffy and very tasty. I made a stack for my husband and got the same reaction from him. We have found the perfect pancake recipe and I’ve included it below – it calls for sugar but I leave it out because it doesn’t need it. Yields about 7 pancakes so double it up for more!
Ingredients:
1 C gluten free oat flour
1 ¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 C buttermilk
1 large egg
Vegetable oil for griddle
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk gently until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened (there may be lumps). Let the batter rest while you heat the griddle.
Heat the griddle or a large skillet over medium heat (or set an electric griddle to 375 degrees) until drops of water briefly dance on the surface before evaporating. Lightly oil the griddle. Spoon batter in griddle for each pancake spacing them about 1 inch apart. Let cook undisturbed until bubbles rise to the surface and the edges look dry. Check underside of each pancake to make sure it’s nicely browned, then flip. Cook until the second side is nicely browned. Serve hot with butter and either maple syrup or agave.
Cooked pancakes will keep, sealed in freezer bags, for up to 2 days in the refrigerator and up to 1 month in the freezer. I sometimes take the frozen pancakes to work and heat them up in the microwave with butter. Enjoy!