Fluffy Gluten Free Pancakes

They’re made with a gluten free all purpose flour blend, almond milk, eggs, olive oil and a touch of honey or maple syrup, so they’re dairy free too. A hand mixer whips the batter light in about 2 minutes.

The Best Fluffy Gluten Free Pancakes (Dairy Free with Almond Milk)

My husband usually doesn’t like gluten free recipes, unless it’s my Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies or my Ooey Gooey Brownies. When I made these gluten free pancakes for him, he looked shocked. I believe his exact comment was “these are actually really good!”

Gluten free baked goods can sometimes be, well, rubbery. These pancakes are anything but. You’ll only taste light, fluffy, scrumptious pancakes. The main reason they’re so good is the Namaste all purpose flour I discovered.

The method matters too. Beating the batter with a hand mixer for 1 to 2 minutes whips air into it, and almond milk and olive oil stand in for the milk and butter, so the whole stack is dairy free. It’s a simple, seven ingredient breakfast everyone at the table can share.

Readers agree. One called them “maybe the best pancakes I’ve ever made” and said her 2 year old loved them.

Why You’ll Love These Gluten Free Pancakes

• Light and fluffy. Beating the batter with a hand mixer keeps them from turning dense or rubbery.
• Dairy free too. Almond milk and olive oil replace the milk and butter.
• Simple pantry ingredients. Seven ingredients you likely already have.
• Naturally sweetened. Just 2 tablespoons of honey or pure maple syrup.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

• Gluten free all purpose flour: 1 1/2 cups. I use Namaste. Stick with an all purpose blend. Almond flour and coconut flour behave very differently and won’t give you the same results. An all purpose blend mixes several flours and starches to stand in for wheat flour, which is why it makes a soft, tender pancake instead of a heavy or crumbly one. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping, so you don’t pack in too much.
• Baking powder: One tablespoon gives these pancakes their lift. It reacts once with the liquid and again with the heat of the griddle, creating the little bubbles that make pancakes rise. Make sure yours is fresh, since old baking powder loses its power, and check the label to confirm it’s gluten free.
• Salt: Just 1/2 teaspoon. It won’t make the pancakes taste salty. It balances the sweetness and brings out the flavor of everything else.
• Almond milk: 1 1/3 cups. Any non dairy milk, like soy or oat milk, works in its place. Plain, unsweetened milk gives you the most control over sweetness, since the honey or maple syrup already adds some.
• Eggs: Four eggs add structure and help the pancakes puff up. Gluten free flour has no gluten to hold everything together, so the eggs do a lot of that work here. Beating them into the batter also traps air, which is a big part of what keeps these pancakes light.
• Olive oil: 1/4 cup instead of melted butter. It keeps the recipe dairy free and gives the pancakes a moist, tender crumb. A light or mild olive oil keeps the flavor neutral.
• Pure honey or pure maple syrup: Two tablespoons of either one. It adds a touch of sweetness and helps the pancakes brown to a pretty golden color. Maple syrup tastes warmer and cozier, while honey is a little brighter.

How to Make Gluten Free Pancakes

1. Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stirring them first spreads the baking powder evenly, so every pancake rises the same.
2. Add the wet ingredients. Add the almond milk, eggs, olive oil and honey or maple syrup right on top of the dry ingredients. If your honey is very thick, warm it slightly so it blends in easily. Crack the eggs into a small bowl first so no shell ends up in the batter.
3. Beat the batter. With a hand mixer, beat for 1 to 2 minutes, until the batter is fluffy and light. It will look a little paler, with small bubbles all through it. There’s no gluten here to turn tough, so you don’t need to worry about overmixing.
4. Heat the griddle to 300°F for 1 to 2 minutes. A drop of water should sizzle across the surface when it’s ready. Lightly grease it if your griddle isn’t nonstick.
5. Pour and spread. Pour 1/2 cup of batter per pancake, about an inch apart, and gently press down with the bottom of the measuring cup to spread it into an even circle. The space between them gives you room to flip.
6. Cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through in the center. Flip when bubbles form on top and the edges look set, then keep finished pancakes warm on a plate while you cook the rest. The first pancake is a good test. If it browns too fast, lower the heat a little.

Ways to Customize Your Pancakes

• Add chia seeds. One reader stirs a tablespoon of chia seeds and a touch of vanilla extract into the batter.
• Make them festive. Top with dye free sprinkles for the kids.
• Switch the sweetener. Use honey or pure maple syrup, whichever you have.

Gluten Free Pancakes FAQs

• What is the best gluten free flour for pancakes? A gluten free all purpose blend. I use Namaste all purpose flour, and it’s the reason these turn out so light. Look for a blend labeled all purpose rather than a single flour.
• Can I use almond flour or coconut flour? Not in this recipe. They behave very differently from an all purpose blend and won’t give you the same fluffy texture. Coconut flour in particular soaks up a lot of liquid.
• Are these gluten free pancakes dairy free? Yes, as written. They use almond milk and olive oil, with no butter or cow’s milk. Just keep your toppings dairy free too.
• Can I use honey instead of maple syrup? Yes. Use 2 tablespoons of either pure honey or pure maple syrup, whichever you have on hand. Maple syrup tastes a little warmer, and honey is a little brighter.
• Can I use a different non dairy milk? Yes. Soy or oat milk works in place of the almond milk.
• Why are my gluten free pancakes rubbery? Usually it comes down to the flour or the mixing. Use a gluten free all purpose blend and beat the batter with a hand mixer for the full 1 to 2 minutes so it’s light and airy.
• Can I make the batter ahead of time? Yes. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours and give it a quick stir before cooking.
• Can I freeze leftover pancakes? Yes. Freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then move them to a freezer bag. Reheat in the toaster or toaster oven.

Kitchen Tools for This Recipe

Homemade Gluten Free Pancakes

Light, fluffy gluten free pancakes made with a gluten free all purpose flour, almond milk, eggs, olive oil and a touch of honey or maple syrup. Dairy free and easy to make.

5 from 1 vote

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Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

• 1 and 1/2 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
• 1 Tbs baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/3 cups almond milk
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbs pure honey or pure maple syrup

Instructions

 

• In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir well.
• Add almond milk, eggs, olive oil, and honey/pure maple syrup.
• With a hand mixer, beat mixture for 1 to 2 minutes until batter is fluffy and light.
• Heat griddle on 300 F for 1 to 2 minutes. Using a measuring cup, pour 1/2 cup of batter, about 1 inch apart, and gently press down batter with measuring cup to help evenly spread out the batter to form your pancake.
• Cook on each side for 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown and inside is cooked.

Made these pancakes? Leave a star rating in the recipe card and tell me what you topped them with in the comments below.

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