Gluten Free Pancakes | Homemade Mix

The mix for this gluten free pancakes is perfect for everything from pancakes and muffins to breakfast bakes. They’re light and fluffy, just like a proper pancake should be.

Make the easy dry mix ahead of time, add just two ingredients, and you’ll have simple, classic pancakes in minutes. Plus, they freeze so well that you can make pancakes ahead of time, wrap them tightly, and freeze—then defrost in the toaster for busy weekday mornings.

It’s time to ditch that box and D.I.Y. a better pancake!

What makes this recipe for gluten free pancakes special

This is an all purpose gluten free pancakes recipe that begins with the simplest, well-balanced gluten free pancake mix. It doesn’t need to be modified to make anything and everything you might make with Bisquick, but better.

You may even be able to find packaged gluten free Bisquick, but unfortunately it’s just not very good. It’s gritty, not smooth, which can only mean that their rice flour is not superfinely ground.

Before going gluten free, maybe you used a packaged pancake mix to make dumplings, cobblers, breakfast bakes, or even an easy funnel cake. Now, with this recipe, you can do that again!

Plus, of course, this mix makes the lightest, fluffiest, most tender traditional gluten free pancakes. If you’re hoping for a heartier, more filling pancake, try our oatmeal pancakes.

You don’t need a different gf pancake mix to make a gluten free breakfast bake, gluten free Bisquick-style apple coffee cake, classic light and fluffy gluten free pancakes, or miniature or standard sized gf pancake bites. This mix does it all!

Which gluten free flour blend makes the best pancakes?

Gluten free pancakes are one of the few recipes that simply are better made with a super-simple 3-ingredient blend of gluten free flours (superfine white rice flour + potato starch + tapioca starch/flour). I like to add a touch of xanthan gum, too, so that the edges of my pancakes are round and smooth. If you omit the xanthan gum, they’ll have slightly feathered edges, but they’ll still taste great!

Since Nicole’s Best, my own gluten free multipurpose flour blend, doesn’t contain any added xanthan gum, you can also use it in place of the 3-ingredient flour blend here. Part of the reason Nicole’s Best is, well, the best is because it’s a perfectly balanced blend that can be used to make any baked goods you can imagine, but it doesn’t contain xanthan gum.

Since xanthan gum isn’t already in the mix, we can vary the amount of it that we use to create the perfect texture for each type of baked good. So we can use just a touch of xanthan gum here, but a full teaspoon of xanthan gum per cup of flour to make chewy gluten free bagels, for example.

Avoid using too much xanthan gum in your gluten free pancake recipe

You can make pancakes with one of the all purpose gluten free flour blends that already has xanthan gum in the blend, like Better Batter or Cup4Cup. I don’t recommend it, though, since they both have way more xanthan gum than we need here.

That leads to a less delicate result than you’d expect from good pancakes—and pancake batter that is difficult to pour or spread into a round pancake shape.

Plus, the process of making pancakes with a lot of xanthan gum becomes a race against the clock. Xanthan gum absorbs lots of moisture and will continually cause the pancake batter to thicken as it stands. To keep the batter pourable and not gummy, you’ll need to keep adding more milk.

How much xanthan gum to use in this gluten free pancake mix

You have two choices to make this perfect mix for gluten free pancakes:

1. Add 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum for every 1 1/2 cups of the 3-ingredient flour blend or Nicole’s Best (technically, 1/6 teaspoon per cup of flour blend) for perfect fluffy pancakes with round edges; or
2. Leave out the xanthan gum entirely. Just reduce the amount of milk in a single recipe of pancakes from 1 1/4 cups to 1 cup, for thinner, slightly more delicate pancakes.

I prefer to make pancakes using option #1 above, adding 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum. That little bit of gum makes for the perfect, pourable pancake batter that isn’t too thick and isn’t too thin. The pancakes hold their shape with no “feathering” around the edges, and, like the batter, they’re a bit thicker and more fluffy.

How to use this gluten free pancakes dry mix

A pancake mix like Bisquick is generally considered quite versatile, for all sorts of gluten free breakfasts. And this mix works just like the store-bought kind.

Bisquick does make a gluten free mix, actually, but it’s quite gritty. I’ve tried nearly all the available gluten free pancake mixes and come up with a list of my favorite store bought gluten free pancake mixes.

How to make classic gluten free pancakes using this mix

Making pancakes from this mix is as easy as making pancakes using any mix. Just add milk and an egg to the dry ingredients, pour on a hot, greased griddle and wait to flip.

If you’re adding a touch of xanthan gum to the recipe, as I prefer to do, you’ll need a bit more milk as directed in the recipe instructions below. The recipe doesn’t call for enough xanthan gum to thicken the batter so much that it’s no longer pourable, but you’ll still find that the batter thickens as it stands.

If you prefer slightly thicker pancakes, continue to whisk the batter and wait about 7 or 8 minutes before pouring the batter onto the griddle. For thinner pancakes like you see in the photo just above, have the hot, greased griddle waiting and begin to pour it soon after everything is fully combined.

Using the griddle or a pan to make pancakes

You can make these gluten free pancakes anywhere and any way you would have made conventional pancakes in the past. They don’t behave any differently.

If you have a nonstick stovetop or electric griddle, by all means use that. A griddle is especially good for making big batches of pancakes at once.

If you don’t have a griddle, any nonstick pan will work. But whether you use a pan or griddle, make sure it’s nonstick or you’ll end up having to use so much grease that you’re basically frying the pancakes not just cooking them.

If your nonstick surface is new enough that it’s still really nonstick, you don’t have to grease it. You can just make lovely, fluffy pancakes with an even, golden brown color on both sides.

But if you’d like to make pancakes with the slightly darker edges, be sure to grease the nonstick pan. You can greasing it with some cooking oil spray, a pat of butter, vegan butter, or even coconut oil.

How to make gluten free pancake bites or muffins using this mix

Use it to make these little pancake bites, which are simple but delicious mini muffins. You can leave the pancake bites plain, or scatter each with some toppings.

I like a teaspoon of chopped fresh strawberries, sliced bananas, miniature chocolate chips, or a simple granola-type mix. They all bake at the same rate whether they have toppings or not, so you can alternate toppings—or even make them into larger muffins.

They all bake at the same rate whether they have toppings or not, so you can alternate toppings—or even make them into larger muffins. Or maybe you had a favorite recipe that you made with Bisquick before you went gluten free. Use this mix in that recipe.

How to multiply the dry mix gluten free pancakes recipe

The dry mix makes a total of 1/2 cups + 3 tablespoons by volume, or 235 grams by weight.  Multiply the recipe by 2, 3, or even 4 times, whisk it very well in a large mixing bowl, then transfer it to a sealed container stored in a cool, dry pantry.

When you’re ready to make gluten free pancakes, measure out 235 grams of the dry mix, add the wet ingredients as directed, and voila! Perfect gluten free pancakes.

Looking for more gluten free baking mixes?

Did you know that my second book, GFOAS Quick & Easy, with a whole chapter on Make-Your-Own mixes for everything from gluten free cakes and cookies to muffins, scones, and brownies?

Here on the blog, we’ve made a Jiffy-style gluten free corn muffin mix that is super versatile, too. And the recipes for gluten free cupcake mixes, chocolate and vanilla, are also published here on the blog.

Freezing gluten free pancakes for hassle free mornings

If you have leftover pancakes, or you just want to make a big batch (or two!) ahead of time, this recipe is perfect! Just let the pancakes cool completely, and wrap them in stacks of 2 or 3.

If you use a freezer-safe wrap or container, and wrap them tightly or squeeze all the air out of the container, you can freeze them for at least 3 months. Defrost them at room temperature, overnight in the refrigerator, or in the microwave for about 20 seconds.

Then, separate the pancakes in the stack, and place them in your toaster. Toast them on low until they’re warm and ready for your syrup!

Mix-ins and toppings for gluten free pancakes

Here’s a list of my favorite toppings and mix-ins for the perfect, slightly fancier pancakes every child (and adult, let’s be honest!) loves:

• Miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips mixed in or sprinkled on top as the first side cooks
• Thinly sliced ripe bananas on top or chopped ripe bananas mixed in gently
• Chopped fresh strawberries on top or mixed in gently
• Granola on top or mixed in to the batter
• My favorite: place pure maple syrup in a squeeze bottle, and swirl some on top while the first side is cooking

Gluten free pancakes ingredients & substitution suggestions

Luckily, this recipe only calls for a few ingredients: a simple gum-free gluten free flour blend, (optional) xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, granulated sugar (just a touch, but you can actually leave it out if you prefer), milk, eggs, and butter (if making pancake muffins/bites).

Here are my suggestions for how to replace some of those ingredients, if you have additional dietary restrictions:

How to make gluten free dairy free pancakes

In the pancake recipe, the only dairy is cow’s milk. Simply replace the cow’s milk with your favorite non-dairy milk from a carton (not a can). My favorite is unsweetened almond milk.

In the pancake bites, there is also some melted butter. That can easily be replaced with Earth Balance buttery sticks, Melt or Miyoko’s Kitchen brand vegan butter, or virgin coconut oil, each melted and cooled.

How to make gluten free egg free pancakes

If you’re egg-free, rather than trying to replace the eggs in this recipe, I’d actually recommend that you use a different pancake recipe entirely: our vegan gluten free pancakes recipe. You can of course still use the dry mix, as it’s naturally egg-free, if you’re only looking for a dry pancake mix.

How to make gluten free buttermilk pancakes

Real commercial buttermilk is thick, rich, and has a delightfully tangy taste. It’s not at all like plain cow’s milk, even if you add an acid like lemon juice to it. Since it’s so much thicker, it also has quite a bit less moisture than cow’s milk.

If you love the taste of buttermilk and like extra fluffy, slightly tangy pancakes, you will need a different list of ingredients to make them. They are:

• 1 1/4 cups (175 g) basic gum-free gluten free flour blend, or Nicole’s Best multipurpose gluten free flour
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons (24 g) granulated sugar
• 2 eggs (100 g, weighed out of shell) at room temperature, beaten
• 3/4 cup (6 fluid ounces) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Here’s how you would make gluten free pancakes with buttermilk, using these ingredients:

1. In a large bowl, place the flour blend, optional xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar, and whisk to combine well. Set the bowl aside.
2. In a large spouted measuring cup, place the eggs, buttermilk and butter, and whisk vigorously to combine well and beat the eggs completely.
3. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk and egg mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk until the mixture is smooth. It will be thick.
4. Heat a griddle or lightly greased nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Grease it lightly,
5. Pour as many portions of about ¼ cup of batter onto the hot griddle as can fit comfortably, without touching.
6. When pouring the batter, don’t swirl it around; pour straight down. For extra thick pancakes, allow the pancakes to cook until the edges are beginning to set, and then add more batter right to the center of the pancake.
7. Allow the pancakes to cook until large bubbles begin to break through the top of the batter in each pancake and the edges are set (about 2 minutes).
8. With a wide, flat spatula, carefully flip over each pancake, and continue to cook until set (about another 2 minutes).
9. Remove from the skillet, and repeat with the remaining batter.

FAQs

Gluten Free Pancakes | Homemade Mix

These gluten free pancakes are light, fluffy, and simple to make. Plus, instructions on how to make your own easy mix for pancakes any time!

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Yield: 9 pancakes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

For the Gluten Free Pancakes Dry Mix

• 1 ½ cups (210 g) basic gum-free gluten free flour blend (140 grams superfine white rice flour + 45 grams potato starch + 25 grams tapioca starch/flour)
• ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum optional (See Recipe Notes)
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons (24 g) granulated sugar

To make gluten free pancakes

• 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg at room temperature, beaten
• 1 ¼ cups (10 fluid ounces) milk at room temperature (See Recipe Notes)

Optional toppings

• Miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Thinly sliced ripe bananas
• Chopped fresh strawberries
• Gluten free granola

Instructions

• To make the dry mix, place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine well. Store in a sealed container in a cool, dry location or in the freezer for longer storage.

To make pancakes.

• Heat a griddle to medium-high or large nonstick omelet pan over medium heat. Place the egg and milk in a small bowl and whisk to combine well.

• Place the dry mix in a large bowl, whisk to break up any lumps, and and create a well in the center. Add the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth. The batter should be thickly pourable.

• Pour or ladle as many pancakes onto the hot griddle or pan as you can fit without crowding, each about 1/4 cup of the batter.

• Allow to cook until bubbles break through the surface of the pancakes, about 2 minutes. Flip and continue to cook for another minute, or until the underside is browned.

• Remove from the griddle and repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm.

Notes

Modify the milk amount if you don’t use xanthan gum If you don’t use the optional xanthan gum in the dry pancake mix, you should only use 1 1/3 cups (10 2/3 fluid ounces) of milk in the pancake bites, and 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) of milk in the pancakes. To make multiples of the dry mix The dry mix in the original recipe makes a total of 1/2 cups + 3 tablespoons by volume, or 235 grams by weight. To make a larger batch to have on hand, multiply the recipe by 2, 3, or even 4 times, whisk it very well in a large mixing bowl, then transfer it to a sealed container stored in a cool, dry pantry. When you’re ready to make gluten free pancakes, measure out 235 grams of the dry mix, add the wet ingredients as directed, and follow the instructions for making perfect gf pancakes. HOW TO MAKE PANCAKE BITES Yield: 12 standard or 24 mini bites You can use this same dry pancake mix to make mini muffin pancake bites. Here are the modifications to the ingredients and method you’ll need: Ingredients:

• Dry pancake mix recipe from above
• 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
• 1 ½ cups (12 fluid ounces) milk at room temperature (See Recipe Notes)
• 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F and grease or line a 24-cup miniature muffin tin or standard 12-cup muffin tin and set it aside. Place the eggs, milk and melted and cooled butter in a small bowl and whisk to combine well.
2. Place the dry pancake mix in a large bowl, whisk to break up any lumps, and and create a well in the center. Add the wet ingredients and whisk to combine well. The batter will be pourable.
3. Divide the batter among the wells of the muffin tin. Sprinkle the batter in each well with about 1 teaspoon of the optional toppings (a bit more for full-sized muffins), or leave them plain.
4. Place the tin in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the pancake bites/muffins are puffed and the tops spring back when pressed gently and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (about 10 minutes for bites; about 15 minutes for standard muffins).
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing and serving. Repeat with any remaining batter. Serve warm.

HOW TO MAKE BUTTERMILK PANCAKES Yield: 9 pancakes
The ingredients you need to make pancakes with buttermilk are slightly different, as is the method. They are: Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups (175 g) basic gum-free gluten free flour blend, or Nicole’s Best multipurpose gluten free flour
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons (24 g) granulated sugar
• 2 eggs (100 g, weighed out of shell) at room temperature, beaten
• 3/4 cup (6 fluid ounces) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, place the flour blend, optional xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar, and whisk to combine well. Set the bowl aside.
2. In a large spouted measuring cup, place the eggs, buttermilk and butter, and whisk vigorously to combine well and beat the eggs completely.
3. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk and egg mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk until the mixture is smooth. It will be thick.
4. Heat a griddle or lightly greased nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Grease it lightly,
5. Pour as many portions of about ¼ cup of batter onto the hot griddle as can fit comfortably, without touching.
6. When pouring the batter, don’t swirl it around; pour straight down. For extra thick pancakes, allow the pancakes to cook until the edges are beginning to set, and then add more batter right to the center of the pancake.
7. Allow the pancakes to cook until large bubbles begin to break through the top of the batter in each pancake and the edges are set (about 2 minutes).
8. With a wide, flat spatula, carefully flip over each pancake, and continue to cook until set (about another 2 minutes).
9. Remove from the skillet, and repeat with the remaining batter.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!

---