The Fluffiest Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes

Step 1

In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour blend, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt.

Step 2

In a separate bowl or jug, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla.

Step 3

Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and whisk well until you get a smooth, thick batter with no flour clumps. Your final pancake batter should be fairly thick but it should be able to easily (yet slowly) run off a spoon or a ladle. As it falls off the spoon, it should pile up on itself rather than turning into a flat puddle (see blog post for photos).Tip 1: Some of the raising agents will start reacting with the buttermilk straight away (you’ll see bubbles appearing and your batter might appear almost mousse-like for a minute or so), but just continue whisking and don’t worry – your pancakes will still end up wonderfully thick, soft and fluffy. Tip 2: While most regular buttermilk pancake recipes made with wheat flour will warn you not to over-mix the batter (some even recommend leaving a few lumps in there), this isn’t a concern here. So, just whisk everything together until your batter is smooth and lump-free.

Step 4

Pre-heat a frying pan or griddle over medium heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Tip: I recommend cooking the pancakes on medium-low heat to ensure that they stay nicely golden but are also fully cooked through.

Step 5

Lightly butter the pan or griddle and wipe away any excess butter with a clean paper towel.

Step 6

Dollop the batter onto the pre-heated pan or griddle, and try to get your pancakes as circular as possible. I recommend using about ⅓ cup of batter per pancake – you can portion it out using a ⅓ cup measure, eyeball it, or even use a ⅓ cup ice cream scoop. Depending on the size of your pan or griddle, you can cook 2-3 pancakes at once (or more, if using a large pan or griddle).

Step 7

Cook the pancakes for about 2½-3 minutes on medium-low heat or until you see bubbles appearing on the top surface, the edges are set (not sticky to the touch) and the bottom is a golden brown colour.

Step 8

Then, flip the pancakes and cook them for 2½-3 minutes more or until the other side is golden brown as well.

Step 9

Transfer the cooked pancakes to a platter or wire rack (I usually line it with some paper towels to absorb any condensation that forms under the hot pancakes) and continue with the rest of the batter. The recipe makes 10-12 pancakes, depending on their size.Be sure to butter the pan or griddle before you start cooking the next batch of pancakes.

Step 10

The pancakes are best served warm, immediately after cooking, with maple syrup, fresh fruit or other toppings of choice, but they stay soft and fluffy for a few hours afterwards.

Step 11

You can also keep them tightly covered with cling film or aluminium foil (or in a closed container) until the next day, and then microwave them for a few seconds to return them to their original fluffy texture.