Easy Vegan Gluten Free Pancakes Recipe

This easy vegan gluten free pancakes recipe came to life because when I was a child I absolutely loved pancakes! And the memory, since going gluten free has lingered on with me even though, to be honest, pancakes became a thing of the past a long time ago.

And for a many years, they weren’t something I craved in life.

Until I did.

And then I really wanted to eat pancake again

So I used to eat thin crepe type pancakes but all of a sudden I kept seeing pictures of American style pancakes everywhere and that’s when I decided it was time to give them a go.

Trial and Error . . .

The first few times I made these vegan, gluten free pancakes, they weren’t a complete success. They would turn out edible but not always light and bubbly and often just a sticky, yucky mess.

They either squashed down like heavy mashed potato or were hard like cardboard.

So I tried again and again, experimenting with different gluten free flours.

When I thought I had got these just right, I made them a few more times again to check that they work.

And now here are these easy vegan gluten free pancakes, which don’t go wrong when you cook them!

They turn out perfectly – for my taste buds – and of course you can play with the seasoning and the balance of flavours until you get it just how you like.

Gluten Free Flours for Making Pancakes

So many gluten free recipes says to use a gluten free flour blend – but I find that a bit ridiculous. I I mean, what kind of gluten free flour is the author actually using? Because the results of what you’re making will be different according to the flour you use.

Rice Flour, Quinoa Flour & Tapioca Flour Mix

So for these pancakes, after many trials, I finally settled on a blend of rice flour, quinoa flour and tapioca flour and I was really over the moon with the results.

Quinoa flour’s really healthy, being high protein and containing all the essential amino acids, making it a complete protein source as well as being high in antioxidants and minerals such as iron and magnesium.

Rice flour provides the balance and tapioca gives the slight gooeyness. If you haven’t got any quinoa flour, you can use chickpea flour instead (but it will change the pancake texture).

Chickpea Flour

One of my favourite gluten free flours would have to be chickpea flour, which I use a lot in the kitchen. It’s a healthy choice for your diet and is high protein as well as being full of vitamins and minerals such as thiamine, folate, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, copper and manganese.

Chickpea flour also contains antioxidants and is packed with protein.

So yes, I love chickpea flour!

Making the Batter for Vegan Gluten Free Pancakes

Homemade Vegan Buttermilk

Make some buttermilk by taking half a glass of plant milk (I use unsweetened soy milk) and adding a squirt of apple cider vinegar and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Next add a pinch of salt and taste.

It’s important to judge the quantities by tasting, as that’s how you will know how much vinegar and lemon to add – until the taste is pleasant. If the taste of the buttermilk is nice, you’re off to a good start!

The milk will thicken up almost immediately as it reacts to the acid and turns into vegan buttermilk!

Making the Batter

Take a large bowl and place 2 tbs rice flour, 2 tbs quinoa flour & 2 tsp tapioca flour. Next add 2 tsp baking powder and mix.

Pour in half a cup of the homemade buttermilk and stir, adding only the amount needed to get the right consistency. You want the batter to be thick but not as thick as a dough. Add 1-2 tsp chia seeds to the batter and mix. Finally, add a tiny pinch of salt.

If you have time, leave the batter to stand for 20 minutes.

Making the Gluten Free Vegan Pancakes

Heat a large frying pan or use a griddle and spoon a blob of the batter onto the hot plate.

When it begins to bubble, turn it over to cook on the other side. It only takes a few minutes on each side and can be turned as soon as it becomes golden brown.

By using the hot plate you can cook 6 pancakes at a time (depending on the size of your griddle of course!)

Serving Vegan Gluten Free Pancakes

I love savory food so I also love these pancakes just as they are, with a little vegan butter, or olive oil or gluten free yeast extract (I was so upset when I first learned that Marmite contained gluten!)

But, putting aside my love of plain pancakes for a moment, there are other delicious ways to eat these . . . like chopping up a banana on top and giving a little splash of maple syrup. I actually like to add some vegan cream on top of that too . . .

Another way I love to eat these just as if they were a piece of toast. So choose your favourite topping, be it vegan cheese, cashew sauce, homemade jame or my favourite spread – peanut butter on top . . .!

And of course, don’t forget the classic blueberry pancake! To make these, just add a handful of blueberries to the batter and then cook as normal!

So there you have it! Easy vegan gluten free pancakes that you can make in just a few minutes (minus the leave-to-stand time).