My grandma made the best pancakes in the world; the universe and beyond! But, her pancakes are not even in the same league as these pancakes.
Gramma (we always called her Gramma) could whip up a batch of light, fluffy pancakes quicker than us kids could blink. How did she do it? Gramma’s lightning fast pancakes, or “Hotcakes” as she called them, were topped with a scoop of butter and so much Maple Syrup – those pancakes swam for their life; yeah, they were great…
But now, fast forward to today:
I want light and fluffy pancakes, but I want so much more.
I want pancakes that are:
- Fabulous – everyone should want seconds and thirds!
- Extremely nutritious, high fiber – yet light and fluffy
- Low in fat and sugar; Gluten & Wheat Free
Oh, is that ALL? That sounds impossible! What pancake recipe could do all that? Wait! There’s more…
“Gluten-Free-Food Hater.“
So the day came for the BIG TEST: Breakfast with friends that eat only wheat based, light and fluffy pancakes! (What was I thinking?!)
The “Gluten-Free-Food Hater” glared at the pancakes suspiciously, then politely refused, “No thank you.” But when everyone else asked for seconds he said, he’d try “ONE BITE.” He took ONE bite from someone else’s plate, since he didn’t want to commit.
You won’t believe what happened next.
The “Gluten-Free-Food Hater” started eating pancakes off of other people’s plates! Then he asked for his own pancake! And then, are you ready for this? He asked for SECONDS. Oh yeah! Sweet success. Not Your Grandma’s Pancakes . . . ROCK!
Okay, so now you want the recipe. Fine, fine, okay fine! I will give you the recipe; but first you have to promise:
(Except for my recommendations below!)
If you change the ingredients you will make a different recipe and you won’t have Not Your Grandma’s Pancakes!
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
Now, you might be thinking, “There are only 2 tablespoons of Teff flour; I’m going to leave that out.” Not. That little bit of Teff flour gives these rich “full pancake” flavor. Each ingredient has a purpose, so follow the recipe; then you’ll have success!
Add the buttermilk & eggs; whisk until smooth. Let the pancake batter rest for 5-10 minutes so the flax seeds can absorb the liquid; this will make your whole-grain pancakes light and fluffy.
- Lynn’s Notes: You can make this pancake batter the night before! (Hallelujah!) Just mix it up and keep it in a covered bowl in your refrigerator. Lightning fast pancakes . . . Gramma would be so proud!
Heat your pan or griddle to medium-high heat, approximately 350 degrees F. Spoon the batter onto your hot, greased griddle, using approximately 3 tablespoons of pancake batter for each pancake. Cook until golden, then flip over and cook until done.
- Lynn’s Notes: I cook my pancakes in Ghee or Coconut Oil. Coconut Oil will give your pancakes a delicious, crispy edge.
Serve hot with butter and syrup – YUM!
“A Pancake MIX.” Mercy. Why did I have to remember THAT?! Well, they did taste good back then, and that’s the truth.
How to Measure Gluten-Free Flour
- Stir each flour first. Do not just scoop your measuring cup into the flour; gluten-free flours tend to clump together and you’ll get a denser pancake.
- Spoon the flour into a measuring cup.
- Holding your filled measuring cup in one hand; with your other hand take the flat side of a knife and tap, tap, tap (three or four taps) across your measuring cup. Now level your flour. To level; simply take the flat side of your knife and run it across the top. Beautiful!
Substituting Teff Flour
Sometimes it is difficult to find Teff flour, so I tried substituting Teff flour with Millet flour and was very happy with the result. If Teff flour is available in your area; it is still my first choice because Teff flour is incredibly nutritious.
About Baking Soda & Baking Powder
Be sure that your baking soda and baking powder are fresh and haven’t lost their “oomph.” Here’s how to test your baking soda and baking power for freshness:
- Baking soda: Put a spoonful of baking soda in a bowl, pour some vinegar on top. If it fizzles mightily, the baking soda is fresh and good for baking. If it doesn’t, purchase some new baking soda for baking and use your “old” baking soda for cleaning.
- Baking powder: In a cup of HOT water add a teaspoon of baking powder. If it fizzes-up the baking powder is fresh. If it doesn’t; do not use it for baking.
About Buttermilk
I love using a rich, thick buttermilk. Despite it’s name, buttermilk is actually quite low in calories approximately 98 calories for one cup of (1% fat) buttermilk.
Most supermarkets carry a 1% fat buttermilk, but if you come across a rich buttermilk that contains around 3% fat (very difficult to find) get it! I have found that a rich buttermilk produces a superior pancake.
In some areas you can find Bulgarian buttermilk. Bulgarian buttermilk is a version of cultured buttermilk that has cream or yogurt cultures added to it. It is fermented at higher temperatures to make it more tart, thick and delicious. This thick buttermilk is fantastic in baking; it gives additional lightness and flavor to your baked goods.
Question: I have not been able to find a rich buttermilk. What can I do?
Answer: The pancakes should be fine with the lowfat buttermilk; however if you would like a richer pancake, try this ~
Replace the 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk with:
1/4 cup Greek Yogurt (NOT low fat!) and 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
Hiya! Thanks so much for writing! I think if you add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice) to the recipe that might do the trick.
Also you might want to consider my other pancake recipe – "Thanksgiving Day – Favorite Pancakes." Oh my goodness – these pancakes truly are DELISH! And they already use refrigerated coconut milk or your favorite milk, so you don't have to mess around with substitutions.
Let me know what you decide to do! I hope you love your pancakes!
Oh, one more thing, I do cook my pancakes in coconut oil. If you use a goodly quantity, the coconut oil will give your pancakes a lovely crisp edge which is so yummy! (And the coconut oil is really good for your skin!)
Thanks again for writing!!! BIG HUGS!! Lynn
Lynn,
I have lowfat yogurt, cashew milk, and coconut milk. If I add lemon juice to my cashew milk, would it help to add some butter or coconut oil to increase the fat content, or do you think that would mess with the recipe too much? Thank you in advance!
Dearest Nomadess, Thanks so much for writing!
I just added, "Update for Pancake/Hotcake Success" on this post. I hope this info will give you great results!
Note: Even as we speak, I am in the process of creating gluten-free "Pancake House Pancakes." "Pancake House Pancakes" are not high in fiber like "Not Your Grandma Pancakes." However, "Pancake House Pancakes" are light, fluffy and irresistible.
Stay tuned for more pancake/hotcake recipes!
Smiles, Lynn
I cannot get Teff in Australia unless I buy it in metric Tonnes. (No, I'm not kidding. The one place that stocks it at AU$18 per kg has been out of stock for more than a year.)
Any other ideas? I've made decent pancakes, but they're just not fluffy HOTCAKES!