coconut flour
Coconut Flour Pancake Recipe: Paleo, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Breakfast Treat
2/19/2013
Pancakes were the very first thing I attempted with coconut flour. It took me a couple of tries to get it right, because coconut flour is very dry compared to regular wheat flour. The effort was well worth it because now I have these amazing, yummy, guilt-free pancakes that fill me up but don't make me feel bloated. They're lower in sugar, higher in fiber, higher in protein, and gluten-free.
They don't really have a coconut flavor even if you decide to use coconut sugar and coconut oil too. They actually don't taste very different from regular pancakes, although they are more filling because of the fiber.
I recommend that you check out a number of different coconut flour pancake recipes to gather tips, and if this is your first time to work with coconut flour, do a small batch to experiment. I based this recipe on the one by Nourishing Days, which has some great tips for "troubleshooting" coconut flour pancake issues. Paleo Spirit also has a great recipe, and a nice discussion about the benefits of coconut flour. You'll probably have to make adjustments and come up with your own recipe suited for your brand of coconut flour, and for the humidity level of where you live.
This is the recipe that works for me, and I've included a video to show you too.
By the way, here's a disclaimer: I'm not a great cook at all and I don't even have proper measuring spoons. I just use regular spoons to measure all this stuff. Bad, I know. But it also means that if someone like me-- a cooking dummy without the right equipment-- can make this, then anybody can!
Ingredients:
3 eggs (beaten until frothy)
3 tbsp coconut flour
sweetener and/or flavorings of choice
pinch of salt
pinch of baking soda + dash of vinegar (add in right before cooking)
virgin coconut oil or butter (for cooking)
Begin by beating the eggs until you get lots and lots of tiny little bubbles. You can do this with a whisk but I've done it with a fork and it's possible... it just takes more time, maybe a few minutes. It's important to get it really frothy-- it helps make the pancake fluffy. You will, of course, want to use fresh free-range eggs for their healthier and yummier yolks.
Next, mix in the coconut flour. You might think that one egg for every tablespoon of coconut flour is an excessively wet ratio, but really it's not. You'll see after mixing for a few moments. That coconut flour sucks up a lot of moisture! Also, I really love eggs so I enjoy the slightly eggy taste of these pancakes. The eggs also help the coconut flour stick together-- you really need the sticky proteins because coconut flour is gluten-free. If you want to use less eggs, check out the other pancake recipes I linked to above, which include milk (or non-dairy substitutes such as coconut milk).
Next, add in your sweetener of choice. Healthy options include stevia, honey, coconut sugar, coconut nectar, maple syrup, brown sugar, and muscovado sugar. I usually use 2-3 tbsp of honey or muscovado sugar here. Just add in the sweetener a little bit at a time and taste-test the batter. Remember that the final cooked pancake will be slightly less sweet than the batter.
This is a pretty basic recipe, but you can make it fancy at this point: My friend Ginny Mata, chef and baker extraordinaire, recommends adding some cinnamon, nutmeg, and pure vanilla extract.
This is a pretty basic recipe, but you can make it fancy at this point: My friend Ginny Mata, chef and baker extraordinaire, recommends adding some cinnamon, nutmeg, and pure vanilla extract.
Next, add in a pinch of salt. This helps enhance the flavor of the pancakes.
At this point, check if the consistency of the batter seems just right. If it seems too runny, add some coconut flour (a little bit at a time!). If it seems too thick, you can add some water. Remember that the moisture ratio varies depending on the size of your eggs, the kind of sweetener you used, and the local climate. When I use honey, I usually have to add a little more coconut flour to the batter at this point.
Now pre-heat the pan and place your butter or virgin coconut oil on it. Or you could use bacon grease... I haven't tried that, but I would love to! Anyway, don't negate the healthy ingredients of this pancake by using a trans-fatty vegetable oil or margarine.
Now add the pinch of baking soda and the dash of vinegar. I use apple cider vinegar. I think coconut vinegar is also a healthy option. This also helps make the pancake fluffy. It's important to add these two just right before cooking, because they are activated immediately upon mixing in the batter. Tip: These ingredients are optional, they just help incorporate air into the batter. If you beat the eggs really well you can do without these ingredients. When I leave these ingredients out I get a denser, chewier pancake, which I actually prefer.
Make little pancakes! Use 2-3 tbsp of batter at a time, to form cute little pancakes about 3 inches in diameter. Because coconut flour is very dry, you have to be careful to keep the cooking time short. A small pancake cooks faster, so there's less chance of drying it out. Tip: Undercook the pancakes a little to make sure they're moist! If your pancakes turn out dry, they're overcooked.
My pancakes come out sweet enough to eat on their own, and they're yummiest while still warm. I do also bring these as a packed snack when I go out, and they make for a nice, easy treat.
Of course, you can also be creative with the shape and the toppings-- butter, cheese, fruits, cinnamon, cream, maple syrup, and so on.
Here's a video demonstration to show you exactly how our recipe is done:
Here's a video demonstration to show you exactly how our recipe is done:
Enjoy and let me know how your coconut flour pancakes turn out! :) Do you have any tips or recipes using coconut flour? I'd love to read about them.
Happy pancake-making!
Best,
Feanne
