Gluten Free Vanilla Raspberry Pancakes

I’ve tried a million different gluten free pancake recipes. It seems like pancakes should be one of the simplest breakfast items to make gluten free, but you’d be surprised how sneakily dense or crumbly some turn out. Or that telltale taste of rice flour just is a bit too noticeable and you need a different combination of starches, powders, and flavorings. These are not the end all be all gluten free pancakes, because there are so many different variables to optimize for in pancakes: fluffiness, taste, chewiness, size, etc. But! These are some of my new favorite pancakes, and they have a twist that most other recipes do not: the brilliance of freeze dried berries. These have been one of the stars of my recent baking sprees, ever since I realized that pulverizing dried berries in a blender/food processor/nutribullet resulted in, essentially, berry powder which you could then add to any and all baked goods with AMAZING results. Stay tuned for the inevitable avalanche of recipes that use this exciting new ingredient.

These pancakes remind me a bit of mochi – with a slightly chewy texture, they give you the satisfaction of the lightly-sweet Japanese treat, but in stack form and for breakfast. You could also use sweet rice flour instead of all of the flour mix listed, for an even mochier texture. Plus, the raspberry adds a tartness that cuts through the syrupy sweetness of maple or other sticky toppings. And to top it off, the color is just fun – who doesn’t want bright fuchsia pancakes in a towering heap with loads of syrup and fresh berries on a Saturday morning? (or any morning, for that matter).

One of my pet peeves with gluten free baking (technically this is cooking but oh well) is the flavor of rice flour that often screams through for a less than stellar result. That’s why flavored baked goods are often a great option, and these are no exception. The bright, tart punch of the freeze dried raspberry powder, and the heavily-vanilla base offer a perfect platform for one of the perfect pancake recipes. Use this as inspiration for your own favorite pancake recipe, or try it out as a brand new one for a change in texture, color, and flavor. The key is to try them all and keep eating as many pancakes as you can. If you’re looking for a pancake to fuel your weekend workouts, try out these chocolate peanut butter protein pancakes, or, if you want a super veggie-packed breakfast, whip up this goat cheese and greens frittata! Happy weekend cooking!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Gluten Free Vanilla Raspberry Pancakes

Fluffy, satisfying vanilla and raspberry pancakes

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: pancakes, raspberry, vanilla

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 100kcal

Author: Amelia Farber

Equipment

• Frying pan

Ingredients

• 2 Cups gluten free flour 1-1 mix with xanthan gum
• 1/2 Cup arrowroot starch or tapioca starch
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 1/4 Cups buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 Cup melted salted butter
• 3 large eggs whites and yolks separated
• 1/4 cup pulverized freeze dried raspberries (about 1.2 oz bag of freeze dried berries, blitzed up in a food processor or Nutribullet or smashed in a bag until powdery)
• Butter or coconut oil for the pan
• Maple syrup for serving optional
• Fresh raspberries for serving optional

Instructions

• Prep a large skillet or frying pan with butter or coconut oil, set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, starch, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt – set aside. In a second large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the egg yolks, vanilla, and butter. Add in the buttermilk and beat to combine. Dump the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients bowl and stir to combine.
• Clean the dry ingredients bowl and wipe it dry. In this bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then carefully fold the egg whites into the batter, 1/3 at a time until fully combined.
• Heat the pan to medium with the butter or coconut oil. Once hot, spoon in enough batter to make a medium to large pancake. Essentially, you’ll be making 4 plain vanilla pancakes, and 4 raspberry pancakes, though you’re welcome to make all 8 raspberry or all 8 vanilla! Once you’ve made around 4 vanilla pancakes, add the 1/4 cup of pulverized freeze dried raspberries to the batter and stir to fully combine. Continue making the raspberry pancakes by cooking a couple of minutes per side until bubbles form and each side is golden brown.
• Serve with maple syrup and fresh raspberries or any other toppings you like!

Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your pancakes!

Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber