~Amanda~
Pancakes (or pannEcakes as my grandpa used to call them) are probably one of my all-time favorite foods. There’s nothing quite like a warm, soft (but crisp on the outside), tasty pancake to satisfy your taste buds. When we were growing up, we used to take road trips to Minnesota every summer to visit our moms’ side of the family, and every time we were there we would have a day where everyone gathered at my grandparents’ cottage overlooking the Canon River for pannecakes cooked by my grandpa on their outdoor griddle! Those pancakes were (I’m not even exaggerating) the best pancakes we’ve ever had in our entire lives. Our grandpa was a pro, he cooked them so perfectly; they were super thin and nice and crisp on the outside and warm and soft and buttery on the inside. These are some of my favorite childhood memories and I will work my whole life to make pancakes as good as he did!
I will say though, the only pancakes that I’ve ever made that come surprisingly close to his pancakes, are gluten free ones!! Gluten free pancakes are shockingly delicious, and that’s not just my opinion. Every time I’ve fed them to anyone else (Jackie, Conor, our mom…) they have all agreed that they are so delicious. It’s something about the ingredient combination and the different flours and baking powder ratios that makes these pancakes so perfect. Just like my grandpas, they are nice and thin (I’ve never been a fan of huge fluffy ones…you can’t eat nearly as many of them!) and they are the absolute perfect pancake flavor. The ingredient list is a little long because of the different flours used and extras added, but I promise you it’s totally worth it and if you give it a shot, you definitely won’t be disappointed.
To make these amazing homemade pancakes, you start by mixing the dry ingredients; brown and white rice flour, potato starch, sugar, xanthan gum, baking powder, and baking soda (hint: the more baking powder you use, the more they will rise. So if you’re like me and like them more on the thin side, use less, but if you like big fluffy pancakes, add a little more!). You then add in the wet ingredients; olive oil, eggs, and milk and combine. Now it’s time to cook them, and add in any special extras that you want! I love to make a ton of different kinds of pancakes every time I make them. This time I added some unsweetened coconut flakes to some, blueberries to others, chocolate chips to some, and then of course some simple plain ones. Top them with some nice warm maple syrup and you are all set to enjoy some pretty amazing pancakes… and for me, a trip down memory lane.
- 1 1/4 cups white rice flour
- 1/4 cup brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup potato starch
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (more if you want them fluffier)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups milk (more if you need to thin out the batter)
- Optional: blueberries, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, etc.
- In a medium bowl, combine the white rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, sugar, xanthan gum, baking powder, and baking soda. Add in the olive oil, eggs, and almond milk and whisk to combine. If the batter is too thick for your liking, you can add in dash of almond milk until it's the desired consistency.
- Preheat griddle over medium heat and grease with butter or non-stick spray.
- Pour in the batter to form your pancakes (add on any extras you want now). Once small bubbles begin to appear, flip them and cook another 2-4 minutes.
- Top with syrup and enjoy!
i’m glad you shared your memories of the cottage and your Grandpa as those are the memories I have when I hear the words “pancakes”. I am glad that you have created a gluten free version so you can still eat our favorites!