The absolute best pancake recipe I’ve found…and trust me, we lived through a LOT of flops, or should I say flaps (jacks)? The batter is so fluffy and bubbly it reminds me of old fashioned sourdough pancakes, but without all the allergens. The secret weapon is aquafaba. If you haven’t heard of it, brace yourself, your world is about to be changed FOREVER.
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I’m a bit paradoxical. My favorite meal of the day is breakfast. Be it crepes, waffles, pancakes, hashbrowns, bacon, sausage, breakfast potatoes…you name it and I’ll devour it.
However, I’m NOT a morning person. Never have been, never will be. Instead of getting up and seizing the day I wait until my oldest is at my bed asking me to wake up and my toddler is screaming in his crib. That’s my daily wake up call.
Since I can barely get it together in the mornings we usually have coconut yogurt and some kind of safe cereal or toast. Real fancy.
I save putting in the work for breakfast for around 5 p.m. We constantly have pancakes for dinner, and I don’t think it can be topped. Unless, it’s with a safe butter and lots and lots of syrup.
I love this recipe because it makes a lot, so I’ll freeze them and just pop them in the toaster for lazy mornings. Eggos got NOTHIN’ on me.
I kid you not, but I seriously tried a BUNCH of pancake recipes. I really thought we’d just never be able to have pancakes again. I had switched over to waffles because I could at least salvage the batter and force it to be solidified and crunchy through the waffle iron. I could not find something that held it’s shape, was fluffy and soft. It was my unicorn.
Then, one day I heard about the magical aquafaba. The fluffy egg substitute you get from the leftover bean dregs. I’m not kidding. The stuff you used to pour down the drain was our savior in disguise! I was seriously skeptical, but also desperate so I tried it. They whipped up gorgeously. I thought to myself, some of the best pancakes I used to have used whipped egg whites. Why not incorporate this into a gluten free pancake mix and see?
It was probably the best decision of my life, other than getting married and having kids.
I truly hope this recipe saves you all the struggling and searching I did; as well as takes you back to when you were a kid, enjoying light, airy pancakes and helps you make many enjoyable breakfast memories…be that at 7 a.m. or 5 p.m.
Here are some frequently asked questions to help you adjust these pancakes for your need and make them like a pro!
What milk substitute can I use in these vegan gluten free pancakes?
I prefer rice milk, since it has the least after taste of other milk substitutes. However, if you can’t use rice, feel free to use another milk substitute. You can use original or vanilla, either will work.
If you can do milk, and just need these to be gluten free, feel free to use regular milk as well.
What is aquafaba?
Aquafaba is the leftover liquid in a can of garbanzo beans (also known as chick peas). When whipped, it becomes light and frothy, just like egg whites. It is a great egg substitute for vegans or those who have egg allergies. The best part–there is no after taste, leaving your recipes tasting bean-free.
Do you have other recipes that use aquafaba?
- sticky vegan marshmallow frosting
- gluten free vegan chocolate pancakes–featured on TV!
- egg free ghost meringues
- gluten free vegan gingerbread waffles
- gluten free vegan yellow cupcakes
What gluten free flour do you recommend for these pancakes?
I prefer my homemade gluten free flour blend. If you prefer a store-bought blend, be sure to get one that is mostly made of rice or potato. I wouldn’t recommend nut flours, coconut or cassava flours for this recipe. If your blend already has xanthan in it, omit the amount I call for.
Also, if you don’t need these to be gluten free, omit the xanthan and just use regular flour.
Do you have other gluten free vegan pancakes?
Pancakes are wonderful, and make for the best breakfasts–especially on the weekends. Here are some of my other favorite pancakes:
- Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
- Gluten Free Vegan Gingerbread Pancakes
- Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Pancakes
And, a plug for my friend Erin who has a Cornbread Pancake that can easily be converted to gluten free (does use eggs and butter though.) As well as for Pancakes Without Milk by Texanerin.
Gluten Free Vegan Fluffy, Classic Pancakes (Top 8 Free Too!)
Fluffy, soft pancakes that use a secret weapon: aquafaba. You'll have to pinch yourself when you realize they're allergy-friendly!
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cup vanilla rice milk
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups gluten free flour blend *see FAQ above
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp xanthan
- liquid from one 15 oz can of chick peas (also known as aquafaba)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup canola oil
Instructions
- *UPDATE: I have since found another recipe that I prefer since posting this. Please check out this gluten free vegan pancake recipe as well.
- First, whisk the rice milk and 1 Tablespoon vinegar together and set aside. This will be your faux buttermilk.
- In a separate bowl, combine the gluten free flour, baking powder, salt, and xanthan together in a medium bowl. Give it a few whisks to mix it all up and set it aside.
- Drain all the liquid from the can of chick peas into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the 1/2 tsp vinegar, and turn it on. Let it mix on medium at first, until it stops splattering and a white foam forms, then on high speed until nice and firm and glossy. You should be able to hold the bowl above your head, upside-down.
- One your foam is strong, pour in the 1/4 cup of sugar, and mix a few minutes until no longer gritty. Slowly pour in the oil over the course of about a minute while the mixer is still on high speed. It should incorporate fully.
- You should be able to form stiff peaks once it is fully incorporated.
- First, pour the soy milk and vinegar that you set aside in step 1 into the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. It will be very thick. Do not worry, the foam will still fold in nicely.
- Once the wet and dry are combined, fold in the foam/emulsion mixture. It will be nice and bubbly. Ladle onto a warm griddle and flip once the bubbles start popping, just like regular pancakes. Remove from griddle once both sides are golden.
- Because this batter is so thick and foamy, you may notice the middle doesn't get down if you have your griddle on too high of a heat. If it's too high, it will get the outside done before the inside, so be sure it's no hotter than medium. I also store my pancakes in a tortilla warmer, so that they can continue to stay warm while I make the entire batter.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 165Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 148mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 4g
Adapted from: Vegan Cookery
Ginger
I actually want to use egg instead of the bean juice, but how many eggs for this recipe. Thank you
Megan Lavin
Hi Ginger–hold that thought. I actually have a much better recipe for pancakes I’ll be posting soon. This recipe is older, and I’ve found one that works much better. Thanks for your patience. Hopefully one of my other pancakes on the site (banana chocolate chip, gingerbread…etc. will hold you over.) https://allergyawesomeness.com/category/older-posts/breakfast/
Jessie
When you use aquafaba in recipes, do you just throw out the beans? or what do you do with them? seems like a waste, but I don’t really like chickpeas. Can you buy the liquid separately somewhere? If I were to use a different egg replacer, what is the equivalent of eggs in this recipe?
thank you!
Megan Lavin
Hi Jessie–I totally get it. Every great once in awhile, I’ll make hummus, but honestly, most the time I throw them out. I figure the vegan egg replacers I would have possibly bought would have been more expensive than one can of chick peas, so that helps me feel a little better. We eat up leftovers and are very good at using up food otherwise. I’ve never seen a place that sells just aquafaba–but it’d be a great idea. I wouldn’t recommend subbing it out with any other egg replacer in this recipe, as that is what gives it the fluffiness. Hope that helps!
Colette Rose
If I use store bought gluten free flour like Bob’s Mills, do I still need to add xantham gum? Thank you for providing awesome allergy free recipes for our littles.
Megan Lavin
You’re very welcome. No, if your store bought gluten free flour already has xanthan in it, you omit the xanthan I call for.
Heena
Hi,
This recipe looks amazing
Is their any substitute of chickpea liquid/aquafaba as my son is allergic to chickpeas
He is on diet which is free from dairy, wheat, eggs, nuts , soya, sesame and chickpea
Thanks
Heena
Megan Lavin
I’m sorry, I don’t know of any. If you hear of one, please let me know.
Geiste
Hello!
You can substitute it with bean liquid!
Good luck!
Serena
You can substitute bean liquid from a can of great northern beans, navy beans, cannellini beans, or pinto beans!
Jessica
I just want to say we may have been cut from the same cloth when it comes to mornings. I laughed so hard because this is me every morning it seems. Kids are my alarm. I just came across your recipe from Google trying to find a pancake recipe. I tried to wing an allergy friendly version the other day and it was a disaster so I will be trying these very soon!
allergyawesomeness@gmail.com
Yay for another non-morning person. I hope you love the pancakes!
Christine
Can you use actual aquafaba purchased from the store? Also, already made cup for cup GF flour?
allergyawesomeness@gmail.com
Hi Christine–I’ve never seen aquafaba from the store. I would think both would work, though I haven’t personally tested either.
Sherry
Hi what am I doing wrong?? The pancakes
are doughy. Went step by step. Ah!!
Thank you
Sherry
allergyawesomeness@gmail.com
Hi Sherry. Did you do any substitutions? If not, and they’re still doughy it could be a couple of things. Various brands of chickpeas have differing amounts of liquid–which could mean a bit more aquafaba than usual–making them super fluffy which can in turn lead to doughy-ness. If you do a test pancake and they’re too fluffy, it could be that they need to be thinned a bit. Just add a bit more rice milk. Or, it could be that your griddle is too hot, so that it cooks the outside too fast before it can get a chance to penetrate the inside. Hope those tips help you enjoy them the next time.
Jen
After a first failed attempt at making these amazing pancakes (still not sure what I did wrong), I sought to get these pancakes right because let’s be honest….. they looked amazing! I’m so glad that I did! My second try at these pancakes worked out wonderfully. I ended up using hemp milk in place of the rice milk because that’s what I had on hand, and they were so delicious even my husband kept commenting on how tasty they were. A true hit!
Victoria
If I use regular flour, I’m assuming I can leave out the xanthan, right? Thankfully gluten isn’t an allergy I have to work around. I LOVE aquafaba, it’s such a game changer! Never seen a recipe for pancakes with aquafaba, so I’m really excited to give this a try. Most of our allergen-friendly pancakes come out super flat but these are fluff city. Glad I stalked your feed far enough to find this recipe. Congratulations on your newest baby, she’s absolutely beautiful.
allergyawesomeness@gmail.com
Hi Victoria–good question! Yes, you can sub out regular flour to my gluten free flour 1:1, and then simply omit the xanthan. Aquafaba is a huge game changer, so grateful for it! And, thanks for the congrats! 🙂
Sue
Can you use the liquid from any canned beans ?
allergyawesomeness@gmail.com
Sue–I’ve never tried anything other than chick peas. I have heard you can, but have never personally vetted it. I like chick peas, since it has a very mild (I can’t even taste it) flavor. If you try it, let me know!
Rosie
Hi I’m new to the allergy world. My baby is allergic to everything. He is allergic to wheat. The photo says wheat free. I’m confused about gluten free flour. Does it still contain wheat?? Thanks!
allergyawesomeness@gmail.com
Hi Rosie! It can be confusing and overwhelming. I totally remember feeling that way. Don’t worry! You’ll get it and soon it will be second nature. So, if something is gluten free, it is wheat free. But, gluten is also found in barley and rye, that’s why they say gluten-free, to say it’s free of wheat, barley, and rye, so it covers all three. Gluten is a protein found in wheat. I hope that helps! I’m so glad you found my page. We allergy moms need each other!
Bel
Yum! Just made these for my little tribe. Rave reviews. I have made so many ordinary GF vegan pancakes to date and thought I’d never have a delish pancake again. THANK YOU!
allergyawesomeness@gmail.com
I so appreciate the feedback! You put these recipes out on the Internet, and wonder how people enjoy them. Thanks so much for taking the time to tell me that. Have a wonderful night 🙂
Janet T.
I cooked my own garbanzo beans to make the aquafaba. That turned out to be really easy. But How much liquid is there in a can a beans? I hate to open one just to find out….
allergyawesomeness@gmail.com
I’ve never measured it, but my guess would be anywhere from 4-6 Tablespoons. Glad you found a way to make them that works for you.
Alise
Love how helpful your blog must be for so many people! These look great.
allergyawesomeness@gmail.com
Thanks Alise
Brianna @Flippin' Delicious
I still have yet to try aquafaba. It is on my must try list! These pancakes… OMG!
allergyawesomeness@gmail.com
Thanks Brianna. Yes, try it and let me know what you think of aquafaba. I adore it.
Gluten Free With Emily
These look so delicious! Dinner for breakfast pick right here!!
allergyawesomeness@gmail.com
Thanks Emily!
Annette
Mmmmm. Those look better than the regular old boring pancakes! Thanks for the recipe!
allergyawesomeness@gmail.com
You bet! 🙂
Raia
I keep reading about aquafaba, but I have yet to try it. I never use canned beans, any ideas how to get the desired amount from cooking up a batch of dry beans?
allergyawesomeness@gmail.com
That’s a good question. I’ve never tried it with homemade beans before. This is what I found via quafaba.com: “Generally 3 tbsp of aquafaba to one egg, but this really depends on whether your aquafaba is close to the right consistency. It should be a bit slimy, but not too thick, and not too runny. Ideally it should be the same consistency as egg whites. If you are using aquafaba from a can of beans and it seems very watery, you can reduce it on the stove by 25% or 33% to get a slightly thicker consistency. Thicker is generally better, but you don’t want it to end up goopy or solid, so don’t reduce too much.”
Hope this helps!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
These are perfect!!! A big fluffy stack is my weekend essential!
allergyawesomeness@gmail.com
Thanks Rebecca. I agree, pancakes are a great start to any weekend.