Coconut Flour Pancakes (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

These light, fluffy coconut flour pancakes are perfect for a luxury breakfast, weekend brunch or dessert. These delicious pancakes are best topped with fresh berries and a generous drizzle of maple syrup. Totally gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, low carb and paleo, but these are so good no one would care!

What is Coconut Flour?

If you haven’t cooked with coconut flour before, it’s time to get acquainted with this miracle low-carb flour! Basically speaking, coconut flour is a soft flour resulting from the processing of dried coconut meat (usually the coconut meat left over after coconut milk is squeezed from coconut meat).

Coconut flour cannot be used a 1:1 substitute for normal all-purpose flour, given that they have very different characteristics. Usually just 1/4 cup of coconut flour is enough to substitute 1 cup of all-purpose flour, so be mindful that a little coconut flour goes a long way,

Also, note that coconut flour is naturally gluten-free and grain-free, and coconut flour absorbs a lot of moisture. For each 1/4 cup of coconut flour, you’ll need 1 egg for moisture and structure – which is why you’ll notice that and recipes using coconut flour require plenty of eggs or liquid to balance out the texture (and prevent it from being too dry).

Why This Recipe Works

This grain-free coconut flour pancake recipe was one that I experimented with back when Juan and I were living in Washington, DC back in 2015.

I’d never used coconut flour until then, and one of the first recipes I’d experimented with was this recipe for coconut pancakes – that are the absolute dream!

These are probably one of the easiest pancakes to make – the batter is very easy to handle (which isn’t true for many pancake batters), and the fact that these pancakes are low-carb and Paleo-friendly, on top of being both gluten-free and dairy-free is a big bonus! These pancakes are light and don’t make you feel heavy after eating them, which we love!

Ingredients You’ll Need + Notes/Substitutions

• Coconut Flour: Since these are coconut flour pancakes, I do NOT recommend that you swap out the coconut flour for other flours (as coconut flour absorbs a lot more moisture than other flours).
• Baking Powder: Make sure to use gluten-free baking powder if you are Celiac.
• Salt
• Almond Milk: I like using my 5-minute homemade almond milk, but feel free to use other non-dairy milks such as cashew milk, rice milk, oat milk, or soy milk if you prefer. Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, go ahead and use normal dairy milk.
• Coconut Oil: I prefer using refined coconut oil in my cooking as it has a more neutral taste compared to extra virgin coconut oil (which has a stronger coconut flavor and smell). You can also use other neutral vegetable oils. Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use butter or ghee instead.
• Eggs: Since coconut flour requires eggs for structure and moisture, and I haven’t tried this recipe without eggs, I don’t know how this will work with egg-substitutes.
• Maple Syrup: I like using maple syrup with my pancakes, but you can also swap it for equal amounts of agave nectar or honey.
• Vanilla Extract
• Raspberries: I used fresh raspberries in this case, but you can also use blueberries, strawberries or even blackberries. You can also use frozen berries if fresh berries aren’t available.

How to Make Coconut Flour Pancakes, Step by Step

1. Whisk Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, combine coconut flour, baking powder and salt, and mix well.

2. Combine Wet Ingredients

In a large bowl, combine almond milk, coconut oil, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla extract, and mix very well until you get a homogeneous mixture.

3. Prepare Pancake Batter

Sift dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients, and mix well with a hand mixer until a consistent pancake batter is achieved.

4. Cook Pancake Batter

Heat a little coconut oil over low heat in a non-stick skillet, and pour 1/4 cup of batter in the middle of the pan. Let batter cook for around 1 minute until bubbles start to form on the top and top starts to dry a little, and bottom is golden brown. Use a non-stick spatula and gently flip pancake to the other side, then let cook for another 30 seconds until bottom is golden before removing. Repeat until all the batter is used up.

5. Garnish and Serve

Serve pancakes with fresh raspberries and a generous drizzle of maple syrup.

Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks

• No Fresh Berries? Use Frozen: If fresh berries aren’t available at the moment, you can definitely go ahead and use frozen berries instead!
• Make Bigger Pancakes: This recipe will make approximately 8 small pancakes. However, you can also make them bigger if you prefer (just note that you will get a lesser number of pancakes).

Recipe FAQs:

Other Pancake Recipes You’ll Enjoy:

• Fluffy Gluten-Free Pancakes (Dairy-Free)
• The Easiest Cornflour Pancakes (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• 2-Ingredient Banana Pancakes (Gluten-Free, Paleo)
• Yogurt Almond Pancakes (Gluten-Free, Grain-Free)

Brunch/Breakfast Ideas to Indulge In:

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