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!

Jump to:

• What is Coconut Flour?
• Can You Substitute Coconut Flour for Other Flours?
• Is Coconut Flour Gluten-Free?
• Coconut Flour Pancakes: The Perfect Breakfast
• Why This Recipe Works
• Ingredients You’ll Need + Notes/Substitutions:
• How to Make Coconut Flour Pancakes (Step by Step)
• Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks
• Recipe FAQs:
• Gluten-Free Pancake Recipes You’ll Enjoy:
• Other Coconut Recipes You’ll Love:
• Brunch/Breakfast Ideas to Indulge In:
• Coconut Flour Pancakes (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

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 that is left over after coconut milk is squeezed from coconut meat).

Can You Substitute Coconut Flour for Other Flours?

Coconut flour cannot be used a 1:1 substitute for normal all-purpose flour, given that they have very different characteristics, and coconut flour absorbs a lot of liquid.

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.

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).

Is Coconut Flour Gluten-Free?

Since coconut flour is made from dried coconut meat, and coconut is naturally gluten-free and grain-free, coconut flour is perfect for making gluten-free baked goods.

Coconut flour is also naturally low-carb, which makes it great for those on a Paleo or Keto diet.

Coconut Flour Pancakes: The Perfect Breakfast

I’m a huge fan of starting the day with pancakes for breakfast or brunch.

From fluffy gluten-free pancakes to banana pancakes to corn flour pancakes, I honestly believe pancakes can make any day better.

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

As the name of the recipe suggests, it uses coconut flour instead of traditional flours. 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!

Why This Recipe Works

• Simple Ingredients: The ingredients required for this coconut pancakes recipe are easily accessible at your grocery store.

• Easy to Make: These are probably one of the easiest pancakes to make, and the batter is very easy to handle (which isn’t true for many pancake batters). Even if it’s your first time making pancakes, this simple recipe is going to be a cinch for you!

• Naturally Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free and Low Carb: These coconut flour pancakes are low-carb and Paleo-friendly, on top of being both gluten-free and dairy-free is a big bonus! This means that even those with Celiac disease or gluten or dairy intolerances can enjoy them without any issues. Unlike regular pancakes, these low carb 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 this is a recipe for coconut flour pancakes, coconut flour is essential and I do NOT recommend substituting the coconut flour with anything else to get the right texture. This is especially so given that coconut flour absorbs a lot more liquid than other flours, and swapping another flour for coconut flour will result in a much more liquid pancake batter.

• Baking Powder: Baking powder is used as a leavening agent to give the batter rise. Make sure you include it to get fluffy pancakes (if you omit it, the pancakes will be denser as opposed to light and fluffy). If you have Celiac disease or gluten intolerances, make sure you use certified gluten-free baking powder.

• 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 flavor compared to extra virgin coconut oil (which has a stronger coconut taste and smell). You can also use another vegetable oil such as avocado oil or sunflower oil. Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use melted butter or ghee instead.

• Eggs: The eggs act as a binder for the ingredients, so I would not exclude them. If you prefer to leave out the egg yolks, you may use 6 egg whites instead of the 3 whole eggs. However, if you are allergic to eggs or simply want to keep this recipe purely vegan, you can use aquafaba or an egg-replacer instead.

• Maple Syrup: I like using maple syrup with my coconut flour pancakes, but you can also swap it for equal amounts of agave nectar or honey.

• Vanilla Extract: I like adding a dash of vanilla extract for extra flavor, but feel free to omit it if you prefer.

• Fresh Fruit or Berries: I used fresh raspberries in this case, but you can also use blueberries, strawberries, blackberries or other fruits. 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 and thick batter is achieved.

4. Cook Pancake Batter

Heat a little coconut oil over low heat in a nonstick skillet, and pour 1/4 cup of batter in the middle of the pan.

Let coconut pancake 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 the coconut flour 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 coconut flour pancakes with fresh raspberries and a generous drizzle of maple syrup (add coconut cream too if you like!).

Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks

• Use a Nonstick Skillet: For best results, use a nonstick skillet so the batter doesn’t stick to the skillet and it will be easier to flip the pancake.

• Make Bigger Pancakes: This recipe will make approximately 8 small coconut pancakes. However, you can also make 4 larger pancakes if you prefer (simply use 1/2 cup batter per pancake instead of 1/4 cup as stated in the recipe).

• Make a Double Batch and Freeze for Later: While it may take a bit of extra effort, I highly recommend that you make a double (or triple) batch of these coconut pancakes and then freeze them for the next time you’re craving pancakes!

• No Fresh Berries? Use Frozen: If fresh berries aren’t available at the moment, you can definitely go ahead and use frozen berries instead!

• Optional Add-Ins: If you would like to jazz up these coconut pancakes a little more, feel free to add chocolate chips or chopped nuts to the batter.

Recipe FAQs:

Gluten-Free 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)

Other Coconut Recipes You’ll Love:

• Low Carb Coconut Flour Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Flaxseed Coconut Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Maple Coconut Chips (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
• Coconut Cashew Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Mixed Berry Coconut Yogurt Popsicles (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Brunch/Breakfast Ideas to Indulge In:

P.S. If you try this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating below, and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to check out my entire Recipe Index for all the recipes on the blog. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram! Sign up for my Email List to get fresh recipes in your inbox each week!

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