Paleo Cassava Flour Pancakes

Name: Paleo Cassava Flour Pancakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups Cassava flour; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 3/4 cups milk, dairy or dairy-free; 2 eggs; 2 tablespoons butter or melted coconut oil; Maple syrup for serving

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Fluffy, light, and airy are not words most people associate with paleo pancakes, and I can’t blame them. There are too many paleo pancake recipes that yield thin, dark, eggy discs that pushes us to give up on enjoying the fluffy hotcakes we love so much.

But thanks to these cassava flour pancakes, your breakfast world is about to be flipped. Literally. Watch how easy it is to make cassava flour pancakes in this quick video

After a few years of eating almond flour paleo pancakes, I decided that what I really missed was the airy and fluff regular flour could bring to a recipe.

I had read about cassava flour proidign the “fluff” I was missing with my grain free recipes and I decided to take on the testing.

How to Make Fluffy Paleo Pancakes

The one food my family can’t go without? Pancakes. After years of experience, I’m will openly admit I am a pancake snob and positive I could make them blindfolded!

But when you’re grain-free or doing a round of Family Kickstart, fluffy and thick pancakes aren’t always possible until now… with the help of cassava flour!

I’ve tested all sorts of grain-free flours for pancakes and have had success, but nothing compares to cassava flour! It yields perfectly light, fluffy hotcakes that remind me so much of my Classic Fluffy Pancakes, I’ll go ahead and say they could be twins!

Make Next: Paleo Almond Flour Banana Pancakes

What is Cassava Flour

Cassava flour is made from the yucca plant, a starchy root vegetable common to South America and Africa. The flour has a very fine texture, mild flavor and it’s easy to use, making it one of the closest replacements for white flour.

Because of the starchiness content, different milling processes by different brands can yield a different product quality/texture; and therefore, affecting the batter.

While I often use both almond and coconut flour, neither compare to the amazing results I get when using cassava flour in muffins, biscuits, and pancakes.

It’s also a breath of fresh air for anyone with a nut allergy since most gluten-free flours are made with nuts. Yikes!

Is Cassava Flour Paleo?

Since it’s made from a starchy root vegetable, cassava flour is 100% paleo! This is good news, especially if you’ve been without all your favorite breakfast foods for a while.

I’ve got a whole list of the best paleo breakfast recipes if you’re searching for more ideas after these epic pancakes.

Benefits of Cassava

Non-allergenic
Cassava flour is very allergy friendly! It contains no gluten, nuts, dairy, or refined grains. This takes a little pressure off if you have to bake or cook for large groups.

High in carbohydrates
With only 120 calories per ¼ cup serving it is a great source of energy and free of all refined carbohydrates. It’s a much better alternative to white and whole wheat flours.

Easy replacement
In the grain free and paleo world baking is a risky game but this isn’t so with cassava flour. You don’t need a crazy amount of eggs or any weird combination of things, it works just like regular flour. Just swap it 1:1 with all purpose flour in your favorite baked good recipes.

Which Brand of Cassava Flour to Use for Pancakes

Having made these pancakes hundreds of times with different brands of cassava flour, I want to stress that not all cassava flour brands will yield the pancake texture you’re looking for.

As cassava flour has grown in popularity and lower quality manufacturers are more abundant, you will find cheaper quality white-labeled brands that do not yield consistent results.

Therefore, if you have any problems with this cassava flour pancake recipe, know that it’s likely the brand of cassava flour you’re using.

Here are the recommended cassava flour brands that yield consistent outcomes in recipes:

Success Tips for Cassava Flour Pancakes

If you are using one of the two consistent brands above, you should not have to adjust the recipe. Please watch the video and make sure you look at the batter consistency before you start or do one test pancake before you dismiss the batch.

Here is how to troubleshoot the most common issues with cassava pancake batter.

The batter doesn’t “feel” right
Did you wait 5 minutes for the flour to absorb the liquid and achieve the pancake batter consistency? This is an important step that should not be skipped.

Batter too runny or thin
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons additional cassava flour to the batter bowl, up to 4, and add ⅛ teaspoon baking powder. Mix to combine and wait 5 minutes for the flour to absorb the liquid. Next time, add the milk last and add it slowly to the bowl.

Batter too thick
If the batter seems too thick, add 2 tablespoons of additional liquid (milk or water) to the batter. If adding more than ¼ cup of liquid, add an additional ¼ teaspoon of baking powder to the batter.

How to make them fluffier
There are two possible reasons why your pancakes are not fluffy. The first is because your baking powder might not be active, and the other is because your batter is too thin.

To test if your baking powder is active, take a teaspoon of baking powder and put it in 2 ounces of water (about a shot glass) and if it fizzles immediately, it’s active. If it’s slow, it might need to be replaced.

Pancakes are undercooked in the middle
If your pancakes are undercooked in the middle, this is because your heat is too low. Next batch, heat up the pan longer before pouring the batter. Your heat should be medium-high or if using an electric griddle 350F-375F.

My pancakes burn before they are ready to flip
This is because your heat source is too high and should be lowered.

My pancakes are salty
Most “fluffy” pancake recipes call for a higher level of baking powder (which naturally has a salty taste) plus salt to activate it and melted butter.

If you’ve made the batter and when testing the pancakes tasted salty, add a tablespoon or two of granulated sugar, honey, or maple syrup to the batter bowl. Mix really well, wait 5 minutes, then test one more pancake.

If you haven’t made the batter yet, check the expiration date of your baking powder. If it’s been opened for more than a year, get a new one. If your butter is salted, either skip the salt added to the recipe or skip the salted butter. Both are too much.

How to Make these Paleo Pancakes Egg-Free

This recipe for paleo pancakes requires 2 eggs, and therefore, it is suitable to substitute the eggs with an egg replacer -my maximum replacer suggestion is always 2 eggs.

I have made these paleo panckes egg-free numerous times using a “flax” egg where you mix 1 tablespoon flax meal with 3 tablespoons warm water, mix and allow the flax to form a gel-like mixture. This will “bind” the pancake ingredients and replace one egg.

For this recipe, you’ll need to make 2 egg replacers: 2 tablespoons of flax meal + 6 tablespoons warm warer. Mix, wait 5 to 10 minutes, and mix into batter.

I have also used a commercial egg replacer. Replacer to water ratios varies by brand so check the packaging accordingly. With a commercial egg replacer, I only suggest substituting up to 2 traditional eggs.

Read this post about Eggless Pancakes and Egg Substitutions.

Can You Freeze Paleo Pancakes?

Just like regular pancakes, these paleo pancakes can be prepared and frozen ahead of time when you need breakfast on the table, fast.

To freeze pancakes you’re going to want to double (or triple) the batch, allow the extra’s to cool down while you eat a stack, then place them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Can you Make this Pancake Batter Ahead of Time?

You can make paleo pancake batter a day or two ahead of when you need it. Simply follow the recipe, refrigerate the pancake batter covered, and take it out for ten minutes to warm up to room temperature before using it.

Cassava pancake batter out of the fridge will be cold and too thick to cook up great pancakes. Depending on the cassava flour you use, you might need to add a tablespoon of water to the room temperature batter to give it the consistency needed.

How to Keep Leftover Paleo Pancake Batter

You can refrigerate leftover cassava flour pancake batter for up to two days. Just like making it ahead of time, the batter in the fridge will thicken so you need to let it warm up to room temperature on the counter before you use it.

If it’s too thick, add a tablespoon of water to reconstitute it to the original texture of day one.

How to Top Cassava Flour Pancakes

You can top with berries, sliced bananas, peanut butter, chocolate chips, syrup, strawberry chia seed jelly, or whipped cream. It’s all up to you! Hey, if you’re feeling extra, go ahead and toss those berries or chocolate chips in the batter. Just like old times.

I like serving it as a DIY pancake bar for a weekend breakfast or easy dinner. Everyone builds their own stack, and wherever breakfast foods are involved, I’m game!