This recipe yields great allergy-friendly pancakes without expensive mixes. Read the post for my tested tips that yield the best texture!
Fluffy Pancakes with Rice Flour
Rice flour pancake recipes can be a hit or miss, especially if you’re searching for a recipe that compares to traditional fluffy pancakes.
I’ve tested many rice flour recipes, and none had the structure of the pancake I was looking for something stackable, with a little thickness, that tastes good!
This recipe keeps what you love: the buttery and lightly sweet flavor of the pancakes you’re used to and as much as the classic texture one can expect from rice flour.
Ingredients
Here’s the simple list of ingredients you’ll need to make fluffy rice flour pancakes:
- Rice flour: the better quality and texture of the white rice flour the nicer outcome of the pancakes –you can also use brown rice flour.
- Sugar: just enough to give these a light sweet flavor since rice flour tends to be very bland.
- Baking powder: the rising agent that gives these pancakes texture.
- Milk: any kind of dairy or non-dairy milk works with this recipe, do not use water.
- Egg: to bind the batter ingredients.
- Butter: makes the pancake texture soft and adds flavor.
- Vanilla extract: to add a touch of sweetness to the batter.
Check the printable recipe card below for the full ingredient measurements and detailed cooking instructions.
Is Rice Flour Healthier than Regular Flour?
Rice flour is not necessarily healthier than traditional wheat flour; it is, however, a good gluten-free option. Nutritionally, they both have thiamine, riboflavin, niacin (great minerals), and vitamin E.
Both rice flour and wheat flour have nearly the same amount of carbohydrates, 21 to 22g per ounce, and rice flour has a little less fiber.
Rice Flour Pancake Batter
Unlike traditional pancakes, the batter isn’t as thick at first. For this reason, I added 10 minutes of time to the recipe to let the batter sit at room temperature for it to thicken up and absorb the liquid. This is a crucial step to achieving a thicker pancake-like texture.
Rice Flour Pancake Texture
Rice flour pancakes are a little thinner than traditional pancakes in nature. This recipe contains starch to fill in the body of the pancake, and the baking powder helps them rise; both give these pancakes structure.
How to Make Rice Flour Pancakes
Grab your favorite mixing bowl, and let’s make some fluffy pancakes with rice flour!
- Mix the dry ingredients
Combine the rice flour, starch, baking powder, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. - Add the wet ingredients
Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla. Slowly mix with a fork or whisk until the batter is smooth. - Wait 10 Minutes
Allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes before cooking -don’t skip this step! - Pour
Heat a griddle or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Grease it with butter or cooking spray and pour 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake. - Cook and serve
Wait until the pancakes are set and bubble form before flipping and cooking the other side for an additional minute. Remove from heat and serve with your choice of toppings.
Is Rice Flour Good for Pancake Batter?
Rice flour isn’t the first choice for making pancakes due to its grainy texture, but it is an option if you need to make gluten-free pancakes or allergy-friendly pancakes. A better gluten-free option is oats, which make terrific oatmeal pancakes.
Following the recipe below without making too many substitutions will reduce the chances of pancake mistakes happening.
Alternatively, you can make one of these fluffy paleo pancakes that are also gluten-free, these Cassava Flour pancakes, or my traditional gluten-free pancake batter using a 1:1 gluten-free flour mix.
Is glutinous Rice flour ok to use for pancakes?
The short answer is no. I’ve tested this several times with horrible results. Regular rice flour and glutinous rice flour have very different textures and, therefore, will yield very different results. Regular rice flour will yield a cake-like consistency like traditional pancakes, whereas Glutinous Rice Flour will yield a sticky and chewy textured pancake (think dough-like). The Glutinous type is better suitable for dumplings, not pancakes.
What Can You Add to the Batter?
From berries to chocolate chips and chopped nuts, pancakes never have to be the same. A good rule of thumb is to not add more than ½ cup of pancake add-ins to any standard, 4-serving pancake recipe.
You can always use one of these pancake syrups or these pancake toppings to up your breakfast game.
Rice Flour Pancakes with Great Texture!
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch*, see note
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup milk, any
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Batter:
- In a large bowl, combine the rice flour, cornstarch, sugar, and baking powder, making sure everything is mixed well.
- Make a well in the middle of the bowl, and add the milk, egg, butter, and vanilla. With a whisk, combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until everything is well combined.
Wait 10 minutes:
- Set the bowl aside and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. This allows the rice-flour batter to absorb the liquid and thicken, making this an essential step for the pancakes to have a thicker/fluffier texture.
Cook the pancakes:
- Heat a non-stick pan or griddle on medium-high heat. Once hot, grease with oil or butter and pour about 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake onto the hot pan. I use a ¼ cup scoop filled about ¾ of the way.
- Cook the first side for approximately 2 minutes, and once the edges are defined, and the middles begin to bubble, flip and cook for an additional minute on the other side.
- Repeat the process with the remaining batter to yield about 12 pancakes. Serve with your favorite toppings and syrup.
Thomas
Can you use glutinous rice flour instead of standard rice flour?
Laura Fuentes
Great question! Those two flours have very different textures and therefore, will yield very different ressults. Regular rice flour will yield a cake-like consistency like traditional pancakes whereas Glutinous Rice Flour will yield a sticky and chewy textured pancake (think dough-like). The Glutinous type is better suitable for dumplings not pancakes.
Diana
Goodbye GF Bisquick these pancakes were fabulous! I used an ultra fine rice flour (Viddie’s) and these pancakes were so soft and fluffy. I also added a table spoon of tapioca starch since I’ve read it helps with springiness. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you for saving my family from so many bad pancake mixes out there. So simple and great tasting .
Laura Fuentes
I love using Viddie’s flour for these pancakes. They are definitely a higher quality flour that yields great results. Great tip on the starch! I’ll be adding it to my next batch to see the consitency! thank you!
Laura Fuentes
These are not fluffy like traditional pancakes but then again, nothing with rice flour is. The flavor was good, thanks for the recipe.
Hana
Taste light and great, but it didn’t come out fluffy like the picture.. will see in the next batch. Recommend
Laura Fuentes
Hi Hana! perhaps add a bit more (about 1/2 teaspoon) or replace your baking powder? Baking powder tends to loose some of its lifting powers after 6 months of opening. The other essential step is allowing the batter to sit for a minimum of 5 minutes for it to thicken and this helps the pancakes fluff. Next round, wait 10 minutes, since some rice flours are more coarsely ground.
Abi Dickson
These pancakes with rice flour are awesome for my food allergies, and are just as delicious!
Erica
Fluffy and delicious, just like regular pancakes. My kids loved them. Thank you for these.
Crystal
This is the best recipe I’ve found for gluten-free pancakes. I couldn’t believe how fluffy and moist they were. My kids are very picky eaters, and they absolutely loved them, too. So grateful❤️