Best Gluten-Free Pancakes

stack of golden, fluffy gluten-free pancakes topped with butter on a plate

Servings: 10 pancakes

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 15

Follow this tried-and-true recipe to make the best fluffy gluten free pancakes.

4.91 from 212 votes

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Ingredients

1 ¼ cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour, see note*
2 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder, aluminum-free
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups milk, any
1 egg
3 tablespoons melted butter*
2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

Make the batter

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Omit the salt if your butter is salted. Use measuring cups for flour, not one for liquids (with a spout) and fill each cup by filling it with another scoop, then remove excess from the top to avoid overpacking (adding too much).
Make a well in the middle and pour in the milk, egg, slightly cooled melted butter, and vanilla. Use a fork to break up the egg first, then slowly mix it with the liquid ingredients. Then, combine with the dry ingredients, mixing from the outside of the bowl in. Stop mixing when there's no visible flour left.

Wait 5 minutes

Wait for the gluten-free flour to absorb the liquid and set. Check the batter's consistency now. This batter is on the thicker side. Read the notes below if your batter seems off or doesn't look like mine in the video.

Cook the pancakes

Heat a griddle or a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Once hot, grease the griddle or pan with butter or oil. Immediately, pour or scoop ¼ cup of batter for each pancake.
Cook them for about 2 minutes, waiting until bubbles form and edges are defined before flipping them over. Cook the other side for about 2 more minutes (a little less). Transfer them to a plate and repeat the process with the remaining pancake batter. If the pancakes are cooking too much on the outside but the middles are undercooked, reduce the heat. They're being flipped too early and don't have enough time to cook.

Serve & store

Stack them high, add butter, syrup, and your favorite pancake toppings. Refrigerate leftover pancakes for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. Reheat them in the microwave for 30-45 seconds each, or toast them.

Notes

Add-ins/Mix-ins:

Add up to 1 cup of fruit, cut small, like diced strawberries or blueberries (whole), to the batter (after it's been mixed) by gently folding them in with a spatula.
Chocolate chips: about ½ cup to the batter, folded gently.

Best gluten-free flour for pancakes: After many tests, I continue to stand by Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour and King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour. Both yield consistent, fluffy gluten-free pancakes with this recipe.

Flours that never yield good pancakes are Arrowhead Mills and Namaste. Cup 4 Cup yields mixed results. While they’re great for other recipes, I don’t recommend them for pancakes.

Consistency Tips: The best visual is always the quick video above. All 1:1 gluten-free flours are slightly different (they have a unique starch-to-grain ratio and ingredients). Here is what to do:

If you omit the butter (which adds moisture), your pancakes will be a little more dry/crumbly and you'll need to add the same amount of liquid (3 tablespoons) to the bowl (a neutral oil also works).
If your batter is too thick, you either added too much flour into the cup or your gf flour is a little dense. Add 2 more tablespoons of milk to thin it, then mix gently.
If your batter is too runny, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more flour, mix gently, and wait 5 minutes before cooking.
If your pancakes are flat, your baking powder is no longer active (gone bad). This ingredient cannot be omitted or swapped for baking soda.

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