Paleo Pancakes
by Stephanie Olson
December 15, 2016 (updated 10/27/22) Jump To Recipe
These light and delicious Paleo Pancakes are gluten-free and dairy-free. There is even a recipe for a convenient pancake mix to make these even easier to whip up in the morning for a healthy and yummy breakfast!
This post contains affiliate links. I tried this recipe from Lexi Davidson’s new cookbook, Lexi’s Clean Kitchen: 150 Paleo-Friendly Recipes To Nourish Your Life. I’ll share more about the book below, but first, let’s talk about these too good to be true Paleo Pancakes!
Table of contents
Why Make These Paleo Pancakes
I’ve never met a pancake that I didn’t LOVE! Well, maybe that’s a bit of an overstatement. Some pancakes aren’t as light and fluffy as I would’ve liked, but with a big glug of maple syrup I’ve usually managed to clean my plate.
I don’t follow a gluten-free diet, so when I made these flourless Paleo Pancakes I was cautiously optimistic. I was making pancakes, after all!! Well, let’s just skip ahead and say… these didn’t disappoint! Read on to hear more about why we are loving this recipe!
Recipe Highlights
- Made without any flour or gluten so they are suitable for folks on a gluten-free or grain-free diet.
- Made without dairy so they can be allergen friendly for readers who are not able to tolerate lactose or milk and other dairy products.
- These pancakes can be meal prepped so they’re even possible for a weekday breakfast.
Ingredients For This Recipe
Almond flour:
lexi recommends blanched almond flour for this recipe, which is lighter in color because it doesn’t contain the nut skins. You can use store bought (available in health food stores or in the gluten-free section of the grocery store) or also make your own almond flour at home.
Tapioca flour:
This is a staple in paleo cooking and baking. Find it at the health food store or purchase it online. It help give body to the batter and also helps keep them from falling apart.
Baking powder:
Note that baking powder does contain corn, so if you are strictly avoiding corn, you can sub 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.
Salt:
Read more about the difference between table salt and kosher salt here.
Eggs:
The eggs help the pancakes hold together, so this is important because they are gluten-free.
Unsweetened applesauce:
You can make your own applesauce or purchase it, for a strict paleo diet look for unsweetened or those sweetened with honey or maple syrup (which are approved paleo sweeteners.)
Vanilla extract:
If the diet you are following includes avoiding alcohol, then you can find alcohol free extracts at the health food store or online. Look for those with a glycerine base.
Ghee, coconut oil or butter for the pan
Ghee is technically from butter, but approved on paleo diets including Whole30. If you are strictly avoiding dairy of all kinds, we loved the taste of coconut oil to cook these pancakes.
Add-ins (optional):
- ⅓ cup diced fresh fruit of choice small berries can be left whole
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup chopped raw walnuts and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
How to Make Gluten-free Paleo Pancakes
Don’t let the idea of grain-free pancakes scare you off. These are just as fluffy and satisfying as the ones you make with all-purpose flour and sugar. To make this recipe pancakes, you simply need to:
1. Make the pancake batter — These paleo pancakes are made with a mixture of almond flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, eggs, unsweetened applesauce, sea salt, and vanilla. That’s it! Mix that all up to make the pancake batter.
2. Heat skillet over medium heat — Heat a small pat of butter or coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat (you don’t want the temperature too high or too low!).
3. Cook the pancakes — Pour the pancake batter into the pan to make 3- or 4-inch pancakes. You’ll know when the pancakes are ready to flip when the batter forms bubbles on top. Once the pancakes are finished cooking, transfer them to a plate and continue cooking the rest of them.
How to Make This Pancake Mix Ahead for Meal Prep
To save yourself time later on, you can make a big batch of dry pancake mix for later.
Simply place 1 cup of blanched almond flour, 1 cup of tapioca flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and 2 pinches of fine sea salt in a large mason jar. Screw the lid on tightly and shake to blend the ingredients.
You can store the pancake mix in the pantry for up to 1 week or in the fridge for up to 1 month. This will make 2 cups of pancake mix, which is enough for two batches of pancakes.
More Paleo Breakfast Recipes:
- This Paleo Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash is a great breakfast staple that also can be made ahead.
- This Green Apple Smoothie and this Healthy Green Smoothie are both made without cow’s milk so they are Paleo friendly.
- Katie came up with these Paleo Egg Muffins while she was following a paleo diet, and still makes them regularly!
- We like to keep a batch of muffins in the freezer to quickly thaw for busy mornings. These Paleo Chocolate Raspberry Muffins and these Paleo Banana Muffins both would work well for you if you are following a grain-free and dairy-free diet.
More Pancake Recipes To Try
- My classic Oatmeal Pancakes are perfect in every way.
- This holiday season, try these Apple Gingerbread Pancakes. They’re always a big hit!
- These Lemon Almond Ricotta Pancakes are so moist and fluffy!
Thanks so much for reading! Make sure to leave a rating and review if you make this recipe!
Happy Cooking!
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Paleo Pancake Recipe {Gluten Free}
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
These light and delicious Paleo Pancakes are gluten-free and dairy-free. There is even a recipe for a convenient pancake mix to make these even easier to whip up in the morning for a healthy and yummy breakfast!
Ingredients
For the pancakes:
- ½ cup blanched almond flour
- ½ cup tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ghee, coconut oil or butter for the pan
Add-ins (optional):
- ⅓ cup diced fresh fruit of choice small berries can be left whole
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup chopped raw walnuts and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For serving:
Instructions
- Whisk together the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl, preferably one with a spout. Add the eggs, applesauce, and vanilla and mix well to combine.
- Heat the fat in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Stir the desired add-ins, if using, into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the skillet to form 3- to 4-inch pancakes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles begin to form on the top, then flip and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the pancakes are fluffy and golden brown. Remove from the skillet, set aside, and repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve immediately with maple syrup. Store leftover pancakes in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Notes
- Dairy-Free Option: Use coconut oil for the pan.
- Paleo-Friendly Option: Use ghee or coconut oil for the pan.
- To make a batch of convenient pancake and waffle mix: place 1 cup of blanched almond flour, 1 cup of tapioca flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and 2 pinches of fine sea salt in a large mason jar. Screw the lid on tightly and shake to blend the ingredients. Store the mix in the pantry for up to 1 week or in the fridge for up to 1 month. (Don’t forget to label and date the jar!) Shake the jar to re-blend the mix, then wait about 30 seconds to let it settle before opening the jar. Makes 2 cups (enough for two batches of pancakes or waffles).
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 pancakes
- Calories: 206
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 177 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
Keywords: healthy pancakes, healthy pancake recipe, how to make healthy pancakes, gluten free pancakes, paleo pancakes, clean eating pancakes
Stephanie Olson
Stephanie Olson worked in television production and advertising before moving from Los Angeles to New England. She attended culinary school in Connecticut and has since worked as a pastry chef, recipe tester and food stylist. Stephanie grew up in Lubbock, Texas and graduated from The University of Texas at Austin. She currently lives in Vermont with her husband and two teenage daughters.
Found your recipe today because I wanted healthy, clean pancakes and thought I’d give it a try. I didn’t have the applesauce, but replaced with 1/4 cup plain Greek nonfat yogurt and they tasted great. Light and fluffy. Will definitely make again.
★★★★★
I am so glad you found them! Thanks for coming back to rate the recipe!
Hello, I made these pancakes for my family as a gluten-free low-carb option, since we are following a modified food plan. I was excited, until I reviewed the ingredients. I thought, for sure that can’t be right, because for two eggs alone I knew in my mind that was 180 calories. I scanned the ingredients into my fitness pal. For 4 pancakes (a serving), they are 755 calories… a whopping 188 calories per pancake. Whelp! Please revise the recipe to reflect the true caloric content!
I think the calories per serving of 206 is meant to be one pancake with maple syrup. The pictures are misleading but I think the “yield: 4” means 4 servings, so one serving is only 1 pancake.
Can these pancakes be made with a different gf flour (I have a food sensitivity to almonds), and can it also be made with egg substitute? If so, which flour and egg substitutes are best?
Hi Sonia! You can try it with a flax egg and brown rice flour perhaps — but as we haven’t personally tried those subs, we can’t guarantee the same flavor/texture. Let us know if you try it and how it goes! -Lexi
Thanks so much for weighing in Lexi! And Sonia, hope you enjoy the pancakes!
I love pancakes, Can’t wait to try this recipe!
★★★★★
It’s a great one! Enjoy Janet!
What does 135kcal mean? Please tell me there are not 135 “thousand” calories in this one recipe.
Ha ha, that would be unfortunate wouldn’t it Gwen? Thanks for asking. To answer your question, we are using a new recipe plug-in here that is designed by a European developer. In Europe nutrition labels call them “kcal” and here in the states we have “Calories.” They are the same. Not to be confused with a little c calorie which is indeed 1000 kcal. You can read more about it here: http://www.livestrong.com/article/311197-how-many-calories-does-one-kcal-equal/ Hope that helps and I also hope you have a great day.
These look perfect for cozy holiday mornings!
They would be perfect any morning, but especially a holiday morning!!
The images are beautiful and the pancakes look delicious. I like that she has a pancake and waffle mix recipe.
★★★★★
The mix recipe is awesome! It would be the perfect Gift from the Kitchen this Holiday season. Thanks Annette!!
Those pancakes look amazing!
Thanks Carly! They are also delicious!
Thank you so much for sharing!!! Now I want a stack of pancakes!!!
It was a pleasure Lexi! I have really enjoyed your cookbook! And the pancakes are fantastic!!
What serving size are the nutrition facts for?