10 replies to this topic

[Roda]

I have been having a terrible time with making pancakes. We often have them for supper. I do not like nor want to purchase premade ones. I really prefer to use flours that are a substitute cup for cup that the xanthan gum is already in it. At first I used Tom Sawyer Flour and had pretty good luck with my own pancake recipe. I then ordered Better Batter flour after the other ran out. I do not have any luck with pancakes with the Better Batter flour no matter what recipe I use. I get maybe three good pancakes out of the batch right after the liquids are added. Within minutes it thickens up so much that the spoon will stand up in it. I have tried to thin it out with more liquids but it just makes the pancakes nasty and does not do any good. The batter just stays thick and it won't spread out on the griddle. I really like the Better batter for everything else especially cakes. They turn out so light and fluffy and stuff has less of a gritty texture. The Tom Sawyer was good for everything but cakes. They turned out very heavy and most stuff had a hint of gritty texture. I have tried Pamela's mix with O.K. results, but it's not the flavor I am looking for. I would like to stay with the Better Batter flour overall and really don't want to pay shipping on just a 5lb bag of Tom Sawyer flour just to make pancakes. The price per pound that way is so expensive. I prefer to buy flour in bulk. Anyone know of any other good mixes or mix their own with good results?

[irish daveyboy]

I have been having a terrible time with making pancakes. We often have them for supper. I do not like nor want to purchase premade ones. I really prefer to use flours that are a substitute cup for cup that the xanthan gum is already in it. At first I used Tom Sawyer Flour and had pretty good luck with my own pancake recipe. I then ordered Better Batter flour after the other ran out. I do not have any luck with pancakes with the Better Batter flour no matter what recipe I use. I get maybe three good pancakes out of the batch right after the liquids are added. Within minutes it thickens up so much that the spoon will stand up in it. I have tried to thin it out with more liquids but it just makes the pancakes nasty and does not do any good. The batter just stays thick and it won't spread out on the griddle. I really like the Better batter for everything else especially cakes. They turn out so light and fluffy and stuff has less of a gritty texture. The Tom Sawyer was good for everything but cakes. They turned out very heavy and most stuff had a hint of gritty texture. I have tried Pamela's mix with O.K. results, but it's not the flavor I am looking for. I would like to stay with the Better Batter flour overall and really don't want to pay shipping on just a 5lb bag of Tom Sawyer flour just to make pancakes. The price per pound that way is so expensive. I prefer to buy flour in bulk. Anyone know of any other good mixes or mix their own with good results?

Have you contacted Naomi of 'Better Batter'
she is a fully qualified baker and will help if asked?
.
I haven't tried 'Better Batter' flour because I'm the other side of the Atlantic,
but from all accounts on various other forums they rave about it !!
.
Best Regards,
David

[lizard00]

I've been working on pancakes, too. I never ate them before (they always made me sick, even as a child) but my son LOVES them... so

I've made about 3 batches now that have turned out great. I use Carol Fenster's mix, but this would probably work with just about any recipe. Her book says to let the pancakes sit for 5 minutes before you start cooking them, which I imagine is because gluten-free flour is a whole different animal. After the 5 minutes, if they are too dry (which mine ALWAYS are) add a little more liquid.

So, to use this morning as an example: I made buttermilk pancakes. One batch requires 1/2 c. of buttermilk. I let it sit for 5 minutes after I whisked it together, and I ended up having to add around a 1/4 c more liquid. It could be water or more buttermilk, but I found that thinning the batter back down made them act like regular pancakes.

Hope that helps!

[daphniela]

I have been having a terrible time with making pancakes. We often have them for supper. I do not like nor want to purchase premade ones. I really prefer to use flours that are a substitute cup for cup that the xanthan gum is already in it. At first I used Tom Sawyer Flour and had pretty good luck with my own pancake recipe. I then ordered Better Batter flour after the other ran out. I do not have any luck with pancakes with the Better Batter flour no matter what recipe I use. I get maybe three good pancakes out of the batch right after the liquids are added. Within minutes it thickens up so much that the spoon will stand up in it. I have tried to thin it out with more liquids but it just makes the pancakes nasty and does not do any good. The batter just stays thick and it won't spread out on the griddle. I really like the Better batter for everything else especially cakes. They turn out so light and fluffy and stuff has less of a gritty texture. The Tom Sawyer was good for everything but cakes. They turned out very heavy and most stuff had a hint of gritty texture. I have tried Pamela's mix with O.K. results, but it's not the flavor I am looking for. I would like to stay with the Better Batter flour overall and really don't want to pay shipping on just a 5lb bag of Tom Sawyer flour just to make pancakes. The price per pound that way is so expensive. I prefer to buy flour in bulk. Anyone know of any other good mixes or mix their own with good results?

Here is the recipe I use:

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
3 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup fat free milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. In a seperate bowl mix remaining ingredients. Stir into dry ingredients. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle. Makes 12 pancakes.

If you don't like the taste of buckwheat, you can use almond flour. I got this recipe off the taste of home website. The original called for ground almonds. I have always used buckwheat with great results. The taste isn't that strong since there is more of the other flours in it. with the ground almonds it comes to 242 calories for 2 pancakes, just in case you were counting calories.

[HiDee]

From what I know, Better Batter has pectin and Tom Sawyer has gelatin, maybe the pectin has more thickening power than gelatin...

This recipe was on the forum here a while back and I've made it several times and LOVE it. These make a really nice and light pancake/waffle and taste very good. I usually do waffles with it and so I use the 1 1/4 c. of milk. For pancakes I would use the 1 1/2 c. milk. Sometimes I substitute sorghum or millet flour (or both) for part of the rice flour. It takes a lot of different flours/starches and stuff but the end result is well worth the effort and it only needs to be mixed up once in a while and then you can use as needed.

Gluten-free PANCAKE MIX (BULK)

2 cups brown rice flour
2 cups white rice flour
2 cups potato starch
2 cups tapioca starch
1 cup cornstarch
4 Tablespoons (1/4 cup) baking powder
8 Tablespoons (1/2 cup) sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons xanthan gum

Mix 2 cups of the above flour mix with 2 eggs, 1 1/4 - 1 1/2cups milk or buttermilk (soy, rice, dairy, etc.), 4 Tablespoons oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

[lisa25]

I've been working on pancakes, too. I never ate them before (they always made me sick, even as a child) but my son LOVES them... so

I've made about 3 batches now that have turned out great. I use Carol Fenster's mix, but this would probably work with just about any recipe. Her book says to let the pancakes sit for 5 minutes before you start cooking them, which I imagine is because gluten-free flour is a whole different animal. After the 5 minutes, if they are too dry (which mine ALWAYS are) add a little more liquid.

So, to use this morning as an example: I made buttermilk pancakes. One batch requires 1/2 c. of buttermilk. I let it sit for 5 minutes after I whisked it together, and I ended up having to add around a 1/4 c more liquid. It could be water or more buttermilk, but I found that thinning the batter back down made them act like regular pancakes.

Hope that helps!

I really like Carol Fenster's recipe too! I make it diary free using rice milk or almond milk adding 1 Tbsp of cider vinegar per cup as recommended in her cookbook "Gluten Free, Quick & Easy". I haven't had problems with the batter getting thick after sitting, but maybe this is because of the different milk.

[lizard00]

I really like Carol Fenster's recipe too! I make it diary free using rice milk or almond milk adding 1 Tbsp of cider vinegar per cup as recommended in her cookbook "Gluten Free, Quick & Easy". I haven't had problems with the batter getting thick after sitting, but maybe this is because of the different milk.

I think mine get thicker because I can't use eggs. The egg replacer works fine as far as binding/rising the pancakes, but I don't think it adds enough liquid (only 2 T of water). My theory anyway...

It's the best recipe I've tried so far, and my son and my husband love them. And they've had to eat some other scary experiments...

[luvs2eat]

I know you don't want to use mixes, but Pamela's gluten free pancake mix is really good. I make the waffle recipe and freeze them so I can pop 'em in the toaster!

[TinaM]

I use Carol Fensters gluten-free mix. Yesterday i found this recipe. It's gluten free and egg free and dairy free, if you want. They tasted pretty good. I did add guar gum the 2nd time i made and they fluffed up better. I'm pretty sure you can leave out the banana if you add guar/xanthum gum or use some other kind of binder. It did work without the guar gum but was just very flat.


Banana Pancakes

1 c rice flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 T sugar
a pinch of nutmeg and a bigger pinch of cinnamon
1 T veg oil
1 c milk or soymilk or water
1 overripe banana

Mix all the dry ingredients. Mash the banana with the milk and oil, then add to flour mix. stir well to combine, and let sit about 5 minutes while you heat up your griddle (or cast iron pan, or pan, or whatever). Cook as you would pancakes, dropping about 1/4 c at a time and wiggling the pan to spread. Cook on each side, then spread with Nutella (or peanut butter, or syrup, or anything) and eat hot.

[Roda]

Thanks for the replies. If I get froggy I'll try some of those recipes. I was suprised to find at Food City Bobs Red Mills pancake mix and a Maplewood Groves mix. I usually stay away from Bobs stuff because I'm not a bean flour lover, but this one did not have it in. I made some and they were pretty good. I still have yet to try the other one.

[Wonka]

I've been working on pancakes, too. I never ate them before (they always made me sick, even as a child) but my son LOVES them... so

I've made about 3 batches now that have turned out great. I use Carol Fenster's mix, but this would probably work with just about any recipe. Her book says to let the pancakes sit for 5 minutes before you start cooking them, which I imagine is because gluten-free flour is a whole different animal. After the 5 minutes, if they are too dry (which mine ALWAYS are) add a little more liquid.

So, to use this morning as an example: I made buttermilk pancakes. One batch requires 1/2 c. of buttermilk. I let it sit for 5 minutes after I whisked it together, and I ended up having to add around a 1/4 c more liquid. It could be water or more buttermilk, but I found that thinning the batter back down made them act like regular pancakes.

Hope that helps!

If you thin it a bit using club soda, you get some extra lift and bubbles.