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The best gluten-free pancake recipes

banana protein pancakes - Susan Bell
banana protein pancakes - Susan Bell

Pancake Day is nearly here and neither coeliacs nor people avoiding wheat or gluten should have to miss out on our favourite homemade breakfast or dessert dish.

Not only are all of these pancake recipes free from gluten, but some are suitable for vegans, those swerving dairy, or people on a paleo diet – as well as anyone who just fancies celebrating Shrove Tuesday with a stack of pancakes that are a bit healthier this year.

Gluten-free apple and banana oat pancakes

Pancake - Matt Russell
Pancake - Matt Russell

These delicious 10-minute pancakes are gluten-free as well as being sweetened naturally with banana. You can also use nut milks, coconut oil and dairy-free yogurt to make this recipe vegan.

MAKES

Six pancakes

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 teacup of oats (about 80g); use gluten-free oats if you are intolerant

  • 1 apple

  • ½ a teacup of nuts (about 50g) – pecans or almonds (for children use another ½ cup of oats)

  • 1 cup or about 150ml of milk of your choice (I use unsweetened almond)

  • 1 medium banana

  • coconut oil or butter, for frying

To serve

  • 2 apples

  • the juice of ½ a lemon

  • a pinch of cinnamon

  • a tiny grating of nutmeg

  • honey or maple syrup

  • yogurt of your choice (I use coconut)

METHOD

  1. Get all your ingredients and equipment together. Put the oats into a blender and blitz until you have a rough scruffy four.

  2. Grate the apple. Put the nuts, milk, apple and banana into the blender and blitz until combined.

  3. Heat a non-stick pan on a medium heat and add a little coconut oil or butter.

  4. Allow it to melt, then add ladlefuls of the pancake batter to make Scotch pancake rounds. Cook for 2–3 minutes, or until bubbles rise to the surface.

  5. Use a spatula to carefully flip the pancakes over and cook on the other side.

  6. The first batch are always more delicate, so don’t worry if they look a bit scruffy. Keep them warm while you cook the rest.

  7. Once all your pancakes are done, use a speed peeler to peel your apples into long pieces then put into a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, the cinnamon and nutmeg.

  8. Serve the pancakes stacked and topped with the apple, maple syrup and, if you like, a little yogurt.

Recipe from Anna Jones's A Modern Way to Cook (HarperCollins, £25)

Almond and coconut pancakes with spiced plums

pancake - Lisa Linder
pancake - Lisa Linder

These protein-rich pancakes are a great option if you are gluten-intolerant.

SERVES

Four

INGREDIENTS

For the plums

  • 12 ripe plums

  • 1 tbsp runny honey

  • 1 tsp mixed spice

  • 1 tsp grated orange zest

  • 2 tbsp orange juice

For the pancakes

  • 100g ground almonds

  • 25g coconut flour

  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 1½ tsp baking-powder

  • 4 organic free-range eggs

  • 200ml coconut milk

  • seeds from 1 vanilla pod

  • 1 tbsp runny honey

  • 2 tbsp coconut oil

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6.

  2. Cut the plums in half, discard the stones, and place eight of them (16 halves), cut-side up, on a parchment-lined baking-sheet.

  3. Mix together the honey, mixed spice, orange zest and juice and pour over the plums.

  4. Roast for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. As the plums cool, they will release their natural juice. Blend the remaining four plums with the cooking juices and set aside.

  5. Put the ground almonds in a large mixing-bowl. Sift the coconut flour, cinnamon and baking-powder over the top and mix together thoroughly.

  6. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the coconut milk, vanilla seeds and runny honey, and then beat this into the dry mixture to make a smooth batter.

  7. Heat a small non-stick frying-pan over a low heat. Add a little coconut oil and drop a large spoonful of pancake batter into the hot pan (the mixture should be enough for four pancakes). Cook for one minute, then flip the pancake over and cook for a further minute on the other side until golden brown. Slide out of the pan and keep warm while you cook the remaining pancakes in the same way.

  8. Reheat the plums gently. Serve the pancakes with the warm plums, drizzled with the plum sauce.

Recipe from Gut Gastronomy by Vicki Edgson and Adam Palmer (Jacqui Small, £30)

Banana pancakes with pomegranate jam

pancake - Haarala Hamilton
pancake - Haarala Hamilton

The seeds for the jam don't need to be blended, but you can do this if you prefer smoother jam.

SERVES

Four; the jam recipe makes 6-8 small jars

INGREDIENTS

For the pancakes

  • 3 ripe bananas

  • 6 organic eggs

  • 100g dessicated coconut

  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

  • coconut oil, for frying

For the jam

  • 3 ripe pomegranates

  • 250g frozen raspberries

  • 120ml agave nectar, or to taste

  • 1 handful fresh thyme leaves

  • juice of ½ lemon

METHOD

  1. First make the jam.

  2. Halve the pomegranates and, holding them upside-down over a large bowl, tap the skin with a wooden spoon so that the seeds and any juice drop into the bowl. Discard the peel and membranes. Alternatively, fill the bowl with water and, with your hands submerged, release the seeds with your fingers, then scoop them out.

  3. Put the juice and seeds in a large saucepan, add the raspberries and agave nectar and heat slowly, stirring well. As soon as the mixture begins to boil, lower the heat, stir in the thyme leaves and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile sterilise the jars by boiling them in hot water for several minutes.

  4. Add the lemon juice to the pan. Keep it on the heat for one more minute, then carefully pour it into the sterilised jars and close the lids. Allow to set at room temperature, then refrigerate. This will stay fresh in the fridge for a few weeks.

  5. To make the pancakes, peel the bananas and mash with a fork. Whisk the eggs in a bowl, mix with the mashed bananas, add the dessicated coconut and cinnamon, and stir to combine.

  6. Heat a little coconut oil in a frying-pan over a medium heat. Pour three small portions of the batter into the pan at a time and fry the pancakes on both sides until golden brown.

  7. Serve with the pomegranate jam and a dollop of natural yogurt, if you like.

Recipe from greenkitchenstories.com

Buckwheat blinis with beetroot tahini

buckwheat blinis - Steven Joyce
buckwheat blinis - Steven Joyce

As always, the season inspires what I want to eat. Beetroot plays a starring role in these miniature pancakes, and purple sprouting broccoli makes a welcome appearance as we near the end of winter.

Prep time: 30 minutes | Cooking time: 30-40 minutes

MAKES

24 blinis with extra dip

INGREDIENTS

For the beetroot dip

  • 300g raw beetroot (or about 250g cooked beetroot)

  • 1 tsp ground cumin

  • 1 tsp ground coriander

  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 4 tbsp tahini

  • Juice of ½ lemon

  • 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

For the blinis

  • 1 egg – 85g buckwheat flour

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • 125ml milk

  • 2 tbsp butter or ghee

For the drizzle

  • 1 large handful of mint, parsley or coriander leaves (or a mix of all three), finely chopped

  • Pinch of chilli flakes or chopped fresh chilli

  • 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

METHOD

  1. If using raw beetroot, scrub well and add them whole and unpeeled to a pan of boiling salted water. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes until tender and easily pierced by a knife. Drain and let cool, then peel the beetroot by rubbing off the skin with your fingers.

  2. Meanwhile, to make the blinis, whisk the egg in a large jug and add the flour, baking powder, a quarter of a teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and a splash of the milk. Mix into a thick paste. Gradually add the rest of the milk, whisking constantly to avoid the mixture getting lumpy.

  3. Heat a large frying pan and add about two teaspoons of butter or ghee. Let it melt and pour in a little of the blini mixture to make a circle about 2-2½cm in diameter. Make more blinis in this way, and fry them on a medium heat for about a minute, then flip them over, press down slightly, and cook for another minute until lightly browned on each side and cooked throughout.

  4. Lift out and set these aside in a warm oven, and carry on with the rest of the butter or ghee and the remainder of the blini mix. I can fit about eight blinis in one pan, so do them in three batches.

  5. Roughly chop the cooked beetroot. Toast the ground spices in a dry frying pan, then tip these into a blender with the rest of the dip ingredients. Whizz until smooth and season to taste. Add a splash of cold water if it’s too thick.

  6. For the drizzle, mix the chopped herbs, chilli and lemon zest with the oil, and season to taste (or blitz if you like). To serve, arrange the blinis on a platter, topped with beetroot dip and a little herby drizzle.

Banana protein pancakes recipe

banana pancakes - Susan Bell
banana pancakes - Susan Bell

Play around with the flavours. Substitute vanilla for mixed spice or cinnamon, and serve alongside whichever fruit is in season. Chopped plums, nectarines, apples, pears or cherries would all be delicious.

This mixture can be whizzed up the night before and left in the fridge overnight, ready to make speedy pancakes in the morning.

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cooking time: 15 minutes

SERVES

2

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large banana

  • 3 medium eggs

  • 75g ground almonds

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

To serve

  • A dollop of coconut yogurt or natural yogurt

  • A handful of berries

METHOD

  1. Blend the banana, eggs, almonds and vanilla together in a high-speed blender until smooth.

  2. Preheat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Fry small pancakes (roughly 2 tablespoons of batter per pancake), flipping them over when bubbles appear around the edges. Once the other side is cooked, remove from the heat on to a serving plate.

  3. Serve with coconut yogurt or natural yogurt, and a handful of berries, or fruit of your choice.

Recipe from Simply Good For You by Amelia Freer (Michael Joseph, £22). Order your copy from books.telegraph.co.uk

READ MORE: The best vegan pancake recipes