Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes | a classic no-fail recipe! (2024)

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes | a classic no-fail recipe! (1)

4.98 from 84 votes

Prep Time : 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time : 15 minutes minutes

Fluffy, classic pancakes that just happen to be coconut flour pancakes, turn out perfect every time. Naturally nondairy, these Paleo-friendly pancakes will be everyone's favorite!

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Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes | a classic no-fail recipe! (2)

Paleo coconut flour pancakes that are light and fluffy, and made with just a few basic ingredients. A quick and easy, low carb gluten free breakfast!

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes | a classic no-fail recipe! (3)

Baking pancakes with coconut flour (and is it low carb?)

Have you tried baking with coconut flour? It'svery different than any other alternative gluten free flour, in behavior, taste, nutritional profile, you name it.

Coconut flour is extraordinarily absorbent, but it doesn't just need moisture. It needs structure. In short, it needs eggs! And since coconut flour absorbs so much moisture, a little goes a long, long way. That's a good thing, since it's not cheap.

I have used Let's Do Organics brand (affiliate link, feel free to shop around!), Nuts.com brand and Trader Joe's coconut flour, all with goodresults.If you're wondering about the nutrition in coconut flour, I was too so I looked it up and it's very encouraging!

Coconut flour is very high in fiber, but it actually has more net carbs (carbs minus fiber) than almond flour. Generally, coconut flour and almond flour are great partners in Paleo baking, as they balance each other quite well in recipes.In this recipe, though, I lightened up the coconut flour with tapioca starch.

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes | a classic no-fail recipe! (4)

Avoiding the “egg trap” in making coconut flour pancakes

The main challenge in making a recipe like these coconut flour pancakes is to use enough eggs to be successful, but balance the recipe to preventthe pancakes from tasting like, well, an omelet. I love omelets, but only they should taste like that.

I've tried the 2-ingredient banana pancakes (just bananas and eggs!) and the 2-ingredient cream cheese pancakes (just cream cheese and eggs!) and despite my best efforts and positive pancake thoughts, they each taste … like an omelet.

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes | a classic no-fail recipe! (5)

Can you make this coconut flour pancake recipe without any starch?

No, you must use some starch for fluffy coconut flour pancakes. I tried and tried to make this recipe with only coconut flour, and no starch.

Not only could I not get much fluff for all my troubles, but I needed another egg to avoid a dry pancake that had to be eaten immediately after it came off the skillet.

Plus the whole business came dangerously close to tasting like omelet-y. Coconut flour does tend to clump.Making the batter in a blender or food processor makes a very big difference in a smooth batter that can be poured and then quickly spread into a round pancake.

If you can have nuts, you should try my almond flour Paleo pancakes. They have a lovely, buttery flavor (of course, without any actual butter) because of the almond flour, and a bit of tapioca flour gives them great texture and helps hold them together beautifully.

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes | a classic no-fail recipe! (6)

These coconut flour pancakes do, indeed, taste smell faintly of coconut. Since that's a pleasing flavor to most, itshouldn't be an issue. If you are relatively neutral about the taste of coconut, even, you will most likely enjoy these pancakes.

Substitutions for ingredients in these coconut flour pancakes

Coconut flour

If you just can't stand coconut, well then this isn't the recipe for you. If you're looking for another similar, lower carb recipe for pancakes, try my Paleo pancakes, which are made with almond flour.

Can you make coconut flour pancakes without coconut oil?

Yes. If you can have butter and you'd like to replace the coconut oil, I'd try using unsalted butter, by weight, in its place. Nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening, like Spectrum brand, should work as well.

What sort of milk is best for these coconut flour pancakes?

I've made these pancakes using light coconut milk (not the thick, canned kind, which is too thick), unsweetened almond milk, and even (*gasp*) whole dairy milk. The results have been largely the same.

Can you replace the honey in this recipe?

Yes. Typically, a liquid sweetener can be replaced with another liquid sweetener of a similar thickness.

So honey and maple syrup aren't generally great substitutes for one another. But if you can find a thick agave syrup, and you're comfortable using that, I'd give it a try in this recipe.

Can you make coconut flour pancakes without eggs?

I'm afraid I'm not optimistic that the 4 eggs in this recipe could be replaced effectively with any sort of egg replacer. A “flax egg” or a “chia egg” generally works best when replacing 2 eggs or fewer in a recipe.

If you'd like to try replacing the eggs, I'd actually try using two “chia eggs” and 1/2 cup of smooth applesauce in place of the 4 eggs. No promises, though! You'll have to experiment.

Can you replace the tapioca flour in these coconut flour pancakes?

Maybe! Tapioca flour is a unique starch, as it provides elasticity as well as lightness.

It doesn't have a true equal, but in this recipe arrowroot starch works quite well. Be sure to replace it by weight, not by volume, though.

How to make fluffy coconut flour pancakes, step by step

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes | a classic no-fail recipe! (7)

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Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes

Fluffy, classic pancakes that just happen to be coconut flour pancakes, turn out perfect every time. Naturally nondairy, these Paleo-friendly pancakes will be everyone's favorite!

Course: Breakfast, Pancakes

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Yield: 10 pancakes

Author: Nicole Hunn

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) unsweetened nondairy milk (I like unsweetened almond or coconut milk, but not from a can, which is too thick), at room temperature
  • 4 tablespoons (56 g) virgin coconut oil melted and cooled (plus more for greasing the pan)
  • 4 (200 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons (42 g) honey
  • 10 tablespoons (80 g) coconut flour
  • ½ cup (72 g) tapioca starch/flour
  • teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons Paleo baking powder 1 teaspoon cream of tartar + 1/2 teaspoon baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon tapioca flour or arrowroot

Instructions

  • In a blender or food processor fitted with the steel blade, place the milk, melted coconut oil, eggs and honey, and pulse to combine.

  • In a separate, small bowl, place the coconut flour, tapioca flour, salt and baking powder, and whisk to combine well.

  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 2 batches, pulsing to combine after each addition.Once all the dry ingredients have been added, blend or process until very smooth.

  • Allow the batter to sit for about 2 minutes (it will thicken and begin to appear a bit clumpy), and then blend or process again until smooth. The batter will be thick.

  • Heat a griddle or lightly greased nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Pour about 2 tablespoons of batter onto the hot griddle and, using the underside of a large spoon and working quickly before the pancake begins to set, spread the batter into about a 4-inch round, just less than 1/4-inch thick.

  • Repeat with as many pancakes as can fit comfortably at one time, without touching, on the skillet.

  • Allow the pancakes to cook for less than 2 minutes, or until the underside is evenly browned. Not many bubbles will break through the surface during cooking as they would with conventional pancakes.

  • With a wide, flat spatula, carefully flip over each pancake, and continue to cook until set on the underside (about another 45 seconds). Remove from the skillet, and repeat with the remaining batter.

  • Pancakes can be cooled completely, then stacked, wrapped tightly and frozen. Separate the pancakes and defrost in the toaster oven on ‘light’ or ‘low.’

  • This recipe can easily be halved or even divided by 4, to make coconut flour pancakes for one.

Notes

Originally published on the blog in 2016. Video new, recipe unchanged.

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes | a classic no-fail recipe! (8)

Print Pin Save

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes

Fluffy, classic pancakes that just happen to be coconut flour pancakes, turn out perfect every time. Naturally nondairy, these Paleo-friendly pancakes will be everyone's favorite!

Course: Breakfast, Pancakes

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Yield: 10 pancakes

Author: Nicole Hunn

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) unsweetened nondairy milk (I like unsweetened almond or coconut milk, but not from a can, which is too thick), at room temperature
  • 4 tablespoons (56 g) virgin coconut oil melted and cooled (plus more for greasing the pan)
  • 4 (200 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons (42 g) honey
  • 10 tablespoons (80 g) coconut flour
  • ½ cup (72 g) tapioca starch/flour
  • teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons Paleo baking powder 1 teaspoon cream of tartar + 1/2 teaspoon baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon tapioca flour or arrowroot

Instructions

  • In a blender or food processor fitted with the steel blade, place the milk, melted coconut oil, eggs and honey, and pulse to combine.

  • In a separate, small bowl, place the coconut flour, tapioca flour, salt and baking powder, and whisk to combine well.

  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 2 batches, pulsing to combine after each addition.Once all the dry ingredients have been added, blend or process until very smooth.

  • Allow the batter to sit for about 2 minutes (it will thicken and begin to appear a bit clumpy), and then blend or process again until smooth. The batter will be thick.

  • Heat a griddle or lightly greased nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Pour about 2 tablespoons of batter onto the hot griddle and, using the underside of a large spoon and working quickly before the pancake begins to set, spread the batter into about a 4-inch round, just less than 1/4-inch thick.

  • Repeat with as many pancakes as can fit comfortably at one time, without touching, on the skillet.

  • Allow the pancakes to cook for less than 2 minutes, or until the underside is evenly browned. Not many bubbles will break through the surface during cooking as they would with conventional pancakes.

  • With a wide, flat spatula, carefully flip over each pancake, and continue to cook until set on the underside (about another 45 seconds). Remove from the skillet, and repeat with the remaining batter.

  • Pancakes can be cooled completely, then stacked, wrapped tightly and frozen. Separate the pancakes and defrost in the toaster oven on ‘light’ or ‘low.’

  • This recipe can easily be halved or even divided by 4, to make coconut flour pancakes for one.

Notes

Originally published on the blog in 2016. Video new, recipe unchanged.

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes | a classic no-fail recipe! (2024)

FAQs

Why are my coconut pancakes falling apart? ›

Why do my coconut flour pancakes fall apart? A batter using coconut flour doesn't stick together as well as a batter using wheat flour would. Adding coconut cream or another type of fat (cream cheese, ghee) can help hold things together.

What causes pancakes not to be fluffy? ›

There could be several reasons your pancakes aren't as fluffy as you like. Overmixing is probably the most common. Pancake batter (for fluffy ones) should be mixed just until the flour is hydrated, but should still have a few lumps. Mixing until it is completely smooth will make thinner pancakes.

What makes pancakes fluffy and helps them rise? ›

Here's why. Pancakes and waffles typically both contain baking soda, which causes them to rise. As soon as the baking soda is combined with the wet ingredients (which contain an acidic ingredient, like often buttermilk), it starts producing carbon dioxide gas bubbles that cause the batter to rise.

What ingredient in a basic made from scratch pancake batter makes pancakes fluffy? ›

Flour: This homemade pancake recipe starts with all-purpose flour. Baking powder: Baking powder, a leavener, is the secret to fluffy pancakes.

Why do my fluffy pancakes deflate? ›

1) You have probably under or overbeaten the egg whites. The goal is to create air bubbles in the batter that will give structure to the pancake. Without them, the pancake will deflate. 2) Stove heat was too strong.

Why are restaurant pancakes so fluffy? ›

The main ingredient in these delicious pancakes is all-purpose flour. The recipe also calls for baking powder—a leavener that makes pancakes extra fluffy— salt, and sugar. There are a few wet ingredients in the recipe as well: milk, butter, and an egg to add a bit more moisture and bind the batter together.

What does adding an extra egg to pancakes do? ›

Eggs are a crucial ingredient. They provide the cakes with the structure to hold light bubbles. Eggs also give the batter additional, richer flavor from the yolk fat. If you add too many eggs, you'll have “pancakes” that look more like custard or crepes.

Does baking powder or baking soda make pancakes fluffier? ›

Baking soda is essential for baked goods, but baking powder is really what makes pancakes and biscuits rise and become so super fluffy. Double-acting baking powder, which is the kind that you'll find in the grocery store, produces bubbles in two ways: when it is mixed with wet ingredients and then when it gets heated.

Why are my homemade pancakes so dense? ›

Why pancakes turn out too thick: Dense pancakes, this is different than thick and fluffy, happen because the flour was improperly measured and the batter has too much flour. When the pancake batter is too thick without enough baking powder to help it “lift” you will have dense, thick pancakes as the outcome.

Can I use mayo instead of eggs in pancakes? ›

Note that mayonnaise contains eggs and oil, so it can replace oil or butter as well. This trick may not work as an egg replacement for an allergy or egg-free diet (unless it's a vegan mayo) but it works for those who don't have eggs on hand in a pinch.

How to make fluffy pancakes Gordon Ramsay? ›

Gordon Ramsay's recipe

You will need 2 eggs, separated, 2 tbsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, 2 tsp baking powder, 60g vegetable oil, 300g buttermilk, 160g plain flour, and 1 tsp vanilla essence. Whisk the egg whites “*ntil foamy”. MiX all the other ingredients in a second bowl, then fold in the egg whites.

What is the best oil for fluffy pancakes? ›

Using extra virgin olive oil in place of the melted butter in this recipe adds moisture in addition to flavor, resulting in a light and fluffy pancake that's perfectly tender and moist, not dry or doughy in the least.

What is the chemistry of fluffy pancakes? ›

The liquid helps to activate the baking soda and buttermilk, creating the reaction we just covered. These bubbles will rise as you stir. As this is happening, the CO2 bubbles will be trapped by the gluten in the batter when your pancake solidifies, leading to fluffiness! Avoid mixing the ingredients too much though.

How to prevent pancakes from falling apart? ›

A common culprit with messy pancakes is a batter that is too thin. If your batter has too much liquid, it won't have enough structure to hold together during cooking and will run all over the pan when flipped. You can address this by simply adding more flour to your batter.

Why do my protein pancakes fall apart? ›

Protein pancakes may fall apart if your batter does not have a proper balance of wet ingredients to balance the addition of protein powder. To avoid this happening, use a recipe from a trusted source that has been tested with the type of protein you wish to use.

Why are my pancakes folding up? ›

Why do pancakes curl up at the edges? - Quora. The outside has a higher surface area ratio and cooks quicker which creates tension tugging it inwards. Similar to what happens when you cook a burger if you don't out a divot in it, the outside cooks quicker, moves inward and the top and bottom ball up/down.

Why is my pancake batter separating? ›

batter is too runny. when you make pancake batter, make sure the wet ingredients are less than/equal to the dry ingredients. and ONLY mix the batter until combined.

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