This paleo pancake recipe is like a cross between typical fluffy American pancakes and crepes! They’re also grain-free, gluten-free and dairy-free.
I normally eat leftovers for breakfast but sometimes I like something that’s more of a treat, like these paleo blueberry muffins, banana pancakes or these paleo pancakes!
The first time I made this paleo pancake recipe, I used regular dairy-containing buttermilk and butter. It worked great. Then I needed to test them a whole bunch and eventually ran out of buttermilk.
So I figured I might as well make these pancakes dairy-free with homemade “buttermilk”, which also turned them into paleo “buttermilk” pancakes! All you do is add vinegar or lemon juice to whatever dairy-free milk you wish to use.
You really can’t tell any difference between the store-bought buttermilk and homemade dairy-free buttermilk version. The stack you see here is actually a mix of the two.
The thickness is kind of different than what you’re probably used to. They’re not thick like regular American fluffy pancakes, but they’re not nearly as thin as crepes.
They’re just hanging out in the middle – but they’re still pretty awesome! Especially for people like me who don’t like their pancakes to be too bready.
I used a mix of blanched almond flour and tapioca flour, which is also called tapioca starch. I’ve been doing a lot of grain-free and nut-free cooking recently and have been using tapioca quite a bit, like in these healthy muffins for kids I posted last week.
If you’d rather have coconut flour-based pancakes, try these light and fluffy coconut flour pancakes. They look amazing! As does these keto banana pancakes.
These paleo pancakes are perfect smothered in maple syrup or in this honey sweetened strawberry sauce. I make that sauce every year after coming home from strawberry picking (along with this 2-ingredient strawberry applesauce)!
One of winter’s highlights, as sad as that may be, is coming across a long-forgotten bag of this sauce. Seriously. Winters here are ridiculously dreary and a little piece of summer is a cause for celebration! The same is true of these Healthy Lemon Bars!
You can make the sauce with frozen strawberries but I’ve never found store-bought frozen strawberries that even come close to freshly picked strawberries. However, if you use strawberries that taste like nothing, the sauce will probably come close to tasting like nothing. In case that wasn’t clear. ;)
If you want something thicker, these paleo blueberry pancakes look perfect! Or if don’t need a grain-free version, try these delicious looking gluten-free buttermilk pancakes.
I tried making these pancakes with chia eggs once but they didn’t come out very well. If someone tries making these vegan, please share how you did it in the comments!
Questions about this paleo pancake recipe?
- Can I use something other than almond flour?
You can use almond meal if you don’t mind the bits of skins from the almonds. You can also use any other nut flour / meal that you’d like.
- Can I use something other than tapioca flour / starch?
I believe arrowroot flour / starch would work well but I haven’t tried it. I don’t think anything else would work.
- What can I use instead of coconut sugar or honey / maple syrup? You can use whatever granulated sugar you want in place of the coconut sugar or even omit it. You can use any liquid sweetener in place of the honey / maple syrup.
- Can I use something other than eggs?
I tried them with chia eggs and wasn’t successful. I doubt other egg replacers would work well here.
- Can I use something other than coconut oil?
Whatever fat you want to use should probably work.
Paleo Pancake Recipe (grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 10 pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups (315 milliliters) non-dairy milk of choice (or regular buttermilk for a dairy-containing version), room temperature
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar1
- 1 1/2 cups (150 grams) blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup (58 grams) tapioca flour / starch
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder (make sure to use grain-free baking powder, if necessary)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons (42 grams) coconut oil (or unsalted butter for a dairy-containing version), melted
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Directions
- If using store-bought dairy-containing buttermilk, skip to Step 2. Otherwise, prepare the dairy-free buttermilk. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to a 1-cup (240-milliliter) measuring cup and fill up with dairy-free milk. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to a 1/3-cup (80-milliliter) measuring cup and fill up with dairy-free milk. Let sit for 5 minutes while preparing the rest of the recipe.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (almond flour through salt). Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the wet ingredients (buttermilk through vanilla extract).
- Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet and stir until no lumps remain.
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- Pour 1/3 cup of batter into the pre-heated pan and cook for about 2 minutes or until bubbles form and the bottom has lightly browned.
- Flip the pancake over and cook for another minute or two.
- Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve immediately and keep any leftovers refrigerated for up to 4-5 days.
Notes
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48 comments on “Paleo Pancake Recipe (grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free)” — Add one!
Hello! I left a comment previously but I just had to pop back in to say these are still our go-to recipe after two years! I usually sub 1/4-1/2 cup coconut flour for some of the almond flour and it makes them fluffy! Also, in the fall I wanted pumpkin pancakes and successful replaced the coconut oil with pumpkin! A little pumpkin spice and they were perfect. This recipe continues to work its magic! Thanks again!
Hi Corina! I’m so sorry for just now seeing your nice comment. I have no idea how I missed it. I’m really glad to hear that you’re still enjoying the pancakes! I love how experimental you are with them. :D I’m shocked that subbing in some coconut flour makes them fluffy. I would’ve thought that they make them eggy and… not so good. I’ve tried so many coconut flour-heavy recipes that supposedly aren’t eggy but found them terrible. I’ll have to try your way! And the pancake version sounds lovely. Can’t wait to try it! Thank you for the tips and sorry again.
Sorry, I just realize the hearts are for ratings and I wanted to rate this recipe because we love it!
Thanks so much for leaving another comment to rate it! I really appreciate it. :)
Hey Erin, I made these this weekend and the only substitution I made was arrowroot for tapioca. They were suuuper watery and a little too thin to work (which could’ve been the arrowroot sub) so I added a couple tablespoons of ground golden flaxmeal and that fixed it plus it gave them a nutty whole wheat kinda vibe. I made some really big ones and used them like crepes. YUM! I was wondering if I double the recipe do I need to double the baking soda and baking powder as well? That always confuses me in baking recipes because I read somewhere that you don’t need to do that but I’m always scared not to 😬 because I don’t want to ruin all my work and ingredients. I am working my way through your blog and as usual, these were awesome so thank you so much!
You’re welcome! I’m really glad that they worked out well for you. :) I’ve done up to 4x my recipes and always did 4x the ingredients without issue. I haven’t tried it in this recipe so I can’t be positive, but I think you’d just double every ingredient. Thanks so much for your comment! I’m happy that you’re enjoying the other recipes, too. :)
These are delicious! My daughter made them for breakfast, everyone raved over them! My youngest liked it plain with nothing on it, but they would be very good with fruit! Thank you for such a great recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m glad that you and your daughter liked the pancakes. :) And they are really yummy with fruit! Thanks for your comment. :)
I was looking for a pancake recipe for the whole family and I stumbled on this article. I read and followed the instructions carefully and I made it deliciously! Every member of my family is so happy! Thanks for this!
You’re welcome! I’m really happy that you and your family enjoyed the pancakes. :) Thanks for your feedback!
Thank you so much for this yummy recipe! We had tried some almond pancake recipes in the past but did NOT like them. So our go to recipe for the last couple years has been an oatmeal pancake recipe. This morning I was out of oats and had my heart set on pancakes… SO GLAD I found this recipe I had pinned many moons ago! These were delicate and delicious! I didn’t have a full half-cup of tapioca starch so I subbed arrowroot. And I added a few “Enjoy Life” mini chocolate chips to each pancake, and topped with strawberries and maple syrup. YUM!!!
That’s great that arrowroot works well! Thanks for the tip. I’m also not a fan of almond flour only pancakes. They usually have such an odd texture. And oh my – chocolate chips, strawberries and maple syrup. That sounds heavenly! Wish I could have joined in. :D Thanks a bunch for your comment!
Oh, Erin, you’ve done it again! As I sit here with my belly full of the un-*expletive here*-believable pancakes, I felt the need to comment now. Texanerin is my go to blog for all things grain free and dairy free and these pancakes are just one of the many reasons for that. So far, I have made the Chocolate Chip Cookies, Ginger Cookies, these Pancakes and the Vegan Vanilla Sauce. My husband doesn’t have allergies or any food restrictions and is enjoying all of these goodies as much as I! Thank you for making a huge dietary transition soooo easy!
Aww, thank you! What a super nice comment. :) I’m so very happy to hear that you and your husband are both enjoying the recipes and that the dietary transition isn’t going so badly! Good recipes definitely make it less painful. :) Thanks a bunch for your comment and I hope you’ll enjoy the other recipes just as much!
I’ve never written a comment on a recipe before, but had to tell you these pancakes are delicious! I used buttermilk and butter, and really couldn’t tell the difference between these and the traditional buttermilk pancakes I’ve made for years. My husband and I are on an anti-inflammatory diet, so we can’t have gluten. I’ve tried so many gluten-free recipes, and our neighborhood deer have ended up eating a lot of the results :). These pancakes are delicious, though, and easy to make. Thanks so much for this great recipe!
Haha. That’s so sad (but kind of funny) that the neighborhood deer have ended up eating your other GF experiments. :D I’m happy that you’ve found a recipe that you didn’t have to share with them. :) Thanks for your comment and sorry for just now seeing your comment!
I just made these pancakes, and once again, this recipe is great! Every Sunday I make pancakes for my family, but rarely do I eat them. I just don’t need that many carbs. I did make a couple of substitutions for these. I used real buttermilk and butter. I didn’t want to use tapioca flour because that’s all carbs. I substituted coconut flour instead and added another egg. These came out great! They were light and fluffy, although a bit fragile. I made 6 pancakes out of this, so if I make them smaller next time, I’m sure that will take care of the fragility issue. However, they didn’t fall apart, so they weren’t too fragile. They have a slight eggy flavor, but I didn’t really notice it after I put mu sugar free blueberry syrup on them. Overall, success! Now, I’m off to Trader Joe’s to get more almond and coconut flours since I’ve run out due to making your yummy paleo recipes. :) Thanks!!
Woohoo! So happy that you liked these, too. :) How much coconut flour did you use? I’m shocked that that sub worked since the two flours aren’t at all interchangeable (I know that’s why you added an extra egg, but still, I would have never imagined that that’d work!). Thanks again for your feedback. I love that you’re enjoying my paleo recipes!
I wasn’t sure how the coconut flour sub would work either, but it did! I think next time, I’ll add about 1/4 c more of buttermilk instead of another egg. I do like my pancakes fluffy, so I whipped the liquids with a whisk before I added the dry ingredients. The only setback–I ate 3 pancakes about 6 hours ago, and I still feel very full! (Well, actually, that’s probably a good thing!) I’ll know not to eat that many next time!
Haha. Doesn’t sound like a setback to me. ;) At least you didn’t go into a carb coma! That always happens to me with regular pancakes. :D Thanks again for your comment!
I’ve tried a lot of different grain free pancake recipes, and I’ve found some decent ones, but OMGoodness, these are AWESOME!!! I tossed all the other recipes, no reason to settle for less than the best. I made the dairy version today. I’ll try the non-dairy version with my homemade cashew milk next time to compare. Thanks for providing me with a pancake I can really look forward to with breakfast!
Aww, yay! I’m so happy you liked these so much! A cashew milk version sounds yummy. :) Thanks a bunch for your comment! I’ve been waiting to get some feedback on these so I really appreciate it. :D
why do you put the lemon juice in this recipe with the dairy free milk? does it curdle it?
That’s right. It’s a buttermilk sub. :)
I love the photos, makes me want to run in the kitchen & whip up a batch. Now. At 3 a.m. ha
Haha. I saw your comment come in and thought, “Nooo! She needs to be sleeping!” ;)
Beautiful plating! I really love how unique your pancakes are too, not too thick nor thin!
Thanks, Anita! I took these pictures over three days, believe it not, so I was really happy to read your comment. :)
I’m all about those stacks and that strawberry sauce! YES.
Right?! I love maple syrup but it’s hard to compete with strawberry sauce!
As great as the thick pancakes are, they can be filling. I’d rather have more of the thinner type (with crispy edges), so I can fill up on that strawberry topping!
Yes! So much bread. I’d much rather have the toppings, too. :)
These sound so wonderful. I have all the ingredients except the eggs. Think I’ll try them with chia eggs. I bet it will work. Thanks so much!
Let me know how it works out! Sounds like a nice change. :)
That looks so incredibly decadent and summery. Must make this for the kiddos!
I hope they’ll love them as much as we did!
I’m with some of the others – I usually prefer a fluffier pancake but these look delicious! I may need to change things up this coming weekend!
I hope you’ll enjoy them if you try them!
I actually don’t like my pancakes thick and fluffy, so I thin out my batter…therefore, these look perfect to me! Plus, my mom can eat them (and I don’t know how long it’s been since she’s had pancakes)…I’ll definitely be trying these, thanks for the recipe!
Hey, I thin my batter out, too! I hope your mom will enjoy them. :)
I do not discriminate against pancakes–I love them all! A good, thin & chewy pancake hits the spot sometimes. The strawberry applesauce on top sounds delightful!
Thanks, Kirsten! Same here.
I love this recipe…sharing with some of my friends!
Thanks for sharing! :)
YUM!! We just went to Augusta,GA this weekend and visited a close friend. Saturday we drove about 30 miles into SC and got 14 boxes of peaches. Not all was for us. HA!! I could chow down some pancakes and peaches too. I love strawberries too. I just made 4 jars of peach preserves today. Having to let them ripen. It is nice to just do a few at a time.
I love this comment so much. :D Thank you, Charlotte! I hope you find a good use of all those delicious peaches, though your preserves sound great. I sure wish we could share those SC peaches! ;)
I’m normally a fan of super fluffy pancakes, but sometimes I just want to load them up with toppings and a thin one is much better. I’m always trying to diversify my pancakes, so these grain free beauties sound great.
I’m with you! These are a nice change and they’re great to roll up. Of course I think of that now. ;)