Yay! It’s free from gluten/wheat, egg, dairy, soy and nuts! Contains coconut, but easy substitution suggestions are specified in the post. Note: This post contains affiliate links, so any purchases made on Amazon through the links will help support Yay, It’s Free From This!

So the first time I made anything remotely similar to pancakes for Cee, he was only about a year old. That version of my gluten-free vegan pancakes were nothing like the fresh buttermilk pancakes the Hubs and I were used to, but he devoured them like they would disappear from his hands at any moment. Over the years, with more experience in cooking and baking without gluten, eggs and dairy, those pancakes have evolved into something special. Yes they are gluten-free, vegan pancakes, but I think they’re better than the traditional wheat and dairy pancakes of yesteryear. They are fluffy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious! I try to make them almost every Sunday for breakfast, which is why I call them my week-eeeend pancakes!

The Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, sunflower meal, oat flour, salt, baking powder and xanthan gum (omit this if the gluten-free flour you’re using already has some). Use a whisk to incorporate the dry ingredients together. Optionally, you can add two tablespoons of sugar to make the pancakes a bit sweet. Cee likes to sandwich bacon between two pancakes, so I leave the sugar out to make them more savory, but it’s completely up to you. 😊

For the sunflower meal, I make my own from raw, whole, unsalted sunflower seeds not cross-contaminated with other food allergens such as peanuts and tree nuts. For the oat flour, I also grind my own from Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free old fashioned oats or Bob Redmill’s. See the notes below for tips and purchase options.

The Wet Ingredients

Although you don’t really taste the coconut, I do prefer coconut oil for the richness and it does add to the flavor profile. However, if coconut is an issue, you can substitute with a neutral oil such as avocado or grapeseed oil, and it turns out fine. I do this occasionally when I’m too lazy or in a rush to measure and melt the coconut oil.

Warm the dairy-free milk in the microwave for about 45 seconds. The milk should be warm, not hot. In the same bowl with the dry ingredient mix, add the milk, the melted coconut oil and vanilla. Whisk until well combined. The batter will be very thin initially. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, so the oat flour can absorb the liquid and the batter should thicken up significantly.

Chocolate Chip or Blueberry Variations

If you want chocolate chip pancakes, add them to the batter no and stir. Then proceed with cooking the pancakes as usual. For blueberry pancakes, do not add to the batter. Instead, after spooning the batter onto the hot griddle, sprinkle fresh blueberries on top. I find the results of this method much better than if mixing the fresh berries into the batter.

Cook the Pancakes

Heat a griddle up with medium-high heat. A pan can be used as well if you don’t have a large griddle. Grease the griddle well with oil once it’s hot. Quickly spoon large dollops of batter onto the griddle. It will not bubble like regular wheat and dairy pancake batter, so stay close to the stove to prevent burning. When it starts to look slightly dry around the edges of each pancake, they are ready to flip.

Raw pancakes on a large griddle. Some pancakes are cooked and flipped.

Stack the pancakes onto a plate and serve with vegan butter, syrup and fresh fruit. These are seriously the fluffiest, most delicious pancakes. For anyone I have ever made these for, they never believe these are free from gluten, eggs, and dairy and almost always ask if it’s okay to eat them around Cee. How amazing is that??

Sweet and savory at the same time, we never tire of this breakfast staple. I hope you make them this weekend!