The pancakes pictured are not of the recipe that follows.
The recipe that follows was so good we ate them all!
We love pancakes in this house. They have become a weekly tradition, a no-thought go to every Saturday morning. For years my husband has made them, as I make breakfast Monday - Friday. Lately though, I've been trying new mixes and new recipes, so every couple of Saturdays I step into the kitchen.
I'm a big fan of Bob's Red Mill products, but in all honesty I feel that their gluten free pancake mix fell flat....literally. I never got the rise out of them like I wanted. So, I've been experimenting with their gluten free all purpose baking flour.
I think I've managed to "create" my new favorite pancake. All it took was some original guidance by Betty Crocker, some creative substitutions, and a little knowledge about spice.
I started with using the recipe for "Applesauce Pancakes" from our 1974 Betty Crocker cookbook. (Old cookbooks are always the best!) I like adding applesauce to gluten free baked goods in general, as the natural pectin seems to help add lift to them. Here are the basic ingredients:
Egg
Buttermilk
Applesauce
Melted shortening or oil
Flour
Sugar
Baking powder
Baking soda
Salt
Here's the thing though. We don't buy buttermilk. Ever. I don't bake enough with it and we certainly don't drink it. So the internet search began on how to substitute this ingredient. Of all the ideas listed, I settled on what I think is the PERFECT substitution.
Plain Greek yogurt and water.
1/2 cup Greek yogurt + 1/2 cup water = 1 cup buttermilk. The cultures of the Greek yogurt mix with the other ingredients to produce a bit of fermentation and bubbles, a.k.a LIFT!
Next substitute- No shortening. Gone are the days when everyone had a can of Crisco. Now that we know of the dangers of trans fats, butter reigns supreme again. I used 2 tbsp of melted butter.
Flour - I have a confession to make. I asked for the America's Test Kitchen How Can It Be Gluten Free cookbook because I love the chart in the back that tells you how many ounces of Bob's GF All Purpose equals a cup. 1 cup of Bob's All Purpose- 5 ounces. I love using this flour because it's full of nutrition and I can get a great deal on it at Big Lots. I'm sure Cup 4 Cup is great, but Bob's does everything that I need it to do without costing me an arm and a leg. Some people think it tastes like beans, but I never think so.
The remaining sugar, baking agents and salt remain the same.
The first time I made this it was missing something. It wasn't really "sweet" enough, and it was a bit on the bland side.
For my second attempt, I added the spices I would usually put in an apple pie. They. Were. DELICIOUS!
So below is my final altered recipe. I guarantee you, if you make these, you will be pleased. We usually top our pancakes with peanut butter and a smidge of maple syrup. But if you're a big apple fan like me, I can imagine having these with cooked down apples and Redi-Whip on top.
Have at it!
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. butter, melted
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt (I like the Aldi brand or Fage)
1/2 cup natural applesauce
5 oz.(1 cup) Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp vanilla
Directions:
1. Preheat your cooking surface. We use an iron griddle that covers two burners, so I spray it with Pam and let it slowly heat up. It should be a good temperature by the time you're done mixing things together.
2. In a large glass batter bowl, melt your 2 tbsp. of butter. Generally 35 seconds does it for me. Stir it with a whisk to further break down any clumps. Mix in the egg until fully incorporated. Add in the 1/2 cup of water and the 1/2 cup (4 oz.) of Greek yogurt and the applesauce. Whisk all wet ingredients together until smooth. I add the ingredients in this order, so as to create any residual heat from the melted butter affecting the yogurt. That and I never seem to remember to get my eggs to room temperature, and this way of adding the ingredients is just warm enough to take the chill off the egg.
3. If you have a kitchen scale, place the batter bowl on the scale, turn it on, and measure 5 oz. of Bob's GF AP Flour. (If you don't have one, carefully measure a cup. But I highly suggest getting a scale. You dirty less measuring spoons and cups that way!) Slowly whisk in the flour as you add it to the bowl. Whisk until all flour is fully incorporated.
4. Next add sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, spices and vanilla. Again, whisk until all ingredients are combined. The last time I made the pancakes I used a 1/2 tsp. of cloves. We really liked it that way, but it may be a bit strong for some. (They almost remind me of gingerbread that way!) Allow the batter to sit for 2-3 minutes before making your pancakes. It helps to activate the leavening agents.
5. Pour scant 1/4 of batter on your cooking surface and cook until bubbles begin to form around the edge. Flip and cook for 30 seconds to a minute.
6. Enjoy hot with your favorite toppings!
What favorite pancake recipe do you have? Please share your pancake adventures in the comments below!
