Grain-Free (and dairy-free) Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes, revisited

One of the most popular, most commented on, and most polarizing posts I’ve ever published is not one that argues for agrarianism or home birth or all the saturated fat you can eat. Nope, it is this recipe for grain-free coconut flour pancakes.

I have gotten some of the funniest comments on this recipe – some published and some I’ve deleted. One day I will get a comment saying “These are the best coconut flour pancakes I’ve ever had!” and the next some lady will tell me “These were the worst pancakes I’ve ever eaten in my life!” Other comments were not so nice.

I guess you can’t please every body.

Probably 90% of the comments have been positive, though, which is good. We still eat these pancakes frequently so I am fairly confident in the recipe as written, but I wanted to share a few updates and tips that I’ve learned after making these dozens of times.

  1. If your pancakes are grainy I think it may be because the coconut flour has been exposed to moisture and its high fiber content has absorbed water. There’s really not much you can do about this except buy new coconut flour.
  2. If your pancakes are eggy that is because either a.) you have never eaten a coconut flour pancake before and are not used to the higher egg content necessary to bind the pancakes or b.) your batter is too thin because you’ve added too much milk.
  3. If your pancakes are not lovely and fluffy it is because you have added too much milk. The original recipe was created to be dairy-free, but I also have made it with dairy. The fat content of coconut milk and whole milk are different, so in the revised recipe below you will find different measurements for dairy-free versus dairy-laden pancakes.
  4. If your pancakes are too salty for your taste cut the salt in half.
  5. If your pancakes are still absolutely the worst thing you have ever eaten in your life and you wish to tell me so and say “I followed the recipe exactly, except I substituted x for y and a for b… oh and I skipped that step where you said beat the eggs,” then that is probably the problem.
  6. If, after attempting to fix 1-5 with this new recipe you still loathe these pancakes with a fierceness that can not be described then maybe you should punch a pillow, take a breath, and then step back for some perspective before you let it ruin your life. They are, after all, just pancakes.

With that, here is the updated and revised recipe that we still really enjoy.

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes 2.0

Recipe Notes: Both cow and coconut milk work well in this recipe. You can also add cinnamon or fruit as desired. Just keep the pancakes small and watch them so they don’t burn.

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup coconut milk or 3/4 cup cream + 1/4 cup whole milk (best) or 3/4 cup whole milk yogurt + 1/4 cup whole milk (good)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon honey or a pinch of stevia
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • coconut oil or butter for frying

Directions

  1. Preheat griddle over medium-low heat. In a small bowl beat eggs until frothy, about two minutes. Mix in milk, vanilla, and honey or stevia.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl combine coconut flour, baking soda, and sea salt and whisk together. Stir 3/4 of wet mixture into dry until coconut flour is incorporated. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes.
  3. At this stage your batter should be thick, almost like brownie batter. If it is still fairly thick and dry add the rest of the wet mixture.
  4. Grease pan with butter or coconut oil. Ladle a few tablespoons of batter into pan for each pancake. Spread out slightly with the back of a spoon. The pancakes should be 2-3 inches in diameter and fairly thick. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until the tops dry out slightly and the bottoms start to brown. Flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
  5. Serve hot with butter, coconut oil, honey, syrup, or fruit.

Anyone else have a few tips after making these pancakes?

You can get coconut flour and coconut oil here:

UPDATE – Check out this new video of the recipe in action!

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359 Comments

  1. Today, my husband made our first batch of pure maple syrup…and the ups man showed up with my coconut flour from vitacost..felt like a sign to try this recipe! We headed to town for organic strawberries and bacon, and had these for dinner tonight! Amazing!! My family insisted on using (enjoy life) chocolate chips, I think they are better without, but still good! This recipe is going in the weekly rotation! Every Sunday from here on out!

  2. Making these was my first go-around with coconut flour, and let me say- the comments on these pancakes made me a little nervous!! But, in the end, these came out wonderful! I’ll admit, flipping was a little tricky, I had to pick the pan up, tilt it and ‘coach’ the pancakes onto the spatula. Although, aside from that, I had no troubles. I used vanilla almond milk, and added some strawberries and chocolate chips and they turned out fine. I used a touch less than all of the milk/egg mixture.

  3. Only thing I did different was whip the egg whites until doubled (used an immersion blender) and folded them in. When I flipped the pancakes I saw them begin to poof up. I love when I see that little instant lift. It’s like a little guarantee of fluffiness. Also I added a couple TBSP of great lakes gelatin to the batter. Why not? OMGosh imagine them with lemon curd and raspberries!!!

  4. I use coconut flour a lot mostly for muffins/cakes so was keen to try this recipe but find they taste very eggy- more like an omelette-i think they’s be better more savoury style-maybe grated zucchini,herbs.goats cheese etc..

  5. I used almond milk, and also added a tsp of cinnamon and two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar. Turned out wonderful!

  6. I made these Sunday for our lunch. Followed the recipe exactly, except added about 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. They were delicious! Light and fluffy, just as promised. My husband loved them. This recipe is a definite keeper!

  7. Going to try these tonight. Has anyone tried baking this recipe in a 9×13? I’m thinkinbg of doing that

  8. I just made this in a baking dish in the oven (350° for 12 min.) Very yummy. My kiddos loved it and didn’t even notice it was dfferent from the usual pancakes with wheat flour 🙂 thanks!

  9. I tried this this morning and not sure how we are going to end up (pancakes are in the pan as we speak). I stirred for a good 5 mins and I did not get the thick batter you show in your picture. I did double the recipe as I wanted more than one serve so wondering if that is the problem. Perhaps some items (like egg or milk) simply don’t need doubling even with the additional coconut flour. I’d be interested in your thoughts?

    1. @Rachael, Interestingly, the batter thickened a bit on standing so the second batch was less liquid than the first.

  10. I made these on a whim this morning (so eggs were still cold) using the original recipe with a full cup of raw milk. While the batter was a bit thin, these cooked up (used a griddle) very nicely. They definitely are thicker as well as easier to flip than any previous coconut flour pancake I have made. My two children loved them as did I. Perhaps I will try the updated recipe with milk and cream just to compare but these ware a hit with us! Thank you!

  11. My family loves these! When I used to hand beat the eggs and batter, they were grainy. After trying with a mixer,they are perfect. I substitute almond milk, baking powder. Perfection.

  12. So you think this recipe would work with the flax egg replacer?? I do not eat eggs…& it usually is a good substitute but I know coconut flour is very different. Thanks!

    1. @Tracy, I tried the flax egg replacer and it did not work. I am guessing it is not as binding as the eggs. If there is a way to do it without the eggs, I would love to know as well!

  13. Hi Shannon – i have a question about the flavour. First time I made them I used rice milk and honey & they turned out fine. Second time I made them I used rice milk & 1 tspn of Xylotol for the sweetener. But the 2nd time the pancakes had a strong smell (and to lesser extent taste) of eggs (not pleasant). Is there something in your recipe that is specifically designed to minimize the smell and taste of the eggs? Knowing this will help me avoid improper substitutions. thanks! – Robert

  14. these are AMAZING. so fluffy and delicious! thanks for the detailed steps… really helped!

  15. I LOVE that you basically just told everyone to shove it! Haha I think people forget that grain free anything isn’t going to taste like getting pancakes at freaking mcdonalds or Denny’s. This recipe was the best I’ve tried with coconut flour…and I, like you, have tried a million. Nice work! I love it!

  16. Tried these for brunch with my family and they were loved by all! Definitely going in the GF recipe file!

  17. These pancakes are the best dairy-gluten-grain-sugar free pancakes that I’ve tried so far. Being on a candida diet it is hard to find substitutes for all this pleasures like pancakes. Thank you very much for your recipe!
    P.S. The only issue – they are high in calories, and I like them so much so I can’t stop eating them 🙂

  18. Hi, I just tried these pancakes and I do like them. I can’t compare them to any other as this is my first time using coconut flour. I keep all my flours and nuts in the fridge, so reading your comments about why they would be grainy is why mine were, so I will buy more flour and keep it in the pantry instead. Other than the grainyness, I liked them. I have just started eating the paleo way so I have lots to learn but determined to get rid of this diabetes so I am grateful for your recipes. Thanks a bunch

  19. This recipe is awesome. I added a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg when I made them. The taste reminds me of french toast, probably because of the eggyness. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

  20. I just made these and thought they were great and so did my partner.
    By far the best cocoanut flour pancake I’ve made, and even better then the almond flour pancakes I’ve played around with. Thanks!

  21. I made Version 1.0 recipe on Saturday for my parents and I, and they turned out just like yours! 🙂 My parents liked them for not being regular pancakes (made with flour). I have a lot of food allergies and they really hit the spot for me. Yes they are different, but they were great. To change things up next time, I may try one less egg and add some blueberries. I bake and cook a lot, and I’d say for those having problems with them not being fluffy, it is because: (1) the eggs were not at room temperature (2) you used a glass bowl – metal works best (3) your baking soda was expired/old (4) your coconut flour was expired/old (or a combination of a few of these). For mine, I used the coconut milk and followed the recipe exactly. I put and mixed the vanilla extract in, right before I was ready to spread them in the pan. Thanks for sharing! Great base recipe for all kinds of pancakes. Yum Yum!

  22. Not bad! Mine came out a bit dry, which might just be typical of coconut flour (this was my first time to use it), but maple syrup solved that problem. 🙂 Nice coconutty flavor. Thanks!

  23. Hi, I loved the taste but I had two setbacks: they were a bit dry and they all fell apart when flipping. When I look at the video her batter is much thicker than mine. I followed the recipe except for the eggs not being on room temperature. Can that little detail be the reason for my 2 setbacks and thinner batter? I would appreciate your advice. Thanks!

  24. These were deliciously! I did find that letting them stand helped thicken the batter. I serve them with butter and honey and sometimes blueberry syrup (just microwave or boil frozen berries).

    Has anyone tried this batter in a waffle iron…?

  25. These are the first coconut flour pancakes I’ve tried. Followed the recipe exactly with coconut milk and honey. They came out great! Only slightly eggier than traditional pancakes, with a bit of whole-grainish texture. I’ll definitely make these again, but I might experiment with including buttermilk. I missed the tangy flavor it adds.

  26. I have been in search of a decent pancake since I went Paleo. I came across a “healthy” pancake with apple recipe that used grains so I googled coconut four pancakes since that is what I have in my cupboard. I found your recipe and boy am I happy! I made them today on a whim, to deal with cold eggs, I put the eggs in a bowl of med hot water while I mixed the flour and liquid ingredients. By the time I took them out they were nice room temp. Whipped the eggs exactly 2 mins (super frothy), used almond extract since I was out of vanilla, added about 1/4 c more coconut milk than was called for in the recipe, dipped cored, sliced apples in the batter and cooked in coconut oil. Delicious! I made some without the apples and these really are the best coconut flour pancakes ever! You have won my heart! Thanks!

  27. I am new at the paleo diet but I am loving it. I ran across your pancake recipe and I am fixing to try it. I sure I will probably figure this out, but there was not a serving amount to this recipe and I was just wondering how many people this recipe serves. Looks like maybe 2 is that right. I will let you know how I did. I read your comments and I hope I do your recipe justice. Thanks : )

  28. I did not watch the video first so it was serendipitous that after eating my pancakes I watched the video to see that you used Maple Syrup and Celtic Sea Salt.
    My ingredients: Organic coconut flour, baking soda, Celtic Sea Salt, two eggs and 1/3 cup of egg whites only (purchased in a carton) pure vanilla extract, 1- 7 oz. tub of Fage 2% plain yogurt, 1/4 cup 1% milk. For sweetener, I used 1 TBS. Pure Canadian Maple Syrup, Grade A Dark Amber.
    Patience and the medium-low temp on a griddle with coconut oil.
    Topping, 1 pat of butter cut into 4 pieces (put a piece on each pancake) and 1 tsp. of the Maple Syrup on each. Yumm. I’ve put the last two batches (recipe made 12, 3-inch diameter pancakes) in the freezer as I usually do with pancakes. We shall see what they are like when I take them out, defrost and war0m up in a week or so.

  29. Loved these! Made them with a friend’s daughter (8 yrs). We had fun mixing, cooking and eating them. She kept saying how good they tasted! Ours turned out just like your photos, and were also fluffy. We used the coconut milk because she has a milk allergy. Thanks for sharing this recipe, we will be using it again and again!

  30. These pancakes turned out exactly as shown. Having never made coconut flour pancakes before I was uncertain in what I would think. You absolutely have to have room temperature eggs as stated. They actually melt in your mouth even though the texture is not traditional white flour. You have to watch them and flip carefully but they do turn out great. Thanks for the recipe.

    I added lemon zest to brighten them! Oh my gosh!

  31. This recipe is fantastic! I’ve tried a few, but this one is by far the best! I substituted light organic agave nectar in the recipe instead of the honey (only because we don’t have honey in our house) and topped them with pure maple syrup. These came out amazing, the kids ate all of them – I’m making more today by request! Thank you for sharing this recipe, this is now a breakfast staple in our house!

  32. I am not sure what I am doing wrong. The pancakes taste good, but they are very crumbly. I try to keep them small, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference. Is that normal?

  33. I tried this recipe for the first time on a whim and I think this was a delicious recipe! I wanted to use coconut milk but didn’t have any on hand so I used nonfat vanilla yogurt instead and I think it added to the sweetness and aroma of the batter. Didn’t need the vanilla extra thanks to my yogurt. I also added 1 tablespoon of coconut sugar because I had some lying around. Did not affect the deliciousness at all! Will have to try this again! My goal is to not burn the pancakes in a pan. Took a few tries but I think I got it to look quite nice with a golden color and slight burn around the edges.

  34. It’s not surprising how some people comment but I did lol at “there just pancakes people” 🙂 I’m doing my best to cut back on grains so it is a struggle changing my taste buds-i found a Cup4Cup blend that’s perfect but it’s grains and starches :/ I’m not a fan of bean flours so not much left :(. Thanks for the add less milk tip, my pancakes were good but about as thick as my plate lol. I’ve never used coconut flour after reading how much of a moisture sucker it is but I’m willing to give it a shot 🙂

  35. I made these for dinner tonight, and they were wonderful! I followed all the instructions as directed EXCEPT I used baking powder instead of baking soda. I mixed all of the ingredients in my nutribullet. Turned out great!

  36. Hi!

    I’ll probably do these for the kids today. Just a note for others – if you use local or your farm eggs that vary in size, most recipes refer to “Large” eggs, which are set to a standard of five eggs to 1 cup liquid measure. So 4 eggs = 4/5ths cup. (I wonder why this isn’t common knowledge, and why only commercial restaurant suppliers sell measuring cups with different graduations. I learned this during my breakfast pastry baking years at The Night Kitchen, Phila. PA.)

  37. Yum. Was a bit nervous reading the comments and the very specific instructions but just followed the recipe took my time and they turned out yum. I am a coconut nut – lol so I love them. Thanks for the recipe.

  38. This is quite good, my husband and I enjoyed them. I used unsweetened almond milk and added a little cinnamon and a few fresh blueberries. Would be interested to see the nutritional values on this recipe as we are trying to limit carbs. I would recommend!

  39. I’ve been looking for pancake recipes that are made with something other than regular flour and these were WONDERFUL! They had an almost buttery taste, and smelled like vanilla cake. I’ll be making these again. Thanks!

  40. I recently switched to eating a paleo diet and have greatly missed my weekly peanut butter pancakes. I was looking through Pinterest and found this recipe and decided to give it a try. I read all of the comments and decided to start with just half a batch to see what they were like. This morning I made the recipe listed above, splitting the ingredients in half. I don’t eat eggs, so I used the water + oil + baking powder substitution for each egg: 2tbsp water + 1tsp coconut oil + 2tsp baking powder = 1 egg. I also don’t like salty, so I omitted the salt. I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk for the liquid/dairy and my batter turned out beautifully- thick and smooth, just like described. My pancakes cooked up easily and looked just like a “real” pancake. To add healthy fats to my pancake meal, I made a “syrup” by melting almond butter, coconut oil, butter, vanilla, unsweetened cocoa and a drop of pure maple syrup and then added a spoonful of unsweetened coconut to the mixture. I poured my “syrup” over my pancakes and they were absolutely delicious!! Thank you so much for posting this recipe, for posting the updates/changes and for allowing comments. It all gave me the necessary info to try the recipe and the courage to make it with my own tastes in mind. I will surely have a happy and healthy day since I started it out eating these pancakes! 🙂

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