Cooking and Serving: 25 minutes | 8 4-inch pancakes
Ingredients
Ingredient substitutions
Description
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 8 4-inch pancakes
Ingredients
Ingredient substitutions
Expert tips
Instructions
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
There are only 9 total ingredients in the recipe below, but that’s including.
salt and an optional ingredient. Here are a few things to know about each of.
Medium ground yellow cornmeal – Blending the cornmeal with other ingredients.
helps it combine fully and make for pancakes with just the right amount of.
Cornstarch – Adding some cornstarch to the mix lightens the weight of the.
Xanthan gum – Because we aren’t using any flour, a touch of xanthan gum helps.
thicken the batter and makes it hold together a bit better, but it’s.
optional. Without xanthan gum, you’ll have thinner pancakes, so cook them.
further apart on the griddle.
Granulated sugar – For sweetness and some extra tenderness; you can use an.
equal amount, * Baking powder & baking soda– Help the pancakes rise and brown.
Milk – Adds moisture and richness; avoid using fat free milk because fat is a.
Butter – Some melted butter adds richness and buttery flavor to your.
pancakes. You can use vegetable oil to grease the griddle, or more butter.
Eggs – The eggs help bind the pancakes together and add some lift.
DAIRY FREE
These pancakes are super easy to make dairy-free. Just use non-dairy milk (I.
like unsweetened almond milk best), and you can even use extra virgin olive oil.
in place of melted butter. Any nondairy butter, even Earth Balance buttery.
sticks, should work if you melt it, too.
EGG FREE
Eggs are almost always a bit trickier than dairy to replace. Here, since the.
recipe is right at my 2-egg threshold for successful egg replacement.
Two “chia eggs” (a chia egg is simply 1 tablespoon ground chia seeds mixed with.
1 tablespoon lukewarm water and allowed to gel) should work, but you’ll have to.
stack of 6 yellow pancakes on white plate on blue cloth.
of 6 yellow pancakes on white plate on blue cloth.
CORNMEAL PANCAKES RECIPE
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins.
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins.
Yield: 8 4-inch pancakes.
cornmeal pancakes in stack with syrup and butter.
pancakes in stack with syrup and butter.
These hearty cornmeal pancakes have that distinct corn taste and satisfying.
texture, with just a touch of gentle sweetness!
INGREDIENTS
¾ cup (99 g) medium ground yellow cornmeal, gluten free if necessary.
¼ cup (36 g) cornstarch.
½ teaspoon xanthan gum, (optional; helps thicken the pancakes).
3 tablespoons (36 g) granulated sugar.
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder.
¼ teaspoon baking soda.
¼ teaspoon kosher salt.
¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) milk, at room temperature.
3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for.
2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs, at room temperature.
Preheat a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat, or heat a.
griddle according to the manufacturer’s directions to 350°F.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, cornstarch, xanthan gum,.
granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a blender, place the milk, melted butter, and eggs. Add the dry.
Close the blender canister and give it a quick shake to begin to mix the.
ingredients so there is liquid and dry ingredients next to the blades.
Blend on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
The batter should be thickly pourable. If you omitted the xanthan gum, it.
will be relatively thin. Allow the batter to sit for 5 minutes to thicken,.
and whisk until smooth.
Grease the hot skillet or pan with a light brushing of unsalted butter.
Pour or ladle the pancake batter on the hot skillet surface in 1/4-cup.
portions, taking care not to crowd the skillet or pan.
Allow the pancakes to cook until lots of bubbles appear and the surface.
appears dry around the edges (about 3 minutes).
Flip the pancakes and continue cooking for another minute, or until the.
underside is lightly browned. Flip the pancakes again to make sure the.
underside is cooked and the pancakes are cooked all the way through.
Transfer the cooked pancakes to a baking sheet or serving plate (in a stack.
to keep them warm), and repeat with the remaining batter.
If you’d like, while you finish the batch, you can keep the cooked pancakes.
warm in a 200°F oven on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Serve immediately with your favorite pancake toppings.
INGREDIENTS
¾ cup (99 g) medium ground yellow cornmeal, gluten free if necessary.
¼ cup (36 g) cornstarch.
½ teaspoon xanthan gum, (optional; helps thicken the pancakes).
3 tablespoons (36 g) granulated sugar.
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder.
¼ teaspoon baking soda.
¼ teaspoon kosher salt.
¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) milk, at room temperature.
3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for.
2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs, at room temperature.
Preheat a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat, or heat a.
griddle according to the manufacturer’s directions to 350°F.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, cornstarch, xanthan gum,.
granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a blender, place the milk, melted butter, and eggs. Add the dry.
Close the blender canister and give it a quick shake to begin to mix the.
ingredients so there is liquid and dry ingredients next to the blades.
Blend on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
The batter should be thickly pourable. If you omitted the xanthan gum, it.
will be relatively thin. Allow the batter to sit for 5 minutes to thicken,.
and whisk until smooth.
Grease the hot skillet or pan with a light brushing of unsalted butter.
Pour or ladle the pancake batter on the hot skillet surface in 1/4-cup.
portions, taking care not to crowd the skillet or pan.
Allow the pancakes to cook until lots of bubbles appear and the surface.
appears dry around the edges (about 3 minutes).
Flip the pancakes and continue cooking for another minute, or until the.
underside is lightly browned. Flip the pancakes again to make sure the.
underside is cooked and the pancakes are cooked all the way through.
Transfer the cooked pancakes to a baking sheet or serving plate (in a stack.
to keep them warm), and repeat with the remaining batter.
If you’d like, while you finish the batch, you can keep the cooked pancakes.
warm in a 200°F oven on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Serve immediately with your favorite pancake toppings.
Notes
MY TAKE ON THIS RECIPE
There’s nothing like a traditional light and fluffy gluten free pancake
so many ways to make them. But these cornmeal pancakes are a little different.
The recipe is made mostly with medium-ground yellow cornmeal and a touch of
cornstarch to lighten things up a bit, but you blend the batter so there’s only
the slightest chew in each sweet-and-savory bite.
Making the batter in a blender has the added benefit of making these pancakes
incredibly easy to make. I’ve spelled it all out in the recipe below (and the
how-to video, too!), but really? I could have just written the instructions like
Put all of the ingredients in the order listed in a blender, blend, then pour on
a hot buttered skillet, cook, flip, cook and eat. Of course, there’s a bit more
to it than that. But not a whole lot!
There are only 9 total ingredients in the recipe below, but that’s including
salt and an optional ingredient. Here are a few things to know about each of
* Medium ground yellow cornmeal – Blending the cornmeal with other ingredients
helps it combine fully and make for pancakes with just the right amount of
* Cornstarch – Adding some cornstarch to the mix lightens the weight of the
* Xanthan gum – Because we aren’t using any flour, a touch of xanthan gum helps
thicken the batter and makes it hold together a bit better, but it’s
optional. Without xanthan gum, you’ll have thinner pancakes, so cook them
further apart on the griddle
* Granulated sugar – For sweetness and some extra tenderness; you can use an
equal amount, * Baking powder & baking soda– Help the pancakes rise and brown
* Milk – Adds moisture and richness; avoid using fat free milk because fat is a
* Butter – Some melted butter adds richness and buttery flavor to your
pancakes. You can use vegetable oil to grease the griddle, or more butter.
* Eggs – The eggs help bind the pancakes together and add some lift
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS
These pancakes are super easy to make dairy-free. Just use non-dairy milk (I
like unsweetened almond milk best), and you can even use extra virgin olive oil
in place of melted butter. Any nondairy butter, even Earth Balance buttery
sticks, should work if you melt it, too.
Eggs are almost always a bit trickier than dairy to replace. Here, since the
recipe is right at my 2-egg threshold for successful egg replacement.
Two “chia eggs” (a chia egg is simply 1 tablespoon ground chia seeds mixed with
1 tablespoon lukewarm water and allowed to gel) should work, but you’ll have to
stack of 6 yellow pancakes on white plate on blue cloth
of 6 yellow pancakes on white plate on blue cloth
Go Ad-Free
CORNMEAL PANCAKES RECIPE
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
Yield: 8 4-inch pancakes
cornmeal pancakes in stack with syrup and butter
pancakes in stack with syrup and butter
These hearty cornmeal pancakes have that distinct corn taste and satisfying
texture, with just a touch of gentle sweetness!
* ¾ cup (99 g) medium ground yellow cornmeal, gluten free if necessary
* ¼ cup (36 g) cornstarch
* ½ teaspoon xanthan gum, (optional; helps thicken the pancakes)
* 3 tablespoons (36 g) granulated sugar
* 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
* ¼ teaspoon baking soda
* ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
* ¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) milk, at room temperature
* 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for
* 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs, at room temperature
* Preheat a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat, or heat a
griddle according to the manufacturer’s directions to 350°F.
* In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, cornstarch, xanthan gum,
granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
* In a blender, place the milk, melted butter, and eggs. Add the dry
* Close the blender canister and give it a quick shake to begin to mix the
ingredients so there is liquid and dry ingredients next to the blades.
* Blend on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
* The batter should be thickly pourable. If you omitted the xanthan gum, it
will be relatively thin. Allow the batter to sit for 5 minutes to thicken,
and whisk until smooth.
* Grease the hot skillet or pan with a light brushing of unsalted butter.
* Pour or ladle the pancake batter on the hot skillet surface in 1/4-cup
portions, taking care not to crowd the skillet or pan.
* Allow the pancakes to cook until lots of bubbles appear and the surface
appears dry around the edges (about 3 minutes).
* Flip the pancakes and continue cooking for another minute, or until the
underside is lightly browned. Flip the pancakes again to make sure the
underside is cooked and the pancakes are cooked all the way through.
* Transfer the cooked pancakes to a baking sheet or serving plate (in a stack
to keep them warm), and repeat with the remaining batter.
* If you’d like, while you finish the batch, you can keep the cooked pancakes
warm in a 200°F oven on a parchment lined baking sheet.
* Serve immediately with your favorite pancake toppings.
Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 218mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber:
2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 228IU | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an
KNOW WHEN TO FLIP YOUR PANCAKES
You’ll know when the pancakes are ready to flip when the underside has set and
begun to brown, and the edges on top are set. You should see lots of bubbles
forming on the top when the first side is cooking. When you slide your spatula
underneath the pancake, the batter shouldn’t leak off the edges back onto the
A quick tip for testing whether a pancake (really any pancake) is ready to flip
is to slide your spatula only a couple of centimeters under the very edge of the
pancake. If the batter on the top of the pancake starts to run at all, it’s not
ready to flip. If you flip it then, you’ll end up with “feet” on your pancakes
as the batter will slide around during transit.
USE ROOM TEMPERATURE INGREDIENTS
If your wet ingredients, especially, are cold, your pancake batter won’t blend
fully and it will have lumps. Make sure everything is at room temperature before
If your milk is cold, try microwaving it for about 20 seconds. If your eggs are
cold, place them in a bowl of very warm (not hot) water for about 10 minutes and
they should become close to room temperature.
Maple syrup beginning to pour on stack of yellow cornmeal pancakes on white
syrup beginning to pour on stack of yellow cornmeal pancakes on white plate
Can I make these pancakes without a blender?
Yes, you can make the pancake batter with a food processor or a stick blender.
If you don’t have any of those, you can make the batter dry ingredients, then adding in the wet ingredients and whisking until smooth.
The batter won’t be as smooth, and the pancakes will be lumpier and have more
chew from the cornmeal, similar to our gluten free banana pancakes
, but they’ll still taste
Are cornmeal pancakes gluten free?
Yes, these cornmeal pancakes are naturally gluten free when they’re made with
gluten free cornmeal and cornstarch.
Can I make these cornmeal pancakes sweeter?
Yes. For sweeter pancakes, try increasing the granulated sugar to anything up to
100 grams or one half cup. You can also just add an additional 3 tablespoons (63
g) of honey to the batter.
Can I make the pancake batter ahead of time?
Yes. You can blend the batter ahead of time and store it in a sealed container
in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Just let it warm to close to room
temperature before cooking the pancakes. If you’ve chosen to omit the xanthan
gum, the cornmeal may settle out of the batter. If that happens, just blend the
batter again before using it.
Do I have to use xanthan gum to make these pancakes?
No. If you don’t want to use xanthan gum and you aren’t gluten free, try
replacing half of the cornstarch (flour. The wheat gluten in the flour should help bind the pancakes together.
How can I store any leftover pancakes?
Once cool, wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap (I really like Glad Press ‘n’
Seal) in stacks of 2 or 3 and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to
3 weeks. To refresh refrigerated or frozen pancakes, sprinkle with warm water
and microwave for 30 or 40 seconds for refrigerated or about 1 minute for
frozen. You can also refresh them in a warm toaster oven.
Stack of cornmeal pancakes with forkful of cut pancakes
of cornmeal pancakes with forkful of cut pancakes
These gluten free cornmeal pancakes have a really lovely texture and enough
flavor that they scarcely need much syrup or butter for serving.
gluten free cornmeal pancakes have a really lovely texture and enough flavor
that they scarcely need much syrup or butter for serving.
These gluten free cornmeal pancakes have a really lovely texture and enough
flavor that they scarcely need much syrup or butter for serving.
gluten free cornmeal pancakes have a really lovely texture and enough flavor
that they scarcely need much syrup or butter for serving.
These gluten free cornmeal pancakes have a really lovely texture and enough
flavor that they scarcely need much syrup or butter for serving.
gluten free cornmeal pancakes have a really lovely texture and enough flavor
that they scarcely need much syrup or butter for serving.
These gluten free cornmeal pancakes have a really lovely texture and enough
flavor that they scarcely need much syrup or butter for serving.
gluten free cornmeal pancakes have a really lovely texture and enough flavor
that they scarcely need much syrup or butter for serving.