These Paleo Pancakes are a game-changer! They are light & fluffy, and unlike Almond Flour Pancakes or Coconut Flour Pancakes, you don’t need any specialty flours to make them.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What are Paleo Pancakes made of? Grain-free pancakes can be made with almond flour, coconut flour, or cassava flour, but this recipe doesn’t require any specialty flours.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Almond Butter
- Eggs
- Applesauce or mashed banana
- Baking soda
- Vanilla
You can add a dash of cinnamon and a pinch of salt if you want to, as well! These pancakes are super-easy, and you can stir the batter together in just minutes.
How to Make Them
To make these Paleo Pancakes, you’ll combine everything together in a bowl, and whisk it together until smooth.
If you’re using a banana for this recipe, I like to mash it first, then measure it out to get consistent results. (Since bananas vary wildly in size.)
Scoop the batter using a 1/4 cup measure, so that the pancake will stay relatively small in size. This keeps it easier to flip in the pan.
Cook on medium-low heat until bubbles form in the middle of the pancake, then flip them over and cook on the other side. They should be lightly brown on both sides when they are done.
Repeat with the remaining batter, then serve warm with your favorite toppings.
How to Bake Pancakes
If you’ve been following me for long, you know that my preferred method for cooking pancakes is to bake them in the oven all at once! It’s such a time saver, and you don’t have to add any oil to the pan.
To bake these Paleo Pancakes, instead of pan frying them, pour the batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (Not wax paper!) A silicone baking mat doesn’t work quite as well as parchment paper does, in this case, either.
I use 1/4 cup measure for the pancakes here, too, and I space them about 2 inches apart to account for spreading. This recipe makes roughly 6 pancakes, so use 2 baking sheets if you don’t have a large one.
Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes at 350ºF, until they look firm to the touch in the center. There’s no need to flip them!
Baked pancakes do look different than pan-fried pancakes, so keep that in mind.
My kids don’t know any different, because I’ve been making pancakes like this since they were born, but if I’m serving company, I’d still pan-fry my pancakes so they look more normal.
How to Serve Them
These grain-free pancakes are naturally sweet on their own, thanks to the addition of applesauce or banana, but you can still serve them with a drizzle maple syrup, if you want to!
I also like to top them with fresh fruit, and my kids love their pancakes topped with peanut butter. (Which is not Paleo, by the way, but other nut butters are.)
However you serve these healthy pancakes, I hope you’ll enjoy them soon!
Best Paleo Pancakes (Flourless!)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup almond butter (125 grams)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana (122 grams)
- 2 large eggs (100 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (2 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (2 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (not wax paper!), if you plan on baking these. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and use a whisk to mix until a smooth.
- To pan fry the pancakes, grease a skillet and heat it over medium-low heat. When a drop of water sizzles on the pan, it's ready to cook the pancakes. Scoop the batter using a 1/4 cup and pour it in the center of the pan. When bubbles form in the center of the pancake, flip it and cook the other side. The pancakes are done when they are golden on both sides. Repeat with the remaining batter. You may want to lower the heat as you cook these, since the pan wil retain its heat as it cooks each pancake.
- To bake the pancakes, scoop the batter using a 1/4 cup onto the lined baking sheet, to form roughly 6 pancakes. You may need two lined baking sheets, if you'd like to bake these all at once. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350ºF, until the pancakes are fluffy and golden.
- Serve the pancakes warm, with your favorite toppings.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try these Paleo Pancakes, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like them. And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too!
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Reader Feedback: What are in your favorite pancakes?
HI. Your recipes are great. But I do need the nutritional analysis of recipes so I can make sure it is appropriate for everyone’s dietary needs. Thanks!
I just love these pancakes! They taste like the real deal and even my husband, whose favorite food is pancakes, loves these as well. i especially love that there is no added sugar/sweeteners too. I put peanut butter on top instead of maple syrup for extra protein!
Our household is not purely Paleo, nor vegan, nor gluten-free, but we are very mindful eaters. Our gluten and sugar intake, especially, is very low, so your recipes appeal however, to this one, we added a generous sprinkle of wheat germ to beef it up a bit. And we also made them on the stovetop with grass fed Irish butter as the fat, the only type of butter we use. Delicious.
These Pancakes are so good!
My son however wasn’t too keen. I might try them without the cinnamon to see if he prefers them that way.
So I made these today, and I have to say, I am thrilled. I am not following any kind of diet of any sort, just try to by organic wholesome ingredients and, so i got stuck with some almond butter, nobody in my family likes it. So i figured I’ll google a recipe that uses it. And guess what? Both of my picky 1 and 3 yo eaters devoured these pancakes for breakfast this morning! I did not expect the fluffy texture at all, they truly are like pancakes, which btw we do not eat in our family. I make my own with ricotta and whole grain brown flour.
I am diabetic and would love a carb count on these pancakes. They look divine and I cannot wait to make them. I will use pumpkin puree in mine! Thanks for the recipe!!
I used peanut butter and just one egg… Came out great I will use coconut sugar to sweeten it up Next time.
I made more these today but instead of using eggs I added more applesauce and they came out just fine for an egg free version.
I tried these for Valentine’s Day – stuck to the original recipe and cooked on the stovetop in coconut oil. I agree that they do burn easily, so I had to be extra vigilant. Next time I will try the baking method. Topped with sliced banana and one big spoonful of Grade B maple syrup (and some grass fed butter). Delicious! I did not miss “real” pancakes at all. The texture and flavor, and even the smell, is very similar to a thinner-style pancake. Thanks for sharing this recipe and making it easy for me to stay on track but still enjoy myself.
I also used these pancakes as sandwich bread. Being on a low carb diet, I missed sandwiches and this allows me to satisfy my craving.
These are amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I had mine with maple syrup with I heated up with blueberries I picked and froze this past summer. Delicious!
I’m a little late to the party here but had to leave a comment. These were amazing! I’m so grateful to have found detoxinista.com, the recipes here have been my saving grace for starting a grain free diet. There are a lot of other sites out there but this site never fails. I’m thinking of making these as muffins so I can take them with me on the go in the morning and possibly add some blueberries. Thanks!
We tried these this morning. I made them in a skillet greased with coconut oil. They were very good. Not too eggy like many grain free pancakes we have tried. And they actually flipped well in the pan which has been problematic with grain free pancakes before. Best part–my son ate 5 of them and didn’t mention the texture or taste being different from traditional pancakes. I am wondering about protein content? Thanks so much.
I’m glad to hear your family enjoyed them! I’m not sure about the protein content, but you can find any nutrition info you need using a free calculator on FitDay.com.
Hi Megan, love these pancakes so much and am recommending them to a client who is tracking her calories. Im sure I can do the math but do you have any idea how many calories per regular sized baked pancake? Thank you!
I have been making these pancakes for a while and love them. Today I made them in my waffle maker and I love them even more because I felt like they cooked all the way through. Some times I feel the pancakes are undercooked in the middle whether I do them in the oven or in a pan.
Made these tonight – amazing!!
Just made these with sunflower butter and they were so yummy! I am wondering though why they slowly started to turn green as they cooled…? Any thoughts?
Baking soda reacts with sunflower seed butter and turns baked goods green. They are safe to eat, but look funny!
Quick and easy and most of all incredibly delicious. Used the leftover pancake as “bread” to make my son a peanut butter and banana sandwich , amazing! Thank you for your website Megan
These pancakes were a total success- husband and kids love them! And I loved that they were baked in the oven – much easier than pan-frying each pancake!
These are delicious! I was out of baking soda and they still turned out perfect. Made with homemade applesauce, left sauce with chunky texture and love the outcome in the pancakes. Thanks for another winner!
Do these paleo pancakes freeze well?
Yes, we usually keep them in our fridge to pop them in the toaster for my son during the week, but they freeze well, too.
I don’t know if you’re aware, but your recipe is referenced in an Harvard “food and science” class and they are asking us which ingredient(s) play the role of the gluten in your recipe and how does it provide the elasticity. But they don’t seem to provide the answer. I imagine that you know the answer as you have you have a nutritionist degree. I am curious. Could you explain? Thanks in advance!
Oh, I had no idea! I think the elasticity comes from the eggs, but the almond butter is what makes it more bread-like. Not really sure about the science of it, but the two ingredients together are like magic. If you use peanut butter the result is a LOT drier, too.
Well, I am glad that I told you then! And thanks for the reply. I am starting to LOVE food science. The class is the class which has this class as a prerequisite: https://www.edx.org/course/science-cooking-haute-cuisine-soft-harvardx-spu27-1x-0
but I cannot see the class itself there.
Part 2 is “Physics”
Made these pancakes Easter morning. They were delicious. I have been making a double batch and keeping them in the fridge to be warmed a few at a time for everyday breakfast. I made them exactly according to the recipe and they were perfect and easy. As a person with type 2 diabetes, pancakes made from white flour and sugar, paired with syrup was out of the question. I have these with mashed banana and grass fed butter. Delish!
We have had these pancakes regularly since Easter. I make a dozen at a time and keep them in the fridge. My husband eats them every morning topped with apple sauce or smashed blueberries. So easy to make, healthy and delicious.
I make these weekly and we enjoy them. They are a little spongier than flour pancakes but we don’t mind. Since I make them in a skillet, I usually have a little batter left over. I’ve had success making the batter into mini-muffins. I add some mini chocolate chips and bake for 15 minutes. They are really good. Thanks!
This is my favorite pancake recipe. I’ve been making it for a couple years now and always make a double batch so I can store some in the freezer. My now two year old loves these as much as we do.
Thank you for sharing your talent.
HI, these look delicious! Do you think I could use chia eggs instead of eggs?Thanks for these delicious recipes. I have your Instant Pot cookbook (and the other two) and my family and I are loving it. 😊
I’m glad to hear you’re loving the books! In the case of this recipe, I don’t think a chia egg would work. Your best bet would be to use something like arrowroot or tapioca starch, because that will give the pancakes some structure without the eggs. I haven’t perfected an egg-free version yet, so let us know if you give it a try!
These look awesome for my gf/df 4 year old (always try to make him something special for when we go out to brunch) do you think I could use cashew butter in these? I’m out of almond butter and want to make them in the am 🙂
Yes, I’ve made it with that and peanut butter before! Good either way!
Used cashew butter and they were AMAZING! Huge hit! Kids loved them. This is a keeper. Thank you!!
I’ve loved these pancakes for since I found them in 2013! I usually do the pumpkin version but this time I used 1 mashed banana instead of applesauce and they turned out perfect!
Awesome! I’m so glad you love them, Lauren!
These are excellent & so easy. I served with strawberries on top.
Made these & they are great! Guess what else I figured out? Omit vanilla. Substitute onion powder for the cinnamon- you now have a burger/sandwich bun! Boom.
Thanks for the recipe- look fwd to trying more.
My oven is broken an I felt like they were too liquidy to use on my stove top. I added two tablespoons of coconut flour and they turned out absolutely amazing. Light, fluffy and so like original pancakes. My 4 and 6 year old had 3 each!!!! Pretty much ate the whole batch and I had to make more. Love these! Thank you!
If I’m not baking do I have to use the baking soda? Thanks
You’ll need baking soda for pan-frying them, too. That’s what makes them rise into fluffy pancakes, otherwise they will be very flat.
These have become a staple. Thank you!
Do you think these would freeze well?
I’ve heard that these do. We’ve never had any leftovers to test it with!
Can these be frozen?
I made these for Easter 3 years ago and my husband has been eating them for breakfast on work days ever since. I make a tripe batch, put 3 pancakes in a zip top bag and freeze them. He just puts a bag in the fridge to thaw the night before and reheats in the morning. Boom! Filling, healthy breakfast. He tops them with apple sauce. Great change from syrup with corn syrup in it. I also add wild blueberries to the mix. Unbelievable that I’ve been making these for over 3 years and he still loves to eat them nearly every morning. Thanks for a great recipe. Oh, also, I make them with cashew butter because he likes the flavor better.
Could I use a flax or chia egg instead to make it vegan or would the texture change completely? Would it just need a little more cooking time?
I’m not sure they would ever rise using a flax egg, so the texture might be more flat and gooey. But I’d love to hear if you experiment with it! There are also a few vegan pancake recipes here on my website if you want to try one of those first. (The Buckwheat Banana Pancakes are one of my favorites.)
These are insane! So incredibly good that I could eat everyday and never get sick of them!
I made this today. Replaced it with bananas as I didn’t have applesauce on hand. It was really good and my toddlers loved it too. Light, fluffy, tasty,and GFCF.
Also I just came across your website and loved your organized site, especially the search button helps too. Thank you 😊.
Wow! What kind of magic is this? This was my first attempt with paleo pancakes and I am blow away. So easy, fluffy & delicious! Can’t believe there’s no flour in these. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! Followed to a T and so happy with the results. Kid approved as well! Adding to the breakfast rotation…
we both loved them. it was quick to make, bake and clean up. I might try them as another post suggested with a fresh apple blended and adding cinnamon.
My son loves these. I have made them as is and they are great. For a fast breakfast before school I add a tablespoon of maple syrup and two tablespoons of flax seed to the batter. They are perfectly sweet that way and my toddler can pick them up and eat with his hands without being sticky or he can get all fancy and show off his fork skills!
Pretty darn good! I like to make a big bath of these and have them ready for quick breakfasts and snack for my kids. They love them
I had bought crunchy almond butter by mistake at the store (my kids like it smooth). It worked great in this recipe to add some crunchy texture to the pancakes. Everyone enjoyed them including my biggest kid (hubby). I had duck eggs to use up so it did extend the total number of pancakes I could make but they still tasted great and were all eaten.
These were liked by the whole family. I was between these or the almond flour ones. We went with these because we had some cashew butter to use up. We topped with maple syrup, cinnamon, and raspberries. So tasty!
Delicious light and easy to make. My entire family loves it
I’m so glad to hear that, Natalie! Thanks for the review!
Super easy to make! Nice change without grains.
Can you freeze left over pancakes?
A family favorite!
I’ve been making these for years. They’re super easy, taste great, and everyone in the family loves them!