Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pancakes

These naturally gluten-free buttermilk pancakes are soft, fluffy, and lightly tangy. Everything you could ever ask for in a classic pancake!

I make this recipe all year round. It’s perfect for every season and every mood. Whether you enjoy them plain, with fruit, or with a drizzle of honey, they turn out delicious every single time.

The best part? You only need 10 minutes to make them. One bite and you’ll be flipping out (literally) over how good they are!

For a few years now, I’ve been experimenting with gluten-free recipes, all thanks to my cousin, Claudia. She has a gluten intolerance and the biggest sweet tooth in the family (but that kind of runs in our blood, haha).

Considering I love to bake and cook, I’ve naturally become her personal dessert supplier by default. She loves to joke that she’s lucky to have a “family MasterChef”, and I take that title with pride and joy!

I want to thank her for pushing me out of my comfort zone and into the gluten-free world. Because I know there are tons of Claudias out there who just want to enjoy their favorite foods without gluten getting in the way. So, you should probably thank her too!

Two of the first recipes I ever made for her were my  2-Ingredient Sweet Potato Pancakes and Gluten-Free Pecan Pie! If you love anything sweet like her, you definitely need to check it out.

What You’ll Need

I usually get about 12 to 14 small pancakes using a tablespoon of batter per pancake. If you want bigger pancakes, just use two spoonfuls of batter for each.

Let me now show you the ingredients you need to make these delicious and naturally gluten-free pancakes!

• 2 large eggs – At room temperature. They whisk more easily and help the batter come together smoothly.
• 2 cups buttermilk (480ml) – You can use store-bought or make my homemade version (it only takes about 10 minutes with whole milk and lemon juice or vinegar).
• 2 ½ cups rice flour (300g) – My favorite is Bob’s Red Mill White Rice Flour. It’s finely milled and gives me soft, tender pancakes without any grittiness every time.
• 3 tablespoons sugar (38g) – I use just regular granulated sugar.
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (~4 g) – I usually go with double-acting Clabber Girl Baking Powder. It’s aluminum-free, gluten-free, and always gives my pancakes that perfect fluffy lift.
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (~5 g) – I also use Clabber Girl Baking Soda. This helps the pancakes to rise and stay fluffy.

Before we move on, a quick heads-up, your baking soda and baking powder need to be fresh! If they’ve been sitting open for a while, they won’t work properly and won’t give the same lift. Your pancakes might turn out a little dense. It makes a big difference in how fluffy your pancakes turn out.

The first few times I tested this recipe, I couldn’t figure out why my pancakes weren’t as fluffy as I wanted. Rita told me it might be because of old baking powder, but the expiration date was still good! So I looked it up, and Clabber Girl actually confirmed this (you can read more about it on their website). They say if you have an opened can of baking powder or baking soda, you should use it within six months!

How to Make My Gluten-free Buttermilk Pancakes

I start by grabbing a medium glass bowl, crack in two eggs and then pour the buttermilk. I usually make my own (it only takes about 10 minutes!) and it tastes better than store-bought. You only need two ingredients whole milk and lemon juice (or vinegar), mix them and let it sit while you prep the rest of the ingredients. That’s it!

Then, I whisk the eggs and buttermilk together until the mixture looks pale yellow and a bit frothy. That froth means you’ve added air to the batter, which means your pancakes will be fluffy once cooked.

Next, I mix the rice flour, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder together in a separate bowl. I find this helps distribute all the ingredients more evenly so there are no clumps later.

Then, I sift the dry mixture into the egg and buttermilk mixture and whisk everything together until the batter looks smooth and creamy. Rice flour tends to clump more compared to regular flour, so I take a little extra time here to make sure there aren’t any streaks of flour left.

Once the batter is smooth and silky, I let it rest for about 5 minutes while I heat up a nonstick skillet. Even though it’s just a few minutes, this resting period is important to let the buttermilk and baking soda start reacting. That’s my secret for making these gluten-free pancakes have a soft and springy texture instead of being dense.

Now, you need to make sure your skillet is hot enough that a tiny drop of batter sizzles right away, but not so hot that it smokes. If it’s too hot, they’ll brown before cooking through.

I spoon about a tablespoon of batter per pancake. You can do more but smaller pancakes cook more evenly and are easier to flip. And… I like to stack them, it’s almost like a balancing game, ahah!

Once I notice bubbles start to form and pop on top, that’s my cue to flip. The first side should look golden. But, be careful because the second side cooks a little faster, so keep an eye on it.

Just a quick tip, if I’m making a big batch, I slide the pancakes onto a tray and keep them warm in the oven at its lowest setting. This keeps them soft while I work through the rest of the batter. No sad cold pancakes on my watch!

I like to serve them with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup and fresh fruit. This time, I added a few orange and apple chunks on top as well.

The flavor is mild, buttery, and just a little tangy from the homemade buttermilk. They’re tender, naturally sweet and so satisfying. You can’t even tell they’re gluten-free! Trust me, after experimenting with so many gluten-free pancake recipes for my cousin, I’ve mastered the art of making everything taste just as good as it would with gluten.

If you enjoy these pancakes, you’ll probably love my other easy gluten-free desserts too, like these 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Balls. 

How I Store My Pancakes (to Keep Them Soft!)

If there are any leftovers, which isn’t that common, I keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. They stay good and soft for about 3 days. When I want one, I just reheat it in the skillet, toaster or the microwave (depending on my mood, haha!). To be honest, all methods taste good, and they’re still just as fluffy.

From time to time, my cousin also asks me to make some for her to take home. She had a baby a few months ago, so quick breakfasts are a must!

I layer a piece of parchment paper between each pancake and place them in a freezer bag. Once she gets home, she freezes them. In the morning, she just pops them straight into the toaster (without thawing) and they taste just as good as fresh. She’s kept a few in the freezer for about a month and they were still perfectly soft, delicious, and a total life-saver!

Variations I’ve Tried And Loved

After making these so many times, I’ve played around with a few variations. Even though the classic one I shared above is my favorite, the ones I’m about to share with you are also all delicious!

• Chocolate chips: I also make this version a lot… it’s obviously Rita’s favorite. Anything with chocolate, honestly. Sometimes I mix a few dark chocolate chips right into the batter. They melt and the pancakes taste like dessert.
• Adding blueberries: My cousin loves when I fold in a handful of fresh blueberries to the batter. Their sweetness pairs beautifully with the tangy buttermilk flavor.
• Cinnamon and vanilla: For a cozier flavor, I like to add a pinch of cinnamon and a splash of vanilla. It makes the whole kitchen smell amazing.

No matter how you make them, they always taste good. This is one of those recipes you can easily tweak to fit the season or even your mood. They turn out soft and fluffy every single time!

Mistakes To Avoid When Making My Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pancakes

Considering the amount of times I’ve made this recipe, I’ve also definitely learned what not to do. These are little mistakes that will make your pancakes flat and heavy, not flavor-related, just texture!

• Old baking soda or baking powder: This is the biggest one! Even if the expiration date isn’t close, once they’ve been open for more than six months, they lose their power. If your pancakes aren’t lifting and fluffy, this is probably why.
• Over-mixing the batter: One of the most common mistakes in baking. Just whisk until everything looks smooth and you don’t see clumps. Otherwise, you risk removing all that air you built up earlier.
• Skipping the resting time: Trust me, that 5-minute rest really matters. It lets the buttermilk and baking soda have enough time to react, that’s when the magic happens.

And that’s it! Once you nail the basics, like using fresh ingredients, gentle mixing and a little patience, I guarantee they’ll turn out perfect and tasty every single time. And, it’s such a versatile recipe, you’ll want to make again and again.

These have definitely become a staple at our house. And considering we can eat regular pancakes with gluten, I think it says a lot about just how good and fluffy these really are.

But here’s another recipe I need to mention because I have a bit of a habit of turning Claudia’s cravings into recipes… remember my Chocolate-Covered Caramel Apple Slices? Let’s just say they disappeared as fast as these pancakes.

Note: All product mentions are simply what I use in my own kitchen. None of the links are sponsored or affiliate.