Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes Recipe {Gluten-Free}
This gluten-free lemon poppy seed pancakes recipe was developed exclusively for Nuts.com and our customers by Miryam Quinn Doblas, Registered Dietitian (RD). Miryam shares her passion for nutrition and healthy eating on her website, Eat Good 4 Life.
What better way to start your morning than with a stack of delicious pancakes? This recipe features the classic combination of refreshing lemon and crunchy poppy seeds in a gluten-free breakfast treat. Whip up these pancakes for brunch on the weekend and freeze the leftovers for an easy, go-to breakfast during the week.
The secret to making light and fluffy gluten-free pancakes is to use a combination of gluten-free flours. For the batter, I used a mixture of brown rice flour and coconut flour. Brown rice flour behaves similarly to all purpose flour and it provides more nutrients thanks to the fiber-rich bran component of brown rice.
Coconut flour is the other gluten-free superstar in this recipe. Made from dried coconut meat, it is an excellent source of fiber, protein and iron. Since coconut flour is particularly nutrient-dense, baked goods made with it tend to be satisfying. Although it cannot be used as a direct 1-to-1 replacement for wheat flour, coconut flour is a staple in many gluten-free kitchens because of its soft, fine texture and nutritional qualities.
In place of butter, which is traditionally used to make pancakes, I used coconut oil. The body can easily digest coconut oil and convert it to energy, instead of storing it as fat. Packed with immunity-boosting lauric acid, coconut oil is considered a healthy fat.
The crunchy, nutty-flavored poppy seeds make a bold statement in these lemony pancakes. In place of poppy seeds, you could also try adding unsweetened shredded coconut or even chocolate chips. Pancakes are very versatile, so feel free to experiment with any add-ins you like.
Since the pancakes are gluten-free, they are very light. Just make sure you don’t over-mix the batter and be careful when flipping them on the stovetop so that they don’t break. Once you see bubbles start to pop on top of the pancake, it’s safe to flip them.
These gluten-free lemon poppy seed pancakes are perfect for breakfast, and I even give them to my kids as a snack. They always ask for seconds! Since I don’t make pancakes very often, I always double the amount of batter when I do. I freeze the extra pancakes in aluminum foil and can store them for at least 1-2 months. To enjoy, simply reheat the pancakes in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and they’re ready to go. This is a great way to save time when you or someone in your family is craving them.
I hope you get to make these refreshing and light lemon poppy seed pancakes. They are simply delicious and I am sure your friends and family will love them.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Brown Rice Flour
- 1/4 cup Coconut Flour
- 1 3/4 cup almond milk
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp Coconut Oil, melted
- 2 lemons, juice
- Zest of two lemons
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp Poppy Seeds
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, lemon zest and sugar. Make a well in the center and add the egg, milk, lemon juice and coconut oil. Combine the ingredients until you obtain a smooth batter. Alternatively, you can use your stand mixer if you have one.
- Carefully fold in the poppy seeds. Add some cooking oil to a skillet or griddle, over low to medium heat.
- For each pancake, place about 1/4 cup of the batter onto the skillet. Cook for a few minutes until you see bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake. Turn it over to cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Repeat this step until all the batter is finished, making sure you spread more cooking oil onto the skillet in between cooking each pancake.
- Serve pancakes warm with melted chocolate, fresh fruit, maple syrup or as desired.
Notes
To get a perfectly shaped pancake, you can use a 4.5-inch large cookie cutter. If you use this method you will have to grease the sides of the cookie cutter each time you use it.
This recipe was developed and photographed exclusively for Nuts.com by Miryam Quinn Doblas, RD, of Eat Good 4 Life.
20 Responses to “Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes Recipe {Gluten-Free}”
Can you replace the brown rice flour with more almond flour or even cassava flour?
Hi Rochelle – Yes, you can certainly replace the brown rice flour with almond flour, although the consistency and texture will be a bit different. Thanks for checking!
do you think you could substitute almond flour for the rice flour?
Hi Kay – Yes, you can certainly do that! 🙂
How do I sign up for your blog?
Hi Marlena – Sorry, there isn’t any way to sign up to receive our blog posts at this time. 🙁 We update it on a weekly basis though, so be sure to check back! 🙂
I know this makes 10 pancakes but what is the serving size — 1 pancake 2 or 3 pancakes.
Thanks and cannot wait to try.
Hi Nancy – The serving size is one pancake. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Keep ’em coming. I’ll be anxious re read every issue of “The Nutty Scoop!”
Thanks! We hope you enjoy our posts 🙂
Are the nutritional facts based on the whole recipe? Not sure how much this serves.
Hi Michelle – The nutrition facts are based on one pancake. The recipe makes 10 pancakes 🙂
Wanting to cut down on sugar…What substitute could best be used? Maple syrup, honey or stevia? And in what amounts?
Hi Darcie – You could certainly use any of those sweeteners in the recipe. Use 1/4 cup or less of maple syrup or honey. For stevia, you’d have to experiment to achieve the desired sweetness. Hope that helps!
I made these pancakes today. I doubled the baking powder since we like our pancakes super fluffy. These pancake were FANTASTIC! The lemon flavor was mouth wateringly delicious. Thanks!!!
We’re so delighted you liked the pancakes, Paula! Extra fluffy pancakes sound delicious 🙂
Can chia seeds be used instead of poppy?
Hi Mallory,
We might recommend supplementing chia with poppy for an added nutrition boost. But, if you’re not wed to the classic lemon and poppy flavor, it might be an interesting experiment! Happy baking!
Hi!
I love your recepies!!
The pancakes came out fluffy but dry, what did I do wrong?
Hi Keren! Happy to hear you love our recipes. To avoid dryness, try adding an additional teaspoon of coconut oil to the batter. And make sure your pan has plenty of cooking oil or spray to keep the pancakes moist while they cook. Hope this helps! 🙂