Fluffiest Cassava Flour Pancakes EVER! (Paleo Friendly) (2024)

Fluffy, light, and airy are not words most of us associate with paleo pancakes since most are thin, eggy discs, but thanks to these cassava flour pancakes, your breakfast world is about to be flipped.Literally.

If you’re skeptical or have had failed cassava flour pancakes before, I highly recommend you read this post and watch the video.

Fluffy Cassava Flour Pancakes

The one food my family can’t go without?Pancakes. And when I needed to remove all grains from my diet for more than 5 years (back in 2012), I too missed them!

It was then that the search began for a good recipe that could compete with myClassic Fluffy Pancakes, where I could make one batch and everyone in the family would devour them.

In that process, I developed severalpaleo pancake recipesthat are also fluffy and delicious,but my heart will always be in these fluffy cassava flour pancakes. They are second to none and are devoured by everyone in the family.

I’m confident you’ll find that this recipe will yieldthe bestpancakes using cassava flour. Over the years, I’ve added more tips, continued to try different flours to give you feedback on which ones work best, and evenrecorded a video for you to watch and ensure the success of your stack!

Is Cassava Flour Paleo?

Yes, cassava flour is considered to be a paleo-friendly “flour” that can be used to make baked goods, pancakes, tortillas, doughs, and more. While it’s technically a starch, it’s grain-free and gluten-free andthere are some benefitsto using it over other flours.

Instead of substituting it for all-purpose flour (like some people on the internet make you believe is possible), I recommend you find trusted recipes that have been developed using cassava flour if you’re looking forpaleo breakfast recipes.

Ingredients

You’ll find the amounts of the ingredients needed to make cassava flour pancakes in the recipe card below, but first, I explain why each of them is important and if any substitutions can be made without altering the recipe.

• Cassava flour:the foundation of this recipe. Some brands work better than others and I go over them below.
• Baking Powder:essential to give your pancakes a fluffy texture. While some baking powders are not paleo, you canmake a corn-free baking powderat home orbuy it.
• Salt:to enhance the flavor of the other ingredients.
• Milk:both dairy and dairy-free milk alternatives will work with this recipe. *See note below on canned coconut milk.
• Eggs:they bind the ingredients and help the pancakes hold together. *See note on using an egg substitute.
• Butter, oil, or coconut oil:adds moisture to the texture of these pancakes and a little flavor.

Which Brand of Cassava Flour to Use for Pancakes

Having made these pancakeshundreds of timesover the years with different brands of cassava flour, plus having received lots of reader feedback, I want to stress thatnot all cassava flour brands will work to make pancakes.

Why not you ask? Ascassava flour has grown in popularityand lower quality manufacturers are more abundant,you will find cheaper quality white-labeled brands that do not yield consistent results.

Therefore,if you have any problems with this cassava flour pancake recipe, know that it’s likely the brand of cassava flour you’re using. Other issues that might arise I cover in the success tips below.

These are the recommended cassava flour brands that yield great fluffy pancakes and consistent outcomes in recipes:

• Bob’s Red Mill Cassava Flour
• Otto’s Cassava Flour

How to Make Pancakes with Cassava Flour

The steps to make cassava flour are very similar to making traditional pancakes; however, there are some tips in each step that will help ensure success:

1. Mix the dry ingredients
   Cassava flour is a starch and can get “sticky” so sifting it is a good idea. Measure out the dry ingredients and mix them first to ensure even distribution.
2. Add the wet ingredients
   On top of the dry mix, add the milk, eggs, and melted butter or oil. Use a fork to whisk the eggs first and then slowly incorporate the dry ingredients mixing from the outside of the bowl in until just combined.
3. Let the batter sit
   This is a crucial stepthat ensures the cassava flour absorbs the liquid in the recipe. Not waiting will yield a runny batter, raw or uncooked pancakes. The batter should be thick.Watch the video in this post.
4. Cook the pancakes
   One way to ensure success is to heat your non-stick pan or griddle first over medium-high heat. Once hot, grease it well -with oil or butter. Then pour the pancake batter onto the hot surface and cook the pancakes until the edges look defined and bubbles form. That’s when you’ll know they’reready to be flipped. Then cook them for another minute on the other sidewithout pressing them down with the spatula.
5. Serve
   Stack them high and enjoy warm!

Success Tips for Cassava Flour Pancakes

As mentioned in the steps, while making cassava flour pancakes is simple, there are some tricks to ensure the success of using this type of flour.I recommend you wait 5 to 10 minutes for the batter to absorb the liquid before troubleshooting.Here is how:

Cook 1 test pancake
Before you waste an entire batch, cook one pancake on a hot, greased pan before troubleshooting the batter bowl.

The batter doesn’t “feel” right
Did you wait 5 minutes for the flour to absorb the liquid and achieve the pancake batter consistency? This is an important step that should not be skipped.

Do not press the pancakes with the spatula
After flipping the pancakes, do not press them down to “help them cook.” You’re making them denser, and the batter will ooze out on the sides and remain raw.

How to make them fluffier
There are two possible reasons why your pancakes are not fluffy. The first is because your baking powder might not be active, and the other is because your batter is too thin (see note on this).

To test if your baking powder is active, take a teaspoon of baking powder and put it in 2 ounces of water (about a shot glass) and if it fizzles immediately, it’s active. If it’s slow, it might need to be replaced.

The batter is too thin
If the batter feels runny after waiting 5 to 10 minutes, you can use it to make cassava waffles or add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cassava flour into the bowl, whisk it in to combine, and wait again for it to thicken.

Pancakes are undercooked in the middle
If your pancakes are undercooked in the middle, this is because your heat is too low and were flipped too soonorthe heat is too high and the bottoms turned dark and you flipped them to avoid burning but the heat didn’t penetrate deep enough to cook through the batter. Next batch, turn up the heat or wait for the pan to cool and adjust the heat.

My pancakes burn before they are ready to flip
This is because your heat source is too high and should be lowered. Or, if you’re using butter to grease the pan, the butter browned before you poured the batter on the pan, and it looks burnt. The batter should be poured immediately after greasing the hot pan.

My pancakes are salty
Most fluffy pancake recipes call for a higher level of baking powder (which naturally has a salty taste) plus salt to activate it and melted butter. You can add a tablespoon of sugar or honey to the batter to balance out the saltiness. If your butter is salted, reduce the salt in the recipe in half.

How to Make Eggless Cassava Flour Pancakes

This recipe for cassava flour pancakes requires 2 eggs and will yield the best results with eggs. I’ve tested manyegg substitutes for pancakesand to make this recipe eggless, I recommend using the flax-egg substitute or a commercial egg replacer.

Make a flax egg bycombining 1 tablespoon of ground flax with 3 tablespoons of warm water in a small dish. Wait for the mixture to turn into a gel before adding it to the batter.You’ll need 2 flax eggs for this recipe so 2 tb ground flax + 6 warm water.

Using acommercial egg replacerwill also yield good results. Follow the directions on the package to yield 2 traditional eggs.

When using a substitute for eggs, make the gel-like mixture first. Then, mix it with the milkbeforeadding it to the flour bowl.

Can You Freeze Cassava Flour Pancakes?

You can easilyfreeze these pancakesfor another day. Let them cool down first before freezing them for up to 3 months. Reheat them in the microwave for 1 minute, in the toaster or toaster oven, next time you want to enjoy them.

Can you Make this Pancake Batter Ahead of Time?

You can make paleo pancake batter a day or two ahead of when you need it. Simply follow the recipe, refrigerate the pancake batter covered, and take it out for ten minutes to warm up to room temperature before using it.

Cassava pancake batter out of the fridge will be cold and too thick to cook up great pancakes. Depending on the cassava flour you use, you might need to add a tablespoon of water to the room-temperature batter to give it the consistency needed.

How to Keep Leftover Paleo Pancake Batter

You can refrigerate leftover cassava flour pancake batter for up to two days orfreeze the batterfor up to 3 months in a zip bag or air-tight container. Thaw it overnight or in water for about an hour when you’re ready to make pancakes again.

Healthy Pancake Toppings

These cassava flour pancakes are the foundation forepic toppingslikecinnamon roasted apples, fresh berries, sliced bananas, almond butter, and somestrawberry chia seed jelly.

Another way to top these is by drizzling one of thesepancake syrupsover the top; includingblueberry syrup,strawberry syrup, orcinnamon syrup!