Sorghum Pancakes are a wonderful, light, fluffy breakfast staple. You don't need to be gluten-free to love them! This recipe is also free from dairy, nuts, and (optionally) xanthan gum.
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Simple Pancakes
One Flour
I am excited about these pancakes! Not only are they light, fluffy, and delicious, but being made with only one flour, they're as easy to whip up as any wheat pancake!
Not a Mix
This is not a gluten-free flour mix. This is one single flour! Now, I know I've told you that you can't just substitute one gluten-free flour for wheat flour in a recipe.
It's true that you can't just replace the flour in any recipe with sorghum flour, but it works really well for these pancakes! The flavour is lovely! This recipe was developed specifically for sorghum flour and not for wheat flour.
Gather Your Ingredients
- Sorghum Flour - An excellent gluten-free alternative to wheat, sorghum has a neutral, sometimes sweet flavour and light colour.
- Dairy-Free Milk - Use cashew, almond, coconut, or whatever kind of milk you prefer.
- Xanthan Gum - Used to help hold everything together as gluten does in wheat flour.
- Avocado Oil - A healthful oil that stands up well to heat.
Substitutions
I've been using psyllium husk fiber in place of xanthan gum recently, and I really like the texture it gives. There are health benefits, too. Psyllium husk provides fiber for digestive health. And, you avoid any taste or sticky texture from the gum.
Whisk 1 tablespoon of psyllium husk into the dry flour mixture in place of xanthan gum. Then allow the batter to sit for 15 minutes while you make other meal preparations. Psyllium husk absorbs a lot of moisture, so your runny batter will become thicker.
Easy Pancakes
Whisk the dry ingredients together.
Whisk the egg into the centre.
Add the other ingredients and whisk until smooth. If you're using psyllium husk, allow the batter to sit for 15 minutes to absorb moisture.
Scoop some batter into a hot, oiled pan and spread it out to form a pancake.
When bubbles begin to break the surface, flip the pancake over to cook on the other side.
Hint: Don't be alarmed if your batter seems runny at first. It will thicken up as it sits. Sorghum flour absorbs some moisture, and psyllium husk even more.
Recipes Notes
I make this recipe often for my family and have really come to prefer using psyllium husk over xanthan gum.
The recipe doubles and triples nicely to feed more people. Use the little slider bar that pops up when you hover over the number of servings in the header of the recipe card to adjust quantities.
Expert Tips
To keep the first pancakes warm while you make the rest, lay them out in a shallow layer on a baking pan in a warm (200F/ 93C) oven until you're ready to serve them.
Serving Tips
Sorghum pancakes are perfect with breakfast sausage or bacon and eggs. I love them with butter melted over them. Although they're great with maple syrup, they don't really need it.
Storage Tips
If you have any pancakes left over, seal them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to two or three days.
Freezer Instructions
Freeze pancakes in single layers between parchment paper in an airtight container for up to two or three months.
Variations
Sorghum Pancakes make great blueberry pancakes! They seem hearty and wholesome rather than white and fluffy. Simply stir a handful of blueberries or other berries into the batter before cooking.
Shredded apple makes another nice addition to stir into pancake batter. You could add a sprinkle of cinnamon!
My husband likes raisins in them.
Recipe FAQ's
As I outlined in my article with Gluten-Free Bread that is Easy to Make, sorghum flour is an ancient grain originally from the dry African plains. Also grown in Asia and Central and North America now, sorghum is the fifth most popular cereal crop in the world. The Guardian has called sorghum the 'new wonder grain,' as it's said to be high in protein, fibre, and antioxidants.
If you want to replace wheat flour with sorghum flour for baking, you'll need a binder to hold your food together and keep it from crumbling. That might be xanthan or guar gum, egg whites, unflavoured gelatin, psyllium husk, or cornstarch. Any good recipe that's been developed to be gluten-free will have taken this into account.
Here are some more sorghum recipes for you to try:
- Gluten-Free Bread That is Easy to Make
- Sweet Potato Bread with Pecans
- Dutch Windmill Cookies
- Fruit Cocktail Cake
- Simple, Crusty Artisanal Bread
Recipe
Sorghum Pancakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup sorghum flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum OR 1 tablespoon psyllium husks
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil (plus a little more for pan)
- 1 ¼ cup dairy free milk (use coconut milk from the carton for nut free)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, xanthan gum or psyllium husk, and salt.
- Add the egg to the flour mixture. Whisk it into the centre of the dry mixture enough to break it up.
- Whisk in the oil and milk. The batter will thicken as it sits.
- If you're using psyllium husks instead of xanthan gum, allow the batter to sit for 15 minutes to absorb moisture.
- Heat a nonstick skillet (I like cast iron.) or griddle to medium heat. Coat it very lightly with avocado oil.
- Scoop some batter onto the hot surface, spreading it out to flatten it. Cook each pancake until bubbles start to break the surface. Flip over and finish cooking on the second side.
- Serve pancakes warm.
Victoria says
Hi Cathy, a really great recipe, and I made a few changes. I didn't have xanthan gum or psyllium husk so I added cornstarch instead, one flax egg, less water, pieces of dry dates and walnuts and I ended up with a really light fluffy pancake, slightly crumbly, crumbly doesn't matter to me because my goal is always a light fluffy pancake. I have bookmark this for future use!
Cathy Brak says
I'm so glad that you liked the recipe, Victoria! Yes, gluten-free pancakes would be crumbly without xanthan gum or psyllium husk. I'm glad you don't mind. Dates and walnuts would be great additions! Thank you for the lovely review.
Kimberly Brenneman says
Used coconut milk from aldi ans xanthan gum. These were our fav pancakes yet including the wheat variety. Finally found an easy go to. I did add a bit of sugar to mine bc i happened to have some packets of raw cane sugar. I used one. Don’t know if it was necessary but I liked the outcome.
Cathy Brak says
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the pancakes! Thank you for the recommendation!
Kim says
Cathy i am reacting to xanthan gum i believe and my MIL is allergic to psyllium. Is there any other substitute that you recommend?
Cathy Brak says
I’m sorry to hear that. Guar gum in an equal amount to xanthan gum should work fine in the recipe. I hope that you’ll be able to tolerate it.
kate says
I let my pancakes sit after adding psyllium but still turned out very flat.
Cathy Brak says
I’m sorry your pancakes didn’t rise up as expected and puzzled as to the reason. Did you use a full tablespoon of baking powder? It’s the ingredient that makes the dough rise. Of course, it’s important that the flour and milk are measured exactly, too.
A says
I think these are great addition to my recipes! Can they be made into muffins?
Cathy Brak says
I'm so glad that you like the pancakes! I have not tried making them into muffins. My gluten free muffin book is full of muffin recipes that I have developed and tested. There's a link for it just above the recipe in this page. 😊
Allison and Neil says
I blended in a banana and added a bit of cinnamon to kick up the sweetness. We made ours using psyllium instead of xanthan. They were hearty and delightful. Thank you for the recipe!
Cathy Brak says
Thank you for sharing your modification with me. That sounds great!
Tonya says
My husband and I enjoyed this recipe. I made fresh sorghum syrup last night along with me grinding my own sorghum grain. It was a winner in our book!
Cathy Brak says
Thank you for letting me know that you enjoyed the recipe! Good for you grinding your own grain and making syrup! You must be a true sorghum fan.