This recipe makes me smile. Out of all of the healthy pancake recipes I have created and tested on my family, this is by far my favorite. It’s light and fluffy – everything you want a pancake to be – and the flavors are beautiful and bright. Blood orange season is always exciting. It’s a glimpse into the warmer, brighter days to come and the taste is a little more special compared to more common varieties. This recipe for gluten free blood orange pancakes showcases their flavor in such a comforting way. After watching my family enjoy this healthy pancake recipe a few times, I decided it was good enough to share.
The ingredients I have been working with lately are clean. I am also trying to be more and more gluten free. I tend to have stomach issues throughout the year, so I would like to see if that lessens as I cut certain things out of my diet. Luckily for me, (and anyone else going through the same thing) there are so many amazing resources, food bloggers and cookbooks out there that cook gluten-free on a regular basis. Below are some of my favorite resources and reads.
My Picks | Gluten Free & Clean Eating Cookbooks
How to Make Gluten Free Pancakes Fluffy
As I mentioned earlier, I have tried quite a few healthy pancake recipes and the texture (in my opinion) is what determines whether or not it’s a winner. I want pancakes to remind me of my childhood. The large, thick, carby pancakes like my parents made. The fluffiness I achieved in this gluten free pancake recipe brought back those memories.
Which Flours to Use for Fluffy Gluten Free Pancakes
Rice flour is gluten free, but is higher in carbohydrates then some other gluten free flours, but is low in fat content. It’s very light and fine, making it a really good choice when you are looking to replace all purpose flour while baking. A small portion of tapioca flour (also gluten free) is added to the dry ingredients. It’s also known to make gluten free baking recipes light and fluffy. I also whip the egg whites with the coconut sugar until they have firm peaks. Using this technique combined with the light flours makes the best gluten free pancake mix. Start with those ingredients as your base, and you can create your own version healthy pancakes.
Using Blood Orange Fruit
Back to the blood oranges. I am in love with their flavor. The color and smell is just what you need to brighten the longer winter months. And I love the fact that you can use the entire fruit as an ingredient is so many dishes. The zest, the juice, the meat, the peal – it all adds that fresh flare you crave in the winter. For this recipe, the juice and zest are incorporated into the batter for that beautiful citrus flavor. Paired with the blood orange juice is a little cardamon to give the batter a little spice. Zest is also a part of the ingredient list to give the pancakes just an extra touch of citrus. My husband, who is not in love with citrus in baked goods, approved (and liked) the flavors – so I think I got it right.
Cooking Essentials for This Recipe
I also felt like this pancake recipe needed a special syrup. Ginger really goes well with the flavor of blood orange, and the pancake is so light, fluffy and fresh I couldn’t help but daydream about incorporating mint somehow as well. So, instead of a traditional maple, I started with agave syrup, added some honey, grated fresh ginger and a spring of mint to a sauce pan. I let the flavors simmer, gave it a taste and was extremely excited about the result. I loved it so much, I incorporated it into another recipe that I will post here soon. The girls and I tested the syrup with the pancakes, and the trial run turned into us eating the entire stack. I’m hoping you find these pancakes and the syrup just as addicting as we did.
When Blood Oranges are in Season
These vitamin C packed fruits are in season from December through May, but the time frame can vary depending on the variety you are buying. You will start to see the Moro variety around the holiday season as they are available from December through March. A little later in the winter months the Tarocco is available starting in January through May.
The Difference Between a Blood Orange and an Orange
Blood oranges can be a little more bitter than a regular orange, but less acidic. The magical part about this citrus fruit is there’s a hint of raspberry flavor in the juice compared to other orange varieties. Spoon University has an article dedicated to this fruit if you want to know more!
Gluten Free Blood Orange Pancakes with Ginger Mint Syrup
A light, fluffy, gluten free pancake recipe flavored with blood orange juice, zest and cardamon for an adult twist to this breakfast comfort food. For added freshness, pair the pancakes with the ginger and mint agave syrup made with no added sugar and clean ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1+1/2 organic baking powder
- 1/4 heaping tsp of ground cardamon
- 2 tbs coconut sugar
- 2 organic eggs
- 1 tbs coconut oil
- 1 cup plant milk (I used almond milk)
- 1 whole blood orange
- 1 tsp vanilla
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup agave syrup
- 3 tbs raw honey
- 1–2 sprigs of mint
- 1 tsp fresh ginger
Instructions
- Separate both eggs whites into a medium mixing bowl and set aside. Add both egg yolks into a large mixing bowl.
- Zest the whole blood orange into the bowl with the egg yolks. Juice the orange and add three tablespoons of the juice to the same bowl. Then add the coconut oil, the plant milk, the vanilla and pinch of salt and gently whisk until completely mixed.
- To a small mixing bowl, add the rice flour, the tapioca flour, the baking powder and the cardamon and whisk to combine the ingredients.
- Add the coconut sugar to a small pinch bowl. Beat the egg whites with an electric hand mixer until they form soft peaks. Slowly sprinkle the coconut sugar while continuing to beat the egg whites until they form firm peaks.
- Add the dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture and whisk until the ingredients come together into a lumpy batter. Gently fold in the egg white mixture until completely mixed.
- Heat a frying pan over low-medium heat. Use a little coconut oil to grease the pan. Once the pan is heated, (the oil will be shimmering), add 1/2 cup of the pancake batter. When the batter starts bubbling, flip to the other side and fry until golden brown.
- While you fry the pancakes, add the agave, honey, mint sprigs and freshly grated ginger to a sauce pan. Bring the ingredients to a boil. Reduce the heat and remove the mint sprigs. Simmer for 10 minutes on low heat until the syrup thickens.
Notes
If you do not have the ingredients or time to make the ginger mint syrup, these pancakes go well with pure maple syrup or top off with fresh berries.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pancake
- Calories: 523
- Sugar: 112.4 g
- Sodium: 254.2 mg
- Fat: 2.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 127.7 g
- Protein: 2.4 g
- Cholesterol: 30.7 mg
