The gluten free household faces unique challenges. Even though gluten-free products have become more mainstream, they still cost between 2 to 10 times more than conventional alternatives. And even at those hefty prices, gluten free products like pancake mixes are rarely organic.

Until recently, cooking was all but a lost art. For those who wish to take back our health and save money on eating out, cooking from scratch is becoming more popular than ever.

A truly healthy diet consists of 80% or more fresh, raw, organic produce – more vegetables than fruits. (Check out the 80% Raw Food Diet for more information.) But for those of us who are foodies, this still leaves a little wiggle room for variety. Although anything made with sugar should not be a staple in our diet, no one should be forced to live life without pancakes. Even if gluten doesn’t bother you, this recipe should prove far superior to any other pancake recipe, and it even forms a complete protein!

Whenever possible, buy organic. In the case of cornstarch, always buy organic to avoid GMO corn products.

You Will Need

• Organic Rice Flour (brown or white)
• Organic Corn Starch
• Tapioca Flour
• Garbanzo Bean Flour (aka Chickpea Flour)
• Aluminum Free Baking Soda
• Aluminum Free Baking Powder
• Gelatin or Organic Xanthan Gum
• Sea Salt
• Organic Maple Sugar
• Fruit (optional)
• Eggs or Egg Replacer
• Butter or Spread (Cow, Goat, or Earth Balance)
• Buttermilk, Kefir or Yogurt (Cow, Goat, or Coconut)
• Honey or Maple Syrup
• Organic Vanilla Extract
• Optional toppings include up to 2 Cups Fresh Fruit (Blueberries, Strawberries, Bananas and Cherries are all popular choices, but any fruit you like will do) and Whipped Cream.

Dry Pancake Mix (Makes 3 Batches)

First mix up a batch of dry pancake mix. Feel free to double or triple this recipe. Keep what is left over in a closed jar in your pantry for later use. The mix tastes best when used within 3-6 months.

• 3 ½ Cups of Rice Flour
• ½ Cup of Corn Starch
• 1 Cup Garbanzo Bean Flour
• 1 Cup Tapioca Flour
• 1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Soda
• 3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Xanthun Gum or Gelatin
• 3 Tablespoons Maple Sugar

Pancakes (Yields about 12 pancakes)

• 2 Cups of Dry Pancake Mix (see above)
• 2 Eggs or Egg Replacer
• 2 Cups Milk
• 4 Tablespoons Melted Butter (or Spread)
• 1Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir with a whisk, or you can put the dry ingredients in a closed container and shake a few times.

Preheat your pan or griddle (we prefer cast-iron, and we advise against Teflon).

Whisk the eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients and mix until well combined. (It can still have some lumps).

Add a small amount of butter, or cooking oil to the pan. If it sizzles, it’s ready. We like avocado oil, rice bran oil, peanut oil, or coconut oil. (For this purpose olive oil is a poor choice due to its low smoke point; it burns too easily)

Using a ladle, pour the pancake batter onto the griddle or large pan. Within 2-3 minutes, bubbles will form around the edges of the pancake. Gently slide a spatula beneath the pancake and carefully flip. (The cooked side should be golden brown.) After another minute or two your pancakes will be ready. If not served immediately, pancakes can be kept warm for up to 30 minutes when covered and held in a 200-degree, preheated oven.

Recommended Reading:

• Powerfully Healing Raspberry Cream Smoothie Recipe
• No More Gluten – How I Found Health After MS
• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases

Coconut has been traditionally cultivated for its raw coconut meat, oil, milk, water, and most recently for its flour. The Philippines is now the largest coconut producing country and was first to produce flour as a byproduct from its production of coconut milk (1, 2). The growing demand for the use of natural, non-toxic plants as medicinal aids to prevent and treat illness has highlighted the various health benefits of consuming coconut products.

Many researchers now recommend the addition of coconut flour to supplement any healthy diet because of its many benefits including antibacterial and antifungal properties. Whether you are on a strict paleo diet, seeking an allergy free flour source, or you simply desire to stimulate your digestive and immune system, coconut flour is an excellent addition to your meals and a pantry staple.

What is Coconut Flour?

Producers of coconut flour originally sold the nutritious coconut milk byproduct to farmers in the form of coconut meal. Farmers understood that coconut meal was an excellent source of organic fertilizer and animal feed supplement. In the past few decades, as more research emerged supporting the numerous health benefits of coconut flour, human consumption of the valuable superfood also increased. (3)

Coconut flour is derived from grating the meat of fresh coconuts. The meat is then dehydrated and defatted which means the oil is extracted. The result is a fine powder that looks and feels similar to wheat or grain flours. The most pure and organic form may even fool a seasoned foodie because of its lack of coconut flavor. (3, 4)

Coconut Flour is Gluten-Free

Coconut flour has different health benefits than those of other coconut products such as the oil for instance and it offers a great alternative to conventional flour. Considered a functional food, coconut flour exhibits properties that significantly benefit health and is a valuable source of nutrition (1). This functional food is a great source of dietary fiber, is high in protein, does not contain gluten and has a low glycemic index (GI) (5).

Coconut flour is especially recommended for those with inflammatory issues that result when wheat or gluten is consumed. Coconut flour is safe for consumption in individuals with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, leaky gut syndrome, as well as those with diabetes.

Advice on How to Use Coconut Flour

Despite the fact that coconut flour may look, feel, and perhaps even smell like conventional refined flours, coconut flour can be frustrating and costly to cook with without some guidance. Don’t forget Dr. Fife’s description that coconut flour is like a sponge and cooking with such an absorbent food provides its own challenges to be overcome.

A few tips follow on how to achieve success in substituting 100% coconut flour in recipes for wheat flour:

1)  Use as a Thickening Agent:  Due to the high absorbency, coconut flour is an excellent thickening agent for soups, stews, and even smoothies. For this reason, it is also recommended to store coconut flour in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer to avoid moisture clumps.

2)  Experiment to Find What You Want:  In general, for every one cup of traditional flour you only need approximately 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of coconut flour.  You may like it with a little more or less flour so try experimenting to see what gives you the desired texture you love.

3)  Binding Ingredients:  Recipes commonly include an additional protein source such as extra eggs or hemp powder to make up for the binding properties that gluten normally would provide. Flax seed is also an excellent binder and contributes it own health benefits to your coconut flour recipe.

Great Coconut Flour Recipes

Do you enjoy, cookies, pizza, bread, blueberry muffins, and donuts?  Try making them with coconut flour next time.  Some of my favorite coconut flour recipes include the following:

• Coconut Flour Cookie Dough Bites
• Coconut Flour Pizza Crust
• Coconut Flour Bread
• Coconut Flour Donuts
• Coconut Blueberry Muffins

Sources:

• Dietary fiber from coconut flour: A functional food – Science Direct
• Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.: Arecaceae): In health promotion and disease prevention – ScienceDirect
• Gluten Intolerance, Digestive Function, and Coconut Flour – Coconut Research Center
• Dr. Bruce Fife says, “Go Cuckoo for Coconuts” – The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore! !
• Glycemic Index of Coconut Flour Products in Normal and Diabetic Subjects – Food and Nutrition Research Institute