Vegan Gluten-free Corn Flour Pancakes! These are incredibly soft and tender and taste like a super soft cornbread. They are made without any eggs, are oil-free and dairy-free and just 6 ingredients!
Sometimes miracles do happen. Pancake miracles. Okay, a bit dramatic, but seriously I didn’t think it was possible to make low-fat pancakes be delicious and also be vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and oil-free. And only require 6 ingredients! All of the above! I’m also sharing 3 flavor combos today with you. And get this, my husband loves these above all my other pancake recipes??! He really liked the flavor and amazing soft texture that these have.
Now, are these as rich as my Life Changing Pancakes? Or as fluffy as these Best Vegan Fluffy Pancakes? No, of course not, duh. I mean, instead of 15 g fat per pancake, these are just about 3 g fat! That’s a huge difference. And while they are not as rich, they are still soooo close and delicious.
With these low-fat pancakes, you will have plenty of room to stuff your face with my recipe post from earlier this week, did you catch the Smoky Jalapeno Black Bean Dip?
Knowing that a large amount of my readers are following a low-fat diet or need nut-free recipes, I knew they, and I, would love some low-fat pancakes to enjoy on the weekends.
HOW DO YOU MAKE FLUFFY VEGAN PANCAKES?
The “miraculous” flour? So, I used a flour not what you’d expect to see in a pancake recipe, corn flour. Not to be confused with cornmeal or cornstarch. I had some leftover corn flour sitting in my pantry from when I made my Hushpuppies and after a muffin recipe didn’t work out, I decided to see what would happen with them as pancakes. I was utterly shocked. The corn flour gave a naturally mild, sweet flavor to them and made them SO SOFT.
This is not the same taste/texture as you’d get from coarse cornmeal pancakes/waffles. These are super soft and tender. I switched up my starches too. I normally use my go-to potato starch, as in my other pancake recipes, but since these corn flour pancakes have such little fat in them, the potato starch made them too dry. Potato starch works better in recipes that have a lot of moisture/fat in them. Of course I had to try these in different flavors, cinnamon was my favorite. Or, maybe tied with the chocolate chip ones. The cinnamon pancakes were quite delicious with some chai tea. You can make regular, cinnamon, chocolate chip or blueberry or extra vanilla. Really, it’s the perfect basic pancake recipe to add anything you want or just enjoy them as is with some maple syrup.
I love that these are fluffy too. I cannot stand paper thin pancakes. That is what crepes are for.
VEGAN PANCAKES MADE WITH CORN FLOUR
Would you look how soft and fluffy the insides are too?
So, these pancakes are easy to make and should basically fit the majority of allergies out there. They are vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, nut-free and low-fat and definitely kid-friendly.
Vegan Gluten-Free Corn Flour Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons Bob's Red Mill corn FLOUR (not the same as cornmeal or cornstarch. I highly recommend to use Bob's Red Mill here)
- 3 tablespoons (22g) arrowroot (I tested these with 3 different starches, arrowroot yielded the best result)
- 2 teaspoons aluminum-free double-acting baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4-1 cup lite canned coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
OPTIONAL FLAVORS
- Chocolate chip: add 1/4 cup chocolate chips
- Blueberry: add 1/4-1/2 cup fresh blueberries
- Cinnamon: add 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
NOTE
- These pancakes have a very mild cornmeal type of flavor to them, which I LOVE, so expect that. The wet batter tastes stronger than the cooked pancake, so don't be alarmed. Corn flour is very finely ground like all-purpose flour, it's not cornmeal and not the same as cornstarch. Corn flour is what cornstarch is called in England, so please click the link above to see exactly the product I used. Also, Bob's Red Mill corn flour is gluten-free naturally, but is processed in a wheat facility, so if you need a certified gluten-free corn flour, search for that online. Different corn flour brands vary in the batter thickness, so note the milk measurement.
Instructions
- These are delicious with maple syrup on top. Since these are really low-fat, they are super soft and light, but not as rich as the fat-filled ones (obviously), so they are just perfect with maple syrup and some fruit. Enjoy!
- Combine the corn flour, arrowroot, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and whisk really well to make sure there are no lumps remaining from the starch.
In a separate small bowl, combine the milk, syrup and vanilla and stir. Start out with 3/4 cup milk and add more as needed. You want a fairly thick, but smooth batter. This is what will produce thick, fluffy pancakes like in the pics. If your batter is too runny, it will produce thin pancakes. Slowly pour over the dry ingredients, whisking it in slowly until the batter is completely smooth.
Let the batter sit for 15 minutes while you heat up the pan. This will give time for the baking powder to react with the liquid and also soak up the starch. This is what yields fluffy pancakes.
Add a nonstick pan over medium-low heat.
Spray the pan with nonstick spray and pour a 1/4 cup of batter on the pan, it should naturally form a round shape. You should hear a sizzle, that's how you know it's hot enough. Let the pancakes cook about 3 minutes or more, looking for the top to have a dry look and the edges look dry and small bubbles forming. Flip over and cook the other side for just about a minute. If you find they are cooking too fast, just slightly turn down the heat.
- Note: These are very tender upon just coming off the pan, so give them a few minutes before eating so they firm up. They firm up a lot more after they've sat several minutes.
Corn flour!?! I was totally not expecting that! I have my own low fat pancake recipe, but I absolutely want to try yours now just to experience that unique taste and texture from the corn flour! And I’m totally with ya’, super thick and super fluffy is mandatory for pancakes!!! One big stack of blueberry ones for me 🙂
Thank you so much Natalie!! I know, it’s odd, but after my Baked Hushpuppies were such a success using cornflour, I knew I had been wanting to use it in more things and I was sooo shocked at the result, let me tell you! It makes them so dang soft and tender, just like all purpose pancakes. The fact that it only takes 5 mins to whip up the batter is an added bonus! Yes, fluffy please!
Pancakes are the light of my life <3
Wow those look absolutely stunning and beautiful, Brandi! From holding the jug to the tower of pancakes. I just need a staple of those in my life! 🙂 Love that you offer 3 flavor options so creative and versatile. You never get bored.
Awww thank you so much Florian for such kind words on the pancake photos, you are the best! Thank you! I did SO many trials on these pancakes and figured everybody would want some flavor options as well, so I tested those too 🙂
I do believe in miracles — absolutely loving this pancake miracle. Stunning and delicious. It’s hard to believe, they are low-fat and also be vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and oil-free. WOW! Count me in! 🙂
You are so sweet Anu, thank you so much for the compliment on them! It’s very hard to believe, I couldn’t believe it myself but they are my new favorite and they are so much faster and easier to make than my other pancake recipes too!
I love corn flour in baked goods but I’ve never thought to use it in pancakes. The cinnamon stack is calling my name. So much yum!
Yes, I do! That’s how this idea hit me because they worked so amazing in my Baked Hushpuppies. Most hushpuppy recipes call for cornmeal but I used cornflour instead and was so impressed that I knew I wanted to use it again. I’m already working on a dessert using it now. It’s WORLDS different than cornmeal. Thanks so much Nissrine!
These look amazing, Brandi! I love that you’re using coconut milk! And as always your pictures are so stunning!
Thank you so much Sina! So sweet of you to say that! Oh and yes, I use lite coconut milk for pretty much all my recipes. I love how it’s flavorless and works perfectly in any recipe 🙂
How did you know I was just asking my friends for a good pancake recipe? AND it’s gluten free!?!? Well why don’t you just keep doing all the work for me 😉
Hahaha didn’t you know I’ m psychic?!
Breakfast speaks to me like no other meal. These are beautiful, Brandi!
Thank you so much sweet Annie!
I got really excited when I saw these but I hate to say it-im intolerant to corn in every form. Is there any substitute you could suggest at all?
Sorry Daniel! I’ve addressed nearly every allergy with these but unfortunately I know a few still can’t have corn. I have only tested these with corn flour, since I chose that as the main ingredient. If you are intolerant to corn, I would suggest trying one of my other pancake recipes as none of them have corn. Do they have to be low-fat? Because if they don’t then any of these are delicious: https://thevegan8.com/pancakes/
You can never go wrong with simple and healthy pancakes like these!
I’m going to start calling you the pancake queen!! Wow! I can’t get over how fluffy they are…and that maple syrup shot…I’m dying. Never would have guessed corn flour! I’m also surprised that this is oat free, too! Looks like a great recipe and I love that you included the flavor variations…they all sound delicious!!
Awww thank you so much Mandy! You are too sweet! So glad you like that shot! Yes, I would never thought corn flour would work so well, but it’s superfine like all purpose flour, so it worked wonderful in these combined with starch! Yeah, I have several readers who can’t do oats either, so I wanted this one oat-free. They turned out so incredibly soft, we just love them and Olivia is one happy little girl! Ha!
I love how being healthy doesn’t have to mean that much work. 6 ingredients and this breakfast looks fantastic and good for you too!
You’re KILLING me with those pour shots! Actually, you’re killing me with these pancakes in general. They look phenomenal, and I honestly never would have guessed they’re made with corn flour and arrowroot. I’m thinking that pancakes for dinner might have to be a thing tonight…
Awww thanks so much girl! So glad you love the photos! Yeah, I was just as surprised that it worked too, lol! But the starch and corn flour really turned out so amazing!
this is my kinda weekend breakfast right here! this looks wonderful 😉 and even better its GF!!! I love when I can cut gluten wherever possible! definitely must try these!!!
Thank you so much Michele!
What scrumptious looking pancakes! I’m so happy to see gluten-free pancakes that don’t call for 5 different types of flours. Gorgeous pictures as always 🙂
Thank you so much Vanessa! I know right? Every one I ever see is 4-5 different flours just for the gluten-free blend alone! And, the ones I try like that don’t even taste that good. Simple sometimes is best!
Yup corn flour is awesome!!!! I use it with great success in my pancakes. Love your photos! I just wanna jump into my screen and eat those yummy pancakes.
Thank you, so sweet of you to say that! Yes, I am amazed that my first muffin attempt ended up turning into a miracle pancake, lol! Sometimes failures turn into successes. The combo of corn flour and arrowroot gave such incredibly fluffy all-purpose like pancakes!
Gorgeous!! I would be super happy to wake up to a big stack of these babies!!
Thank you so much Jenn!
These pancakes look so light, fluffy and delicious Brandi! They are perfect! Love the addition of chocolate chips too – they sound so dreamy! I definitely need to make them this weekend. Yum!
I made these this morning, added cinnamon and raisins…..they do mix up easily and cook quickly! I still like the other pecan meal/sweet potato pancakes….more heft and no need for syrup! But these were good…..my spouse didn’t get to try them, I think he’ll like their fluffiness!
Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them Lisa, thank you so much for the feedback! I agree, those Life Changing Pancakes are called that for a reason, haha! They are my favorite pancakes in the world, which is why I was surprised my hubby preferred these corn flour ones! The sweet potatoes ones you are right, are so rich on their own they don’t need syrup but they are also 5 times as much fat, so these are much more doable and for those needing low-fat. You should try them with chocolate chips too if you like those 🙂
You know that I’ve yet to find a gluten-free pancake recipe that actually doesn’t turn out like a disc of glue. These look really fluffy and light. I think my husband and I are going to have to try these this weekend. 🙂
I promise, no glue with these Linda! They are totally cooked through and so soft. I must have made 10 batches of them already! Let me know if you try them! They are a tad less rich than traditional with oil/butter, but I think they are pretty darn close and super healthy 🙂
Now I am craving pancakes
So I’m going to go ahead and place a double stacked order for breakfast…mmmkay??? LOL! I love you and all your pancakes!!
Haha, big stack coming right up!
THESE ARE SO DARN FLUFFY!!!! 🙂 Love the rustic look to them too girl!! I am SUCH a huge fan of corn flour fan – the idea of using it in pancakes it just absolutely genius! Can’t wait to try these!
And lovely photos too – you know how much of a cinammon fan I am ! Love those sticks on top!
Aww thanks my friend, so glad you love these! It was just a spur of the moment decision that turned into success, lol! Sometimes other failures work out into a new success. I made SO many pancakes, so I wanted to share a couple of different shots of the flavors. I definitely loved the cinnamon ones, so good! Can’t wait to use this flour more!
Amazing looking pancakes and great photos! I love your explanation of corn flour. Being English, when I moved to Canada I was so confused with all the different flours. I’ve got the hang of it now but it’s not easy and people must use the wrong ones all the time when the recipe doesn’t state the differences, then wonder why they don’t work. Why can’t we all call everything the same? It would make life much easier!
Thank you so very much! So glad the explanation helped…I want people to have success, so I know they can be confusing, so I try to explain the difference and I have seen specifically people state that cornstarch is called corn flour in England, so I knew I better state that and link to the exact kind I used!
Wow these healthy pancakes are so fluffy, perfect breakfast!
Thank you Michelle!
LOVE all the pictures Brandi!!! Your styling was right on point. The pancakes look great! Once I finish a few of the different flours I have in my pantry, I’ll definitely have to try the cornflour! I’m in the need to clear-out some of my pantry mode right now ha! My brother would love this recipe!
Aww thanks so much Anjali for the photo compliments, I really appreciate it!! We really enjoyed them. They are light and don’t leave you feeling heavy since they are so low-fat, so you can eat a lot more, haha!
I did a new pancake undertaking today, veeeery similar to these ones!! Actually I used this recipe as a base. And they were really really good 😀
Thanks so much, Brandi! Finally the vegan pancake mystery is solved!
Awwww yay! So happy to hear these helped out so much, I know we’ve talked a bit about solving the vegan/gluten-free pancake mystery, haha! Can’t wait to see your recipe whenever you post it! 🙂
These look gorgeous!! Alas in the UK, ‘corn starch’ is called ‘corn flour’ – I’m not sure how to make sure I get the right kind of corn flour (that isn’t just corn starch under the UK name)! Will have to investigate 😉
Just look at the contents…it should be finely ground and yellow, not white starchy stuff 🙂
I haven’t had pancakes in so long, and yours look so fluffy and delicious I have to try them! I got lost in yumminess looking at your pics too. 🙂
Aww thanks so much, so kind of you!
These look absolutely perfect, Brandi! I love your miracle pancakes 🙂 Light and fluffy and delicious as they should be.
Thank you so much Audrey!
You have a holy grail here, amazing recipe and suitable for almost everyone. I’ll have to look into arrowroot, I’ve been seeing it around more and more lately.
You are so sweet Mary, thank you so much for your kind words! I tried it with both potato starch (too dry!) and tapioca (tad too gummy) and the arrowroot was the winner!
THESE WORK! These are the least “fussy” vegan pancakes and they turned out just like your pictures. Thank you for a perfect vegan pancake recipe. You’ve made it easier to feed my family vegan 🙂
Wow, thank you so much for such wonderful feedback Andrea! I’m so happy to hear these were the easiest pancakes and such a hit for you, thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂
When I see “gluten free” or “fat free” I usually run. But Brandi, I trust you… tearing myself away from your recipe for Life Changing Pancakes (one of my all time favorite recipes!), I wanted to try a lighter pancake so I made this recipe. I loved it!!! I love the interesting and yummy taste of the corn flour, and with blueberries, Earth Balance, and syrup– mmm. mmm. So good. It also made a LOT. I love that. I made all 6, large pancakes, ate 3 and saved the others for later (which held up remarkably well). Thanks for the great recipe!
I’m so happy that you loved these pancakes so much Liz! I know they are a much lighter (less indulgent, haha) pancake recipe than the Life Changing ones….but when they are 5 times less fattening, yet still delicious, it’s a total win! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your review on here and sharing your beautiful photo on IG, I will definitely be sharing it. Thanks again!
I just made these pancakes substituting one cup of unsweetened soy milk (whole foods 365 brand) for the coconut milk since I have a tree nut and coconut allergy. I left everything else the same in the recipe and made sure to still let the batter sit for 15 minutes. They turned out absolutely amazing!!! I was missing pancakes so much and wondering how I would live life without them and these aren’t just flat, sad pancakes. They are fluffy and delicious!!! Thank you so much! ❤️
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear this Rebecca!! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback and I’m so glad that soy milk worked perfectly with these and I agree, flat dense pancakes are a big no around here, pancakes should be fluffy! Thank you so much for leaving your review!
Stumbled onto your site through some instagram tags and this is just what I’ve been looking for! One question, did you use arrowroot starch flour like the one Bob’s Mill makes or arrowroot powder? Is flour and powder the same? Thank you~
Yes, they are the same! 🙂 Let me know after you try them! You can use Bob’s Mill.
These were PERFECT!!!! So fluffy, wonderful texture and amazing flavor! Thanks to you, I’m now a huge fan of corn flour – I’ve only ever worked with corn meal. I was so impressed with how “smooth” these were, no grit, just pure fluffy deliciousness! As you already know, we added the chocolate chips and they really did taste like a cookie, but with much less guilt! I ate three of them (no shame). Ha! I’m definitely making these again very soon!!! Awesome recipe, friend!
Brandi, I am so sorry to say that these were a fail in my house this morning. I absolutely love, love, love all your recipes, but, these turned out too dense for our liking. I did use soy milk and I wonder if that was the problem? I also let my batters sit overnight so that I can make my kids’ pancakes on school mornings so maybe that was what happened? Not sure, but, I think I’ll stick to the one pancake recipe I know we love from now on. So sorry! You’re still my favorite!
Hi Lisa! Oh no! Well, that is because you left the batter to sit overnight! I’ve only noted to let the batter sit 15 minutes. Letting it sit over night will make the corn flour soak up every bit of liquid and will most definitely make the pancakes too dense. These are extremely light and fluffy and soft and the batter is meant to be used right away 🙂 You can see the reviews above have all had success, so please give them a try again. One reader even used soy milk, so I don’t think that was the problem, although I don’t use soy, it shouldn’t ruin the recipe, that reader loved them with the soy milk! Try them again using the batter as noted! Thank you so much Lisa!
Thank you so much, Brandi! I should have known that was what did it. I will definitely try them again this weekend. I am sure we will love them b/c we love all of your recipes and I’ve never had one that didn’t work out and that we didn’t love. Thanks so much for your quick reply.
Thank you so much Lisa for such kind words! I really appreciate it! I want you to have success with the recipe and enjoy it, so definitely try them again and let me know 🙂
I heard from Estee you tried them again and loves them!! Was so happy to hear that!!
We are trying the Forks Over Knives way and was curious what non-stick spray to you use? I’m not a fan of the non-stick pans but having a hard time with things like pancakes and not sticking with no oil in pan….
Thank you for the beautiful recipes and photographs.
Hi Angela! I just use either the coconut oil nonstick spray or the one that is just an avocado oil spray. I agree, pancakes stick unless I use a nonstick spray, which is the only time I use one.
These were totally amazeballs! Different from your standard pancake, mine were a bit crispy on the outside (too much spray heh), with a light & soft interior. The cornflour gave it an almost cream-like flavour! Reminds me of a traditional malay cake that my grandma makes, called kuih bakar. An easy recipe that’s definitely a keeper. Thank you, Brandi!
I’m so so happy to hear that Ryza! Your pic on Instagram was absolutely stunning of these pancakes! Thank you so much for making them and leaving your awesome feedback!
Just made these this morning and they were so yummy! How do you get yours so thick!? Mine were really thin :/
I’m so glad you loved them! Hmm, that’s odd, I make them each weekend and they are always fluffy. Did you use a different corn flour other than Bob’s Red Mill? I purchased another corn flour one time (Hodgson Mill) and noticed my mixture was more thin, so I’m guessing it varies by brand. I will note to use between 3/4-1 cup milk.
As you know, I’m addicted to all your sweet recipes. I had to tear myself away from the Life Changing Pancakes to try this one, since I shouldn’t be indulging ALL the time! These were great! All your pancake recipes are so different, they really offer options for texture and sweetness level. I appreciate that so much– I was very happy with the easiness and outcome of these!
So happy to hear you enjoyed these Liz! I know they are not as indulgent as the Life Changing ones, lol! But a nice much lower-fat version to enjoy more often for sure, with less guilt. Thank you so much for the feedback!
Those are my hands down favorites! My girls call them cuddle cakes and we limit them to birthdays and Christmas! Although we just tried the chocolate waffles with her sauce and those may go into birthday rotation.
That is so awesome to hear Elyse! So glad these are such a favorite, thank you so much! Would you mind star rating the recipe next time, I’d really appreciate it, thank you!
So I think it’s entirely possible I may have used masa instead of corn flour….
They don’t taste of lime at all though so I think I’ll be able to squeak them by. Must. Label. Mason jars.
Brandi, these are so good! So thick and fluffy. And I love that you include weights for ingredients in most of your recipes. I can’t believe how inaccurate my measurements were before I started using a scale. I was surprised these are as sweet as they are with such a little amount of sugar added. I used lite coconut milk and I guess that combined with the corn flour makes them sweet. I’m sure I’ll be making these again!