Blueberry Toasted Pecan Pancakes – Light, Fluffy & Gluten-Free
By golly, I did it! And now you, too, can make these light, fluffy and very tasty gluten-free Blueberry Toasted Pecan Pancakes. Just last week I shared my disappointment with you. Replacing the whole wheat flour with a very high-end gluten-free flour mix made pancakes so awful
that we actually threw out the second batch. Although I wanted to have a gluten-free recipe for you this week, I was wary of making the pancakes again. Yesterday morning, I overcame my fear and went for it.
A second birthday celebration
After taking a bite of the pancakes, my dear husband said “It feels like we’re celebrating my birthday again.” He had asked for these pancakes with Chunky Applesauce for his birthday brunch. Yay, we now we have a gluten-free recipe for future birthdays as well.
Oat flour, the secret ingredient
Okay, it’s not really a “secret” ingredient. Though, oat flour is the ingredient that made the difference. All it took to make Blueberry Toasted Pecan Pancakes 
gluten-free was replacing the whole wheat flour with a tad more oat flour. And, to make oat flour, just swirl old-fashioned rolled oats in a blender until finely ground.
Oats gluten-free?
Oats do not contain gluten. Naturally gluten-free oats are unrelated to the gluten-containing grains. The controversy over oats has to do with their becoming contaminated with gluten when processed in facilities that also process wheat, barley and rye. Therefore, look for uncontaminated rolled oats for a truly gluten-free alternative.
A Pancake tip
Many years ago while helping perfect a pancake recipe for a restaurant near Yellowstone Park, I discovered something important about pancakes. Wait a minute or two or three before tasting just cooked pancakes. After a short sit, pancakes lose any gumminess. Plus even their taste improves. You’ll be glad you waited.
- Heat the oven to 170 degrees before you begin cooking the pancakes.
- Place a cookie sheet in the oven.
- As the pancakes are cooked, transfer them to the cookie sheet in a single layer.
- Serve everyone at once, beginning with the first cooked pancakes.
Blueberry Toasted Pecan Pancakes
Light, fluffy, gluten-free pancakes with lots of toasted pecans and blueberries. Oat flour makes a terrific gluten-free substitute for whole wheat pastry flour. Replace the butter with coconut oil for dairy-free as well. Enjoy Blueberry Toasted Pecan Pancakes with Chunky Applesauce or butter and real maple syrup.
Makes 9-10 four-inch pancakes Printer-Friendly Recipe
Active time 15 minutes
Total time 35-40 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup pecan halves
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons rice milk or other milk alternative
1 3/8 cups oat flour*
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ rounded teaspoon sea salt
1 large egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 ¼ cup frozen blueberries
Preparation
Toast the pecans in a 350 degree oven for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven. Lower the temperature to 170 degrees. Place an empty cookie sheet in the oven.- When the pecans are cool, finely chop them in a food processor. Set aside.
- Combine the rice milk with the vinegar. Let sit for at least 5 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together the oat flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and finely chopped pecans.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the rice milk/vinegar mixture, egg and melted butter.
- Stir the frozen blueberries into the flour mixture. Make a well in the center. Stir in the wet ingredients. Mix just until the batter is combined. The batter is thin, though it will thicken slightly as it sits.
- Heat a non-stick griddle or large sauté pan over moderate heat. When drops of water sizzle and dance on its surface, it’s hot enough for cooking the pancakes.
- Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to drop the batter onto the hot pan. Cook the pancakes 3-4 minutes until bubbles cover the surface and the bottoms are deeply browned.
- Use a wide spatula to turn the pancakes over. Cook 2-3 minutes on this side until deeply browned.
- Transfer the pancakes as they’re cooked to the cookie sheet in the oven.
- Serve Blueberry Toasted Pecan Pancakes with Chunky Applesauce or a pat of butter and pure maple syrup.
*Oat flour is quick and easy to make. In this case, place 1½ cups of old-fashioned rolled oats in a blender and blend till you have a finely ground flour.