These Paleo Cassava Flour Pancakes are a perfect recipe for when you want a simple but healthy breakfast without having to use many ingredients. This recipe is naturally Vegan, Oil-Free, Gluten-Free, and Grain-Free.
Also, try my Cassava Flour Crepes.
These paleo pancakes will be your new favorite breakfast or brunch! Healthy, light, and versatile, these pancakes are easy to make and ready with just 6 ingredients!
While most cassava flour pancake recipes call for eggs, this one is naturally vegan and egg-free. Top them with fresh berries and a dash of maple syrup to take them to the next level!
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What is Cassava Flour?
Cassava is a tuberous root grown in South America. It is valued for its complex carbohydrates.
Although Cassava is relatively new to the US, it has been wildly used in developing countries and is a staple ingredient in cooking.
To make Cassava flour, farmers grate the roots pressing the moisture out of them. Then, they dry the pulp and grate it into flour.
Cassava flour is rich in starch and has some amount of vitamins. For people with gluten sensitivity or who follow the Paleo diet, Cassava flour is one of the best ingredients for cooking and baking, alongside coconut flour and almond flour.
Ingredients
Here's an overview of the specific ingredients for this recipe. For the exact ingredients and measurements, please scroll to the recipe card below.
- Cassava flour. Sometimes different brands of cassava flour can give different results, so I suggest using Otto's Cassava Flour. This was the flour that I used to test this recipe.
- Nut butter. I used almond butter. However, you can swap it for peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, or even coconut oil if you have neither of those. If you want to make this recipe nut-free, use sunflower seed butter.
- Almond milk. To make these cassava flour pancakes dairy-free we're using almond milk, but coconut milk or oat milk work as well.
- Apple Cider Vinegar. You'll need 2 teaspoons to make vegan "buttermilk".
- Vanilla extract. It's optional, but I do like to add a teaspoon to the batter for flavor.
🔪How to Make Cassava Flour Pancakes
- Mix almond milk and apple cider vinegar. This will help to make the pancakes fluffier. Leave the mixture for 10 minutes.
- Mix dry ingredients. Add cassava flour, baking powder, and salt to a medium-sized bowl.
- Mix liquid ingredients. To a large mixing bowl, add the milk and apple cider vinegar mixture, almond butter, and maple syrup.
- Pour liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix very well until no lumps remain.
- Cook. Pour about ⅛ cup of batter on a preheated pancake pan. Use a spoon to form a round pancake, and cook on medium-low heat, until bubbles appear and the bottom of the pancake is brown. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Serve your cassava flour pancakes while still warm and top with desired toppings!
👩🏻🍳 Chef's Tips
These cassava flour pancakes are on the thinner side. If you make them bigger in diameter, you can even stuff them with any filling that you want and then roll it like a crepe.
When I have a ripe banana, I love adding it to my batter. The amount of almond milk won't change and it will be slightly denser.
You can also top the pancakes with frozen blueberries. Just cook one side of the pancakes, sprinkle a few blueberries on top, and then flip it.
Different brands of cassava flour yield different results. Depending on which brand you're using, you may need to add more milk to adjust the thickness.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can freeze these pancakes for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container, layering parchment paper between each layer of pancakes to prevent sticking.
Yes, you can make the batter a maximum of 2 days ahead of time. There are two things to point out. Once, make sure to add the baking powder right before you cook the pancakes. And two, the batter will thicken as it sits so you will need to stir in a few tablespoons of milk.
They taste similar to wheat pancakes, except that they're more light in texture. In general, cassava flour has a more neutral flavor, compared to other gluten-free flours.
Cassava flour is similar in texture to wheat flour, so It can sometimes be used as a wheat flour substitute with a ratio of 1:1. However, it won't work in all recipes, because it tends to absorb more liquid than regular flour does. For more in-depth info on how to use cassava flour in recipes refer to this article.
🥄Topping Suggestions
Blueberries. Any fresh fruit is delicious on these cassava flour pancakes. You can also make stewed blueberries by simmering them with a tablespoon of maple syrup for 5 minutes.
Chocolate chips. You can add chocolate chips to the batter or top the pancakes with them.
Maple syrup. A dash of maple syrup can sweeten these pancakes without adding refined sugar.
Nut butter. I love topping these cassava flour pancakes with almond butter or peanut butter to make them more filling.
Coconut flakes. Brown your coconut flakes on the stovetop for 3-4 minutes, this gives them so much flavor. You will thank me later!
🌡️Storage and Reheating
If you have any leftovers, you can save them in an air-tight container in the fridge for 4 days.
To reheat cassava flour pancakes, either warm them in a pan on the stovetop for a few minutes or microwave them for 30 seconds on each side.
🍧More Gluten-free Breakfast Recipes
If you make this recipe, please leave me a comment below and rate it. I always appreciate the feedback. Also, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.
Recipe
Paleo Cassava Flour Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 c Cassava flour
- 2 c almond milk or any other plant milk
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon almond butter or any other nut/seed butter
- ¼ c Maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- A pinch of salt (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk together almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Leave the mixture for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl mix Cassava flour and baking powder.
- Add almond butter and maple syrup to a bowl with almond milk and vinegar and mix everything nicely.
- Pour liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix very well until no lumps remain.
- Preheat your non-stick pan well (I used a non-stick crepe pan) and pour about ⅛ cup of batter on a pan. Cook on medium heat until bubbles appear and the bottom of a pancake is brown. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes.* Note 1
- Continue cooking the rest of the batter. Serve your cassava flour pancakes immediately with berries or maple syrup!
Notes
Nutrition
Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
Rebecca says
I made these with coconut milk and followed the directions as stated. The pancakes/crepes were sooooo thin that I couldn’t flip them—so, per the comments, I added more cassava flour incrementally, testing a pancake or two each time to not add too much flour. I thought the flavor was pretty bland, so I ended up adding the below to the original recipe to reach the desired thickness & flavor: 1/4 c. Collagen powder; 1/2 c. Additional cassava flour, and 1/4c tigernut flour. I also added 2 more pinches of salt, 2 tsp. Cinnamon, and a handful of chopped pecans. That helped immensely.
Jay says
These are my favorite pancakes Ive had in awhile. Cassava flour does not act the same as all purpose flour and you cant expect it to preform the same. The batter is supposed to be thin if they are too thick they become gooey, that is how cassava flour acts. That said I made a 1/2 recipe and subbed the almond butter for MCT oil used soy milk, as soy milk cooks down better than coconut milk which is high fat thus contributes to a gooey center. The 1/2 recipe made 12 thin non gooey delicious pancrepes
Iryna says
Jay, thank you so much for your comment! You're totally right, cassava flour acts very differently and it takes a little bit of practice to make the recipe with this flour perfect. I'm glad you liked these pancakes as much as I do:) And thank you for the tip regarding using soy milk.
Debra Leist says
I also made this recipe according to your instructions. Very liquid. I should have followed my gut and used half the milk. I put over 2 cups of flour and added an egg. Very hard to cook all the way through. Having said all that I am on a grain free diet and the taste was pretty good. It's hard to find food I can eat. I will cook all of the pancakes (there's so much) and freeze for a later date.
Elle says
I tried them several different ways, from your original recipe to adding an egg and a quarter cup of cauliflower flour. Each time I tried the recipe, no matter what I did, I ended up with dark outsides (nearly burnt) with the consistency of smashed banana on the inside. I could never quite get a cooked pancake. I even tried baking on a baking sheet!
Nikki says
I added about 1/4 cup of tapioca flour, and a ground up vanilla bean...loved it! They are a bit on gummy side, but I liked that. More like crepes, and I can’t have egg, so perfect for me. Thanks!!!
Iryna says
Nikki, thank you so much for your comment! I'm glad you liked this recipe!
Aryana says
These pancakes look delicious and I want to try your recipe.
Have been looking for a good safe pan.
Could you share the brand of the pan you used and where they can be purchase?
Thank you!!!
Iryna says
Hi Aryana, for my pancakes I used Le Creuset Crepe pan. You can also use ceramic coated pans.
J says
Dont know whether the creator of this recipe made an error, but 2 cups of almond milk with only 1 cup of cassava flour makes a LIQUID batter. After trying to pour out several cakes, I added 2 more cups of flour for consistency needed. I followed instructions to a t.
Iryna says
Hi J! Sorry you had a bad experience with this recipe. There's no mistake, it's indeed 2 c of milk per 1 cup of flour. Yes, the batter is quite liquid, however in my experience more flour yields denser pancakes. The batter made with cassava flour behaves differently than all-purpose flour or any other flour. 2:1 ratio makes pillowy soft pancakes just like the ones on the photos.
Heather says
I had a very liquid batter too, and the one I tested was very gummy and stuck to the pan. I added some quinoa flour that I lightly toasted beforehand to it till it thickened up and had a texture that resembles a pancake. I also substituted for coconut milk and coconut vinegar. Still on the thin side but the flavor was very good.
Jennifer says
I had the same experience as the others: very liquid batter! I had to add another cup and a half of cassava flour to get the consistency that I wanted. I’m not sure what the creator of this recipe is making, but they’re definitely not pancakes…maybe crepes!
Sandra says
Writing for a second time
First time no reply.
So these pancakes look really good on pictures but no one is showing or telling the real picture.
I been following many of these recipes step by step but the same thing is happening the outside is done but the inside is moist not fluffy. How can I get the inside to cook. Help
Iryna says
Hi Sandra! Sorry, but I don't see your previous comments, perhaps they didn't go through. As for your question, these pancakes are not supposed to be thick and fluffy. They won't puff up as a regular pancake at least not in this recipe. They're soft but thin. On the inside they should have a consistency of a thick jelly. The cooking time may vary but generally 3-4 minutes per side on a medium heat. It can be faster than that. If the top of the pancake is bubbly and you can lift the bottom of a pancake with a spatula, it's probably ready to be flipped. But again, if you flip it and the pancake doesn't have any color, you can flip it back and allow it to cook for another minute or two. Please let me know if you have any more questions.
Deborah Lucas says
Turn out good with a little trial and error. I had to use butter on my non stick pan and that helped them not stick. My 4 year old ate 2! Win win!
Iryna says
Thank you so much for your comment Deborah! I'm glad and your 4 year old enjoyed this recipe!:)
Juli says
Yikes very gluey -And I didn’t realize that you must have a nonstick pan which defeats the purpose of making these because Nonstick pan is not healthy
Iryna says
Hi Juli! Sorry you didn't like this recipe. I understand your concern about using non-stick pans, however there are different options for non-stick cooking other than Teflon. I use ceramic or diamond non-stick pans and quite happy about them.
Kayla says
ugh i wanted to try these so bad!! i followed directions but they kept sticking to the pan! tried cast iron & a non stick both with & without oil. idk what i'm doing wrong 🙁
Iryna says
Hi Kayla! Sorry you had a problem with the sticking. This is a recipe that I love, make often and not sure what's causing the issue. I will give it a go again to see if anything needs tweaking. I appreciate you sharing anyway!
Daniela says
I was looking for a vegan gluten free pancake recipe to make with a homemade rice milk I have in my fridge. This recipe looks like the perfect choice! ?
Iryna says
Awesome! I hope you'll like these!
Anita says
I've never heard of cassava flour before, but those pancakes look awesome and fluffy. I'll see if I can find that flour and try to make these. 🙂
Iryna says
It's a great gluten-free and grain-free substitution for all-purpose flour.
Rebecca says
I haven't tried cassava flour, now I need to. these pancakes look delicious
Iryna says
thanks Rebecca!
Caitlyn Erhardt says
Yummy! I had these for breakfast this morning and they were sooooo good! Thanks for the recipe.
Iryna says
You're welcome:)