I got a taste for cornbread recipe after developing a gluten free egg free cornbread, a gluten free vegan cornbread and gluten free cornbread muffins (without eggs). Cornbread isn’t a super common thing here in Australia so I was unfamiliar with the taste prior to these recipes. Now that I have tried it, I’m hooked! So, without further ado, let’s make some gluten free cornmeal pancakes.
Gluten free cornmeal pancakes
These gluten free cornmeal pancakes are egg free, xanthan gum free, easily nut free and easily dairy free/accidentally vegan. They are made with cornflour (Bob’s Red Mill brand) and tapioca flour as the flour base. A small amount of both baking soda and baking powder provide lift and browning in the absence of eggs.
Canned sweet corn, coconut yoghurt and vegan butter (I use Nuttelex) form the liquid component of the pancakes. Finally, maple syrup brings the sweetness and milk balances the mixture out to a pancake consistency. A small amount of vinegar or lemon juice ensures there is no residual tang from the baking soda.
That’s it! A simple recipe for hearty and filling pancakes that double up on the corn flavour. They’re perfectly sweet while leaving plenty of opportunity for sweet toppings of choice. I served mine with some yoghurt and blueberry coulis but you can use whatever you like.
If you’re not vegan, these pancakes also work perfectly well with regular yoghurt and butter. You can also use honey as the sweetener for that traditional cornbread flavour. I have included both options in the recipe card.
What is canned creamed corn?
First, a distinction. In Australia, canned creamed corn is corn that has been cooked with sugar. It has a mushier, more cohesive texture than canned corn kernels which are distinct and separate. Not only does canned creamed corn bring a bit of extra sweetness but it also helps replace the binding from eggs.
Canned corn kernels are not a suitable replacement in this recipe. The recipe relies on the binding and sweetening from the creamed corn. Corn kernels are not the move here, sorry.
Elsewhere, it might be called canned sweet corn or canned sweet corn cream style. Again, look for the mushy texture corn, not distinct corn kernels or spears of baby corn.
The ingredients list is generally corn, sugar, water, salt and maybe a starch of some sort.
For my American readers: canned creamed corn is not the same as creamed corn (a recipe with corn and cream).
What is cornmeal and what is cornflour?
Another little distinct because I have found there to be so many labelling differences when it comes to corn products.
Cornmeal is a slightly gritty textured, bright yellow meal made from corn. By all accounts, polenta is simply a more coarsely ground version of cornmeal. Similarly, the bright yellow coloured cornflour is the most finely ground version of the same product. So, cornflour is the finest grind, cornmeal is a fine to medium grind, polenta is a courser grind.
This is distinct from the white, squeaky starched called cornflour, which is what cornstarch is sometimes labelled in Australia. Cornflour that has the aforementioned characteristics is the same as cornstarch. Cornstarch is used to thicken gravies and soups and as a starchy coating (among other things).
Yellow, grittier cornflour is used in cornmeal products and as that classic gritty coating for things like English muffins. They have two absolutely separate functions and are not interchangeable here at all.
If in doubt, remember: we only want the yellow, textured product for this recipe. No cornstarch please!
Tips for these gluten free cornmeal pancakes
My primary tip is in relation to how much milk you need to add. This depends heavily on the consistency of your cornmeal/cornflour.
As we have discussed above, different varieties of cornmeal have different consistencies. In practical terms, this means that they will absorb milk differently.
When I was testing the cornbread recipes, I discovered that cornflour absorbs the most liquid. I assume this is because the fine grind allows the milk to soak in like a flour would. Polenta, on the other hand, didn’t seem to absorb much liquid and created more of a silty batter.
So! Add the milk to suit your batter (and have enough milk to add more if necessary). The batter seems to soak up a bit of additional liquid as you cook pancakes, which is why I suggest having extra milk.
I recommend using cornflour (the yellow variety) for these pancakes if you can. It creates a lovely cohesive batter that is super easy to work with. I used Bob’s Red Mill brand.
Anyone who has ever made pancakes knows this, but make sure you are adjusting the heat as you work.
Tips for cooking gluten free vegan pancakes
Gluten free vegan pancakes have been a thorn in my side for a while now. For whatever reason, I have previously found that they are far more prone to sticking to the pan than non vegan pancakes.
While these pancakes are far easier to work with than others I have tried before, I still have plenty of tips.
Firstly, make sure the pan is hot before you start (and preheat it without any oil). I like to start heating my pan about 3 minutes before I finish assembling the batter. This seems to be a good amount of time to really preheat the surface. A preheated surface is important because it encourages the base of the pancake to cook instantly as it hits the pan. This cooked, browning crust is what will make the pancake a breeze to flip later.
As I was cooking the first few pancakes, I noticed they struggled to come off the pan if they weren’t fully cooked. As time went on, the later pancakes didn’t have that same issue quite as much. So I do think it becomes easier as the pan heats up.
I like to cook the first few pancakes with a small amount of oil and then cook the remainder without. At a certain point the pan becomes hot enough to cook the pancakes without them sticking. Personally, I like the look of pancakes that have been cooked without oil.
Again, though, I’d recommend only doing this after the first few pancakes have cooked. You need to be confident your pan is hot enough before going the route.
Substitution options
Although I haven’t tested it in this recipe, I have used polenta in my gluten free cornbread muffin recipe and it worked well. This recipe is essentially the same recipe with a few tiny tweaks, so I think it should work. The tapioca flour aids in binding (as does the yoghurt and creamed corn) so it should work. With that said, the pancakes might be a bit gritty. All in all, I still recommend cornflour (the yellow variety) but you are welcome to experiment.
I have tested the cornbread muffins with regular butter, dairy based Greek yoghurt and honey. These will also work in this recipe. Personally I don’t taste the coconut yoghurt but if you’re not a fan, use regular thick Greek yoghurt.
If you want to make the pancakes vegan but don’t want to use coconut yoghurt, you can experiment with other plain vegan yoghurt. Keep in mind oats aren’t considered gluten free in Australia. Because some other varieties of yoghurt are thinner, you might need to add less milk to suit.
I haven’t tested a substitute for tapioca flour. Cassava flour might work, but fermented cassava flour (like Ottos brand) tends to be very thirsty. You may need to add more water to suit.
I have not tested any substitutes for the creamed corn, nor have I tested oil in place of the butter. As such, I can’t offer any advice on this.
More gluten free pancake recipes
- Gluten free buckwheat pancakes in my buckwheat e-book
- Grain free cassava flour pancakes
- Gluten free ricotta pancakes
- Gluten free protein pancakes without banana
- Gluten free protein pancakes without protein powder or oats
Gluten free cornmeal pancakes (egg free, vegan option)
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 250 g cornflour or cornmeal the yellow, textured variety and not squeaky white cornstarch, which can sometimes be called cornflour in Australia
- 75 g tapioca flour
- 5 g (1 teaspoon)* baking powder
- 3.5 g (1/2 teaspoon)* baking soda
- 2 g (1/4 teaspoon)* fine salt
Wet ingredients:
- 350 g canned creamed corn also called canned sweet corn not corn kernels or homemade creamed corn
- 150 g thick Greek yoghurt or coconut yoghurt I use Jalna lactose free Greek
- 75 g maple syrup or honey
- 100 g butter melted (salted or unsalted and regular or vegan)
- 10 ml (2 teaspoons)* lemon juice or white vinegar
- 60 ml – 310ml (1/4 – 1 1/4 cup)* milk of choice, see notes
Instructions
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Ensure the honey is incorporated and not sitting at the bottom of the bowl if you are using honey.
- Whisk the wet ingredients except for the milk into the dry ingredients. Once the mixture is smooth, add ¼ cup (60ml) milk at a time and assess. You want a pancake batter that is thin enough that it is easy to spread with a spoon, but not so thin it spreads without any help from you. My tests required around 250ml (1 Australian cup) to 310ml (1 ¼ Australian cups) milk. It should be about the consistency of a medium thickness yoghurt.
- I find that pancake batter tends to thicken as it sits, so you can always add a splash more milk if it thickens while you are baking the other pancakes.
- Preheat your non-stick pan over a medium heat. Once thoroughly heated, turn the heat down and add ½ – 1 teaspoon oil. Swirl it around to coat the pan.
- Spoon about two large spoons full of mixture into the hot pan. Spread the mixture with your spoon to create a nice circular pancake. I recommend doing the first pancake alone so you can assess the heat.
- Once bubbles start to appear around the edges of the pancake, gently slip your thin steel spatula under the pancake. If it doesn’t release, you either haven’t heated the pan thoroughly enough or the pancake is not ready. When it releases, flip the pancake over and repeat. It should be golden brown and cooked through. Adjust the heat as necessary to achieve this result.
- Repeat with the remaining pancake batter until you have used all the batter. I get about 14 medium pancakes from this recipe.
- After you have cooked a few pancakes, you can cook the remainder without oil if you prefer.
- Best eaten fresh or the next day as they tend to become crumbly over time. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
- Add milk to achieve the consistency of pancake batter described in the recipe – medium consistency yoghurt thickness.
- Regular and plant based butter and yoghurt both work in this recipe. So does maple syrup in place of honey.
- The pancakes are best the day of cooking or the next day. They tend to dry out and become brittle over time in the absence of eggs or xanthan gum.
- I have not tested substitutions other than what is outlined. You’re welcome to, but you will be experimenting.
- Read the body of the post for tips and tricks to make the best pancakes.
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