Gluten-free Toasted Coconut Pancakes

Name: Gluten-free Toasted Coconut Pancakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: ¾ cup shredded coconut (divided); 3 large eggs; ½ cup milk; 1 Tbsp vanilla extract; 2 Tbsp molasses; 2½ cups Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour; 1 tsp gluten-free baking soda; 3 Tbsp sugar; ½ cup ricotta cheese; ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt (i.e. one 5.3oz container); maple syrup (for serving)

ByDavid March 14, 2014May 7, 2021

These Toasted Coconut Pancakes are high-protein, gluten-free…and really, really tasty!

I love to bake. I don’t really care whether it’s cake, cookies, or pancakes…I just love to bake. My wife will tell you that I am seriously in my element when I’m standing at the kitchen counter with my hands (and usually my shirt and pants) covered in flour. Speaking of flour, I think I might have a slight obsession with it. I keep glass jars of 3 different types of flour on the counter at all times, and I’ve got no less than 4-5 other flours hanging out in the cabinet as well. I know you’re probably thinking, “man, this guy is kinda crazy with his flour.” Well, yes I am a bit crazy. But in my defense, each of the flours has a different purpose. For instance, today’s post features Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour for these high-protein, gluten-free Toasted Coconut Pancakes.

We’ve all probably heard about the health benefits of almonds, so it should come as no surprise that almond flour is pretty darned healthy, too. (After all, almond flour is just finely ground almonds.) I find that almond flour has a slightly nutty flavor (no surprise there), but it’s not too overwhelming at all. I’ve had toasted coconut pancakes on my “to-bake” list for a while now, and I figured the nutty flavor of almond flour would partner quite well with the coconut. I also added some vanilla Greek yogurt for structure and flavor…and man, are these pancakes are loaded with flavor!

If you’ve never used almond flour before, then my first bit of advice is to remember that it’s not the same as all-purpose flour. That sounds kinda obvious, but you can’t just substitute all of the all-purpose flour in a recipe for almond flour and expect it to be the same. (Although you can substitute up to 25% of the flour.) Since almond flour is gluten-free, that means that recipes using almond flour need another type of binding ingredient. Eggs will do that, but you have to be careful or your recipe will taste entirely like eggs. (My first attempt at these Toasted Coconut Pancakes tasted like cooked eggs…so I reduced the eggs and added Greek yogurt and even a bit of ricotta.) The result is a thin pancake with layers of delicious flavors. Warning: These pancakes are not big and fluffy…but they’re still delicious, and they make one heck of a tasty weekend breakfast! One other tip is to make these pancakes about the size of a silver-dollar (2 Tbsp of batter). I tried making them larger (4 Tbsp of batter), but I found them too difficult to flip due to the lack of gluten in the almond flour.

If coconut is not your thing, then just substitute in blueberries instead. (Or maybe just add blueberries…I’m thinking a tropical-themed pancake with coconut, blueberries, and maybe some pineapple would be pretty interesting!) I’m not usually a chocolate-for-breakfast kinda guy, but if you like chocolate in the morning, then just throw in some chocolate chips, too. If you do use this recipe as the base for another flavor, make sure to come back and let me know how it tasted…I’m always looking for fun new ideas!