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These AIP Pancakes made with cassava flour are a delicious and luxurious addition to your morning. When you're looking for that special weekend AIP breakfast treat, these whip up quickly and easily!
When I did the AIP Diet (Autoimmune Paleo Protocol) the first time in 2014 I don't think there WERE such things as AIP pancakes. At least that I was aware of.
It was kind of the dark ages back then.
Now though, AIP pancakes are a lot more common and they're made from all kinds of stuff – coconut flour, tigernut flour, bananas, plantains, you name it.
It's a fun time to be eating AIP as a result!
Table of contents
This post was updated on Feb 13, 2021.
This is an excerpt froom the whole tutorial video. Want to watch the whole video? You can see it on YouTube here- AIP Pancakes.
My AIP pancake recipe
When I had to do AIP again after a major Hashimoto's flare in 2018 I decided I needed a good recipe to use, so I came up with this one I share below.
It's gone through a few iterations as I've learned more and more about using AIP ingredients and techniques, and I'm pretty proud of the result!
They're as fluffy as egg-free, cassava flour-based pancakes can be and make me oh so happy 🙂
Note: Cassava flour does have a tendency to be a bit gummy, but as long as you make these silver dollar-sized (about 2-inches wide) and not plate-sized you should be fine.
And when you add the “chocolate” sauce as shown in the pictures, mmm mmm mmmm…. treat heaven!!
(Not familiar with Cassava Flour? Learn about it in The Ultimate Guide to AIP Flours)
How to Make these AIP Pancakes
Originally my recipe instructions were simply to mix the ingredients in a bowl and then cook in a pan, but I discovered by a happy accident recently that making these in a blender makes them even fluffier!
So you could do either way, but they seem to come out much flatter via the bowl method.
Either way you do it, mix the ingredients for the pancakes first before stirring in any additions like blueberries.
Then simply heat a pan (nonstick or cast-iron work best) over medium heat and then add a small amount of fat, like coconut or avocado oil to the pan, then add about 1-2 spoonfuls of batter per pancake into the pan. They will be small, silver dollar-sized pancakes, about 2-inches wide.
Cook 3 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Freezing the Pancakes
You can also freeze these pancakes for later as they freeze beautifully.
I recommend laying them flat, not touching on a baking sheet or dish and then freezing for at least 4 hours. Then you can transfer them to a freezer-safe container.
Doing it this way ensures that the pancakes won't all freeze in one large frozen block and you'll be able to take out just what you need.
Thaw them either by leaving them in the fridge overnight or quickly from frozen by heating them in a microwave, toaster oven, oven, or in a pan on the stove.
The “Chocolate” Sauce
Of course, I must mention how to make this “Chocolate” Sauce if you really want to make these pancakes into a super special weekend treat.
All you need to do is add 1/2 cup of your favorite dairy-free milk (coconut milk or tigernut milk if on AIP), 2 tbsp of carob powder (cocoa if not on AIP), 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp arrowroot powder, and a pinch sea salt in a small saucepan.
Just whisk it all together and then heat over medium heat for 4 minutes, whisking occasionally.
You can store it for up to 5 days in the fridge, but it may get a “skin” on top. Just remove that and stir.
I also topped these pancakes with my AIP “Chocolate” Tigernut Granola and some fresh berries as well.
Adding Spinach to the Pancakes
Another fun variation is to make these as spinach pancakes! They taste the same, yet it's a great way to sneak in an extra serving of veggies and some fun color.
Literally the only difference is that you add a handful or two of baby spinach to the blender before blending.
Want More AIP Breakfast Recipes?
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AIP Breakfast eCookbook – 61+ AIP Breakfast recipes and ideas!
AIP Cassava Flour Pancakes Recipe
If you make these pancakes, I'd love to hear how it turned out! Either comment below or share a pic on Instagram and tag me @thrivingautoimmune!
AIP Cassava Flour Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cassava Flour
- 1/4 cup Tapioca Starch
- 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 + 1/8 cup Coconut Milk (or use tigernut milk or banana milk)
- 1/3 cup Banana (mashed (about 1 small) (can also use applesauce instead))
- 1.5 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Coconut Sugar or Maple Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Coconut or Avocado oil for the pan
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients in blender (preferred method for fluffy pancakes) or in a large bowl and mix until smooth. Go for at least 30 seconds in the blender.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add a small amount (about a tablespoon) of coconut or avocado oil to the pan, melt if necessary, and then swirl around to cover.
- Spoon 1-2 large spoonfuls (approx 2-3 tbs) of batter into the pan to form a pancake, and repeat until you run out of space. (These will be small, silver dollar sized pancakes, about 2 inches wide)
- Cook for 3 minutes and then flip and cook for 3 minutes more.
Can I substitute Arrowroot flour for the Tapioca flour? Thanks
Sure! Same amounts
These pancakes are awesome! I get better at making them each time I cook them. My husband told me that you could serve these at a restaurant for dessert! Blending is a must. I tend to double the recipe, use a full can of coconut milk and add extra water. Thinner is better. Also, I make sure the pan is pretty hot and let them get a nice crispy edge. I keep them between 2 and 3 inches in diameter. I batch cook them and freeze them between parchment paper. Takes me about 2 hours but I have easy heat and go breakfast for my littles for quite a while. Thank you for this recipe!!
Would almond milk work or does it need to be coconut milk?
Almond would definitely work if you’re not on AIP (where you’d need to stay away from a nut milk).
I’m gonna make these and freeze for our trip away. Trying to navigate these AIP “waters” is tricky but I appreciate people like you who have tried and perfected recipes for us newbies. I’m trying to keep sugar levels really down – what about adding avocado instead of the banana or applesauce?
Thanks!
I haven’t tried it with avocado but I’d imagine it would work. If you do try it please let us know how it turns out!
This recipe looks great and I’m hoping to try it! Are there any other alternatives to the banana besides applesauce? My daughter has FPIES and can’t have either of those. Blended berries maybe?
Yeah, blended berries or anything like that that can give some moisture and bulk to the recipe should be fine. There are some other ideas in this post: https://thrivingautoimmune.com/14-aip-egg-substitutes/ but I’d stick more with the mashed fruit or vegetable type-thing in this recipe (like mashed sweet potato or pumpkin as well)
Google tells me that tapioca starch and cassava flour are the same thing. Is this true?
No, unfortunately they are not. They are different flours based on the method of making them, therefore they act differently when used in recipes. I go into detail about this in this post: https://thrivingautoimmune.com/aip-flours/
This is a silly question but if I plan to freeze these, do I cook first and then freeze?
Not a silly question! But yes, cook them first and then freeze them. If you look up at the post there’s a section called “Freezing the Pancakes” that gives exact instructions with a picture on how to best do this as well.
This was really good. I made it with the unsweetened applesauce and they were so easy to do and yummy. Topped mine with a small amount of coconut butter, sliced banana, and cinnamon, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Thank you so much for the recipe.
A decent pancake! I did add some organic cinnamon and stirred in some blueberries before cooking. Very good. Looking forward to eating these throughout the week!
Hi Michelle!
Quick question, if your recipe says coconut milk, do we always shake the can first and try to get a mixture of the solidified part and the liquid?
I know some recipes tell you to stick your cans in the fridge so you can use the thick, solid part on top.
I noticed it here, and on the coconut cauliflower rice.
Yeah, you want to mix the solid and liquid parts up if it says coconut milk. If you want coconut CREAM you’ll want refrigerate overnight and use the thick solid part only.
Do you think I could use something else than cream of tartar? I live in Sweden and it’s practically impossible to get in the stores I’ve been to.
You can try to omit it, or use an equal amount of lemon juice or white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar in place of it.
Since the recipe also calls for baking soda, you can substitute it and the cream of tartar with baking powder, if available.
This is true, but if you’re doing AIP then baking powder is out as it typically contains corn and/or other starches that are derived from grains or nightshades. I don’t know of a baking powder that you can buy that is AIP compliant, hence usually you make your own via a combo of baking soda and cream of tartar.
Really hit the spot if you’re craving pancakes on AIP, they are a bit gooey inside but I think we are all managing expectations when it comes to recreating classic favorites. The flavor was spot on, thank you for this recipe! Can I keep the batter in the fridge for a few days?
Yep, you could keep the batter in the fridge if you’d like but they may not fluff up as much when you cook them because the baking soda will have been activated.