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    Home / Breakfast & Brunch / Pancakes & Waffles

    Citrus Poppy Seed Almond Flour Pancakes (gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free option)

    Published Jan 29, 2020

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These fluffy almond flour pancakes get loads of flavor from floral citrus zest, nutty poppy seeds, and tender almond flour. Smother them in yogurt, honey, and citrus for a bright winter breakfast. Or use berries in the spring or summer. Thanks to Bob's Red Mill for sponsoring this post!

    Drizzling honey over fluffy almond flour pancakes

    According to the Chinese calendar, 2019 was the year of the pig. But for me, it was the year of the pancake. I perfected my favorite classic gluten-free pancake recipe loaded with flavor from sorghum flour, buttermilk, and maple. I shared recipes for savory gluten-free zucchini pancakes, and gluten-free carrot cake pancakes. Jay and I definitely pigged out on all of the above!

    I also developed the recipe for these gluten-free almond flour pancakes toward the end of citrus season last spring. I'm excited to share the recipe at last now that kumquats, tangerines, blood oranges, mandarinquats, cara cara oranges, and all the other citrus fruits are back in season. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

    A plate of fluffy almond flour pancakes with citrus and poppy seeds

    Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour Pancakes

    I'm thrilled to partner with Bob's Red Mill again this year to bring you loads of gluten-free recipes made with their delicious alternative flours! Last week I had the great honor of meeting Bob himself (!) at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco along with my friend Irvin of Eat the Love. Irvin also made some of the beautiful ceramics that I used in these photos!

    Bob's Red Mill almond flour pancakes, and me with Bob himself!

    After baking with Bob's flours for many years, it was quite an honor (and a bit surreal) to meet Bob in person! He was every bit as kind as I imagined. I wish I could say that we had a good old chat. But I was so star struck, I immediately forgot everything I ever knew about anything.

    Had I my wits about me, I would have thanked Bob for providing endless gluten-free flours to play with over the years. I would have told him how much I love sticking my nose in a fresh bag of malty teff or toasty buckwheat flour. How I've found that sweet rice flour combined with oat and millet or sorghum makes a great all-purpose base for most gluten-free recipes. How blanched almond flour has magic powers that can transform into cakes, cookies, crusts, and crumbles.

    Instead, I'll have to say it with pancakes. Fluffy almond flour pancakes, to be precise.

    Platter of gluten-free almond flour pancakes with yogurt, citrus, honey, and poppy seeds
    Irvin made these beautiful ceramics!

    Healthy Almond Flour Pancakes that Taste Like a Treat

    While I'm a perennial fan of classic gluten-free pancakes, making these paleo pancakes with almond flour adds extra protein and healthy fats which keep you full all morning. Bob's finely ground almond flour combines with tapioca flour to create plush pancakes with a bit of nubby texture. These get subtle nutty notes from the almond flour, but their flavor and mouthfeel is surprisingly similar to grain-based pancakes – mild, tender, and plush.

    Whether you or your guests are abstaining from grains for health reasons, or if you just want a hearty breakfast that keeps you satisfied for hours, these grain-free pancakes made with almond flour still feel like a breakfast time treat.

    Ingredients for easy almond flour pancake recipe

    Ingredients for Citrus Poppy Seed Almond Flour Pancakes & Substitutions

    Dry Ingredients

    • Blanched almond flour forms the base of this recipe. You can probably use unblanched almond meal, or even another nut or seed flour such as hazelnut or sunflower seed in its place.
    • A small amount of tapioca flour gives these pancakes loft.
    • A touch of sweetener (sugar, honey or maple) adds sweetness. These pancakes are barely sweet, which means you get to add lots of maple syrup or honey to your plate.
    • Baking powder adds lift. While most pancake recipes use baking soda as well, these pancakes brown enough due to their high fat content from the almond flour, so I left off the baking soda this time.
    • Fine sea salt rounds out the flavor.
    • Poppy seeds add nutty, floral flavor. But you can leave them out if you prefer, or use hemp seeds in their place.

    Wet Ingredients

    • Melted butter or plant butter adds richness and flavor. I've made these with dairy butter and plant butter (Miyoko's brand is my favorite) and they work equally well. I think you could use melted coconut oil or another mild cooking oil, such as sunflower, if you preferred.
    • Lemon and tangerine zest, steeped in the butter to bring out their oils, lend bright fruity notes that blend beautifully with the mild almond and nutty poppy seeds.
    • A couple of eggs add lift as well as protein. For a vegan version, I'm curious to try these with flax eggs (such as in this vegan almond flour pancake recipe). You could also try substituting Just Egg, which is made from mung beans and other vegan ingredients. These worked well in my other gluten-free pancake recipe.
    • Milk (plant-based or dairy) moistens the batter. I've tested these with whole milk and coconut milk beverage (the kind that comes in a carton) and both work well. Since this pancake batter is sensitive to changes in moisture, you may need to add more milk for a thinner batter or more flour for a thicker one.
    • I usually cook these pancakes in ghee, which is made from butter and has a very high smoke point and rich, warm flavor. But any cooking oil with a high smoke point will work well too, such as grapeseed oil or sunflower oil.

    Toppings

    • I like to top these pancakes with yogurt (plain or vanilla, plant or dairy, Greek or regular), rounds of citrus fruits, a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, and a sprinkle of poppy seeds. If I'm feeling really fancy and have some on hand, I'll add a cube or two of honeycomb, mostly for aesthetic purposes.

    Infusing the butter with citrus zest for almond flour pancake recipe

    Showing how to make pancakes with almond flour - adding eggs to the flour mixture

    Showing how to make pancakes with almond flour - whisking the batter

    How to Make Pancakes with Almond Flour

    These easy almond flour pancakes are as simple to make as any pancake recipe out there. Start by melting your butter, adding the citrus zest to bring out its flavor. Next, combine the flours, poppy seeds, baking powder, salt, and sugar (if using). Add the eggs and milk, whisk until halfway combined, then whisk in the citrus butter to combine.

    Heat the ghee or oil in a skillet or griddle over medium heat – I like to use well-seasoned cast iron. It's a good idea to test a drop of batter on the pan to make sure it's a good temperature. It should sizzle on contact and turn golden on the bottom after a minute or two. Adjust the heat if needed.

    Drop the batter by 1/4 cups onto the hot griddle – a spring-loaded ice cream scoop works beautifully if you've got one. It's also a good idea to test a pancake to make sure the batter is the right thickness, since these are sensitive to small changes in moisture. The pancake should gently spread into a round. If it stays in a ball, add another tablespoon or two of milk to thin the batter. If it spreads too much, sift and whisk in another tablespoon or two of almond flour to thicken it.

    When everything is just right, cook the pancakes until they start to form bubbles on top, 2-3 minutes, keeping a close watch as the bottoms can burn if the pan is too hot. Flip the pancakes (I like a thin, metal spatula for this job) and cook on the second side. Take care not to overcook the pancakes as they can dry out. They'll continue to cook from residual heat once removed from the pan.

    Grain-free pancakes batter with almond flour

    Low-carb almond flour pancakes fresh out of the pan

    Toppings for Almond Flour Pancakes

    Top your warm grain-free pancakes with seasonal fruit, butter or yogurt, and your favorite sweetener. I've been enjoying these with all the citrus fruits, vanilla cashew yogurt, and honey or maple syrup. These would also be delicious with berry compote or fresh berries in the spring, or stone fruit (peaches, nectarines, plums) in the summer.

    You can leave off the citrus and poppy seeds if a classic almond flour pancake is more your speed, adding vanilla to perfume the batter if you like.

    About to drizzle honey on a stack of grain-free pancakes

    Grain free pancake recipe stacked with citrus and honey

    Easy Almond Flour Pancakes All Week Long

    Don't relegate these fluffy pancakes to the weekend! Make a double batch on Sunday so that you can have warm pancakes for breakfast all week. Reheat the pancakes in a hot skillet with a dab of oil or ghee. They keep beautifully in the fridge for several days. Or freeze them for longer storage.

    A platter of paleo pancakes with almond flour

    Looking for more pancake recipes? Try these:

    • Fluffy Gluten-Free Pancakes with Sorghum Flour (dairy-free, vegan options)
    • Gluten-Free Banana Buckwheat Pancakes
    • GF Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
    • Gluten-Free Crepes with Ricotta & Citrus
    • Gluten-Free Zucchini Fritters
    • GF Cheese Blintzes with Buckwheat & Berries
    • Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Latkes
    • Buckwheat Crepes, Any Which Way

    *Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram,  Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this almond flour pancake recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet  and  #bojongourmet.*

    4.70 from 10 votes

    Citrus Poppy Seed Almond Flour Pancakes (gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, dairy-free option)

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    These fluffy almond flour pancakes get loads of flavor from floral citrus zest, nutty poppy seeds, and tender almond flour. Smother them in yogurt, honey, and citrus for a bright winter breakfast. Or use berries in the spring or summer.
    Alanna Taylor-Tobin
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total: 40 minutes
    Servings: 3 -4 servings

    Ingredients

    • finely grated zest of 1 medium lemon and 2 medium tangerines (or other citrus zest)
    • 2 tablespoons (28 g) salted or unsalted plant or dairy butter
    • 2 cups (220 g) Bob’s Red Mill blanched almond flour
    • ¼ cup (30 g) Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
    • 1 tablespoon (12 g) sugar, honey, or maple syrup
    • 1 tablespoon (8 g) poppy seeds (optional)
    • 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 2 large eggs
    • ¾ cup (175 ml) plant milk or dairy milk (I use coconut milk from a carton)
    • ghee or oil for cooking the pancakes

    For serving:

    • Yogurt or plant yogurt
    • Citrus rounds (kumquat, tangerine, oranges, and/or grapefruit)
    • honey or maple syrup
    • honeycomb (if you want to be extra fancy)
    • sprinkle of poppy seeds

    Instructions

    • Place the butter in a small saucepan, add the citrus zest (and honey, if using), and melt over low heat until the butter is hot. Set aside to infuse while you prepare the other ingredients.
    • In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, tapioca flour, sugar (if using), poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt. Whisk well to eradicate lumps. Alternatively, work the dry ingredients through a wide-mesh strainer.
    • Make a well in the flour mixture and add the eggs and milk (and maple syrup, if using). Whisk until halfway combined, then whisk in the citrus butter until the batter is just combined.
    • Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Swirl in a bit of ghee or oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Drop the pancake batter by the quarter cup, spacing well apart to allow the pancakes to spread (I like to use a spring-loaded ice cream scoop.) If the pancakes don’t spread upond contact with the pan, use the scoop or measuring cup to spread the batter a bit. If the pancakes spread too much, whisk in a tablespoon or two more almond flour to thicken the batter.
    • Cook the pancakes until golden on the bottom and beginning to form bubbles on the top, 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on the pancakes to make sure the bottoms aren’t burning and decrease the heat if needed. These pancakes brown more easily than most due to their high fat content from the almond flour.
    • Flip and cook the pancakes on the second side until golden, 1-2 more minutes. The pancakes will continue to cook from residual heat. Add more oil to the pan and cook the remaining pancakes until the batter is gone.
    • Remove the pancakes to a plate or platter and keep warm (you can slide them into a 200ºF oven if you like).
    • Serve the pancakes with rounds of citrus, dollops of yogurt, a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, a sprinkle of poppy seeds, and honeycomb if using.
    • Extra pancakes keep well, refrigerated, for up to a few days. Reheat in a lightly oiled skillet set over medium heat until warmed through.

    Notes

    For classic almond flour pancakes, omit the citrus zests and poppy seeds, adding 1 teaspoon vanilla extract along with the milk and eggs instead. 
    Nutritional values are based on 1 of 4 servings. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 451kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 15gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 369mgPotassium: 173mgFiber: 7gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 386IUCalcium: 235mgIron: 3mg
    Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

    A plate of my best almond flour pancakes with citrus, yogurt, and honey

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    the cover of the award-winning cookbook, Alternative Baker

    Hungry for more?

    Alternative Baker celebrates the unique tastes and textures of 14 gluten-free flours, from buckwheat flour to almond flour to sorghum and coconut! This cookbook will fill your kitchen with sweet treats that burst with flavor every month of the year.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Paige Cassandra Flamm says

      January 30, 2020 at 2:02 pm

      These look incredible! I totally need to make these for diner tonight!

      Paige

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        January 31, 2020 at 2:01 am

        Aw thank you! Totally approve of pancakes for dinner. :)

        Reply
    2. Michelle says

      February 03, 2020 at 4:28 am

      This looks amazing! Is it possible to change the tapioca flour fot rice flour? Thanks.

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        February 03, 2020 at 11:11 am

        I'm not sure they'll have the same soft, fluffy texture but you can certainly give it a try!

        Reply
    3. Juliet says

      February 10, 2020 at 7:17 am

      This recipe was delicious! You would never know it was GF.

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        February 22, 2020 at 9:03 pm

        I'm so glad you liked it! Thanks a bunch for the note and rating. :)

        Reply
    4. Kate says

      February 11, 2020 at 8:22 am

      These were ... a miss for me. Just made them for myself and the kids, and we were all a no. I think that almond flour makes a great addition to a GF pancake, but when it's pretty much all almond flour, the consistency is too spongy. LOVE the flavor of the orange and poppy seed - would be interested in trying it in another GF pancake. NOTE: I adore many of your other recipes, and own your cookbook (blueberry muffins are my fav). So thank you for posting!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        February 13, 2020 at 12:40 pm

        Hi Kate, Thanks for your honest feedback - I appreciate it! I'm sorry these weren't to your taste. I think the citrus poppyseed combo would be lovely in my more traditional GF pancakes, or in these lemon ricotta ones. Please let me know if you try either!

        Reply
        • Kate says

          February 21, 2020 at 8:19 am

          Great idea - I haven't tried those ones yet!

          Reply
    5. satpreet says

      May 19, 2020 at 5:22 pm

      i love these! i've been making them about twice a month, and having one with plain yogurt on top for a mid afternoon snack.

      i've tried them with meyer lemon, tangerine, and orange, zest and meyer lemon is absolutely my favorite. i'll be so sad when meyer lemons are out of season.

      anyway, thanks for another great recipe!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        May 25, 2020 at 6:15 pm

        I'm so glad you love them! Agree the meyer lemons are super special. I can't get enough of their beautiful scent.

        Reply
    6. Alexandra says

      August 23, 2020 at 3:37 pm

      This is the third GF pancake recipe I’ve tried and It was absolutely delicious! I’ve found that other GF pancake batters lack fluffiness yet remain too viscous/dense when cooked, but these were fluffy and had the perfect consistency! I used coconut milk and monkfruit maple flavored syrup as my milk and sweetener, and that did just the trick. I stuck with lemon zest and left out the tangerine, but I’m sure they’d taste just as great with other citrus. Thanks for a great recipe, I’ll definitely continue to riff off of this for my future pancakes :)

      Reply
    7. Karen says

      April 30, 2022 at 9:12 am

      I was craving your fluffy gluten-free pancakes this morning, but ran across these when searching for the recipe. I made these instead and they are delicious! Topped with a dollop of whole milk Greek yogurt, a drizzle of honey, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of poppy seeds. Will make again.

      Reply
      • Alanna Taylor-Tobin says

        May 04, 2022 at 9:28 am

        I'm so glad you like them! Those toppings sound delightful and so pretty!

        Reply
    8. C says

      February 05, 2023 at 2:37 pm

      Hi Alanna,
      Is egg replaceable here with "flax egg" or a bad irea? Not that I wouldn't try it with egg. Looks and sounds very appealing. Thanks!
      Marianna

      Reply
      • Alanna Taylor-Tobin says

        February 05, 2023 at 3:28 pm

        That's a great question! Eggs would definitely be the safest bet. For an egg substitute, I could see Just Egg or aquafaba working. Please let me know if you experiment!

        Reply

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    I'm Alanna, a recovering pastry chef-turned food photographer, stylist, videographer, and award-winning cookbook author. The Bojon Gourmet is a celebration of the sweet, savory, and occasionally boozy recipes that I create in my San Francisco kitchen. About →

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    My cookbook, Alternative Baker, contains 100+ recipes featuring corn, oat, chestnut, almond, buckwheat, sorghum, and other gluten-free flours. Find out where to get your copy! →

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