Plain, gluten-free and healthy pancakes

Perfect Plain Pancakes

  • 150g self-raising flour
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 egg
  • Caster sugar
  • 1 cup (250ml) milk
  • Lemon

Sift flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Break egg into the well and gradually combine with flour. Slowly add half the milk, stirring, until all the flour mixture is incorporated. Beat until bubbles form. Gradually stir in remaining milk. Stand batter for at least 30 minutes (if possible).

Place a little butter in a frying pan and heat over medium heat until melted. Discard melted butter and wipe pan clean with kitchen paper towel. Add another small amount of butter to pan and heat over
medium heat until melted. Place a spoonful of batter in pan and cook until bubbles appear on surface. Turn pancake with a spatula.

When cooked on both sides, slip pancake onto a piece of paper. Sprinkle with sugar and roll up. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve pancakes hot with lemon juice sprinkled over top.

 

Gluten-Free Pancakes

Recipe provided by Sue Shepherd

  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup (375ml) milk
  • 170g rice flour
  • 75g gluten-free cornflour
  • 45g soy flour
  • 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional, acts as a binding agent)
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firlmy packed
  • 3 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons (60g) butter, melted

Whisk together eggs and milk in a small bowl. Sift flours, xanthan gum, sugar and baking powder three times into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre.

Pour egg and milk into the well, drawing the flour mixture in a little at a time to form a smooth batter. Stir in melted butter. Rest batter for 5 minutes (this is not essential with gluten-free flours).

Follow cooking instructions given for Perfect Plain Pancakes.
Variation: You could add vanilla essence to the eggs and milk before combining.

 

Healthy Pancake Ideas

Advice provided by the Right Bite Team, December 2008

Use the tips below to keep your pancakes healthy.

Increase fibre content by:

  • using wholemeal flour
  • or try 1/ 2:1/ 2 wholemeal and white flour

Lower the fat content, especially saturated fat by:

  • avoiding adding butter or oil
  • using reduced or low fat milk in the mix
  • using minimal oil or margarine for cooking on a non stick surface

Make them more nutritious by adding:

  • mashed fruit eg. mashed banana, cooked and mashed peach or apple
  • ricotta cheese or yoghurt
  • for savoury, add mashed cooked vegetables

Use healthier toppings:

  • fruit of any kind i.e. strawberries, berries, banana, fruit salad, peaches - any type of fruit is great!
  • plain, flavoured reduced or low fat yoghurt
  • ricotta cheese and pineapple
  • cooked rhubarb and apple
  • use your imagination!

For savoury pancakes try:

  • diced tomato and low fat ricotta cheese
  • roast pumpkin and olives
  • basil pesto
  • reduced fat cheese and salad vegetables with low fat dressing
  • diced cooked lean meat, chicken or fish and salad or vegetables
  • roasted capsicum and fetta cheese

For Schools: Check the Right Bite Ready Reckoner for other GREEN category foods that would go well with pancakes. Many recipes can be modified to incorporate pancakes or pikelets. For example, spinach lasagne; the lasagne sheets could be substituted with pancakes and made into a spinach stack!