Gluten-Free Pancakes

November. Thanksgiving approaches. The twenty-two delivery dinners are planned — the Henderson delivery team is a well-oiled machine now, with Denise on prep, Monique on rolls, Kayla on packaging, Devon and Robert on delivery. Mrs. Crawford is on the list. Thomas is on the list. Carl the homeless man is on the list (he's been on the list since 2019, and he shows up every year at the church's door, and every year I make sure there's a name on the pan, because having your name on a pan means someone knows you exist).

The family dinner is at the Thunderbolt house, same as always. Twenty-six people expected. I started the prep on Monday — brined the turkey, made the cornbread for dressing, washed the greens. The kitchen smells like November, which is the best month for kitchens because November asks the kitchen to do what the kitchen does best: hold people together.

Amara called me on FaceTime Wednesday. She is four years old and she has discovered FaceTime and she uses it with the frequency and urgency of a CNN anchor. She said, "Gah-gah, what are you cooking?" I said, "Thanksgiving dinner, baby." She said, "Can I help?" I said, "You can help on Thursday." She said, "I want to help NOW." The child has no patience and no volume control and she is the best part of my day.

I told her, through the phone, how to make cornbread. "You need cornmeal, buttermilk, an egg, a little sugar, and the skillet." She said, "The famous skillet?" I said, "Yes, the famous skillet." She said, "The one in the book?" I said, "Yes, baby. The one in the book." She said, "I'm going to have my own skillet someday." I said, "Yes. You are." And I meant it the way I mean everything about that child: with my whole chest and my whole life and the knowledge that the tradition will survive because she wants her own skillet. She is four. She wants a skillet. The future is secure.

Now go on and feed somebody.

When Amara said she wants her own skillet someday, I knew exactly what the first thing she’d make in it should be — something simple enough for a four-year-old to understand through a phone screen, something that teaches her the feel of batter and the smell of a hot pan doing its work. These gluten-free pancakes are that recipe: buttermilk, egg, a little sugar, and a skillet — the same bones as the cornbread I described to her, just in a form she can flip herself on a Saturday morning when she’s finally old enough to stand at the stove. The famous skillet has to start somewhere, and it might as well start here.

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 4 (about 10 pancakes)

Ingredients

1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (with xanthan gum)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Butter or neutral oil for the skillet

Instructions

Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined — a few small lumps are fine. Do not overmix. Let the batter rest for 3 minutes while the skillet heats.
Heat the skillet. Place a cast iron skillet or nonstick pan over medium heat. Add a small pat of butter or a light coating of oil and let it heat until the butter foams and subsides.
Cook the pancakes. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto the skillet. Cook until bubbles form across the surface and the edges look set, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook the second side until golden, 1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat with remaining batter, adding butter to the skillet as needed between batches.
Serve warm. Transfer finished pancakes to a plate. Serve with butter, maple syrup, or fresh fruit.

Nutrition (per serving)

Gluten-Free Pancakes — The Famous Skillet Starts Here