Pancakes are perfect for the rest day during a longer backpacking trip: they break the monotony of oatmeal breakfasts, are pretty fun to make, and make for the best start to a more chill day.
On the logistics side, the recipe requires minimal prep beforehand, and the ingredients are quite lightweight and calorie-dense.
Now you might say, what is this, haven’t we already learned how to make pancakes in the wild before?
And the truth is: yes, yes you have. But emboldened by the success of the first recipe, this time we’re going to attempt to make gluten-free ones!
The recipe is pretty similar to the chocolate pancake recipe I’ve shared in the past, with the main difference being that we’ll swap out all-purpose flour with a gluten-free all-purpose blend. The one I used could be used as a 1:1 substitute and worked pretty well. I first tested this recipe in my kitchen at home, with my mum, and while she could tell there was a slightly difference in the taste, she wasn’t able to put it down to a completely different flour mix. At camp, the recipe held up again, resulting in fluffy pancakes, even though it wasn’t so easy to prepare without a non-stick pan – more on that later!
Recipe
Serves: 2
Ideal for: Long backcountry trip
Type: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
½ cup (60 g) gluten-free flour*
½ tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup water**
2 tablespoons coconut oil***
Put all the dry ingredients together in a container. Keep the coconut oil in a separate tight-lidded container. The water doesn’t need to be carried in if you have access to water at camp.
At Camp- First things first, let’s make the pancake batter. To do this, you’ll add water slowly to the dry ingredients. Make sure you mix as you go, as you may not need all of the water. Stop when you get a slurry-like consistency.
- If you have a small non-stick pan, it works best, but it can also work if all you have is a camping pot. Put whatever you have, on the stove and add just a bit of coconut oil. It should melt to cover the entire surface.
- Once the oil is hot, pour in some of the batter, making sure to leave a little gap between that and the pot/pan walls.
- Cover the lid – this is crucial, as it allows the pancake to cook through quickly, making it easier to flip for the browning.
- When the pancake develops some bubbles, the center at the top has set, and it’s lifting off easily, flip and cook the other side. Remove when golden.
- *It’s best to use a all-purpose flour substitute, like the one I used. I haven’t tested it with other gluten-free flours and they might not result in as fluffy a texture.
- **If space and weight is not an issue, you can use ½ cup oat/almond milk instead, adding some water if that doesn’t get the right batter consistency.
- ***Coconut oil is great for backpacking; unless it’s very hot, it stays solid and minimises chances of spillage.
- Finally, you can switch it up a bit with mix-ins or toppings such as maple syrup, peanut butter, nuts from your trail mix, chocolate chips, and berries – fresh or freeze-dried.