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    Home » Recipes » Breakfast and Brunch Recipes » Cornmeal Pancakes with Strawberry Compote

    Cornmeal Pancakes with Strawberry Compote

    Published: Jun 2, 2022 · Modified: Jan 15, 2023 · by Debra with 1 Comment · 1823 words. About 10 minutes to read this article. · This post contains affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These cornmeal pancakes are gluten free and easy to make! They are fluffy inside and crispy outside and pair perfectly with a simple, rum-laced strawberry compote.

    A plate of cornmeal pancakes topped with strawberry compote surrounded by a bowl of compote, a large serving plate of pancakes, a cup of coffee, and gold-colored utensils.

    This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my links, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.

    If you're a sucker for cornbread smothered in butter and jam, you'll love these cornmeal pancakes! No flour of any kind needed, just 100% cornmeal and a few rising agents are giving us tender, buttery, fluffy, crispy pancakes that will knock your weekend brunch socks off.

    What better topping than the prettiest strawberries, cooked down until they're melting into a sweet, syrupy compote?

    We've got a little booze here too, kids. You know how I love any recipe with booze in it. Just a little (optional) dark rum in the compote to make it slightly caramel-y and give it that je ne sais quoi.

    Cornmeal pancakes are simple, quick and fun for a gluten free breakfast or brunch!

    • Made with 100% cornmeal!
    • No need to whisk the egg whites for the pancake batter.
    • Gorgeous crispy edges!
    • You can make the compote ahead.
    • They freeze well so make a double batch!
    Jump to:
    • Cornmeal pancakes are simple, quick and fun for a gluten free breakfast or brunch!
    • Ingredients you'll need
    • Recommended tools and equipment
    • How to make cornmeal pancakes
    • Tips for perfect cornmeal pancakes
    • FAQ
    • Freezing and reheating instructions
    • More recipes with cornmeal
    • More strawberry recipes
    • Recipe
    Small glass bowls with sugar, salt, baking powder, buttermilk, cornmeal and butter, alongside strawberries and eggs.

    Ingredients you'll need

    For the cornmeal pancakes

    • Finely ground cornmeal: It's crucial to use finely ground cornmeal because these pancakes are flourless. Coarse cornmeal will not rise enough and will not give you a pleasant texture. I used Arrowhead Mills cornmeal.
    • Baking powder and baking soda: Our rising agents to lift up the pancakes and make them fluffy!
    • Buttermilk: The acid that will activate our rising agents, will make the pancakes tender, and give them a wonderful flavor.
    • Melted butter: We'll use some melted butter in the pancake batter, and then I recommend using clarified butter in the pan for cooking them up and making them crispy. See the tips below.
    • Eggs
    • Sugar: Just a little bit. These are not overly sweet.
    • Kosher salt

    For the strawberry compote

    • Fresh strawberries: This is a great way to use them up before they go bad!
    • Dark rum: You know I love a recipe with liquor in it! If you don't want to use it, replace with equal parts water.
    • Water
    • Sugar

    Recommended tools and equipment

    • Non-stick skillet or griddle
    • Large mixing bowls
    • Whisk
    • Dutch oven: For the strawberry compote.

    How to make cornmeal pancakes

    Adapted from Bon Appétit.

    A paring knife on a wooden cutting board next to strawberries that have been sliced in half.

    Step 1: Make the compote

    Hull the strawberries and slice them in half, or into quarters if they are quite large.

    A yellow Dutch oven holds sliced strawberries topped with sugar.

    Place the strawberries in a Dutch oven or large saucepan, add the sugar, rum if using, and water.

    Disclosure: I am a member of the Lodge Blogger Network and this Dutch oven was given to me free of charge. All opinions are my own.

    A yellow Dutch oven filled with cooked strawberry compote.

    Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the strawberries have broken down and the liquid has thickened, 20-25 minutes. Cover to keep warm and set aside.

    In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat and set aside to cool. If making clarified butter to use for frying the pancakes, do that now and set aside. See tips below for how to make it.

    A whisk sits to the left of a glass bowl of cornmeal and other dry ingredients.

    Step 2: Whisk the cornmeal and dry ingredients together

    Add the cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

    A whisk in a glass bowl containing buttermilk, melted butter and eggs.

    Step 3: Whisk wet ingredients and add to dry

    In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter and eggs. Set a non-stick skillet, cast iron skillet, or griddle over medium heat.

    A whisk in a bowl of finished cornmeal batter that has begun to bubble as the rising agents activate.

    Gently whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, ensuring they are fully incorporated. You'll have a very wet, liquid-y batter.

    Step 4: Cook the pancakes!

    Add butter or clarified butter to the hot skillet, then use a measuring cup to scoop a scant ¼ cup of batter into the skillet for each pancake. Cook for about 2 minutes, until bubbles start to push through, then flip and cook for one more minute.

    Stir the batter before scooping out the next batch onto the skillet. You can keep the pancakes warm on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 200 degree oven as you cook the rest of the batter. Makes about 12 small pancakes.

    Transfer to serving plates and top with the warm strawberry compote.

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    Tips for perfect cornmeal pancakes

    • Cooking the cornmeal pancakes in clarified butter or ghee is ideal because it has a higher smoke point and won't burn in the pan while you're waiting for the pancakes to cook. This means your pancakes will be prettier, too! You can buy clarified butter at Whole Foods or find it online but it can be expensive. You can make it yourself easily. Simply put about 3 tablespoons of butter in a small sauce pan over low heat, let it come to a boil, then remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Skim any foam off the top, then carefully pour the butter into a small bowl, leaving the milk solids behind on the bottom of the pan.
    • You'll need to stir the batter gently before scooping each batch of pancakes because the cornmeal has a tendency to settle at the bottom of the bowl.
    • Do not mix the wet and dry ingredients until you are ready to cook! As soon as they meet, the buttermilk will activate the baking powder and baking soda and start bubbling away. You don't want to waste those bubbles - get cooking before they're gone!
    • You can skim the compote as it cooks if you want, but it's not really necessary.
    • Compote can be made up to a week ahead.

    FAQ

    Can you make cornmeal pancakes ahead of time?

    You can't make the cornmeal batter ahead, but you can hold the cooked pancakes in the oven at 200 degrees for 30-45 minutes before serving. You can also make them, let them cool and store in the fridge overnight. Warm them in a 200 degree oven and then crisp them up in a skillet before serving.

    Can you freeze cornmeal pancakes?

    Yes! Cornmeal pancakes freeze really well. They'll keep in the freezer for about 2 months. To reheat, place on a baking sheet in a 250 degree oven until warmed through. Get them crispy again in a skillet with clarified butter if desired.

    Freezing and reheating instructions

    1. To freeze your cornmeal pancakes, first allow to cool completely, then place them in one layer on a baking sheet in the freezer.
    2. Once frozen, transfer to a ziptop bag or airtight container layered with parchment paper in between.
    3. To reheat, place on a baking sheet in a 250 degree oven until warmed through. No need to thaw first. Get them crispy again in a skillet with clarified butter if desired.

    More recipes with cornmeal

    • Flip these to the savory side and make Corn Cakes with Guasacaca Sauce.
    • Cornmeal Madeleines with Bacon, Sun Dried Tomato and Basil are cute, shell-shaped, and perfect for cocktail nibbles.

    More strawberry recipes

    • This Strawberry Arugula Salad with Basil and Mint needs no dressing, just those gorgeous strawberry juices and a glug of olive oil.
    • If you're opening the sparkling anyway, let's make things a little more interesting and have Strawberry-Basil Prosecco Cocktails.

    Recipe

    Three cornmeal pancakes on a pink plate topped with strawberry compote.

    Cornmeal Pancakes with Strawberry Compote

    These cornmeal pancakes are gluten free and easy to make! They are fluffy inside and crispy outside and pair perfectly with a simple strawberry compote.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast, brunch
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Keyword: cornbread pancakes, cornmeal pancakes
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 459kcal

    Equipment

    • large saucepan
    • cutting board
    • paring knife
    • silicone spatula
    • mixing bowls
    • whisk
    • 12" non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet or griddle
    • measuring cups
    • small sauce pan
    • spatula

    Ingredients

    Cornmeal pancakes

    • 1 cup + 2 tablespoon cornmeal
    • 1 ½ teaspoon sugar
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • 3 tablespoon melted butter
    • 2 eggs

    Strawberry Compote

    • 2 pounds fresh strawberries
    • ¼ cup sugar
    • ¼ cup dark rum Optional - see note
    • ¼ cup water
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Strawberry Compote

    • Hull the strawberries and slice them in half, or into quarters if they are quite large.
    • Place the strawberries in a Dutch oven or large saucepan add the sugar, rum if using, and water.
    • Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the strawberries have broken down and the liquid has thickened, 20-25 minutes. Cover to keep warm and set aside.

    Cornmeal Pancakes

    • In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat and set aside to cool. If making clarified butter to use for frying the pancakes, do that now and set aside. See tips below for how to make it.
    • Add the cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
    • In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter and eggs. Set a non-stick skillet, cast iron skillet, or griddle over medium heat.
    • Gently whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, ensuring they are fully incorporated. You'll have a very wet, liquid-y batter.
    • Add butter or clarified butter to the hot skillet, then use a measuring cup to scoop a scant ¼ cup of batter into the skillet for each pancake. Cook for about 2 minutes, until bubbles start to push through, then flip and cook for one more minute.
    • Stir the batter before scooping the next batch into the skillet. You can keep the pancakes warm on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 200 degree oven as you cook the rest of the batter. Makes about 12 small pancakes.
    • Transfer to serving plates and top with the warm strawberry compote.

    Notes

    • If you don't want to use rum in the compote, replace with ¼ cup of water, brining the total amount of water to ½ cup.
    • Cooking the cornmeal pancakes in clarified butter or ghee is ideal because it has a higher smoke point and won't burn in the pan while you're waiting for the pancakes to cook. This means your pancakes will be prettier, too! You can buy clarified butter at Whole Foods or find it online but it can be expensive. You can make it yourself easily. Simply put about 3 tablespoons of butter in a small sauce pan over low heat, let it come to a boil, then remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Skim any foam off the top, then carefully pour the butter into a small bowl, leaving the milk solids behind on the bottom of the pan.
    • It's crucial to use finely ground cornmeal because these pancakes are flourless. Coarse cornmeal will not rise enough and will not give you a pleasant texture. I used Arrowhead Mills cornmeal, Bob's Red Mill is also a good choice but FYI they call theirs cornflour when it's finely ground.
    • Do not mix the wet and dry ingredients until you are ready to cook! As soon as they meet, the buttermilk will activate the baking powder and baking soda and start bubbling away. You don't want to waste those bubbles - get cooking before they're gone!
    • You can skim the compote as it cooks if you want, but it's not really necessary.
     
     
    This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my links, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 906mg | Potassium: 691mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 507IU | Vitamin C: 133mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 3mg

    More Breakfast and Brunch Recipes

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    • Buckwheat Crepes
    • Gluten Free Granola Recipe
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Donna

      June 06, 2022 at 9:02 am

      5 stars
      This is delicious!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Debra! I love to cook and eat and travel, and cook the things I eat when I travel! I'm a detail-oriented Virgo, so it's my jam to simplify recipes and break them down into easy to follow steps. I help you bring the world to your table!

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    Hi, I'm Debra! I love to cook and eat and travel, and cook the things I eat when I travel! I'm a detail-oriented Virgo, so it's my jam to simplify recipes and break them down into easy to follow steps. I help you bring the world to your table!

    More about me →

    Subscribe To My Enewsletter

    Get my new, and tried and true, recipes delivered to your inbox! Subscribe now!

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    Trending Recipes

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    Chocolate Recipes

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    • Gluten Free Almond Flour Brownies

    French Recipes

    • Romaine Hearts Salad with Blue Cheese, Pears, and Pecans
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