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One thing I’ve never seen at a party is Gluten Free Blinis – which is madness given how easy they are to make! These little yeasted pancakes can be whipped up so quickly. Top them with whatever you like for the perfect gluten free canapé.
If you’ve have coeliac disease for a long time like I have, you might not even be familiar with blinis.
A staple as cocktail parties and buffets, blinis are very small, thick savoury pancakes, leavened with yeast.
They’re originate from Eastern Europe and are usually topped with treats like smoked salmon, quail’s eggs or caviar. But really you can top them with anything you like.
I know a lot of people find using yeast in gluten free baking daunting but these are just as easy as whipping up some pancakes.
The only difference is you need to leave them in a warm spot to prove for an hour before frying them. But aside from that it’s such a quick recipe.
So don’t miss out this party season! Here’s how to make gluten free blinis that nobody will ever realise are coeliac-friendly.
How to make gluten free blinis
The main ingredients you’ll need to make gluten free blinis are:
- Plain Gluten Free Flour – I always use the FREEE gluten free plain flour mix or the Juvela white mix for this recipe. Both are fab! You’ll need to ensure you’re using a plain gluten free flour blend. Using single flours like coconut and almond flour will not yield the same result.
- Dried Quick Yeast – Both FREEE and Allinson’s do a dried, quick yeast in the UK which are gluten free. Not all yeast is safe for people with coeliac disease so always be sure to double check.
- Egg – You’ll need one medium egg for this recipe, at room temperature.
- Milk – I use full fat dairy milk for this blinis recipe but you can change this to semi-skimmed or skimmed. You can also use a dairy free milk instead if you need to make this blinis recipe dairy free. The milk does need to be warm. I recommend investing in a food thermometer to ensure it doesn’t go above 40’C or it will kill the yeast.
- Oil – I fry my blinis in olive oil but any oil will work. Or you can use butter if you prefer. You only need a tiny bit, a little goes a long way.
Once you have all your ingredients it’s just a case of mixing the dry ingredients together. Then simply mixing the wet into the dry.
The batter may appear quite runny at first but don’t worry, once you leave it to prove it should go all thick and bubbly.
Then simply fry the blinis for a minute on each side – I use around one dessert spoon of batter per blini but it depends on what size you’d like them.
Gluten Free Blinis FAQ
There’s a full recipe card below with the method for my blinis but here are some frequently asked questions…
Are blinis gluten free?
Sadly most blinis you can buy in the shops are made with wheat flour and are not gluten free.
Traditionally blinis can be made with buckwheat flour which is naturally gluten free – though with some brands do check for ‘may contain’ warnings.
I use the FREEE gluten free plain flour blend for my blinis which does contain some buckwheat flour but is blended with other gluten free flours.
So while you can easily make blinis gluten free, you sadly can’t seem to buy pre-made gluten free blinis in the supermarket.
Do I have to use yeast to make blinis?
Unless you have a yeast allergy you shouldn’t be put off by using yeast in recipes – it’s not as tricky as you might think.
Blinis are traditionally made with yeast so while some recipes use baking powder, I like to keep them the way they should be.
The yeast gives them a gorgeous bubbly texture and thickens the mixture nicely so I’d recommend not trying to substitute it.
Are these blinis dairy free?
I do use milk in my gluten free blinis recipe, but to make gluten and dairy free blinis simply switch this for your favourite dairy free milk.
The recipe does contain egg so is not vegan but can be easily made dairy free.
Can you freeze gluten free blinis?
If you want to make these gluten free blinis ahead of time you can in fact make them, cool them and freeze them.
Simply defrost them to top – I like to give mine a little refresh in a warm oven or air fryer just to freshen them up once defrosted.
What can I top gluten free blinis with?
There are lots of different options for topping blinis but my favourites are:
- Cream cheese with ribbons of smoked salmon
- Guacamole with half a quail’s egg on top
- Chopped king prawns with sweet chilli sauce
- Crumbled stilton and tiny slivers of steak
You could even top your blinis with sweet toppings, or a mixture of both – I love combinations like brie and grape, or figs and goat’s cheese.
Get creative and top your gluten free blinis with whatever makes you happy… and hungry!
Gluten Free Blinis Recipe
This recipe makes enough for 14 small blinis, but you can make them bigger if you prefer.
You can also easily double (or triple!) the quantity of the batter if you want to make more and are catering for a big crowd.
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your bakes!
And if you loved it, please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.
Gluten Free Blinis
These easy gluten free blinis - tiny yeasted pancakes - are super easy to make and perfect for parties and canapes. Serve them warm or cold with your topping of choice.
Ingredients
- 100g gluten free plain flour
- 1 tsp (5g) dried quick yeast
- Pinch of salt
- 1 medium egg (beaten)
- 150ml milk (warm)
- Oil (for frying)
Instructions
- Mix the gluten free flour, yeast and salt together in a large mixing bowl until combined.
- Warm the milk to 40'C (it should feel the same temperature as your skin) - you can do this either in a pan over a low heat or in short intervals in the microwave. Be careful not to overheat it or you'll kill the yeast!
- Pour the beaten egg and warm milk into the dry ingredients and use a balloon whisk to whisk the mixture together until smooth. Cover with clingfilm and place in a warm spot for one hour.
- After an hour the mixture should have thickened nicely. Heat a tiny bit of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add small spoonfuls of batter into the pan in little circles. Heat for one minute until bubbles appear on the surface, flip, then cook for another 30 seconds to one-minute.
- Remove the cooked blinis from the pan and place onto a plate. Repeat until all the batter is gone then serve hot or cold, topped with whatever you fancy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
14Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 46Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 19mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g
NEED SOME MORE GLUTEN FREE BAKING INSPIRATION?
Want to have a go at some of the other gluten free party food recipes on the blog?
Give some of these other gluten free recipes a try for your next buffet!
- Gluten free sausage rolls
- Gluten free cheese straws
- Halloumi and Bacon Bites
- Gluten free vol-au-vents
I’ve also got my gluten free Christmas page with everything you need to enjoy a safe festive season.
There are plenty to choose from – here are a couple to get you going:
- My FULL gluten free Christmas guide
- Gluten free Mini Cheddars
- Gluten free lebkuchen
- Classic gluten free mince pies
If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram.
And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!
LIKE THIS GLUTEN FREE BLINIS RECIPE?
Make sure you pin the recipe card below for later!
