Do you ever decide to make a recipe because you want to use up an ingredient that is in your cupboards? Well, this is one of those times for me. I wanted to use up a bag of rye flour that has been lingering in my kitchen for too long, so when I saw a recipe for Rye Griddle Cakes in a hundred-year-old cookbook I decided to give it a try.
When I selected the recipe, I didn’t have particularly high expectations, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The Rye Griddle Cakes (or pancakes to use more modern terminology) were absolutely wonderful. They were hearty and lovely with maple syrup. They don’t taste like rye bread, since rye bread often has additional flavorings like caraway or anise – but rather have a milder flavor. And, as an added bonus, the only flour this recipe calls for is rye flour, so it is a gluten free recipe. [2/18/23 update: My original post contained incorrect information. Readers who commented on this post noted that rye flour contains gluten – so this is not a gluten free recipe.]
Here’s the original recipe:
I am not sure why the egg is beaten until light, then combined with the milk before adding to the other ingredients. Maybe the recipe author was beating everything by hand. When I made this recipe, I just put all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and then beat with an electric mixer.
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Rye Griddle Cakes
1 1/2 cups rye flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups milk
Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl; beat until combined.
Heat a lightly greased griddle to a medium temperature, then pour or scoop batter onto the hot surface to make individual griddlecakes. Cook on one side, then flip and cook other side.
A Hundred Years Ago 
These do look tasty.
They were yummy.
This recipe does sound good. You are adventuresome in the kitchen, and I enjoy that.
I have a lot of fun trying different recipes.
I do buy specialty flours, but I don’t think I have ever seen rye. I’ll have to take a look.
I know that where I live, it’s hard to find. I have to go to “Natural Grociers” in order to get it, it seems to be the only place that stocks it.
When I buy it, which is very rarely, it’s for rye bread.
Thanks!
I’m fortunate that the supermarket that where I normally shop has rye flour – and a lot of other specialty flours.
They look delicious, and so perfectly round Sheryl!
I tried to be careful when I dropped the batter on the griddle to make the pancakes nice and round since I knew that I wanted to take a photo of them. 🙂
Beautiful!
Your cakes are lovely! I can believe their good!
The pancakes were very nice.
I do like this – as I too have some lingering rye flour. However I am pretty sure that rye flour is no gluten free. You might want to check that information…
Oh my – I didn’t know that. I just learned something. Here’s what it says on the Beyond Celiac
website: “Rye is not gluten-free. Rye contains secalin, a type of gluten protein.” I am going to add a note to this post.
Sadly, Rye isn’t gluten free. I do have some that I use to make Swedish Rye bread which is fairly light and slightly sweet. I think these might be similar. The egg would be beat up to incorporate air for lighter pancakes. I wouldn’t bother using a mixer for these (one more thing to get out & to clean). While mixers were available about 1910 I think they were probably pretty rare in the average house. So either a spoon, whisk or hand beater would have been the options.
Thanks for the info about rye. I’m updating my post by adding a note about rye not being gluten free. You’re right – sometimes it’s easier to just mix things by hand.
Looks really good. That’s a handy and tasty way to use up ingredients. 🙂
They’re tasty.