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Gluten-free Chinese scallion pancakes offer a delightful twist on a classic dish, allowing those with dietary restrictions to savor the rich flavors and cultural significance of this beloved Chinese treat.
Like I have mentioned before in my other gluten-free recipes, I don’t need to be on a gluten-free diet, but I like to take on some challenges and try out some gluten-free recipes I have had success with and this is one of them.
What is Chinese scallion pancake (cong you bing) ?
Scallion pancakes, known as “cong you bing” in Mandarin, have a rich history in Chinese cuisine. They are a popular street food and are often enjoyed for breakfast or as a snack. The layers of the pancake symbolize prosperity, making them a common dish during celebrations and festivals. The combination of scallions and sesame oil not only provides a tantalizing flavor but also represents the essence of traditional Chinese culinary principles—balancing flavors and textures to create a harmonious dish.
Why you will love this gluten-free version of scallion pancakes
1. You don’t need to buy any gluten-free flour mix
Every brand has its own blend and different slightly and it’s hard to be consistent especially if we use different gluten-free flour mix
2. There are no binders like xanthan gum, guar gum, etc used in the recipe
3. You can easily find all the ingredients used in this recipe and they are inexpensive to get
Ingredients
1. Rice flour
I used Thai rice flour. I haven’t tried any other brands, but it should work as long as it is finely milled
2. Tapioca flour
Sometimes known as tapioca starch (depending on where you are), but they are the same thing. It is made by extracting the starch of cassava. DO NOT substitute with cassava flour however, it’s not the same thing
3. Mashed potato
4. Water
5. Scallion/green onion
6. Five-spice powder
7. Oil
8. Salt
Gluten Free Chinese Scallion Pancakes (Cong You Bing)
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 120 g rice flour
- 80 g Tapioca flour divided
- 100 g mashed potato divided
- 115 g water divided
- 1 Tbsp oil for kneading the dough, plus more as needed and for cooking
For the filling:
- 60 g oil
- 50 g rice flour
- ⅔ tsp five-spice powder you can omit if you don't have any
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 stalks scallion thinly sliced
Dipping sauce:
- 2 Tbsp tamari
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Please weigh ingredients with digital kitchen scale. I do provide cup measurement but it is not accurate and accuracy is important with this gluten-free recipe
Prepare the filling:
- Combine flour, salt, and five-spice powder in a heat-proof bowl. Heat up the oil on the stove over medium heat until warm, about 330 F (170 C) if you have an instant-read thermometer. Pour the oil over the flour mixture and stir to combine. Set aside
Prepare the dipping sauce:
- Place all the ingredients for dipping sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil and let the sugar melt. Set aside. It can be kept in the fridge for up to one week
Prepare the dough:
- Combine 30 grams (1/4 cup) of tapioca flour with 30 grams (2 Tbsp) of water to make a slurry
- Take half of the mashed potatoes and combine it with 85 grams (3/8 cups) of water. Mix until combined. Strain the mixture into a saucepan to make sure there's no lumps.
- Combine the rest of the tapioca flour and all of the rice flour in a large mixing bowl and set aside for later
- Put the saucepan on the stove over medium heat and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and remove from the stove. Then gradually add in the tapioca slurry while stirring at the same time. It thickens almost instantly to form a glue-like consistency. Add the rest of the mashed potato and continue to stir to combine
- Add this glue-like dough ball to the tapioca and rice flour mixture. Use your clean hand to knead into a dough. Add one tablespoon of oil and continue to knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. Apply a bit more oil all over the dough to prevent it from drying out. Cover this dough tightly and let it rest for 30 minutes
Shaping:
- Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Place them on a lightly-oiled plate and tightly covered. Oil your work surface. Work with one dough at a time.
- Use a rolling pin and roll it out into a thin rectangle sheet, roughtly about 10 x 7 inches in size. Apply the oil-flour paste mixture and sprinkle 1/4 of the scallion on the surface. Roll the dough up from the long side. Then form a coil into a disc
- Place this on a parchment paper and then cover with another piece of parchment paper. Roll it out to about 5 mm in thickness. Continue witht he rest of the dough. Leave the pancake stacked in between the parchment paper.
Cooking:
- Preheat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add about 1 teaspoon of oil. When the pan is hot, pick up one pancake, peel off the parchment paper on top, but leave the bottom part. Lower the pancake onto the pan then peel off the parchment paper. Cover with a lid and let it cook for about 3 minutes over medium heat on the first side, then uncover the lid and flip over and cook for another 2 minutes on the other side or until golden brown. Uncover the lid and flip to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds or so, then remove from the pan. Continue cooking the rest of the pancakes
To serve:
- Serve them immediately when they are still warm and slightly crisp on the outside with the dipping sauce on the side
Marv’s Recipe Notes
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
How to make gluten-free scallion pancakes (cong you bing)
1. Please weigh ingredients with digital kitchen scale. I do provide cup measurement but it is not accurate and accuracy is important with this gluten-free recipe
2. Combine flour, salt, and five-spice powder in a heat-proof bowl. Heat up the oil on the stove over medium heat until warm, about 330 F (170 C) if you have an instant-read thermometer. Pour the oil over the flour mixture and stir to combine. Set aside
3. Combine 30 grams (1/4 cup) of tapioca flour with 30 grams (2 Tbsp) of water to make a slurry. Take half of the mashed potatoes and combine it with 85 grams (3/8 cups) of water. Mix until combined. Strain the mixture into a saucepan to make sure there’s no lumps. Combine the rest of the tapioca flour and all of the rice flour in a large mixing bowl and set aside for later. Put the saucepan on the stove over medium heat and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and remove from the stove. Then gradually add in the tapioca slurry while stirring at the same time. It thickens almost instantly to form a glue-like consistency. Add the rest of the mashed potato and continue to stir to combine
4. Add this glue-like dough ball to the tapioca and rice flour mixture. Use your clean hand to knead into a dough. 
5. Add one tablespoon of oil and continue to knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. Apply a bit more oil all over the dough to prevent it from drying out. Cover this dough tightly and let it rest for 30 minutes
6. Roll the dough into a log and divide the dough into 4 pieces. Place them on a lightly-oiled plate and tightly covered. 
7. Oil your work surface. Work with one dough at a time. Use a rolling pin and roll it out into a thin rectangle sheet, roughly about 10 x 7 inches in size. 
8. Apply the oil-flour paste mixture and sprinkle 1/4 of the scallion on the surface. 
9. Roll the dough up from the long side. 
10. Then form a coil into a disc. 
11. Place this on a parchment paper and then cover with another piece of parchment paper.
12. Roll it out to about 5 mm in thickness. Continue witht he rest of the dough. Leave the pancake stacked in between the parchment paper.
13. Preheat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add about 1 teaspoon of oil. When the pan is hot, pick up one pancake, peel off the parchment paper on top, but leave the bottom part. 
14. Lower the pancake onto the pan then peel off the parchment paper. 
15. Cover with a lid and let it cook for about 3 minutes over medium heat on the first side, then uncover the lid and flip over and cook for another 2 minutes on the other side or until golden brown. Uncover the lid and flip to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds or so, then remove from the pan. Continue cooking the rest of the pancakes
16. Serve them immediately when they are still warm and slightly crisp on the outside with the dipping sauce on the side
Did you make this recipe?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag it to show me what you’ve made. Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
