How to Make Gluten-Free Lefse: Step By Step
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Do you want Lefse to be a part of your Christmas traditions? Here’s my version of Gluten Free Lefse (dairy-free as well!) that you can make for your family this year.
How to Make Lefse
Nope, I’m not Norwegian. My ancestry is German and Czech. But my hubby’s family has some Norwegian blood running through it and so that’s my excuse to make this delicious treat! Not that I need one because we love lefse! I learned how to make lefse many years ago from a neighbor. Lefse is very commonly made in my area, and also in North Dakota and Minnesota.
Lefse is a traditional Norwegian flatbread that can be served in many different ways. The potato actually wasn’t always added to the dough, but it’s common in lefse-making today since it helps the dough stay together and makes it easier to work with.
Lefse is most commonly eaten by spreading butter and sugar on the inside, rolling it up, and enjoying it warm. SO good! You can also eat it with jam, eggs, meat, or whatever you want! It’s very versatile and can be frozen, so you can make a BIG batch and freeze half for later. This recipe does take some time to make so it’s a good idea to make a big batch and make it worth your while.
*Note: You will need a Potato Ricer for this recipe.
Ingredients in Gluten-Free Lefse
- Potatoes. These need to be peeled and cooked before you can use them in this recipe. I like using gold potatoes because they are the creamiest.
- Butter. This helps give good flavor to your lefse. If you want these to be dairy-free, add shortening instead. Vegan butter may work as well.
- Heavy Cream. I like using my Cream Cubes in this recipe but fresh cream works the same. Use coconut cream for dairy-free.
- Salt and Sugar. You need a small amount of both of these for a little more flavor in your lefse.
- Gluten-Free Flour. I use all-purpose gluten-free flour in this recipe. Most cup-for-cup gluten-free flours should work but I haven’t tried them all.
I love lefse even though I am not norwegian. I am originally from North Dakota where lefse is very popular year round. My mom has a lefse grill and we make it when I go visit. It is the best when rolled very thin and served warm off the grill. We like to put butter and cinnamon & sugar on it. It is very delicious and now I may have to call my relatives up there to ask them to bring me some when they come for a visit 🙂
Julie, Little House Living reader
Step By Step Instructions for Making Gluten-Free Lefse
Start this recipe by cooking your potatoes; make sure to peel them. (Save the potato water for later!) Using a Potato Ricer, rice all your potatoes into a large bowl.
Add in the cream (I used my Cream Cubes), butter, salt, and sugar into the riced potatoes until they melt into the warm mixture. Set the mixture aside for a while and let it cool.
Then, whip everything together with a hand mixer until the entire mixture is nice and smooth.
After the mixture has cooled, mix in the flour. Form small balls. You may need some extra flour to be able to roll these out.
Take a clean flour sack or another thin towel and place the balls of dough on part of the towel with a little flour. Sprinkle a bit more flour on the top. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it’s very thin.
*Note: if you are making gluten-free or dairy-free versions, do NOT roll the dough super thin like regular lefse. It needs to be left a little thicker to hold together.
Remove the rolled-out dough carefully from the towel. (I did this by cupping it in my hands and carefully flipping it onto the griddle.) Fry on a warmed griddle (you can use a hot frying pan if you don’t have one).
You do not want to cook long, just long enough for each side to get some bubbles. If you cook it too long, the leaves will get hard and crispy; it should be soft and flexible, like a tortilla.
Lefse takes some time to make, but it’s very worth it in the end! We like to spread butter and sugar inside a warm lefse and enjoy!
The is a restaurant about and hour or so from my house that serves meals wrapped up in leafsa. I just love the potatoe and meatball one all rolled up and smothered in gravy! My husbands family is Norwegian so I have had the opportunity to taste many of their native dishes. Leafsa is fun to make and also makes fond memories.
Lisa, Little House Living reader
Gluten-Free Lefse Variation
Instead of regular flour, substitute all purpose gluten free flour in the mixture. All other ingredients can remain the same.
Dairy-Free Lefse Variation
Instead of the butter and cream, substitute coconut milk and shortening in the mixture. All other ingredients can remain the same. You can also make a gluten-free and dairy-free version.
Want to print this Gluten Free Lefse recipe to add to your Recipe Binder? Grab it below!
Lefse Recipe
How to make traditional lefse with gluten free and dairy free versions.
Ingredients
- 5 pounds potatoes cooked and peeled
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 1/4 cups gluten free flour
Instructions
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Start this recipe by cooking your potatoes, make sure to peel. Using a Potato Ricer, rice all your potatoes into a large bowl.
-
Add in the cream, butter, salt, and sugar into the riced potatoes until they melt into the warm mixture. Set the mixture aside for a while and let it cool.
-
Then whip everything together with a hand mixer until the entire mixture is nice and smooth.
-
After the mixture has cooled, mix in the flour. Form small balls. You may need some extra flour to be able to roll these out.
-
Take a clean flour sack or another thin towel and place the balls of dough on part of the towel with a little flour. Sprinkle a bit more flour on the top. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it’s very thin.
-
Remove the rolled out dough carefully from the towel. (I did this by cupping it in my hands and carefully flipping onto the griddle.) Fry on a warmed griddle (you can use a hot frying pan if you don’t have one). You do not want to cook long, just long enough for each side to get some bubbles. If you cook it too long the lefse will get hard and crispy, it should be soft and flexible, like a tortilla.
-
Lefse takes some time to make but it’s very worth it in the end! We like to spread butter and sugar inside a warm lefse and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*Note, if you are making gluten free or dairy free versions, do NOT roll the dough super thin like regular lefse. It needs to be left a little thicker to hold together.
My mom was from oslo so growing up we mostly norwegain meals and lefse was a common item love them with butter and sugar, and also spicy mustard and a hot dog wrapped up so good.
Richard, Little House Living reader
More Gluten Free Holiday Treats
- Chewy Coconut Macaroons Recipe
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Brown Rice Crackers Recipe
- Easy Gluten Free Banana Bread
Does your family enjoy Lefse? What kind of toppings do you use? Have you ever tried to make lefse gluten-free?
Merissa Alink
Merissa has been blogging about and living the simple life since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to freedom on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from the Contact Page.
This recipe for Gluten Free Lefse was originally published on Little House Living in December 2013. It has been updated as of December 2023.
I love lefse even though I am not norwegian. I am originally from North Dakota where lefse is very popular year round. My mom has a lefse grill and we make it when I go visit. It is the best when rolled very thin and served warm off the grill. We like to put butter and cinnamon & sugar on it. It is very delicious and now I may have to call my relatives up there to ask them to bring me some when they come for a visit 🙂
This is something new to me in Oklahoma. Looks very good and can’t wait to try it. Maybe for New Year’s Day. Thank you for sharing.
My parents were both from ND and made this when I was young in California. I lost my parents a long time ago and never knew the recipe. Thanks for bringing back wonderful memories
The is a restaurant about and hour or so from my house that serves meals wrapped up in leafsa. I just love the potatoe and meatball one all rolled up and smothered in gravy! My husbands family is Norwegian so I have had the opportunity to taste many of their native dishes. Leafsa is fun to make and also makes fond memories.
I was wondering, do you freeze it after cooking it? or before?
After cooking it.
Also, I don’t have a potato ricer, is there some other way to do this?
You might be able to use a hand mixer or food processer but the key is to make sure the potatoes are completely smooth.
Thank you!
I have never had these, but they look really great! I think I will be trying these lefse sometime soon. Thanks for posting!
I love lefse! (I especially like the idea of trying some dairy or gluten free versions). We only have a little Norwegian blood, but since my entire family is from Minnesota, it was always an important holiday tradition. My dad work’s for the Forest Service, so since we moved around alot as a kid, it felt like it as an important way for us to stay connected to our roots.
These days my parents usually have a huge lefse party every New Year’s for all our friends in the Black Hills. This year though the brought the lefse party out to the West Coast since both my sister and me have relocated out this way. Fun as always!
http://www.naturenurturegrow.com/2013/12/holiday-recap-great-lefse-party-of-2013.html
Hi Marissa,
I think your lefse must be a variety of our potetlefse (potato lefse), however I’m not used to sugar in the recipe. We butter up the lefse and sprinkle with sugar just before eating, or we use them as they are wrapped around hotdogs 🙂 When making them, you can also replace some of the plain flour with sifted rye which makes them really nice and soft and tasty. Good idea to use a potato ricer, I’ll definitely get one of them.
My mom never made lefse, but she bought some at the grocery store for us once. Her grandmother was from Norway. She put butter with equal parts sugar & cinnamon on it. I guess that’s how her mother ate it.
Hi There!
I can’t wait to try the gluten free and vegan version of this Lefse.
Just wondering, do you or anyone know about how many pieces of lefse
one batch makes?
with 5 pounds of potatoes with my recipe it makes 30 – 40.
My mom was from oslo so growing up we mostly norwegain meals and lefse was a common item love them with butter and sugar, and also spicy mustard and a hot dog wrapped up so good.
Hello Marissa, When I saw your Lefse recipe I thought you must be Norwegian? I come from a large Norwegian family on my Mother’s side and German Jew on my father’s. What a combination right? We along with all my Aunts, Cousins, second cousins and now another generation get together every October at the Sons of Norway Lodge here in Vancouver, WA. to make Lefse. There are usually 7- 6 ft tables and 14 grills going at once! We use the traditional tools to make our lefse, a yard stick filed to a thin edge at one for turning the lefse, heritage lefse grills, and knobby rollers with a sock covering. We also use heavy muslin or cotton sheets to roll out the dough, all ironed to remove wrinkles. We just started a new recipe my eldest Aunt found and it’s so easy and the yummiest I’ve tried. If you would like to try it I will gladly share it. We’re thinking of motorhome life because my Mother has severe back problems and my back can’t take lifting her any longer. I love your website!
I’m not Norwegian but my hubby is 🙂 I’m a mixture of German and Czech!
It says gluten free lefse. What kind of flour are you using?
You can just use an all purpose gluten free flour in the gluten free version.
Is a ricer necesaary or can the lefse dough be made by using a food processor?
You can probably use a food processor or a hand mixer to get it smooth instead.
I mixed it together. It’s so wet. Should I add more flour?
Yes, it shouldn’t be wet. Similar to a tortilla dough…slightly sticky but not so much that it can’t be handled.