Just because a food is a classic doesn’t mean it can’t be improved, and considering Alton Brown shared his original pancake recipe back in 2000, it’s probably time for an upgrade. In this updated recipe, one surprising ingredient is missing from the lineup, helping make these pancakes extra light and fluffy.

Brown’s recipe skips the wheat flour, instead opting for gluten-free options, and no, this isn’t a bid to make gluten-free pancakes, that’s just a happy bonus. Rather, the lack of gluten in the flour helps keep your pancakes fluffy and avoids the common mistake of overdeveloped gluten that results in gummy pancakes.

Brown’s pancakes combine brown rice flour, white rice flour, and tapioca flour with cornstarch, potato starch, nonfat dry milk powder, and xanthan gum, and then some baking soda, baking powder, lemon juice, milk, sugar, and butter. The important step is to let it rest for 30 minutes to allow the starches enough time to absorb the liquids, creating perfectly fluffy pancakes.