Buckwheat Pancakes

Ever tried buckwheat pancakes? Sure, they aren’t the prettiest pancakes around, but they make up for their humble appearance with wonderful flavor and texture. Buckwheat, a gluten-free relative of rhubarb, has a delicate, almost nutty flavor all its own.

Thanks to the buckwheat flour, these pancakes are naturally gluten free! These pancakes possess a light and airy consistency that quietly surrenders to the pressure of a fork and soaks up maple syrup like a sponge. I just love them.

This recipe was originally adapted from a fun cookbook called Pancakes, by fellow food blogger Adrianna Adarme of A Cozy Kitchen. I visit Adrianna’s blog any time I need some creative recipe inspiration or a laugh, which is often.

It’s been eight years, so I’m revisiting this recipe to update the photos. I also tweaked the recipe a bit to work even better with 100 percent buckwheat flour. I added another egg and a smidge more flour. Hope you’ll give them a try soon!

What is buckwheat flour?

Buckwheat flour is often categorized as a whole grain, but technically, it’s not a grain at all. It’s a pseudocereal like quinoa and amaranth. Buckwheat flour is made from the seeds of buckwheat, a flowering cover crop.

Buckwheat is nutritious, offering a good source of minerals like manganese, copper, magnesium, iron and phosphorus. Food52 says that buckwheat flour offers more protein, dietary fiber and B vitamins than an equal weight of whole wheat flour or oat flour.

Buckwheat flavor has a distinctive earthy flavor that you might recognize from soba noodles, blinis or crêpes. You don’t miss my recipes for buckwheat waffles and buckwheat crêpes.

Buckwheat Pancake Tips

For thicker and fluffier pancakes, Adrianna suggests substituting half whole wheat or all-purpose flour for the buckwheat flour. Granted, your pancakes will no longer be gluten free, but the fluffier texture and lighter buckwheat flavor might be perfect for you.

Be sure to properly preheat your cooking surface. It’s ready when a few drops of water sizzle immediately upon impact. Don’t start too soon, or your pancakes won’t brown and will be difficult to turn.

Gently stir the batter before using, every time. Buckwheat flour tends to separate from liquid, so gently stir the batter before each batch to evenly distribute the ingredients.

If you’re cooking on the stovetop, you may need to dial back the heat a bit over time. Your temperature is too high if the pancakes are browning too quickly on the outside before they are done on the inside.

The pancakes are ready to flip when about 1-inch of the perimeter has turned from glossy to matte. Better to be patient than to end up with a doughy mess.

Serving suggestions: Buckwheat pancakes pair well with fresh berries and sliced ripe banana. I love them with a drizzle of maple syrup, of course, and a healthy swipe of peanut butter or almond butter for some additional protein.

More Gluten-Free Pancakes to Enjoy

Please let me know how your pancakes turn out in the comments! And check out even more pancake recipes here.

Gluten-Free Buckwheat Pancakes

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Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 12 pancakes 1x
Category: Breakfast
Method: By hand
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free

★★★★★

4.7 from 154 reviews

Buckwheat gives these pancakes incredible flavor. This buckwheat pancake recipe yields deliciously light and thin pancakes. For pancakes that are even lighter in texture and flavor, use half all purpose flour (Adrianna’s suggestion) or whole wheat flour (my default). Recipe yields 12 medium pancakes, or enough for 2 to 4 servings.

Scale

Ingredients

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon buckwheat flour (or ½ cup buckwheat and ½ cup flour of choice)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups buttermilk, shaken*
2 eggs
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Butter, for the skillet

Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flour(s), sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a liquid measuring cup, measure out the buttermilk. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
All at once, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter should have some small to medium lumps. Set aside while you warm the skillet or griddle.
Preheat your skillet or griddle over medium-low heat (if using an electric griddle, preheat it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit). Brush the cooking surface with 1 ½ teaspoons of butter.
Give the batter a light swirl with a spoon in case the buckwheat is starting to separate from the liquid. Using a ¼-cup measure, scoop the batter onto the warm skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until small bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes (you’ll know it’s ready to flip when about 1 inch of the perimeter is matte instead of glossy), and flip. Cook on the opposite sides for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown.
Transfer the cooked pancakes to a cooling rack, or to a baking sheet in a preheated 200 degree Fahrenheit oven to keep warm.
Gently stir the batter before using again. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, brushing the skillet with additional butter as needed. Serve immediately.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Pancakes by Adrianna Adarme of A Cozy Kitchen.
*Make your own buttermilk with dairy-free option: Combine 1 ¼ cups milk of choice (almond, soy, rice, low fat coconut) with 1 tablespoon + ¾ teaspoon vinegar and let it rest for 5 minutes before using.

Make it dairy free: See buttermilk alternative above, and lightly brush the skillet with melted coconut oil instead of butter.

Roasted strawberry topping option: (From original recipe.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, gently toss 1 pint strawberries (hulled and sliced into bite-sized quarters or halves) with 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey. Arrange the strawberries in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring halfway, or long enough for the berry juices to thicken but not burn (watch the edges in particular).

Recipe edits 5/27/21: To make this recipe work even better with 100 percent buckwheat flour, I added an additional tablespoon of buckwheat flour and one additional egg.

▸ Nutrition Information

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.

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