Thanks to buckwheat flour, these delicious buckwheat pancakes have a light and tender texture with a delicate, nutty flavor. Skip to the Buckwheat Pancakes recipe
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What is buckwheat flour?
Buckwheat is a versatile, nutrient-rich plant with grain-like seeds. Buckwheat flour is made by grinding these seeds. It’s high in fiber and, being non-wheat, gluten-free.
The flavor is rich and nutty and works well for making pancakes, muffins, and quick breads. It also looks a lot darker than regular flour (or even whole wheat flour). I actually love the color but it may come as a surprise when you use it for the first time.
How to make buckwheat pancakes
Making a batch of buckwheat pancakes is just as easy as making regular pancakes. Simply swap buckwheat flour for all-purpose flour and you’re good to go.
Just like when making whole wheat pancakes, we prefer to use a flour mix for the best results. In this case, We like to use a mixture of buckwheat flour and all-purpose flour. To keep the pancakes gluten-free, you can swap out the all-purpose flour for your favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour mix.
You can also use 100% buckwheat flour to make pancakes, but the texture will be a bit drier and the nutty flavor will be more assertive. The mixture recommended in the recipe makes pancakes that are fluffy and moist with a delicate nutty flavor.
How to make gluten free pancakes
For gluten-free buckwheat pancakesuse 100% buckwheat flour, or use a mixture of buckwheat flour and your favorite gluten-free flour blend instead of the all-purpose flour.
More ways to use buckwheat flour
Buckwheat flour is versatile and can be substituted for all-purpose or whole wheat flour in many recipes. Just like with pancakes, we find that substituting some of the flour specified in the recipe with buckwheat flour gives the best results.
Here are a few examples:
- Make muffins like these blueberry muffins, but substitute 25% of the all-purpose flour called for in the recipe. The buckwheat makes the muffins fluffy and gives them a delicate nutty taste.
- Make buckwheat banana bread by substituting buckwheat flour for up to 50% of the flour in our banana bread recipe. The bread turns out moist and the nuttiness of the buckwheat complements the banana well.
- Make Different Types of Pancakes – try substituting some buckwheat flour for the all-purpose flour in these blueberry pancakes or these pumpkin pancakes.
Easy fluffy buckwheat pancakes
- PREPARATION
These buckwheat pancakes are light and fluffy and made entirely from scratch. They are not too sweet and smell like vanilla, which makes them extra delicious. You can make these with 100% buckwheat flour or use our recommended buckwheat and all-purpose flour mix. The mixture results in fluffier, more tender pancakes.
In the first step of the recipe, we mix milk and lemon juice (or vinegar) together. This is an easy way to mimic buttermilk. The acid reacts with the baking soda, making the pancakes light and fluffy. Instead of mixing milk and acid, you can substitute buttermilk. If you prefer to use baking soda, we have provided tips in the Notes section below.
We call for unsalted butter in the recipe. You can use salted butter, but you may want to reduce the amount of salt used.
Makes 10 pancakes
Watch us make the recipe
you will need
1 cup (120 grams) buckwheat flour
1/2 cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour or use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
1 1/4 cups (295 ml) of milk, dairy and non-dairy both work
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white vinegar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
1 tablespoon of sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda, see notes on substituting baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
directions
- make dough
- cooking pancakes
Whisk together the milk and lemon juice and set aside for five minutes. This mixture mimics buttermilk, which when mixed with baking soda later in the recipe fluffs the pancakes.
Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
Beat the egg and vanilla into the curdled milk.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour the milk mixture and melted butter into the well and stir with a fork until you no longer see lumps of flour. It’s okay if the batter has a few small lumps.
Heat a large skillet (or use a griddle) over medium-high heat. The pan is ready when you splash a little water on the pan surface, the water dances around the pan and finally evaporates.
Brush the pan lightly with melted butter. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop the batter onto the pan. Gently spread the dough out into a 4-inch circle.
When the edges look dry and bubbles appear and pop on the top of the pancake, flip it. This takes about 2 minutes. After flipping, cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked in the center. Serve immediately with warm syrup, butter and your favorite pancake toppings.
Advice from Adam and Joanne
- For gluten-free buckwheat pancakes, substitute your favorite gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose flour, or use additional buckwheat flour (1/2 cup or 60 grams) in place of the all-purpose flour. Pancakes made from 100% buckwheat flour are a bit drier.
- When the batter for buckwheat pancakes sits, it will thicken. If it seems too thick, stir in an additional dash of milk to thin it out.
- If you measure your flour before scooping the flour into your measuring cup, loosen or stir the flour in the container (or bag) first, this will aerate the flour and make the measurement more accurate. Alternatively, you can stir the flour in the container and then pour it into your measuring cup. Then, when the cup is full, use a straight edge to scrape off the excess flour. This will prevent adding too much flour to the dough, causing the dough to be too thick.
- Substitute for baking soda: To use baking soda in place of baking soda, omit the vinegar or lemon juice called for in the recipe and use 1 tablespoon of baking soda.
- Nutritional Information: The nutritional information below is an estimate. We used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
If you make this recipe, take a picture and tag #inspiredtaste – we love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste
Nutrition per serving: serving size 1 pancake / calories 135 / total fat 6.5g / Saturated Fatty Acids 3.7g / cholesterol 33.9mg / sodium 233mg / Total carbohydrates 16g / fiber 1.4g / total sugar 3.2g / protein 3.8g