These easy buckwheat pancakes have a light and fluffy texture and earthy, nutty flavor. They're a delicious breakfast...that's totally gluten-free!
We’re heading into a long weekend—let’s make buckwheat pancakes! These beauties are light and fluffy, and the buckwheat flour gives them a wonderful nutty flavor. Saturday morning, here we come. 🙂
While many buckwheat pancake recipes call for a mix of buckwheat flour and all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour, I use 100% buckwheat in mine. I love that you can really taste the buckwheat this way. It’s earthy and nutty, and it makes these pancakes a unique treat. They’re also naturally gluten-free, because despite its name, buckwheat isn’t actually related to wheat. You can read more on that below, but for now, break out the mixing bowls and pass the maple syrup! We have buckwheat pancakes to make.
What is buckwheat flour?
Buckwheat’s name is misleading, because it’s not actually a type of wheat at all. In fact, it’s not even a grain! Similar to quinoa, buckwheat is a pseudo-grain, in this case, a grain-like seed. It’s a member of the rhubarb family, and it has an earthy, nutty flavor with just a touch of bitterness. It’s famously used in Japanese soba noodles and French crepes, and it makes these pancakes wonderfully complex (and totally gluten-free).
How to Make Buckwheat Pancakes
Making these buckwheat pancakes is similar to making any basic pancake recipe:
- Whisk together the wet ingredients in one mixing bowl and the dry ingredients in another.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry, and mix the batter until it’s just combined.
- Cook the pancakes in a nonstick skillet or on a griddle. Flip them once bubbles form on the first side. They’re ready when they’re puffed and cooked through.
- Serve with maple syrup! My strawberry compote is fantastic with these buckwheat pancakes too.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Buckwheat Pancakes Recipe Tips
- Spoon and level your flour. We want these buckwheat pancakes to be fluffy, not dry or dense. It’s important not to add too much flour to the batter, which is easy to do depending on how you measure your flour. To avoid this, use the spoon and level method. Fluff up the flour in the canister or bag with a spoon, and then gently scoop it into your cup. Level off the top with a knife, sweeping the excess flour back into the bag.
- Adjust the heat as you cook. As you cook the pancakes, your pan will begin to hold residual heat, which causes the outsides of the pancakes to cook more quickly. You don’t want them to cook too quickly—otherwise, the outsides of the pancakes will burn before the middles cook through. If you notice that your pancakes are rapidly browning, turn down the heat.
- Keep them warm while you wait. Unless you have a large griddle, it’s likely that you’ll need to cook these buckwheat pancakes in batches. To keep the early batches warm while you work through the remaining batter, pile them on a large plate, tent them with foil, and hold them in a 200°F oven until you’re ready to serve.
- The toppings matter. These buckwheat pancakes aren’t too sweet on their own, so make sure to serve them with maple syrup to balance their earthy flavor. Other great topping choices are strawberry compote, blueberry compote, and fresh fruit like sliced bananas or berries. You also can’t go wrong with a slather of peanut butter or almond butter or a dollop of Greek yogurt for extra protein.
Got leftovers?
These buckwheat pancakes freeze perfectly! Seal them in an airtight container or bag, and stash them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds or in the toaster to reheat.
More Gluten-Free Pancake Recipes
If you love these buckwheat pancakes, try one of these gluten-free pancake recipes from the blog next:
Want more brunch ideas? Check out our 60 Best Brunch Recipes!
Buckwheat Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups buckwheat flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, or another non-dairy milk or regular milk
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup maple syrup, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, plus more for brushing
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Strawberry Compote, for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond milk, eggs, maple syrup, avocado oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Heat a nonstick skillet to medium-low heat and brush lightly with oil. Use a ⅓-cup scoop to pour the batter into the skillet. Cook the pancakes for 1½ to 2 minutes per side, or until puffed and cooked through, reducing the heat to low if the pancakes are browning too quickly.
- Serve with maple syrup and strawberry compote.
Absolutely love this recipe- I used coconut milk instead of almond and egg replacer as my daughter has a nut/dairy/egg allergy and I have a gluten allergy. It is hard to find a pancake that satisfies us both. These are perfection!!!! It’s also really lovely when we can all eat the same meal as a family. Thank you so much love all your recipes!
Hi Katie, thank you for your sweet comment! I’m so glad you all loved the pancakes.
The ultimate pancakes! My new go-to!!