These fluffy, hearty and delicious buckwheat pancakes are made with 100% whole grain buckwheat flour and are naturally gluten-free. Try this quick and easy wholesome recipe for a nutritious breakfast.
Buckwheat Pancakes That Are Naturally Gluten Free
If you’re looking to incorporate more whole grains into your diet you must try these 100% whole grain buckwheat flour pancakes. On top of being 100% whole grain, these pancakes are also naturally gluten-free as buckwheat does not contain any gluten.
Buckwheat flour has a hearty and nutty flavor that is perfect in wholesome breakfast recipes like these pancakes. We love to add frozen wild Maine blueberries to our pancakes and they pair perfectly with the wholesome flavor of buckwheat.
How to Get The Perfect Stack of Fluffy Buckwheat Pancakes
My biggest tip for fluffy pancakes is to not overmix the batter. Just mix it until it comes together. This is especially true when working with whole-grain flours which can already produce a heartier and more dense crumb than white/refined flours. It’s also ok to have a few lumps in the batter.
To get a nice fluffy rise in the pancakes I like to use both baking soda and baking powder plus the addition of vinegar, which will react with the baking soda and create lots of bubbles to aerate the batter. The baking soda reacts immediately so adding baking powder as well ensures more bubbles are created as the pancakes cook.
Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes
This recipe is super easy to make vegan-friendly. I often make it this way for my partner who does not eat eggs or dairy. To make vegan buckwheat pancakes simply omit the egg from this recipe and follow the rest of the recipe as is. Milk and butter can be replaced with vegan alternatives in equal amounts as noted in the recipe card below.
How to Make Gluten-Free Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberries
Step 1: Make the easy pancake batter in one bowl
The only pieces of equipment you need to make the batter are a bowl and a fork. Start by beating the egg until frothy then stir in the milk, oil or melted butter, vinegar, and vanilla extract.
To the wet mixture add the buckwheat flour, kosher salt, and leavening agents. Then stir until the batter is just combined. The key here is to not overmix the batter or risk the chance of knocking out all of the bubbles and then making flat dense and chewy pancakes that won’t rise.
Step 2: Cook the buckwheat pancakes
Preheat a cast-iron skillet or griddle on the stovetop over medium-low to low heat while you prepare the pancake batter.
Once the pan is hot melt a pat of butter into the pan to coat the bottom. I like to use an ice cream scooper to scoop the pancake batter. Use one level scoop per pancake for 4-inch diameter pancakes. You can make them any size by using less or more batter as you like. The batter should sizzle when it hits the pan. I use a 12-inch cast iron skillet and can fit 3 pancakes in it per batch.
Instead of adding mix-ins into the batter, I prefer to sprinkle them on top of the pancakes at this point then add a tiny bit of the batter to cover them so they won’t scorch when flipped. This method is particularly great for any juicy fruit or frozen berries they can change the color of the batter when mixed right into it.
Cook the pancake for 2-3 minutes or until bubbles start to form on the tops and edges of the pancakes. Then flip the pancakes cook the other side for another 1-2 minutes.
Step 3: Keep the pancakes warm
To keep the buckwheat pancakes warm while the rest of the batches cook I place them on a warmed platter or in a warm oven. To easily warm a platter or plate simply run it under hot tap water or submerge it in hot water.
Step 4: Serve them hot
Once all of your pancakes are ready serve them hot right away with plenty of butter, warmed maple syrup, and fresh fruit or any of your favorite toppings.
Gluten-Free Buckwheat Flour Pancakes Questions:
Can this buckwheat pancake recipe be made vegan?
Yes, I often make these buckwheat pancakes vegan by just omitting the egg. You don’t need to adjust any of the other ingredient amounts. Use non-dairy milk of your choice and a vegan butter alternative for vegan swaps in this recipe and follow the directions as they are.
Can I batch cook the pancakes and freeze them?
Yes, the recipe makes 6-8 pancakes depending on the size you make them and it can be doubled, tripled or quadrupled to make a larger batch. The best way to store pancakes is to freeze them. To do this flash-freeze them on a sheet pan then transfer them to freezer-safe bags for storage for up to 6-months. Defrost and reheat them in a toaster for an easy on-the-go breakfast.
Why don’t you mix the blueberries right into the batter?
I prefer to add blueberries and other juicy fruits to the batter once it’s in the pan so the fruit does not discolor the batter as it would when it’s mixed right in. I usually use frozen blueberries which would turn the batter a grey-purple color. This is just my personal preference. You do what you prefer here. Any drier fruit like apples, bananas, pears, etc. can be added right to the batter. Any dry mix-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit can also be mixed right into the batter.
What other mix-ins besides blueberries would work well in buckwheat pancakes?
Try other berries like raspberries, blackberries, strawberries or other fruits like peaches, bananas, apples with cinnamon. You can also add chocolate chips, dried fruit and nuts if you want.
For more delicious breakfast ideas check out these recipes:
- Blueberry Lemon Scones
- Vegan peanut Butter Roasted Banana Waffles
- Fried Sweet Plantains
- Smoked Salmon Rösti
- Apple Cake
Love this recipe?
If you made my Gluten-Free Buckwheat Pancakes recipe I would love to hear your feedback! Please leave a star-rating review of the recipe and let me know what you think in a comment below. This small act is a great way to show your support for the food blogs you read and love.
Please tag me in your photos on Instagram so I can see your creations. I might miss it if you only tag me the caption because those notifications fall off quickly, but I can always find it if I’m tagged in the photo itself.
Gluten-Free Buckwheat Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 195 g milk 3/4 cup, or non-dairy milk
- 45 g extra-light olive oil 3 tablespoons, or melted butter
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150 g buckwheat flour 1 cup
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen (optional)
- 3-4 tablespoons butter or non-dairy butter, divided, for the pan
Instructions
- Preheat a griddle or cast-iron skillet over low heat.
- In a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup, beat the egg with a fork until frothy, about 30-60 seconds. If making a vegan version, skip this step.
- Add the milk, oil or melted butter, vinegar, and vanilla and mix with the fork until combined.
- Add the buckwheat flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and mix them in with the fork until just combined, about 1 minute. Do not over-mix the batter or the pancakes won't rise as much.
- Once the skillet is preheated melt 1 tablespoon of butter to coat the bottom of the pan. Add more butter as needed if using a larger griddle.
- Using an ice-cream scoop or a serving spoon, drop 1 scoop of batter into the pan at a time. A 12-inch cast iron skillet will fit 3 pancakes at a time. The batter should sizzle as it hits the pan.
- Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of blueberries over the top of each pancake then add a tiny bit more of the batter to cover the berries so they don't scorch when the pancakes are flipped over.
- Cook the pancakes until bubbles start to form, about 2 minutes, then flip them over with a spatula. Adjust the heat as needed throughout the process.
- Cook them for another 1-2 minutes then transfer them to a platter that has been warmed under hot water or in a warm oven to keep them warm while the rest of the batches are cooked.
- Repeat the process until all of the buckwheat pancake batter is used up. Serve them hot with butter, warmed maple syrup, and fresh fruit if desired.
Video
Notes
- Pancakes are best eaten right away. If you have leftovers or want to make a large batch the best way to store them is to freeze them. To do this flash-freeze them on a sheet pan then transfer them to freezer-safe bags for storage for up to 6-months. Defrost and reheat them in a toaster for an easy on-the-go breakfast.
- To make vegan buckwheat pancakes simply omit the egg and use non-dairy replacements for milk and butter then proceed with the recipe as is.
- Add any mix-ins you like to this recipe. Instead of blueberries try other berries, chopped stone fruit, chocolate chips, bananas, apples with cinnamon, etc.
- You'll notice there is no sweetener added to the batter. I prefer unsweetened pancakes because they are served with maple syrup, but if you like them slightly sweet feel free to add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar to the batter.
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links to ingredients and products relevant to this recipe. If you choose to purchase linked products I would earn a modest commission, which helps offset the costs of keeping Fare Isle going. Learn more about my affiliate policy here. Thank you for your continued support!
Jenn Scott
These are the worst pancakes I’ve ever had – the batter was so thick , too thick. And they broke apart during cooking. They were crumbly and dry and tasted horrible! Do not recommend
Kaity Farrell
Hi Jenn, So sorry to hear you are not a fan of these pancakes. I’ve made them over 20 times now and never had any of those issues. Did you follow the recipe exactly? Did you weigh the ingredients? Cup measurements are not as accurate and perhaps more flour and less liquid could have been added than what was listed. If you like thinner pancakes you can always add more milk until your desired consistency of the batter is reached. Buckwheat flour does have a nutty wholesome flavor that maybe is not everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s fine.
Sam
The whole family loved these pancakes! Thank you for such an easy and delicious recipe!
Jenny
I made these last weekend and they were so easy and delicious! Thank you for this great recipe. Will definitely be making them again.
kaity
Please leave your star rating and feedback here in the comments. Ask me anything!
Justice
Saw a complaint about thick batter mine was too thin I measured the flour on a scale bit that was fixed with more flour but the pancake itself was quite awful and bitter
Kaity Farrell
Hmm, sounds like your buckwheat flour might be rancid if it was very bitter. As for it the batter being thin, you can let it sit for 5-10 minutes to let the flour absorb the liquid and it should thicken without having to add more flour. Adding more flour changes the recipe outcome. Buckwheat is a hearty grain with a strong flavor – you have to like the taste of buckwheat if you want to like how buckwheat pancakes taste. Thanks for trying the recipe.
Tejal
This is great. I use flax egg instead of real and it comes out perfect. I’ve even accidentally doubled the baking powder and it was extra fluffy.
Kaity Farrell
So glad you liked them, Tejal! Thanks for you review!
Charlene Yount
These were delicious! Thank you. I had never used buckwheat before so I was a little afraid of the results. But they were so easy. I added a packet of Stevia in the Raw to the batter.
This is definitely a keeper!
Kaity Farrell
Thanks for trying the recipe and s happy you liked it!