Naturally gluten free, these buckwheat, oat, maple and cinnamon pancakes are SO good you'll never miss the flour! Use a couple of simple tricks to keep them light and fluffy and these may become your go-to pancake.
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Do you guys cook with buckwheat? I started adding it to our biscuits years ago which we really liked and since then have tried to find other ways to use it in recipes. When I came up with these gluten free buckwheat, oat, maple and cinnamon pancakes, they were so good that they make regular appearances on our family's Saturday breakfast menu.
What is buckwheat?
Did you know that even though it's referred to as a grain, it's actually made from the seed of a plant related to rhubarb? This makes it naturally gluten and grain free.
Other things made with buckwheat include our favorite soba noodles that are traditionally made with buckwheat flour - they've been around for a long time.
Like this article, I've always been surprised that there aren't more recipes using buckwheat with the popularity of gluten and grain-free diets. It does have what's referred to as an 'assertive' flavor, but it's not that different from whole wheat, really, and adding other ingredients tempers any strong flavor (though for the record, it's not something I really notice).
Buckwheat, Oat, Maple and Cinnamon Pancakes
A few years ago we made pancake mixes in mason jars for Christmas gifts and included a buckwheat version for our gluten free family members (I use this buckwheat flour from Bob's Red Mill).
It actually became one of our favorite pancake recipes that I make for weekend hot breakfasts - even though no one in our family is gluten free.
But I realized it's hard to make as a regular recipe from the gift instructions. Since I really want you guys to be able to have wonderful gluten free options for your breakfasts, I adapted the ingredients to read as a regular recipe to make about 10 pancakes whenever you want.
Of course you can always package it up in a jar and gift it to anyone you know who would appreciate it!
There are a couple of tips to making these pancakes turn out light and fluffy:
- The first is to grind the whole oats just a bit. You don't want oat flour - just process for a few pulses to get a coarse grind.
- The second is to separate the egg and whisk the egg white until fluffy. This isn't a big deal - just use a hand whisk, rubbing back and forth quickly with both hands and in a few seconds to a minute your egg whites will turn fluffy and have a soft peak.
Mix the dry ingredients, add the wet and then gently fold in the whipped egg white. Cook as normal in coconut oil or butter (though butter will result in an even browner pancake).
Not only do we love the real maple syrup topping these gluten free buckwheat pancakes, I also added a bit of syrup to the pancakes themselves (instead of the sugar in the gift version) to subtly sweeten and provide even more yummy maple flavoring throughout.
SO good.
I don't know about you, but our family always spreads peanut butter or other nut butter on our pancakes for added protein.
We used more of wonderfully mild flavored cashew butter (after using some in this recipe) on these pancakes, which I really liked.
I'm a fan of all nut butters, really, but cashew is moving quickly to the top of my favorite lists because it goes so well with so many things. Do you have a favorite nut butter?
Gluten Free Buckwheat, Oat, Maple & Cinnamon Pancakes
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup buckwheat flour
- 1/3 cup whole oats processed briefly to a coarse grind
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg separated
- 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup or honey
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 cup buttermilk milk, or water (milk products make for a more tender pancake)
- Pure maple syrup and nut butter cashew, almond, peanut for serving, as desired
Instructions
- Combine buckwheat, oats, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a separate small bowl or 2-cup glass measuring cup, mix the egg yolk, syrup, butter, and buttermilk together.
- Using a hand whisk, beat the egg white until frothy and a soft peak forms, usually in about 30 seconds (not all the yolk may froth- that's okay).
- Stir the yolk mixture into the dry ingredients and combine. Then gently fold in the egg white until no white streaks remain.
- Heat a skillet or griddle until hot, using butter or coconut oil to grease. Use about a 1/4 c. of batter for each pancake and cook over medium heat until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes. Flip and cook a few minutes more until done.
- Keep warm in a 200 degree oven while cooking the remaining pancakes.
- Serve with maple syrup and, if desired, spread with the nut butter of your choice for added protein and flavor.
Notes
Nutrition
The following companies generously sponsored various products for hot breakfast month projects. I may not have used all of them in my recipes, but this project is in no small part thanks to them and their incredible contributions: Bee Raw, Bob’s Red Mill, Made in Nature, Maple Valley Syrup Cooperative, Now Foods, Pacific Foods, & Woodstock.
Disclosure: I received product and/or compensation for this post. As always, the opinions, thoughts, and projects are all mine and I will NEVER promote something I don't love and think you will find helpful - promise! This post also uses affiliate links that earn commission based on sales, but doesn't change your price. Click here to read my full disclaimer and advertising disclosure.
Nora Kroese says
Hi Jami, So enjoy all the information, etc. that you share with us. Since I really like the flavor of buckwheat, I was interested in the oat, maple, cinnamon pancake recipe. No I have not used much in buckwheat but did wonder if you had used that in a waffle? I know that normally the two are fairly interchangeable?
Jami says
I think you probably could make it into a waffle with a little less liquid - they are pretty thin. We don't do waffles much and when we do we make Belgium style. 🙂
Dawn says
These were delicious. I've been trying to cut down on wheat products just for some variety in my diet and since all of your recipes have been a hit with my family I thought I'd give these a try. My children were instantly grumpy when I told them that I was trying a different recipe for pancakes this week, since they liked the old recipe. But when they tasted them, they stopped complaining. I had been making my own gluten-free pancake recipe for myself and then a separate wheat version for my children because they didn't like my GF recipe, but this is one that we can all agree on. Next time I'm going to try soaking the batter overnight.
Jami says
Super happy to read this, Dawn, as they are a favorite of mine and I wasn't sure anyone had tried them. 🙂 I think buckwheat is amazing, really - I rarely miss the flour in things I make with it! Also makes my heart happy to know my recipes have been a hit with your family!!