If you peruse my blog, you will notice that one type of food is conspicuously missing: Pancakes. It’s not that I hate pancakes. I quite like them. But I am usually to lazy to make them. Now you’re probably wondering, are pancakes that hard to make? And surely you have more complex recipes than pancakes on your blog?
And the answer to those questions is yes, and yes. But for some reason I just have a mental block with pancakes, and I think it’s because I’m a food photographer. I know that if I make pancakes, I’m going to want to take at least a few action shots where I’m drizzling syrup onto the pancakes. And those photos will take some time to get right (always worth it though!), in which time the pancakes will (a) get cold and (b) get drowned in an inordinate amount of maple syrup. And I really love eating pancakes warm and don’t like them swimming in syrup. Cold pancakes taste like cardboard to me, and drenched pancakes taste like mush to me, and I’d rather go hungry than eat either variety.
I finally solved this seemingly intractable dilemma by resolving to eat a few pancakes BEFORE photographing them so I could enjoy them warm and with the appropriate amount of syrup, and then take time to get the photos I wanted. Genius, right?
Now that I’ve given you my whole history with pancakes, let’s talk about this recipe! These Vegan Quinoa Buckwheat Pancakes are probably the healthiest pancakes I’ve ever made, and I am pretty proud of them. They are vegan, gluten-free, and free of refined flours and sugars. But they still taste pretty damn good! See, you CAN have your cake (pancakes) and eat it too.
The star ingredients are quinoa flour and buckwheat flour. I decided to combine these two because (a) my friend Natalie of Feasting on Fruit made these crazy cool quinoa pancakes last year that have always appealed to me, and (b) I recently had buckwheat pancakes at brunch and was very impressed. Of course, if you don’t have both of those flours, try using just one of them and doubling the amount. And if you want to use both types of flour but don’t want to buy both, you can make your own! I’ve included links to how-to-videos in the recipe below.
The remaining ingredients and directions are pretty simple and straightforward for anyone who has ever made pancakes. A few tips to help you succeed with these pancakes.
- Resist the urge to over mix the batter. It will get really thick if you do.
- But, don’t be alarmed if the batter is thick. It should be quite thick, as quinoa and buckwheat flours are more dense than all-purpose flour! Don’t worry, the pancakes don’t end up undercooked or lumpy.
- If the pancake batter seems too thick to spread into a pan, add a bit more water and whisk to combine.
- Allowing the batter to rest before cooking helps everything mesh together and causes the baking powder to react with the vinegar. That reaction causes those cute little bubbles to form on the surface and gives these pancakes a bit of a rise.
When it comes to serving these vegan buckwheat quinoa pancakes, you can’t go wrong with a little pure maple syrup and fresh berries, but I recommend making the Roasted Berries below. It’s a simple, hands-off recipe that is so delicious. Just toss a mixture of your favorite berries with a little sweetener and roast in the oven until they’re soft and syrupy. And with a little dollop of vegan whipped topping or coconut whipped cream, it is the perfect indulgent yet healthy treat.
If you’re looking for even more delicious ways to top your pancakes, here are some ideas to get you thinking outside the box!
- Raspberry Jam(or any flavor of jam) + bananas
- Chocolate sauce or vegan Nutella spread + strawberries
- Vegan yogurt + fresh berries (for a healthy post-workout treat)
- Raspberry-cranberry sauce
- Caramelized bananas + toasted coconut + maple syrup
- Almond butter sauce + dark chocolate chips or chunks
- Go savory! Omit the maple syrup called for in the recipe and top this with your favorite savory topping, like the creamy mushrooms in this recipe or this wild mushroom and tomato ragu.
If you make these pancakes, be sure to tag me on Instagram! Bon Appétit!
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Vegan Quinoa Buckwheat Pancakes
Ingredients
Pancake Ingredients
- 1 cup ”lite” or reduced-fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 1 cup quinoa flour
- 1/4 cup arrowroot powder, tapioca flour, or potato starch
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (use a bit less if using sea salt)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup water
- Coconut oil or other oil to grease the pan (if oil-free, omit and use a really good nonstick pan)
Roasted Berries Ingredients
- 3 cups mixed berries (if using strawberries, cut them in half)
- 1/4 cup sweetener of choice, such as pure maple syrup or organic cane sugar
Instructions
Pancake Directions
- Shake the can of lite coconut milk. Then pour 1 cup of the milk into a medium bowl and whisk in the apple cider vinegar. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the buckwheat flour, quinoa flour, arrowroot powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk together to remove any clumps.
- To the bowl with the coconut milk, add the applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla, and whisk to combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, along with the 1/4 cup water. Gently mix with a whisk or wooden spoon just until combined and no lumps remain. Do not over mix. If the batter is too thick, add a bit more water and gently whisk.
- Allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes before cooking the pancakes.
- While the pancakes are resting, heat a large nonstick frying pan on medium-low heat. Allow the pan to heat up fully. To test if the pan is hot enough, add a droplet of water into the pan. If it starts sizzling immediately, it is hot enough. Once the pan is hot enough, add a bit of coconut oil or other oil to prevent sticking.
- Pour a scant 1/3 cup batter into the pan and spread into a circle. Lightly smooth out the top so the batter is evenly distributed. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until bubbles start to form and you can easily slide a spatula underneath the pancakes. Flip and cook for 1 minute on the other side. Repeat until you’ve used up all the batter.
- Serve pancakes warm with Roasted Berries.
Roasted Berries Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/176°C. On a baking tray, toss the berries with the sweetener. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, until the berries are softened and oozing juices. If using frozen berries, add 5 minutes more to the baking time.
Our first buckwheat pancake recipe was pretty rough for my husband and me… I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get him to eat buckwheat anything again 😅 But this recipe was perfect. The quinoa flour and starch helped dilute the buckwheat’s intensity and created a pleasant flavor we’re wanting to come back and try again 🙂 I also appreciate that aside from the pan prep, the recipe is oil free. Thank you so much for this recipe, Nisha!
Your positive feedback is the best reward for our hard work. Thank you, Feebz!
Amazing! I’ve been making another buckwheat pancake recipe that’s 50:50 with oat flour. I can’t figure out why, but your pancakes have a much more muted buckwheat flavor (which I prefer.) I made them as the recipe called for, but found the batter to be super thick, and ended up adding 1.5c more water. They were on the thinner side, but delicious. I’ll probably do only 1c more water next time.
Also swapped out cinnamon with cardamom to keep them low histamine. And used cornstarch instead of arrowroot.
Hi Kate, we’re so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a review :)
Bonsoir t’a recette est dû tonnerre quelle régalade merci beaucoup bonne soirée 😉
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Gigi! :)
I made these this morning, they were pretty good but had quite a strong vinegar smell. Is it really 2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or is it 2 tsp? Thanks!
This recipe is amazing!! I have tried so many gluten-free pancake recipes and none of them have come even close to what wheat flour produces. . . until now!! I usually mess around with recipes but I will NEVER mess with this one! You have nailed it Nisha!! I think I love you!! :)
Thanks for sharing, Ruby! :)
This was really good! I couldn’t get buckwheat flour, only quinoa, so I doubled up the quinoa flour. Because of that I had to add another 1/4 c of water to get the right consistency for pancakes, but it worked out. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Audrey!
I made these pancakes this morning and I was very impressed with the rise and fluffiness of them. I have not had much luck with GF pancakes or waffles for that matter. They usually look perfect on the outside but are always gummy on the inside. Not the case with these. They were so fluffy and almost cakey on the inside. My husband really enjoyed them and he is super picky. The quinoa gives them a very nutty flavour which we both really enjoyed. Thanks for the great recipe Nisha! Will be my go to for sure!
So great to hear that, Karen! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Hey Nisha! Will this work as a sheet pancake too?
Cheryl
I’m fructose intolerant, and can’t use apple sauce (or mashed bananas or dried fruit, to that matter) – what subs do you suggest for the apple sauce in this recipe? {p.s. we love your stuff – keep up the awesomeness!}
I am really picky and particular when it comes to my favourite breakfast food – pancakes – and these nailed everything I look for: fluffy, moist and delicious! I followed the recipe exactly (except used potato starch instead of arrowroot powder) and wow was I impressed! So delicious! They turned out really fluffy and moist. Highly recommend this recipe!
Just made these pancakes for breakfast and they turned out so flavorful and moist! Thanks for the recipe. I made these subs… arrowroot –> corn starch, quinoa flour –> oat flour, apple sauce –> coconut oil, roasted berries –> chopped bananas and roasted almond flakes.
I made 1/4 the recipe as I was only feeding myself today. Will make it again for my nephews and husband. I’m sure this is going to be a hit with them as well.
Hi Beena! Thank you for sharing your feedback and your substitutes! So glad you were able to tailor them to your own taste, and I love the sound of pancakes with roasted almond flakes and bananas! I hope your whole family will enjoy them!
Yum! So delicious! Made these with the following substitutions. Turned out fantastic!
Ripple pea milk instead of coconutTapioca flourSubbed out half the buckwheat for oat flour (whirled up in my blender)
Hi Delnora, thank you for stopping by to let me know and so very happy you enjoyed the pancakes! I have been wanting to try ripple pea milk…will give it a try!
My kids helped me make these pancakes this weekend and we all really enjoyed them. We served them with stewed frozen strawberries, as you suggested. I love being able to put healthy but tasty food on the table for my family, so thank you.
So cute that your kids helped you make these, that makes me so happy to hear, especially the part about getting healthy food on the table for your family :)
These pancakes look fantastic, Nisha! And I love that it contains Quinoa too! Definitely a great recipe! 🙂Lots of love,Bianca ❤️
Thank you for stopping by, Bianca! Glad you like them :)
I am so in love with the use of buckwheat and quinoa flour. They are such healthy ingredients, but I’ve never tried them in flour form. Good to know I can make them from scratch so I’ll be trying these pancakes soon!
Thank you Sandy! I am so happy you like these pancakes. These two flours actually work pretty great in certain baked goods (and in pancakes). Hope you try them out!