Whole Grain Buckwheat Pancakes (2024)

By Kelleyon April 2, 2013 | Breakfast, EverydayJump To Recipe

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

I’ve teamed up with the Whole Grains Council as an Ambassador in hopes to spread the love (and health benefits) that come along with incorporating whole grains into your diet. Today is the second annual ‘Sample Whole Grains day’. Join me in raising your glass to whole grains!! Does beer count? ‘Cause I’ll pick one distilled from wheat…..

What is a whole grain exactly? A term that gets misused often. Whole grains simply means that 100% of the original kernel is present. Even if the grain has been refined somehow (cracked, pressed, rolled….) the food product should deliver the same balance of nutrients that are found in the original grain seed. I think a big misconception is that whole wheat and whole grains are one in the same. Whole wheat is a whole grain but there are also so many more grains that fall under the whole grain umbrella. Oats, Barley, Millet, Amaranth, Quinoa, Rice, Buckwheat….just to name a few.

Studies show a diet rich in whole grains can reduce risk of asthma, lower the risk of some cancers, lead to healthier blood pressure levels, reduce the risk of inflammatory disease, reduce stroke risk, reduce risk of type 2 diabetes, reduce risk of heart disease and lead to better weight management. *information taken from the Whole Grains Council website. Are you sold yet? Take that Paleo! For more information on particular grains, the benefits of eating them and tips on cooking, visit The Whole Grains Council site here.

Whole grains play an important role in mine and my families diet. As an athlete and mama of two young boys, we are constantly on the go. We rely on the long term energy that whole grains provide us. I use quinoa in salads and soups, and I almost always have some version of this wild rice salad in the fridge. Truth be told, I haven’t cooked with (or eaten) a whole lot of buckwheat so when deciding on a recipe to make today, I wanted buckwheat to be the shining star and pancakes seemed like a no brainer. Maybe not super creative but don’t be fooled. These cakes are delicious and a great “base” recipe where you could add just about anything you wanted to make them your own!

Buckwheat, a gluten free whole grain is chalked full of essential minerals and is high in protein.
The texture and flavor of buckwheat can be heavy so often it is used in conjunction with other flours in baking. I, however, find the texture and taste to be delicious and love the unique nutty flavor. These pancakes give you some serious bang for your buck (you don’t need many) and are the perfect answer for a morning breakfast that will fuel your body and brain alike. They’d be delicious topped with a dollop of yogurt and fresh berries or you can follow my lead and go heavy on the butter with a drizzle of real maple syrup. You know I love my butter.

Last month, the Whole Grains Council sent me a box full of awesome products that get the whole grain seal of approval. It was full of tasty grains and whole grain snacks. It didn’t take long for us to dig in. The Sprouted Tortilla Chips by Way Better Snacks were the first to go. I just happened to have some of my my homemade salsa on hand and they were perfect for dipping. Jovial Foods provided samples of their Einkhorn pasta as well as their brown rice pasta. I haven’t tried the brown rice pasta yet but the wheat pasta provided dinner for one; paired with some roasted broccoli rabe, grated parmesan and a glass of vino, I ate dinner on the couch and caught up on The Good Wife. Bob’s Red Mill sent a bag of their gluten free musesli and I have to say I didn’t think I’d love it as much as I did. I am (or thought I was) more of a hot oats/Musesli gal. But, soaked overnight in some kefir, the next morning you have the easiest (and quickest) breakfast ever! Topped with some local honey and fresh fruit, it’s a real treat. Another great breakfast to fuel my body for a day spent on the mountain snowboarding.

Guess what? The Whole Grains Council is giving away a box of all the tasty whole grain products you see above to one lucky winner. All you have to do is tell me in the comments below what your favorite whole grain is and your favorite way to cook it! It’s a great variety and a fun way to sample what may be new or unfamiliar products! Giveaway will run until Wednesday, April 10th at midnight. Winner will be picked at random. Good luck!!

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 4 reviews

Print Recipe

Description

A whole grain, naturally gluten free pancake recipe made with buckwheat flour. Delicious served with berries and yogurt or butter and warm maple syrup.

Ingredients

1 cup whole grain buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup whole milk (or nut milk if dairy free)
1 egg, separated
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons melted butter or ghee
melted coconut oil, for cooking

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cardamon; set aside.
In a small bowl mix together the milk, egg yolk, maple syrup, vanilla extract and melted butter. Mix the liquid ingredients into the dry until just combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white until soft peaks form. Fold the egg white into the batter. (Note: The beaten egg white lightens the pancakes and gives them a little left. It really only takes about 2 minutes with a whisk, but if you’re short on time just add the whole egg all at once but expect a flatter pancake.)
Heat a griddle over medium heat. Coat the pan lightly with coconut oil. Pour the batter onto the griddle to form 4-inch pancakes. Cook until small bubbles start to form on the top of the pancakes. Flip the pancakes to the other side and cook until done, 1 to 2 minutes more.
Serve hot with a dollop of butter and warmed maple syrup.

Notes

This recipe has been adapted for high altitude.

At noon EST today we will be doing a virtual “whole grain toast”. Come join us on twitter and facebook. Give a shout out to your favorite grain!

I received a selection of whole grain products to sample before writing this post. I love whole grains and all opinions and comments are my own.

66 Comments

Anh11 years agoPermalink

My favorites are quinoa and millet. I love making tabbouleh using quinoa and millet I cook into a Spanish rice dish. 🙂

Ray11 years agoPermalink

My favorite whole grain product is wholesome oatmeal made with hot almond milk and topped with a sliced banana, cinnamon and raisins!

Judy @ A Meek Perspective11 years agoPermalink

Thank you so much for doing a buckwheat pancake recipe. When I was a child, my mom used to make Aunt Jemima Buckwheat pancakes and I loved the flavor. I tried to make some with buckwheat flour not long ago and was not thrilled with the results. I look forward to trying these. My favorite whole grain? Probably buckwheat…for pancakes.

Judy 🙂

Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free11 years agoPermalink

I love buckwheat flour! I make a soaked recipe that we love. Am pinning yours to try for later.

I am also a whole-grains advocate. They make a regular appearance in my kitchen. We need healthy carbs to function, and kids especially need them for brain development and energy.

Happy to connect with you!

Debbie @ Healthy Running Mom11 years agoPermalink

I’ve been baking with spelt flour lately.
I like to use it to make cookies. They seem lighter than using whole wheat flour. However, I still use that as well.
I try not to use white flour ever, but sometimes fold b/c my kids beg me!!!!
I also just discovered Freekah. I love the stuff. I”ve simply made it & added herbs, vegies, etc. & I love it! IT’s so yummy & easy!

carrian11 years agoPermalink

I haven’t had a buckwheat pancake since my grandpa was alive. Cannot wait to make these.

Sandtruck11 years agoPermalink

Sorghum, I use it more than any other whole grain, use in bread, cake, pancake mix etc. Second favorite is buckwheat, love the flavor. Use it in bread mix and pancake mixes.

Karista11 years agoPermalink

These are beautiful Kelley. We love buckwheat at the Bennett Camp, one of my fave whole grains. Can’t wait to try these pancakes. I LOVE the addition of cardamom in this recipe too 🙂 Fabulous! Hugs to ya!

Tieghan11 years agoPermalink

Loving how insanely healthy these are!! Can’t wait to make them!

Mary Lynn11 years agoPermalink

You brought back memories. My Dad always made Buckwheat pancakes and he, too, used Aunt Jemima’s pancake mix. My husband is not a pancake or waffle person, so we have them on a limited basis. My favorite grain is Quinoa. I use it in my stuffing when I make Stuffed Peppers. Thanks for the giveaway.

Michele11 years agoPermalink

These sound delicious; can’t wait until summer when my kids are home and I have someone to cook for again!

My favorite whole grain is emmer; especially in a salad with beets and feta.

Kelley11 years agoPermalink

I don’t know anything about emmer. Thanks for the comment. Can’t wait to check it out!

Angel11 years agoPermalink

I love buckwheat and these pancakes looked incredible.One of my favorites is Quinoa and I like to eat it in the morning with fresh maple syrup drizzled over the top.

Suzanne11 years agoPermalink

Thanks for the healthy sounding recipe. I like using buckwheat & quinoa & sometimes oats in pancakes & waffles.

Renata11 years agoPermalink

My favorite whole grain is oatmeal and I LOVE baking homemade oatmeal cookies and I load them with raisins, cranberries, walnuts and even dates!

Amanda Paa11 years agoPermalink

My favorite whole grain right now is millet. It keeps a better texture than quinoa when cooking to use in salads, is great for baking, and even as a breakfast porridge!

Terry11 years agoPermalink

I grew up with oatmeal and it is still a favorite. Lately I’ve been using quinoa for salads, cereal and dinner dishes. Can’t wait to try the buckwheat pancakes!

Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom11 years agoPermalink

What a fantastic giveaway! I love Quinoa and Brown rice. Quinoa, I love in salads with black beans and citrus fruit and we eat brown rice practically everyday; accompanying stir fry, as fried rice or kimbap.

Sherri11 years agoPermalink

Hum. . . Favorite grain. . .That’s like asking me who my favorite dog is! Love them all at different times. Just made a delicious batch of rice custard with brown rice – so for today that is my fav! 😉

Devon11 years agoPermalink

I love oatmeal in the morning and quinoa for lunch or dinner!

Sarah H.P.11 years agoPermalink

I love old fashioned oatmeal with whole milk, cocoa powder, and peanut butter for breakfast!

Georgiana11 years agoPermalink

Brown rice in a chicken casserole is my go-to favorite classic.

Lindsey Johnson (Cafe Johnsonia)11 years agoPermalink

This is a difficult question! I love wheat (but it doesn’t love me), and now that I’m gluten-free I really love brown rice. No, oats! I love, love, love oats. 🙂

Holly11 years agoPermalink

I love quinoa, and use it in place of rice. We serve stir fry over it, Indian food…you name it! I also have a recipe for quinoa burgers, which are awesome.

Margot C11 years agoPermalink

My current favorite is Quinoa and I like to cube some sweet potatoes (small cubes) cook up the quinoa part of the way, combine those in a bowl with (wait for it because it seems weird but isn’t) cut-up reconstituted apricots and shallots and nuts (walnuts or pecans) then either cook that covered in a baking dish in the oven or stuff it into an acorn squash that I have mostly cooked cut in half face down. I turn the squash over, put the mixture in the hole cover it and cook it all some more.

Kelley11 years agoPermalink

Doesn’t sound weird at all, in fact it sounds delicious!!

Angela D. Meyer11 years agoPermalink

Favorite grain…I really don’t eat much in the way of grain. When we do, it has to be gluten free. I love the ease of quinoa,the flavor of buckwheat. I guess those would be my two favorites. Thanks for the delicious recipes!

Elena11 years agoPermalink

My favorite whole grain is buckwheat and I like to cook it with mushrooms and onions

Amanda H11 years agoPermalink

My favorite whole grain is Quinoa! I eat it with almost all my dinners, just cooked in different ways. 🙂

Deborah11 years agoPermalink

We are a pancake loving family so I should give these a try!! I don’t eat nearly enough whole grains, although I did make some pancakes recently from whole raw wheat. I would love to explore working with raw wheat more!

Carolsue11 years agoPermalink

Barley is my favorite! Especially in soups!

Evelyn11 years agoPermalink

Mine is rice. I cannot go a whole day without eating rice! I love it in stir fry, with stews and in soups

shopgurl101 at gmail dot com

Laura @ Gluten Free Pantry11 years agoPermalink

I am featuring these awesome pancakes this week on Allergy-Free Wednesdays 🙂

Kelley11 years agoPermalink

Awesome!! Thanks for the link love!

Janika11 years agoPermalink

Im 17 and very recently gluten free (two months in and feeling great!) but my staple whole grain has been oats. Oatmeal and oat meal for cooking. I’m a huge fan of breakfast so I make oatmeal and mix it with any fresh fruit or frozen berry… Add a little vanilla and cinnamon and I’m happy for hours. Maybe even brown sugar and goat milk when I need an extra reward.
Hope to make pancakes from oat meal soon!

Catherine Woodahl11 years agoPermalink

Freekah (Freekeh) is my new favorite whole grain. It is picked while green and before most of the gluten has formed, fire roasted then cracked for use.
It can be milled into a nearly gluten free flour and mixed with other whole grains for baking. It can be used cracked in lieu of rice to make a multitude of recipes.
I especially like to make a hot morning cereal with it that will last me through the day. Totally nutritious and yummy.

marie11 years agoPermalink

YUM! I just made these for breakfast and they are so good! Perfect texture, and the vanilla/cinnamon/cardamom was a great addition. I used agava instead of maple syrup, and topped them with some crushed up, fresh strawberries. I eat low glycemic and this past the test! Yay for bread-y low glycemic options!

Kelley11 years agoPermalink

I make a batch and freeze them. They make a quick and easy breakfast that’s delicious but doesn’t spike my blood sugar!

jen11 years agoPermalink

Made these for my one year old- they came out great! Thank you!!

Kelley11 years agoPermalink

You are so welcome!!! We love them too!

Giuliana10 years agoPermalink

Hi! These look delicious! Do you happen to know the nutritional info for them?

Kelley10 years agoPermalink

I don’t; so sorry!

Margot C10 years agoPermalink

I love to make brown rice with a lot of different vegetables added like carrots and peas in the cooking phase then adding other ones after it’s cooked (like cauliflower, roasted bell peppers or zucchini slices.

Jessie10 years agoPermalink

I cannot find buckwheat flour at any store in Fresno, ca. I have checked even whole foods, THeirs has whole wheat flour in it, my daughter has celiac disease, need pure buckwheat. HELP!!!

Kelley10 years agoPermalink

You could definitely order online if you can’t find it at your local grocery. Bob’s Red Mill is a great source. Good luck!

Junko Y9 years agoPermalink

Hello! I’m thinking of making this tomorrow. But I did not see what the serving size was. We have a big family of 5 growing boys so I need to know if I should double the recipe 🙂 Thank you!

Kelley9 years agoPermalink

Definitely double it!

Kelli H (Made in Sonoma)9 years agoPermalink

I loved that these called for 1 egg. I used coconut milk and added walnuts. Everyone loved these. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

V Rogers9 years agoPermalink

Wonderful! They are so tasty, I made some small ones and we just grab them for snacks.

For my second batch, I had to use honey because kid ran off with the syrup bottle. Make sure everything is warm if you do this or it will clump. :/

Whipping the egg whites up was a super improvement. I missed that step on the first try.

Rhoslyn Thomas9 years agoPermalink

Hi,

I am cooking for myself only and I also track macros, so I was wondering how many this would serve?

Thanks!

Michelle8 years agoPermalink

Thank you for this recipe! I made this dairy and sugar free by using unsweetened almond milk, 4 to 5 packets of monk fruit in the raw and coconut oil in place of the butter. Turned out great! Towards the end I added a little bit of carob powder. That was good, too.

Teah7 years agoPermalink

These are brilliant! Just made them and will make them again. Will have to feature on my blog

Diana2 years agoPermalink

Very nice! I did mine with oat milk and ghee. I also replaced the maple syrup with honey as I had run out.I managed to make 9 pancakes out of the mix.
They taste great with fruit compote…trying not to eat them all to see if my children like them too!

Suzette Horton6 years agoPermalink

Brown rice pasta is excellent, I’ve tried others that are gluten free and like the brown rice pasta best.

Candee6 years agoPermalink

I love this recipe! I’ve made it 3 or 4 times. I have to say it is worth whipping up the egg white to make them fluffy. I whisked by hand for about 10 minutes before I was happy with the whites. I may use my electric hand mixer next time, but the result was excellent!