Easy Fluffy Buckwheat Pancakes

Thanks to buckwheat flour, these delicious buckwheat pancakes have a light and tender texture with a delicate, nutty taste. Our recipe is quick, simple, and makes the best buckwheat pancakes at home.

Watch the Video

Buckwheat Pancakes Recipe Video

What is Buckwheat Flour?

Buckwheat is a versatile, nutrient-rich plant with grain-like seeds. Buckwheat flour is made by grinding these seeds. It’s high in fiber and, since it is not wheat, is gluten-free.

The flavor is rich and nutty and works nicely when making pancakes, muffins, and quick bread. It’s also much darker in appearance than plain flour (or even whole wheat) flour. I actually love the color, but it can be a surprise the first time you use it.

How to Make Buckwheat Pancakes

Making a batch of buckwheat pancakes is just as simple as making regular pancakes. Simply swap buckwheat flour in for all-purpose flour and you are on your way.

Buckwheat Pancakes with berries and sliced bananas

Just like when we make whole wheat pancakes, for the best results, we prefer using a blend of flours. In this case, we like using a blend of buckwheat flour and all-purpose flour. To keep the pancakes gluten-free, you can swap the all-purpose flour for your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.

You can also use 100% buckwheat flour to make pancakes, but the texture will be a bit drier and the nutty flavor will be more assertive. The blend recommend in the recipe makes pancakes that are fluffy and moist with a delicate nutty flavor.

How to Make Gluten-Free Pancakes

For gluten-free buckwheat pancakes, use 100% buckwheat flour or use a blend of buckwheat flour and your preferred gluten-free flour blend instead of the all-purpose flour.

Homemade Buckwheat Pancakes

More Ways to Use Buckwheat Flour

Buckwheat flour is versatile, and you can substitute it for all-purpose or whole wheat flour in quite a few recipes. Just like when making pancakes, we find that replacing a portion of the flour called for in the recipe with buckwheat flour generates the best results.

Here are a few examples:

  • Make muffins, like these blueberry muffins, but substitute 25% of the all-purpose flour called for in the recipe. The muffins will be light and take on a delicate nutty flavor thanks to the buckwheat.
  • Make buckwheat banana bread by swapping up to 50% of the flour in our banana bread recipe for buckwheat flour. The bread will be moist, and the nuttiness from the buckwheat complements the banana nicely.
  • Make different types of pancakes — try substituting some buckwheat flour for the all-purpose flour in these blueberry pancakes or these pumpkin pancakes.
A stack of Buckwheat Pancakes with sliced bananas and raspberries

Easy Fluffy Buckwheat Pancakes

  • PREP
  • COOK
  • TOTAL

These buckwheat pancakes are light and fluffy and made entirely from scratch. They’re not too sweet and are scented with vanilla, making them extra delicious. You can make these with 100% buckwheat flour or use our recommended blend of buckwheat flour and all-purpose flour. The blend will make fluffier, more tender pancakes.

In the first step of the recipe, we mix milk and lemon juice (or vinegar) together. This is an easy way to mimic buttermilk. The acid reacts with the baking soda and makes the pancakes light and fluffy. Instead of mixing the milk and acid, you can substitute buttermilk. Or, if you would prefer to use baking powder, we’ve provided tips in the notes section below.

We call for unsalted butter in the recipe. You can use salted butter, but you may want to reduce the amount of salt used.

Makes 10 pancakes

Watch Us Make the Recipe

You Will Need

1 cup (120 grams) buckwheat flour

1/2 cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour or use an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend

1 1/4 cups (295 ml) milk, dairy and non-dairy both will work

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white vinegar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skillet

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking soda, see notes for substituting baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea or table salt

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  • Make Batter
  • 1Combine the milk and lemon juice, and then set aside for five minutes. This mixture mimics buttermilk, which when mixed with the baking soda later in the recipe, makes the pancakes fluffy.

    2Meanwhile, whisk the flours, sugar, baking soda, and the salt in a medium bowl.

    3Whisk the egg and vanilla into the curdled milk.

    4Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour the milk mixture and melted butter into the well and use a fork to stir until you no longer see clumps of flour. It is okay if the batter has a few small lumps.

  • Cook Pancakes
  • 1Heat a large skillet (or use a griddle) over medium heat. The pan is ready if when you splatter a little water onto the pan surface, the water dances around the pan and eventually evaporates.

    2Lightly brush the skillet with melted butter. Use a 1/4-cup measuring cup to spoon batter onto skillet. Gently spread the batter into a 4-inch circle.

    3When the edges look dry, and bubbles start to appear and pop on the top surface of the pancake, turn over. This takes about 2 minutes. Once flipped, cook another 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked in the middle. Serve immediately with warm syrup, butter, and your favorite pancake toppings.

Adam and Joanne's Tips

  • For gluten-free buckwheat pancakes, swap the all-purpose flour for your favorite gluten-free flour blend or use additional buckwheat flour (1/2 cup or 60 grams) in place of the all-purpose flour. 100% buckwheat flour pancakes are a little drier.
  • As buckwheat pancake batter sits, it becomes thicker. If it seems too thick, stir in an extra splash of milk to thin it out.
  • When measuring your flour, before you scoop the flour into your measuring cup, fluff or stir the flour in the container (or bag) first, this aerates the flour and makes the measurement more accurate. Alternatively, you can stir the flour in the container, and then scoop it into your measuring cup. Then when the cup is full, use a straight edge to scrape away the excess flour. Doing this prevents adding too much flour to the batter, which causes the batter to be too thick.
  • Substitute for baking soda: To use baking powder instead of baking soda, leave out the vinegar or lemon juice called for in the recipe and use one tablespoon of baking powder.
  • Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.

If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste

Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1 pancake / Calories 135 / Total Fat 6.5g / Saturated Fat 3.7g / Cholesterol 33.9mg / Sodium 233mg / Total Carbohydrate 16g / Dietary Fiber 1.4g / Total Sugars 3.2g / Protein 3.8g
AUTHOR:  Adam and Joanne Gallagher
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109 comments… Leave a Review
  • Melissa February 25, 2024, 9:12 pm

    So good! I used almond flour in place of the wheat flour.

    Reply
    • Adam February 26, 2024, 7:24 pm

      We are so happy that the almond flour worked for you! Thanks for letting us know 🙂

      Reply
  • Gai February 4, 2024, 2:12 pm

    Nutritious and delicious. Love these pancakes! This is my new go-to pancake recipe. They are amazingly fluffy. I found the batter too thick and add 1/4 + cups more milk. I have used Casava flour for the 1/2 cup but will try almond flour next time for the added protein. I use soy or coconut milk and substitute in coconut oil for the butter. I like the delicate coconut flavor of the coconut milk and oil the best.

    Reply

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