Our family loves these homemade buckwheat pancakes! They’ve recently turned into a weekend tradition. I love serving them with berries, sliced banana, and maple syrup. My son loves these with apple butter and whipped cream. This buckwheat pancake recipe is easily made gluten-free or vegan. See my tips below.
Key Ingredients
Buckwheat flour: Buckwheat is a plant that produces grain-like seeds. These seeds are ground into a gluten-free flour with a rich, nutty flavor and dark color. I use Bob’s Red Mill buckwheat flour in the video. Flour (optional): Buckwheat is delicious but can be a bit heavy, so I love blending it with all-purpose flour or, for gluten-free pancakes, a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Milk and lemon juice: For tasty, fluffy pancakes, I make my DIY buttermilk mixture with milk and lemon juice (you can use non-dairy milk). You can also substitute with real buttermilk, which is delightful. Butter, sugar, and vanilla: These add delicious flavor to our pancakes. You can use plant-based butter if you are making vegan pancakes. Egg: One egg adds flavor and structure, so I love adding it. Replace it with a flax egg for vegan pancakes. Baking soda: Reacts with the milk and lemon juice to help our pancakes rise. It makes them so fluffy!
How to Make Buckwheat Pancakes
Making buckwheat pancakes is just as simple as making regular pancakes. The flour blend recommended in our recipe makes fluffy and moist pancakes with a delicate, nutty flavor. In this recipe, I like combining buckwheat flour and all-purpose flour (for gluten-free pancakes, use your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour blend). I do the same when making whole wheat pancakes (In that recipe, I combine whole wheat flour and regular flour to keep the pancakes super fluffy). To make buckwheat pancakes, you’ll mix the buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Then, whisk the milk, lemon juice, egg, and vanilla into another. Combine the two mixtures, and you have your buckwheat pancake batter! As the pancake batter sits, the buckwheat flour absorbs the moisture in the batter, so you might notice that it gets a bit thicker than you’d like to pour into your skillet. If this happens to you, add a tablespoon (or more) of milk to thin it out again. I cook pancakes in melted butter and love the extra flavor and crispy edges you get. You can use a quality nonstick skillet without butter, and your pancakes will still flip nicely. Consider a quick brush of olive oil.
Storing Buckwheat Pancakes
Buckwheat pancakes last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze them. Line them up on a baking sheet for about 30 minutes. Then, put them in a freezer bag with parchment paper between each pancake to prevent sticking. They’ll keep for up to 2 months. To reheat buckwheat pancakes, place them on a microwave-safe plate and cook for 20 seconds per pancake (add more time for multiple pancakes). Alternatively, wrap them in foil and bake them in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
More Ways to Use Buckwheat Flour
Buckwheat flour is versatile. You can often substitute it for all-purpose or whole-wheat flour in your favorite recipes. I’ve found the best success when replacing a portion of the flour called for in recipes with buckwheat flour (like I do in this buckwheat pancake recipe). Buckwheat flour adds a delicate nutty flavor to muffins. Substitute 25% of the all-purpose flour called for in this blueberry muffin recipe or strawberry muffin recipe. I love it with bananas and have successfully replaced up to 50% of the flour in our banana bread recipe with buckwheat flour. The bread will be moist, and the nuttiness from the buckwheat complements the banana nicely. I think it would be amazing in these banana muffins with chocolate chips. Or, make more pancakes! Try substituting buckwheat flour for some of the all-purpose flour in our blueberry pancakes or these pumpkin pancakes. 1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour blend 1 ¼ cups (295ml) milk, dairy or non-dairy 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white vinegar 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skillet 1 tablespoon sugar 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2Meanwhile, whisk the buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. 3Whisk the egg and vanilla into the milk mixture (it will be thicker now). 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. 5Heat a large skillet (or griddle) over medium heat. The pan is ready if a little water splatters onto the surface, dancing around the pan and eventually evaporating. 6Lightly brush the skillet with melted butter. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to spoon batter onto the skillet. Gently spread the batter into a 4-inch circle. 7When the edges look dry, and bubbles start to appear and pop on the top surface of the pancake, turn over, about 2 minutes. 8Once flipped, cook another 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked in the middle. 9Serve immediately with warm syrup, butter, and your favorite pancake toppings.
