Buckwheat Pancakes

These easy buckwheat pancakes have a light and fluffy texture and earthy, nutty flavor. They're a delicious breakfast...that's totally gluten-free!

Buckwheat pancakes

We’re heading into a long weekend—let’s make buckwheat pancakes! These beauties are light and fluffy, and the buckwheat flour gives them a wonderful nutty flavor. Saturday morning, here we come. 🙂

While many buckwheat pancake recipes call for a mix of buckwheat flour and all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour, I use 100% buckwheat in mine. I love that you can really taste the buckwheat this way. It’s earthy and nutty, and it makes these pancakes a unique treat. They’re also naturally gluten-free, because despite its name, buckwheat isn’t actually related to wheat. You can read more on that below, but for now, break out the mixing bowls and pass the maple syrup! We have buckwheat pancakes to make.

Buckwheat pancakes recipe ingredients

What is buckwheat flour?

Buckwheat’s name is misleading, because it’s not actually a type of wheat at all. In fact, it’s not even a grain! Similar to quinoa, buckwheat is a pseudo-grain, in this case, a grain-like seed. It’s a member of the rhubarb family, and it has an earthy, nutty flavor with just a touch of bitterness. It’s famously used in Japanese soba noodles and French crepes, and it makes these pancakes wonderfully complex (and totally gluten-free).

How to Make Buckwheat Pancakes

Making these buckwheat pancakes is similar to making any basic pancake recipe:

  1. Whisk together the wet ingredients in one mixing bowl and the dry ingredients in another.
  2. Add the wet mixture to the dry, and mix the batter until it’s just combined.
  3. Cook the pancakes in a nonstick skillet or on a griddle. Flip them once bubbles form on the first side. They’re ready when they’re puffed and cooked through.
  4. Serve with maple syrup! My strawberry compote is fantastic with these buckwheat pancakes too.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Dry ingredients in mixing bowl next to bowl of wet ingredients

Buckwheat Pancakes Recipe Tips

  • Spoon and level your flour. We want these buckwheat pancakes to be fluffy, not dry or dense. It’s important not to add too much flour to the batter, which is easy to do depending on how you measure your flour. To avoid this, use the spoon and level method. Fluff up the flour in the canister or bag with a spoon, and then gently scoop it into your cup. Level off the top with a knife, sweeping the excess flour back into the bag.
  • Adjust the heat as you cook. As you cook the pancakes, your pan will begin to hold residual heat, which causes the outsides of the pancakes to cook more quickly. You don’t want them to cook too quickly—otherwise, the outsides of the pancakes will burn before the middles cook through. If you notice that your pancakes are rapidly browning, turn down the heat.
  • Keep them warm while you wait. Unless you have a large griddle, it’s likely that you’ll need to cook these buckwheat pancakes in batches. To keep the early batches warm while you work through the remaining batter, pile them on a large plate, tent them with foil, and hold them in a 200°F oven until you’re ready to serve.
  • The toppings matter. These buckwheat pancakes aren’t too sweet on their own, so make sure to serve them with maple syrup to balance their earthy flavor. Other great topping choices are strawberry compote, blueberry compote, and fresh fruit like sliced bananas or berries. You also can’t go wrong with a slather of peanut butter or almond butter or a dollop of Greek yogurt for extra protein.

Got leftovers?

These buckwheat pancakes freeze perfectly! Seal them in an airtight container or bag, and stash them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds or in the toaster to reheat.

Buckwheat pancakes recipe

More Gluten-Free Pancake Recipes

If you love these buckwheat pancakes, try one of these gluten-free pancake recipes from the blog next:

Want more brunch ideas? Check out our 60 Best Brunch Recipes!

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Buckwheat Pancakes

rate this recipe:
4.84 from 6 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves 3 to 4
Buckwheat flour makes these pancakes gluten-free, and it also gives them a delicious nutty flavor. Serve with fresh berries or strawberry compote and a generous drizzle of maple syrup.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond milk, eggs, maple syrup, avocado oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
  • Heat a nonstick skillet to medium-low heat and brush lightly with oil. Use a ⅓-cup scoop to pour the batter into the skillet. Cook the pancakes for 1½ to 2 minutes per side, or until puffed and cooked through, reducing the heat to low if the pancakes are browning too quickly.
  • Serve with maple syrup and strawberry compote.

Notes

Makes about 10 pancakes.

12 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. jason
    01.27.2024

    can you substitute avocado oil for another oil like olive or canola?

  2. Katie
    10.14.2023

    Hi, I’m trying to avoid all sugars (Candida detox…). Can I just leave out the maple syrup? Anything I should replace it with?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.15.2023

      Hi Katie, the buckwheat has a slight bitter flavor, so I recommend the bit of maple syrup. I haven’t tried sugar alternatives in this one.

  3. Lisa Ellsmore
    05.28.2023

    5 stars
    These are delicious! Thanks! 😋

  4. Ana
    05.28.2023

    4 stars
    Mine were sooo flat. Where did I go wrong?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      05.30.2023

      Hi Ana, if they didn’t rise, it’s often an issue with older baking powder. Did you change anything about the recipe?

  5. Louise
    05.25.2023

    If anyone knows, will flax eggs work or will they be too dense?

    • ReaderRita
      05.26.2023

      I was going to ask the same question!

      • Jeanine Donofrio
        05.30.2023

        Hi Krista, we didn’t test this recipe with flax eggs, so I’m not sure.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      05.30.2023

      Hi Louise, we didn’t test this recipe with flax eggs, so I’m not sure.

  6. Christina
    05.25.2023

    Thank you – from all of us who need to eat gluten free! I actually just adore the taste of buckwheat, so super delicious when paired up with butter and maple syrup lashings on top. YUM!!

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.