Meet my new favorite pancakes, buckwheat pancakes. I’ll admit they aren’t the sexiest pancakes around, but they make up for their humble appearance with wonderful flavor and texture. Buckwheat, a gluten-free relative of rhubarb, has a delicate, almost nutty flavor all its own.
Thanks to the buckwheat flour, these pancakes possess a light and airy consistency that quietly surrenders to the pressure of a fork and soaks up maple syrup like a sponge. The pancakes pair well with roasted strawberries, as shown here, or with a healthy swipe of peanut butter or almond butter.
This recipe was adapted from a fun new cookbook called Pancakes, by fellow food blogger Adrianna Adarme of A Cozy Kitchen. I visit Adrianna’s blog any time I need some creative recipe inspiration or a laugh, which is often.
Adrianna’s new (and first!) cookbook is bursting with 72 brilliant pancake recipes, half sweet (honey and oat, ginger pear, cinnamon-sugar popovers) and half savory (jalapeño corn cakes, goat cheese quinoa cakes, sour cream and chive latkes). If sky-high, fluffy pancakes are your jam, she offers a ton of options based on her buttermilk pancakes recipe. This book would be the perfect gift for the pancake/latke lover in your life. Congrats, Adrianna!
Gluten-Free Buckwheat Pancakes
- Author:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 Pancakes 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: By hand
- Cuisine: Gluten free
Buckwheat gives these pancakes incredible flavor. This buckwheat pancake recipe yields deliciously light and thin pancakes. For pancakes that are even lighter in texture and flavor, use half all purpose (Adrianna’s suggestion) or whole wheat pastry flour (my default). Recipe yields 8 pancakes (plenty for 2 people).
Ingredients
Pancakes
- 1 cup buckwheat flour (or ½ buckwheat and ½ flour of choice)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk, shaken*
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Butter, for the skillet
Roasted Strawberries
- 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced into bite-sized quarters or halves
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
Instructions
- Roast the strawberries: preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, gently toss berries with the sugar and maple syrup/honey. Arrange the strawberries in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring halfway, or long enough for the berry juices to thicken but not burn (watch the edges in particular).
- Make the pancakes: in a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flour(s), sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a liquid measuring cup, measure out the buttermilk. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- All at once, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter should have some small to medium lumps.
- Preheat your skillet over medium-low heat and brush with 1 ½ teaspoons of butter. Give the batter a light swirl with a spoon in case the buckwheat is starting to separate from the liquid. Using a ¼-cup measure, scoop the batter onto the warm skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until small bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes (you’ll know it’s ready to flip when about 1 inch of the perimeter is matte instead of glossy), and flip. Cook on the opposite sides for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Transfer the cooked pancakes to a baking sheet and place in a preheated 200 degree Fahrenheit oven to keep warm. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding more butter when needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Pancakes by Adrianna Adarme of A Cozy Kitchen.
*Make your own buttermilk with dairy-free option: combine 1 ¼ cups low fat milk (any variety of low fat milk should do—almond, soy, rice, low fat coconut) with 1 tablespoon + ¾ teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
If you love these pancakes: you’ll also enjoy my buckwheat crepes recipe and my other pancake recipes!
A note on fluffiness: I tried forcing some extra height into these pancakes by using half whole wheat pastry flour and even folded in whipped egg whites, but neither made a significant difference. Then I took another bite and wondered why I was trying to make these marvelous pancakes something they’re not. They’re perfect just the way they are.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Lucy
Delicious! I had been searching for a gluten-free Buckwheat Pancake recipe & this is exactly what I have wanted. I followed your directions precisely – I did use 1/2 cup Arrowhead Mills gluten-free Organic Buckwheat flour & 1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. The pancakes were light fluffy & tasty. I may have added a little more Vanilla than your recipe called for, b/c I don’t measure it, I just pour it into the batter. Some were left over, & they were just as good the next day, so these pancakes can easily be made in advance. Thank you for this recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m so happy to hear it, Lucy! You’re welcome. Thanks for your review!
Lynn Henley
This was delicious! I used half buckwheat flour and half oat flour plus one scoop protein powder and they were fluffy and tasty.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing your variation, Lynn!
Jodi
Thanks I made these and were yummy – I made using homemade almond milk for the buttermilk and as I don’t eat sugar , I put a small dollop of mashed banana in with egg and milk ( maybe 10g worth ) still turned out very well
Tipped with roast nectarine and berries and homemade vegan yoghurt
★★★★★
Natalie Dupuis
Love your recipes! Looking for buckwheat muffin recipes. Any advice on substituting for other flours? Thanks!
Kate
Hey Natalie, thank you! I wish I could offer some good tips, but buckwheat flour is kind of its own animal.
Adele Booysen
I just made these with blueberries. Simply tossed a few blueberries onto the pancakes once they were on the griddle. Best buckwheat cakes ever!
★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Adele! Thanks so much for your review.
Robin Staniforth
awesome recipe just used mixed berries instead of strawberry’s
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for the review, Robin!
Jamie
I had been craving buckwheat pancakes and am so glad I found this recipe. These were great! Mine came out fluffy. I used all buckwheat flour. Was it because of the buttermilk?
Highly recommend.
Thanks for the post.
★★★★★
Kate
The buttermilk helps, along with the the combination of some of the other ingredients! I’m glad you loved it.
Allison
Thank you so much. These are fluffy risers in the pan and don’t feel like bricks in the stomach. I never have buttermilk, so I add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to milk to make a replacement, and it works great. I also was unsure of the vanilla changing the buckwheat flavor (which I love) and added just a few drops, but won’t bother adding it again. I need recipes for whole grain foods I like. I was never much of a grains person, but I love oats and corn. But where was I going to find pancakes to satisfy? Yay! I love buckwheat pancakes, and these don’t need any additional unhealthy white flour or expensive alternative flours. Highly recommended for an easy homemade buckwheat pancake.
★★★★★
Kate
They do get so fluffy! I’m glad you loved them. Thanks for sharing and for your review, Allison.
Erin
I always use this recipe when I make these. They’re 100% amazing.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Erin!
Kyla
These did turn out fluffy! I substituted a flax egg and almond milk/apple cider vinegar, but kept the 1 cup buckwheat flour. Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray, Kyla! Thanks so much for sharing. I appreciate your review.
Mare
Just made these, and they truly are the best buckwheat pancakes I’ve ever eaten.
I didn’t roast strawberries, as they’re not yet in-season here in Canada. I topped them with farm-fresh butter and homemade marmalade, instead.
Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Mare!
Dana
I doubled the recipe using buckwheat, almond, and coconut flour, as well as subbing coconut milk. I had to add extra flour (I didn’t measure but up to half a cup) to get the right batter consistency, including some cornmeal to get them to stick together when flipping. Once I got the right ratio they came out beautiful. You do have to fry them (whereas I can do regular pancakes without any oil on my griddle) and I used coconut oil. A bit complicated to put down more oil when flipping, but I just made them as small as my spatula.
★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Dana.
Mary
Thanks for excellent recipe. These were nice and moist.
I did modify this recipe because I am very low salt and no sugar diet.
I used a quarter cup of oatmeal flour, only because I thought this might add moisture.
I also cut salt in half and no sugar. But I didn’t see nutrition information until after, so now I will try to cut out all or almost the salt, as I can’t tolerate such high salt.
Kate
You’re welcome!
Jamie
Absolutely amazing. I’ve made a lot of different kinds of pancakes, with various flour and pseudo-grains. I’ve made a lot of my own and they were all good.
This was hands down the best for buckwheat, as I didn’t want to develop my own recipe.
Thanks for sharing the recipe :)
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Jamie!
Kris
This sounds great! Thanks for the post! I was wondering if there is a vegan version of this recipe as I have 3 kids with 3 different allergies, unfortunately! Buckwheat flour is the only flour all three can have!
Thanks!
Rebecca
My vegan subtitutions: Sub a flax egg and vegan milk mixed with vinegar or lemon (to make vegan buttermilk). Fry in oil if your preference (coconut, canola, avocado…)
★★★★★
Kris
I will try this! Thanks, Kate!
Candace Daugherty
I heard that buckwheat is good for lowering cholesterol, so I tried this recipe. I did 1/2 buckwheat & 1/2 millet flour and ended up increasing the buckwheat by 1/4 cup as I thought the batter a bit thin. The cakes were soft & very tasty. Made 14, but please remember I added flour to thicken. This recipe is a keeper
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Candace!
Beth
Hi Kate. I have a very important (at least to me) question to ask you. I read through the first page of comments below and didn’t see a question like mine so I’m going ask…..
You call for 1 cup of buckwheat flour. Since you didn’t provide a weight measurement, can you please tell me how you measure your flour? I’m asking because the spooning and scooping method do yield different amounts of flour……
Do you spoon the flour into your measuring cup (and then swipe off excess with a knife) or do you dip your measuring cup into the bag of flour (and then swipe off excess with a knife)?
Please let me know which method you use and if that same method applies to all your other gluten-free pancake recipes.
Many thanks. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Kate
Hi Beth! Great question. I spoon the flour in and then remove excess with a knife. I hope this helps!
Sarah
Very good, quite savoury, didn’t add salt as I never do or vanilla, as I didn’t have any. Used skim milk powder in dry ingredients, then same volume of water with 4tsp vinegar to replace buttermilk.
Idylle Patz
Have recipe for buckwheat pancakes with added wheat flour. To keep gluten free, can I substitute rice flour or garbanzo flour in equal proportions?
Kate
Hi! Buckwheat is actually gluten free, unless you have a known allergy to buckwheat :)
ISABELLA
Taste disgusting – like baking soda!! Why is it so hard to find a good pancake recipe online, this really is terrible.
★
Kate
I’m sorry you feel that way!
Robin
Your baking soda was probably expired. These are phenemonal. You probably eat at McDonald’s
Cassandra
Lol
Karen Chandler
Excellent recipe.
★★★★★
Janet
Hi I haven’t made these yet however before I do can I use honey in the recipe instead of sugar as i feel this is a healthier option. How much honey would.i put in to get the correct balance
Kate
Hi Janet, I’m not quite sure without trying it, sorry!
Janet lombardi
Hi Kate
I found the recipe did not need sugar as I put honey on top of the pancakes when they were cooked they were delicious
Ellen
I used honey instead of sugar: about one teaspoon ( I didn’t measure). Turned out great.
Laurie
Buckwheat pancakes will never taste like “normal” pancakes. They have a much, what to call it?, “earthier” taste. That said, these pancakes came out well in texture and taste. You’ll get the best chance of fluffiness if you let the batter sit for at least 10 but preferably 20 minutes, to let the buttermilk do its thing. I suggest making a few as-is and then experimenting with adding cinnamon or blueberries or bananas to the batter. And, of course, real maple syrup will make up for any perceived deficiencies in taste until you become accustomed to buckwheat!!
★★★★
Jonna
I think I’ll try these again, I made these today with buckwheat groats that I ground into flour. I didn’t have any type of milk on hand so I mixed plain grass-fed yogurt With water and a squeeze of lemon till I got the right consistency. A splash of maple extract, 1/2tsp cinnamon, and pinch of cardamom bump up the rustic flavor.
As for next time, I think swapping 1/4 c of gluten free flour would help achieve a slightly sturdier pancake.
But, otherwise, I loved the rustic honesty of buckwheat pancakes; they feel like something you’d cook over a campfire in the Wild West and the romantic in me just loves that raw, cabin sorta vibe.
★★★★★
Kate
Let me know what you think when you try them again!
lola
these pancakes are wonderful!! i had to substitute yogurt for the buttermilk and after the first pancake the batter thickened and they came out VERY fluffy. thank you for this recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Lola!
Terry
Finally a simple recipe I could follow . Only 2 steps , except for the extra step for making buttermilk .
I never thought buckwheat could taste this good . My diy previous attempts always resulted in a gooey mess .
★★★★★
Lisa
I do not recommend using all buckwheat flour. Disgusting.
★
Kate
I’m sorry that is how you feel. I think these are great as is. It may just not be the recipe for you. :)
Jill
thanks kate the pancakes are yummy keep on baking
★★★★★
Jill
thanks kate the pancakes are yummy keep on baking
★★★★★
Josie Mac
What isn’t sexy about this, lol . I did a slight variation, i used coco sugar, made my own almond milk then soaked the flour in the milk (with apple cider vinegar) for 1 1/2 hours, to hopefully make the buckwheat more digestible (I would have preferred longer). I then added the egg, mixed it and finally added the remaining dry ingredients. I didn’t use the strawberries but used blueberries and cranberries (whole) in the batter itself. I read somewhere to have everything at room temperature to create a better texture so I had everything out for the 1 1/2 hours. Delicious, fluffy and satisfying.
★★★★★
Katherine A
Thank you for the fab recipe. Made the kids super happy, including the gluten-free one! We’ll be doing this again for sure
★★★★★
Kevin
I did not like these at all. Mealy and poor mouth feel. The appearance is rather gross too.
★
Alexandria
I made these today and my whole family loved them! The one change I made was I subbed in 1/3 of the flour for coconut flour. It really helped break up the heaviness of the buckwheat. They were soooooo light and fluffy but still had that delicious taste of buckwheat! I left out the sugar and vanilla and they still tasted great!
★★★★★
Lyndie kathleen Rynne
Thank you, this is a great recipe. I used hemp milk to make a buttermilk.
Pure buckwheat is a bit too buckwheaty (flavor) for our family, so I added some of our sourdough starter to it.
Fluffy & delicious!
★★★★★
Chloe
Kate is the queen of pancakes! This recipe was perfect. We added cinnamon and a little more vanilla. We didn’t have much milk in the house so we used a combo of left over coconut milk, cream, and water with lemon juice to make it into some kind of buttermilk. It worked! Thanks Kate!
★★★★★
Ellen
First time using buckwheat flour. The pancakes turned out great.
Topped them with fresh strawberries (didn’t roast them.)
I subbed 3/4 cup yogurt (w/probiotics) and 1/2 cup water for the buttermilk as another commenter suggested. Also a spoonful of
honey instead of sugar. Thank you!
★★★★★
Fleur
These were so tasty! I used all buckwheat flour. How long can you keep leftovers in the fridge safely?
Kate
Hi Fleur! I’d say up to 5 days, but of course discard if you see/smell any signs of decay. Typically fresh, preservative-free foods will keep for about 4 to 5 days.
Jess
This is the best buckwheat pancake recipe I have ever tried! I made these the other day for friends and they were shocked that buckwheat pancakes could be this good! I don’t think they’re going back to wheat…thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Jess! I’m happy you enjoyed them.
Jen Rough
I used a tsp of both baking soda AND baking powder, like it called for, against my better judgement, and the result tastes like metal pancakes. Awful. Organic buckwheat is not cheap…
★
Alyssa
Yum Yum Yum. These are so delicious! So fluffy, comforting, and surprisingly energizing! I feel great after eating these! I used 3/4 buckwheat and 1/4 glutin free. There was a slight grainy bite to them that I think came from the GF flour. Next time will try with just buckwheat. Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Lesley
I made these pancakes, gluten free, for a friend a few weeks ago and today I made them with half all purpose flour for my family. A success both times. I did have trouble with them sticking to the pan on the second side and I’m not sure if the pan is too hot or I’ve not used enough butter. That means I have to keep practicing. I enjoy them with cream cheese and cherry jam (jelly).
★★★★★
Reena
Have you tried making a big batch and frozen? Can you make a dry mix and keep in the pantry. Btw just made these and loveeeeed them!!!
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Reena! These should freeze well. I would assume you could mix the dry and store as you would do for whole wheat mix. :) Let me know if you try it!
Claire
Yum! Best buckwheat pancake recipe I’ve found online. I love the flavour of the buckwheat, ans NY kids also enjoyed them (yay for kids enjoying healthier variations). Also, I think buckwheat is quite nutritient-dense, so that’s an extra bonus. Mine were actually quite thick and well-risen, which hasn’t been my experience with buckwheat pancakes before (and they were a lot thicker than your picture), but I’m in the UK, so maybe my ingredients are a bit different?
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Claire! I’m happy you loved them. Did you convert your measurements to metric or did you follow the my US measurements? If you didn’t convert, that may have been why. Let me know!
clairegoymour
I followed the US measurements . . (so much easier than metric . . )
Talia
I made it without sugar but added some peaches and bananas on top. We loved it! Thanks for yet another wonderful and easy-to-make recipe :)
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! Your toppings sound delicious. Thanks so much for sharing, Talia.
molly march
I just made the buckwheat pancakes substituting the buttermilk w 1 cup yogurt and 1/4 cup oat milk —and the pancakes turned out light and fluffy and CHUBBY! SO delicious!
★★★★★
Erica
First time ever using buckwheat flour. I followed the recipe and added semi sweet chocolate chips as I use to love chocolate chip pancakes. DLISH!
Gracie
These are delicious. I subbed the buttermilk for the almond milk + vinegar and they turned out great. Kept them 100% buckwheat but next time I may do half oat flour to see the difference. They are great!
★★★★★
Ive
Prepare esta receta deliciosa use leche fresca 2% y añadí como 1/2 cucharadita de limón en vez de buttermilk ya que no tenia a la mano and blueberries en vez de strawberries.Also I use buckwheat only.
★★★★★
Sarah Fuller
These are awesome! I’ve had the most delicious buckwheat pancakes at a local cafe and was desperate for a homemade version!
I used almond milk and apple cider vinegar and no sugar. They’re very fluffy and just so yummy! Thank you!!
No photo…. they were gone too quickly
★★★★★
Christina
Hi Kate, thank you so much for this recipe. I have been making these pancakes for years now; with buckwheat only. This is a true winner in my household. As of late, I have started to soak at room temperature all flour for prep to help with digestion. So far this has been mainly for vegan gluten free quick breads. For this recipe, do you think the buckwheat can be pre-soaked with almond milk buttermilk? What is your position on soaking flour in general?
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Christina! To be honest, I’ve never tried soaking flour, though I do understand that soaking can help with nutrient absorption. I’m afraid I don’t know how to answer your buckwheat question! All my best.
Sierra
Can we replace the egg with egg whites or a flax egg?
Kate
Hi Sierra, I don’t typically recommend egg placement with these, but I believe others have tried flax eggs and didn’t mind the result.
KATE
Just whipped up these delicious delights for brekkie. In terms of flour blend I did 1/2 cup buckwheat & 1/2 cup tapioca flour. These were so, so light and fluffy. A big thank you for posting such a great recipe that tastes amazing. x
★★★★★
Debra
A big hit with the whole family!
★★★★★
Kate
Great! Thank you for your review.
Melissa
I was recently diagnosed with celiac disease and found this recipe while looking for gluten-free pancake recipes. The pancakes were delicious and fluffier than many I’ve tried even with wheat flour, and so simple – no blending three flours or whipping egg whites. These will definitely go on our weekend breakfast rotation. Thank you!
Kate
I’m glad you found something that works for you!
Miranda
I’m doing an elimination diet and am unable to have baking powder. Is there any way to substitute this or will it just make my pancakes less fluffy?
Kate
Hi Miranda, I’m sorry I can’t be more help. You need the baking powder here and I don’t have a great substitute for you.
Theresa
Loved these. Made them following the dairy free option noted and they turned out great.
★★★★★
Katie
Didn’t have strawberries, but the pancakes were FANTASTIC. Made this strange Christmas morning better. Light, yet hearty. Very easy to make! I used oatmilk + vinegar sub for buttermilk.
★★★★★
Amy
Stumbled upon this & now obsessed with them for Sunday breakfast. Used kefir & mixed in blueberries, just a dream to eat!
★★★★★