Buckwheat Pancakes

Buttermilk adds a tang to brighten earthy buckwheat flour for a pancake recipe that's a keeper.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated October 31, 2023
Elise Bauer
Buckwheat Pancakes
Elise Bauer

There's something about buckwheat pancakes that hearkens to an earlier time—pioneer days, log cabins, pot belly stoves, and all that. Perhaps it's because buckwheat used to be a lot more popular a hundred years ago.

In spite of the name, there is no "wheat" in buckwheat. It's not even a grain or grass. Yet in many ways it behaves like wheat, and its flour produces wonderfully, unexpectedly, fluffy pancakes, with a rich, warm, earthy taste.

A Pancake Recipe You Can Make Gluten-Free

We experimented quite a bit with this recipe, including an egg, excluding an egg, all buckwheat flour (naturally gluten-free), or half buckwheat, half all-purpose flour, and you know what? It's all good.

My favorite combination includes an egg and uses half white flour and half buckwheat flour. But the combos without the egg or with all buckwheat flour were also fluffy, flavorful, and eat-way-too-many-able.

Buckwheat has zero gluten in it, so if you are at all gluten-sensitive, you shouldn't have a problem with buckwheat (just use all buckwheat flour instead of the mix in the following recipe). Griddle's on!

Buckwheat Pancakes
Elise Bauer

Make Ahead Tips

Save yourself some prep time by mixing up the pancake batter the night before, then cover and refrigerate until you're ready for breakfast. Let the batter sit on the counter while your skillet or griddle preheats, then proceed with the recipe.

Buckwheat pancakes are also good leftover. Store any extras in an airtight container or tightly wrapped for a lightning fast breakfast the next day.

How To Reheat Pancakes

Pancakes reheat really well. Although reheating pancakes in the microwave works, doing it in the toaster or in the oven results in better texture and quality. We've created a helpful guide to reheating just one pancake or a whole pile of them.

More Pancake Recipes To Start Your Day Right

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Buckwheat Pancakes

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 4 servings
Yield 12 to 14 pancakes

You can use all buckwheat flour for a 100% gluten-free buckwheat pancake if you wish. Or you can substitute the all-purpose flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free baking blend.

The egg is optional, we've made the pancakes both ways, with egg and without. With egg results in just a little more structure to the pancake.

Don't have buttermilk? You can substitute using 2 tablespoons of white vinegar stirred into enough regular milk to make 2 cups. (After you stir in the vinegar, let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.) Or you can mix together 1 1/2 cups of plain yogurt and 1/2 cup of milk.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup (100g) buckwheat flour

  • 3/4 cup (100g) all-purpose flour

  • 3 tablespoons sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 egg, optional

  • Up to 2 cups (475 ml) buttermilk

  • 3 tablespoons (14g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

  • Vegetable oil for coating the pan

Method

  1. Preheat the skillet:

    Heat a well-seasoned griddle, cast iron skillet, or stick-free pan on medium heat. The pan or griddle should be ready for the batter as soon as it is mixed.

  2. Make the pancake batter:

    Whisk together the dry ingredients—the flours, sugar, salt, baking soda—in a large bowl.

    Beat the egg with a fork and stir it into half of the buttermilk. Add the melted butter and stir. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, then slowly add more buttermilk as needed to get a thick but pourable consistency for your batter (you may not need all of the buttermilk, depending on what type of buttermilk you are using and the brand of flour).

    Stir only until everything is combined. Do not over-mix! A few lumps are fine.

    Bowl of Dry Ingredients for Buckwheat Pancakes Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas
    Egg Mixture Added to Dry Ingredients for Buckwheat Pancakes

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas
    Buckwheat Pancake Batter

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas
  3. Ladle the batter onto the hot pan:

    Put a small amount (1/2 teaspoon) of vegetable oil on the pan or griddle and spread it around with a paper towel to coat.

    Ladle the batter onto the hot surface to the desired size, about 4 to 5 inches wide. (A 1/4 cup measure will ladle about a 4-inch pancake.) Reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the pancake to cook for 2 to 3 minutes on this first side.

    Buckwheat Pancakes Batter on a Hot Cast Iron Skillet

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas
  4. Flip the pancakes:

    Watch for bubbles on the surface of the pancake. When air bubbles start to rise to the surface at the center of the pancake, flip the pancake. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until nicely browned.

    Buckwheat Pancakes Flipped on the Cast Iron Skillet

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas
  5. Keep the finished pancakes warm:

    Keep your pancakes warm on a rack in the oven set on "warm," or stack them on a plate and cover with a towel as you make more. Spread more oil on the pan as needed between batches of pancakes.

    Serve with butter and maple syrup.

    Did you love the recipe? Leave us stars below!

    Stack of Buckwheat Pancakes Topped with Maple Syrup and Some Butter, and Next to It, a Glass of Milk and a Container of More Syrup

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
385 Calories
15g Fat
52g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 385
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 20%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 74mg 25%
Sodium 835mg 36%
Total Carbohydrate 52g 19%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 16g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 1mg 6%
Calcium 166mg 13%
Iron 2mg 14%
Potassium 377mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.