I’ll be the first to admit that these pancakes don’t look all that appealing. However, don’t let the appearance fool you – they make up for their bland and boring-looking appearance with a wonderful flavor and texture on the inside.
In this recipe, I used both whole-wheat flour and buckwheat flour because I tend to find that adding some whole wheat flour gives it a fluffy texture and some additional nutty flavor. However, you could easily use all buckwheat flour if you’d like, or if you have a gluten allergy.
What is Buckwheat Flour?
Despite the fact that it contains “wheat” right there in its name, buckwheat flour actually does not contain wheat, making it a gluten-free alternative to regular flour. In fact, you might be surprised to learn that buckwheat four is actually related to rhubarb! (There’s a fun fact to share at your next party). This gluten-free flour is incredibly versatile in the ways it can be used and is often used to make crepes, muffins, pancakes, scones, or soba noodles. Although it can be used as a substitute to all-purpose or whole-wheat flour in equal amounts, I tend to find that using only buckwheat flour can cause your recipe to be chalky and overpowering in flavor. Therefore, I recommend using a mixture of whole-wheat and buckwheat (or all-purpose and buckwheat flour) when baking in order to get the best possible texture and flavor. (Because no one likes a chalky muffin, am I right?)
Nutrition:
From a nutrition standpoint, buckwheat flour is absolutely loaded with nutrients! Here’s a brief overview of some of the nutrients buckwheat flour contains:
- Fiber – Buckwheat flour contains around 6 grams of fiber per one serving, making it an excellent source. By now, I’m sure we all know the benefits of fiber, but just in case, here’s a reminder: Fiber helps keep our digestive system running smoothly and regulates bowel movements, helps keep us full in between meals, and helps protect digestive organs like the colon from infections, diseases, or even cancers.
- Magnesium – Magnesium is a mineral in the body that plays an important role in many different areas, ranging from joint/muscle growth and recovery, digestion, bone health, mood and relaxation, heart health, and sleep. Luckily, one serving of buckwheat flour contains a hefty dose of magnesium (about 20% of the daily recommendation), which helps keep your body functioning well!
- Antioxidants – There are several different types of antioxidants found in buckwheat, and all are beneficial for our body to fight high blood pressure or cholesterol, reduce risk for cancers or heart disease, reduce inflammation, and protect brain, liver, and digestive health, to name a few.
- Protein – Buckwheat flour is an excellent plant-based protein and contains 12 of the 20 amino acids (the building blocks that make up the protein in our bodies). Digging into this even further, buckwheat flour contains two very important essential amino acids: lysine and arginine. Our body cannot make these amino acids, so we must get them from the foods we eat. These two amino acids are not found in many other cereals or grains, but buckwheat contains a high amount of them, so eating buckwheat ensures that your body is getting the full range of essential proteins and amino acids it needs.
- Vitamins and Minerals – Aside from magnesium, buckwheat is loaded with various nutrients that help provide you energy – nutrients such as B vitamins, manganese, iron, zinc, and folate. In addition, these nutrients also help with healthy blood circulation, better heart health, and neurotransmitter signaling that reduces anxiety and depression.
All-in-all, buckwheat flour is a tasty alternative to regular flour that’s also packed with tons of good-for-you nutrients. If you’ve never tried buckwheat flour before, this recipe is the perfect way to ease yourself in! These pancakes have a slightly nutty flavor to them, yet they still have the consistency of normal pancakes. Plus, the blueberries provide a bit of a tangy sweetness that really compliments the buckwheat flavor.
I will say that the batter can turn slightly grey in color, depending on the ratio of normal to buckwheat flour you choose to use. But don’t let that scare you off; I promise they still taste great, even if they do look a little strange in color! For this batch here, I used half whole wheat and half buckwheat flour, so they look pretty normal. However, in the past, I’ve used 1 1/4 cups buckwheat flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, and they turned out pretty dark in color (even though they did taste great!) My recommendation is to start with half regular flour and half buckwheat flour, and then increase (or decrease) the amount of buckwheat flour depending on your preference, making sure to keep a total of 1 3/4 cups flour.
As you can see, this recipe makes a pretty big stack of pancakes. I personally like to make a big batch to have on hand for the week or freeze half of them to pull out at a later date. However, if you don’t want to make 16 large pancakes, feel free to cut the recipe in half!
Once the pancakes are all cooked, top with your favorite ingredients, grab a fork, and dig in!
Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup + 2 TBSP unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 TBSP coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 2 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- ¾ cup whole-wheat flour or all-purpose
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 heaping cup blueberries
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a little coconut oil or butter, and tilt the pan to coat. Alternately, spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined, being careful not to over-mix. Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Use a ⅓ cup measuring cup to pour the batter onto a greased skillet.
- Cook until bubbles begin to form along the edges, flip, and then cook until the other side is browned.
