These old fashioned Buckwheat Pancakes are sure to stir up fond memories of grandma making pancakes.   A fabulous Whole Food Plant Based recipe. Oil free, sugar free, no highly processed ingredients, and gluten free.

Hi!  Robin here!

Buckwheat pancakes remind me of my childhood.  My dad loved buckwheat pancakes.  He used to head down south to the next county, Holmes county, deep in Amish country, to get buckwheat flour coarsely ground.  He would bring it home and my mom would make buckwheat pancakes with it.  I remember her buckwheat pancakes were super dense and sat like rocks in our stomachs – a hearty breakfast.

This was necessary especially because my dad would often work outside in the cold winter chopping wood for our wood burning stove. These dense pancakes would give him energy to withstand the freezing cold.  Every week, he would bring stacks and stacks of wood onto the porch so we had plenty of wood to feed the fire through bitter cold Ohio winter nights.  We had to watch the stove carefully because one time it got too hot and it started a chimney fire.  Luckily, we were able to put out the fire quickly with minimal damage.

The Wonders of a Wood Burning Stove

I loved our wood burning stove.  I miss it.  It was our primary source of heat in the winter time growing up.  It would get so hot that it would radiate heat throughout the entire living room and kitchen.  My sister and I had a bedroom in the attic.  Some winters were so bitter cold, that we would sleep on the floor in the living room near the wood burning stove to stay warm.

Hot Pennies

My sister and I used to heat pennies on the wood stove in the mornings, and then place the hot pennies on our frost covered windows to melt two little peepholes so we could see the school bus coming from way up the road.  That way we didn’t have to stand outside in the freezing cold weather waiting for the school bus.

Say What?  Bread bags on your feet!

Girls weren’t permitted to wear pants to school when I was in elementary school and our bare legs would FREEZE in the cold winters.  Not to mention, the dreaded bread bags that we slipped over our feet, and then slid them into our boots to keep our feet dry while we trudged through mountains of snow to get to the school bus.  Who remembers putting empty Wonder Bread bags on their feet?

An Acquired Taste

I think buckwheat flour must be an acquired taste.  I love buckwheat; however, Monkey is not a huge fan.  TP109 is not a huge fan either.  Chris was never a fan either, and Mikey, he hates everything!  LOL

Tips for success!

Almond Butter: 

Pancakes typically require some type of oil to prevent sticking.  Since all oils are excluded from the WFPB diet, we have found that a small wipe of almond butter on a hot skillet can help reduce sticking.

Thin Edged Spatula: 

Using a thin edged spatula really helps ensure that the pancakes can be flipped properly.  Wait until you see bubbles forming on the surface of the pancake and the most important part is waiting until the edges are firm.

If you try to slide the spatula under the edge of a pancake and the batter is still gooey and sticks to the spatula, then it is not ready to flip yet.  Wait until you can slide the spatula under the edge and the pancake edge stays firm.

Then go around the entire circumference of the pancake with the spatula loosening the edges before sliding the spatula completely under the pancake to flip.  Clean the edge of the spatula between pancakes to remove crumbs.

Nonstick Skillet:

Finding a really, great nonstick skillet is a must when making pancakes.  We use a copper lined Copper Chef (or similar nonstick skillet) does the trick.

Monkey here!

I love pancakes!  Although, I readily admit, I am not a huge fan of straight-up buckwheat pancakes.  As Mom mentioned, I really do think they are an acquired taste.  She grew up loving them, and enjoys the whole food plant based versions too!

Products used:

• Large, flat Copper Chef copper lined skillet or similar nonstick skillet
• Thin edged spatula

Buckwheat Pancakes

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• Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6-8 Pancakes 1x
• Category: Breakfast
• Cuisine: American

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Description

These old fashioned Buckwheat Pancakes are sure to stir up fond memories of grandma making pancakes.   A fabulous Whole Food Plant Based recipe. Oil free, sugar free, no highly processed ingredients, and gluten free.

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Ingredients

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• 1 ¼ cup unsweetened plain almond milk (or other plant milk)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 ¼ cup buckwheat flour
• 2 Tablespoons maple sugar (dehydrated maple syrup)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 Tablespoon organic, unsweetened almond butter (plus more*)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

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Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine 1 ¼ cups unsweetened almond milk with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, stir well to incorporate, set aside.
2. Combine the dry ingredient in a small bowl, stir to incorporate. Set aside.
3. Combine all the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, and all the remaining ingredients and whisk to remove lumps.
4. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. (If using an electric griddle, heat to 375 F degrees.)
5. Take a small, folded square paper towel and dip it into a small amount of almond butter, then wipe the entire skillet with the almond buttered paper towel. Be careful as the skillet will be hot. This will help keep the pancakes from sticking. Using a ¼ cup measure, scoop up the batter and drop it into the center of the skillet.  Tilt the pan in a circular motion if the batter does not spread out evenly. 
6. Cook the pancake for two or three minutes until small bubbles form on the surface. Watch the edges of the pancake to ensure they are firming up. Use a very thin edged spatula and loosen the edges of the pancake all the way around until it moves easily in the skillet, then slide the spatula under the pancake and flip it over and cook for an additional one to two minutes.
7. Place cooked pancakes onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and place in a warm 200 F oven until all the pancakes are done.
8. Remove any crumbs and clean the skillet by wiping it out with almond butter before starting a new pancake. Repeat the process with the remaining batter.
9. Serve pancakes with warmed organic maple syrup.

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Notes

*Almond Butter:  Pancakes typically require some type of oil to prevent sticking.  Since all oils are excluded from the WFPB diet, we have found that a small wipe of almond butter can help reduce sticking.

*Thin Edged Spatula:  Using a thin edged spatula really helps ensure that the pancakes can be flipped properly.  Wait until you see bubbles forming on the surface of the pancake and the most important part is waiting until the edges are firm.  If you try to slide the spatula under the edge of a pancake and the batter is still gooey and sticks to the spatula, it is not ready to flip yet.  Wait until you can slide the spatula under the edge and the pancake edge stays firm.  Then go around the entire circumference of the pancake with the spatula loosening the edges before sliding the spatula completely under the pancake to flip.  Clean the edge of the spatula between pancakes to remove crumbs. 

*Nonstick Skillet:  Finding a really, great nonstick skillet is a must when making pancakes.  We use a copper lined Gotham steel skillet (or similar nonstick skillet) does the trick.

Storage:  Cool to warm, place in glass/plastic storage and refrigerate for freeze.   Refrigerate up to 3 days.  Freeze up to 3 months.