Pancakes are a staple breakfast food that can easily be made vegan. But even plant-based pancake recipes are usually loaded with sugar and oil, and because they are often made with all-purpose flour, they are relatively low in nutrients.
I wanted to make a delicious, nutrient-dense vegan pancake recipe that used as little oil and sugar as possible.
These vegan buckwheat almond flour pancakes do just that. The all-purpose flour is replaced with high-fiber, low-carb, nutrient-dense buckwheat flour and almond flour. The batter is entirely oil-free and is sweetened with just a small amount of coconut sugar.
I originally tried to use just buckwheat flour, but I was not a fan of the resulting grainy texture of the pancakes. Because fine almond flour results in a more cake-like texture, the combination of these flours balanced the texture perfectly.
Ingredients
- Buckwheat Flour: This pseudo-cereal is high in fiber and protein, perfect for jumpstarting your day
- Almond flour: high in healthy fats and very low carb
- Baking Powder: helps the pancakes rise for a fluffy texture
- Flax Egg: great source of omegas and helps bind the ingredients together
- Coconut Sugar: a natural, minimally processed sweetener that won’t result in blood sugar spikes
- Cinnamon: flavor
- Vanilla Powder: I prefer vanilla powder to vanilla extract because it is less processed and better retains its flavor after cooking
- Salt
- Water
Toppings
Fruit
Fruit is my topping of choice when it comes to these vegan almond buckwheat flour pancakes. It’s a wonderful natural sweetener, and topping your pancakes with fruit can help reduce the amount of syrup you need.
Fresh fruit is great if you have some on hand, but I love to use frozen fruit because it’s cheaper, and when baked in the oven, it breaks down and has a jam-like texture. I like to think of it as a healthy compote without any added sugar or starch.
If you use frozen fruit as a topping, just place some in an oven-safe glass container, and bake at 325° for 10 – 15 minutes while you make the pancakes.
My favorite fruit toppings:
- Raspberries
- Strawberries (the almond flour and strawberry combination reminds me of strawberry shortcake)
- Blueberries
Maple Syrup
Syrup is a necessary topping for pancakes, but I try to use it sparingly not to negate the health benefits of these pancakes.
Nuts and Seeds
Adding a crunchy texture to these spongy pancakes rounds out the dish. Nuts and seeds do just that, and they make these already healthy pancakes even more nutrient-dense. Add just one or use a combination!
My favorite nuts and seeds to add:
- Slivered Almonds (dry toasted)
- Hemp Seeds
- Blended Walnuts
Vegan Buckwheat Almond Flour Pancakes
Equipment
- cast iron skillet optional
- nonstick pan optional
- griddle optional
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla powder or substitute 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 cup water
Flax Egg
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds
- 2 1/2 tbsp warm water
Instructions
Make the Flax Egg
- Place water in a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 5 seconds or until warm. Add ground flaxseeds and stir. Let this mixture sit while preparing the other ingredients.
Pancake Batter
- Add all dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
- Add water and the flax egg and whisk until combined, but don't overmix. You want to leave some lumps in the batter.
Cooking
- Heat a cast iron skillet, non-stick pan, or griddle on medium heat.
- Add small dollops of pancake batter (1/4 cup for small pancakes, 1/3 cup for medium pancakes). Spread the batter so it makes a circle, but don't spread it too thinly.
- Flip the pancakes when the edges are cooked and appear dry. (This usually takes about 5 minutes.) Cook for about 2–3 minutes on the other side, as the pancakes will be mostly cooked before flipping
- Finish with your favorite toppings, like maple syrup, fruit, or slivered almonds!