Buckwheat Pancakes (Vegan and Gluten Free)

A while ago, I decided it would be fun to make pancakes using buckwheat flour.  Buckwheat is an alkaline grain and it's easy to digest compared to most of the other grains, in fact, it's not even a grain at all, but rather a fruit seed.  After making these buckwheat pancakes for awhile, I decided I was going to put six pancakes on a pan of parchment paper and bake a whole bunch of them in the oven at once.  It works well and saves me a ton of time!

This is one of my favorite breakfast dishes that I love to fix for me and my mom.  Whenever I'm hungry and feel the need to eat something to fill me up, these do the trick.

The night before I make these pancakes, I like to soak the flour in water with an acidic liquid like apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and some people even soak their flours in kefir.  It neutralizes the the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors to help promote better digestion.  They say you should use a tablespoon of acidic liquid for every cup of flour.  Sometimes I have only used half of that because the flavor of the liquid can be a bit too strong in some recipes.  If you would like to learn more about soaking your flours and the health benefits, here's a good website to get that information.

As you read this recipe you will notice that I use a gluten free flour blend called, "Perfect Flour Blend".  Buying organic gluten free flours can be expensive, so I use the Namaste brand.  The great thing about this gluten free flour is that the Namaste Company claim they don't have any GMO in their products.  If you read about their facts, you'll see that they are trying to put a verified non-GMO label on their products.  The other great thing about their flour is it doesn't have any nuts, seeds, potato flour, corn, soy, wheat, gluten, dairy or casein.  If you have any allergies in any of those food groups, I highly recommend this product.  I remember looking online for a gluten free flour that doesn't have corn, potato flour, and white rice flour; thankfully I was lucky enough to find a brand.  

These pancakes are absolutely scrumptious with maple syrup, coconut nectar, jam, or simply with fruit! There was a few times when I made a cashew pear spread that tasted sooooo heavenly topped on these pancakes.  Maybe I will post the recipe for that sometime.  Also, if you want less of a sweet topping, you can mix together coconut oil, cacao, and stevia.  Always remember that you can use your sweet tooth and imagination to create something that suits you.

Buckwheat Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 cup gluten free flour mix (I use Namastes "Perfect Flour Blend")
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• 1 tsp almond extract (optional)
• 2 cups nut milk of your choice or water
• 2 tbsps coconut oil
• 4 packets stevia powder or 1/4 cup coconut sugar or a sweetener of your choice
• 1 medium banana 
• 2 flax eggs
• 1 + 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp apple spice (optional)
• 1-2 tbsps coconut nectar or maple syrup to taste

Preparation: 

1. Soak the flours listed above for 12 hours or over-night (optional.)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven at 400F or you can preheat a skillet or griddle at medium-high heat.  If your baking your pancakes, lay parchment paper over the top of 3 cookie sheets (or more, it depends on how big you make your pancakes.)


2. In a medium sized bowl, blend the buckwheat flour, the gluten free flour mix, the sweetener, the baking powder, and the apple spice if you want.  Add the rest of the ingredients, and blend until smooth.

3. Pour 6 small amounts of the batter onto the cookie sheets and bake them in the oven for 12-15 minutes or grease your griddle or skillet with a thin layer of coconut oil; pour the batter onto one of them and cook the pancakes until they are soft and fluffy.  Let the pancakes cool for 5-10 minutes and then top the pancakes with your favorite syrup and/or fruit and enjoy!