Is it just me, or does Jack Johnson’s Banana Pancakes song pop into your head the second you hear someone is making banana pancakes? Enter my buckwheat banana pancakes!

Well if you are like me, start playing that song because we are about to make our own buckwheat banana pancakes! These pancakes are sure to be a family favorite. With their slightly crisp exterior, and a fluffy and dense interior, these buckwheat banana pancakes make the perfect breakfast, lunch, dinner or even dessert. Plus the addition of the blueberries pair perfectly with that light banana flavor. Let’s get cooking!

Making buckwheat banana pancakes

Pancakes can be deceivingly difficult to perfect. Oftentimes you are left with a dark exterior, but the interior of the pancake is still a little bit raw. Here are my tried and true tips that have helped me to perfect my buckwheat banana pancakes.

Before making the batter, begin to preheat your griddle or skillet to approximately 300 degrees Fahrenheit or medium heat. The goal here is to get even heat across the whole griddle or pan. Once the batter is made, grease the pan and pour ¼ cup rounds onto the griddle. Allow the pancake to sit for about 2 minutes. At this point, you may see the outer edges begin to turn opaque, as well as bubbles on the surface of this pancake – this is your indication that it is time to flip them. From there, let the pancakes cook for an additional 2 minutes. To make sure your buckwheat banana pancakes are fully cooked, gently press down on the pancake and if no batter drips out the sides, they’re ready to serve with additional fruit or maple syrup!

History of buckwheat

Though this recipe has many amazing ingredients, the one I want to highlight is buckwheat. Buckwheat is believed to originate in Southeast Asia.1 However, it is also grown in the United States, among other locations, as it prefers cool and humid environments.1,2 According to one source, in the US, buckwheat was a popular food for livestock in the late 1800s, however, come 1970, it became popular for humans to consume as a breakfast “cereal” because of its protein content.1 

The interesting thing about buckwheat, and why I put “cereal” in quotes is because buckwheat is not actually wheat, but a seed.3 However, its uses resemble those actual cereal grains, hence why it is often sold as flour or breakfast cereal.4 

Buckwheat can be used to make a variety of foods, such as breads, noodles and my buckwheat banana pancakes, when the buckwheat is ground to make flour. It imparts this dark, golden hue to any product it is used in. Buckwheat has a slight nutty flavor to it, however, I think that adds to the depth of flavor of whatever product it is used in.

Go ahead and give buckwheat a try, whether it’s in these buckwheat banana pancakes or another dish! Let me know what you think of buckwheat and these buckwheat banana pancakes at @ChefAbbieGellman on Instagram!

Similar Pages

If you loved these buckwheat banana pancakes, check out my Oat Flour Pancakes, my Whole Wheat Dutch Baby Pancake, and my Pink Pancakes!

Resources

1. Buckwheat history and origin. Ancient Grains. https://www.ancientgrains.com/buckwheat-history-and-origin/. Published March 20, 2015. Accessed February 25, 2021.
2. Oplinger ES, Oelke EA, Brinkman MA, Kelling KA. Buckwheat. Purdue. https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/buckwheat.html#:~:text=History:,in demand for making flour. Accessed February 25, 2021.
3. Buckwheat. Purdue. https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/Crops/Buckwheat.html. Accessed February 25, 2021.
4. Buckwheat benefits – A Health-boosting ancient whole grain – Erbology. Erbology USA. https://erbology.co/us/buckwheat-health-benefits-pseudo-cereal/. Published February 9, 2021. Accessed February 25, 2021.

Buckwheat banana pancakes

4.67 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast, brunch

Keyword: gluten free, pancakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Chef Abbie Gellman RD

Ingredients

• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 ripe ~3/4 cup bananas, mashed
• 1/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup cow’s milk
• 1 egg beaten
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup blueberries

Instructions

• In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
• In a second bowl, whisk together banana, yogurt, milk, egg, and vanilla.
• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix together till just combined.
• Fold in blueberries.
• Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat and spray with oil spray or add some butter.
• Scoop out ¼ cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake and cook until bubbles appear on the pancake, approximately 2 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook on the other side for one minute.
• Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit.

Video