The Pancake Princess

A baking blog curating internet recipes.

You're here: Home > Recipes > Breakfast

Pancake Fridays: Banana Buckwheat Pancakes

by

JUMP TO RECIPEPRINT RECIPE

I had pancakes for dinner the other night.

Buckwheat Banana Pancakes

Believe it or not, I try not to do that too often. Or like, ever. Because my body’s wired for savory at dinnertime and eating pancakes only means I’ll be consuming about three times the amount of calories I need since I’ll inevitably try to counterbalance the sugar/carb rush with something healthy. Like bananas and nut butter except nut butter = hello, like a million calories! Yeeeah.

Buckwheat Banana Pancakes

But I barely felt bad about eating these. No gluten. No eggs. Fiber. Almost vegan.

Buckwheat Banana Pancakes

I’ve made these three times already and I blame brunch last Saturday—when I had the most delicious pancake of my life—for making me crave pancakes for life, like actually. Okay so remember my boyfriend? The one getting his PhD in Finance (he’s in his first year)? He has a super ton amount of studying, like study your butt off all the time studying. But he’s on spring break for the week, so I actually get to hang out with him!! I almost forgot how much fun he was (I’m allowed to say that because his schedule really sucks). Anyway, we went to brunch and I had this banana walnut pancake that was strangely square in shape—like a cross between French toast and a pancake. Anyway, it was huge and puffed and golden and cakey and everything a pancake should be PLUS it was an absolute gold mine of chunks (banana and walnut. I am a fan of chunks). I destroyed it (with only a little help from Erik), then I made us walk around a park for an hour in an effort to be active even though we both wanted to lie down under the warm sun and succumb to our food coma.

Buckwheat Banana Pancakes

Healthier banana pancakes were obviously a must come Sunday brunch—and I forgot to add the tiny bit of oil I’d used the first time around. But we couldn’t even tell. Success!

Let’s talk about these pancakes. Why use buckwheat flour? I was trying my hand at a gluten-free pancakes and buckwheat happens to be a fruit seed, which means it doesn’t contain gluten. Buckwheat also happens to be a great source of plant protein, antioxidants, minerals and soluble dietary fiber. Woo! Way better than bleached refined flour! Sold yet? It’s also slightly lower in calories than regular flour. I’m no nutritionist so I’ll stop now, but just know that you can eat this entire batch for under 300 calories with nearly 7 grams of fiber and almost 10.5 grams of protein! Yum.

Buckwheat Banana Pancakes

The other big news about these pancakes is my new pancake secret. It makes pancakes 98237423x better than any pancake I was making before, though it means I will probably never make another vegan pancake.

I’ve always used a mixture of almond milk + apple cider vinegar as a buttermilk replacement since buttermilk eeks me out and is just one extra thing to buy and remember to use up. But almond milk is way more watery than buttermilk so…

Almond milk (or any milk) + yogurt is the key! I got SUPER thick and fluffy pancakes, probably because the consistency of yogurt much more closely resembles real buttermilk.

Buckwheat Banana Pancakes

So here you go: my first post-detox pancake recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do.

PRINT PIN

Pancake Fridays: Banana Buckwheat Pancakes

These fluffy whole-grain pancakes, studded with creamy slices of banana, are a 1-bowl dream that can be whipped up in 5 minutes flat. You can eat the entire recipe for under 275 calories!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 -5 small pancakes
Calories 55kcal

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup buckwheat flour
  • ¼ cup oat flour you can grind rolled oats into flour using a food processor or blender
  • ½ tablespoon ground flax seed
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons plain yogurt I used regular, not Greek, but Greek yogurt would probably work
  • 5 tablespoons almond milk or milk of choice
  • ½ tablespoon maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 medium banana sliced
  • ½ tablespoon oil optional

Instructions

  • Preheat a large skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes while you make the batter.
  • Whisk together the flours, flax seed, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the yogurt, milk, maple syrup, vanilla and oil, if using. Mix until smooth (there is no gluten in this batter, so no worries about over-mixing and creating tough pancakes). Batter should be thick, but if you like thinner pancakes, add an additional tablespoon or two of milk. Fold in sliced bananas.
  • Nudge a few drops of oil around a large frying pan with a spatula to grease the pan. Let heat for a minute, then add batter, a few tablespoons at a time (batter should sizzle when it hits the pan). Cook for about 2 minutes on each side (the first pancakes will take the longest to cook) and serve warm, with lots of maple syrup, additional bananas, nuts, chocolate chips, etc.

Notes

This makes a teensy batch that is easily doubled. You can easily sub the buckwheat flour for whole wheat flour.
For a vegan option, you can try subbing soy yogurt for the yogurt. For strict gluten-free diets, make sure to use gluten-free oats.

Did you try this recipe?

Tag @thepancakeprincess on Instagram!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bronte

    These pancakes look delicious! Do you think I could sub anything else instead of yogurt? I’m vegan, but non-dairy yogurt is spendy in my area 🙁 Does the yogurt act as a thickener or a binder? I can try and recreate the texture if it’s necessary.

  2. Jenna

    Great recipe. Made as directed the first time except I was out of ground flaxseed so I used ground chia instead and had to thin the batter with more milk slightly. They weren’t as lightly golden as the author’s; I found they required a bit more cooking to be flippable, but I’m probably not as skilled.
    I made them again this morning with frozen blueberries, lemon zest and honey. They required even more cooking time – I’m wondering if the large chunks of banana disperse the batter for faster cooking. The result was on the yummy edge of dark and a bit more messy to flip, but equally delicious.
    So delicious I quadrupled the dry ingredients and put them in a jar for even faster pancake production. Healthy breakfast just got easier. Thank you Erika!

    • erika

      Hi Jenna! Thank you so much for the awesome comment! Glad to hear the feedback–that’s an interesting thought about the banana. I’ll have to try these again both ways and see. And that is so brilliant to make pancake mix out of the dry ingredients!! LOVE IT! 🙂

  3. Nikki

    Best pancakes I have ever made!! Wow yum!
    I have always mashed the bananas but slicing them taste so much nicer!
    Thank you! Will be making this regularly now 🙂

  4. Stella

    I did these this morning and loved them! I added a few blueberries as well as a variation flax seed which has cocoa and red berries. When I worked out calories per batch it can in see just under 400! Not sure it can be blamed for 100+ calorie hike… Still they did fill me up until beyond lunch time and the rest are in the fridge for Sunday. I assume they will keep for a couple of days?? Thanks for all the great recipes, princess

    • erika

      Yay so glad you liked them, Stella! They will definitely keep for a few days in the fridge 🙂 Thanks for the lovely comment!

  5. kathy

    Just made these pancakes for breakfast. I omitted the flaxseed (diverticulosis) and sliced the bananas for on top with the toasted pecans. I also used Greek Yogurt and skim milk. They were incredible.
    Thanks for the healthy tasty recipe.

    • erika

      So glad you enjoyed them, Kathy!! Thanks for letting us know what adjustments worked for you! Hope you’re having a fabulous new year!

  6. han

    hi! is the ground flaxseed necessary to make the pancakes? can i substitute it with anything else?

    thank you!:)

  7. Deborah

    Made this today and it was fabulous!!
    Dietary needs forced me to make a few substitutions, I used Udees GF Oats, Pumpkin Purée for the yogurt, ground chia for the flax seeds, pumpkin pie spice in place of cinnamon, soymilk for the milk and added it sparingly until I got the right consistency.

  8. Hannah

    I just made these today and they came out perfect! can’t believe how low in calories they are considering how fluffy they are! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe 🙂

  10. Holly

    Made these this weekend. For myself. In the middle of the day. 🙂
    Loved them! So quick and easy. I think I am going to add a little pumpkin and ginger to my next batch because I simply can’t get enough of it this time of year. These are so versatile! So many options! Can’t wait to put all sorts of things on top as the seasons change. Thanks so much for posting!

    • erika

      Holly–that’s how you do it!!! I love your style 🙂 Middle-of-the-day pancakes are awesome. And adding pumpkin and ginger to these sounds awesome! Let me know if you end up with any stunner combinations 🙂 Thanks for the lovely comment 🙂

  11. Two Red Bowls

    Erika, you’ve become my go-to for pancake ideas! I was just thinking about how I want to try a buckwheat recipe and this looks perfect. And I feel the exact same way about buttermilk!!! I can never bring myself to use it because it feels like a burden and weirds me out for no good reason. I love using Greek yogurt and milk as a buttermilk substitute, too. Bookmarking this for the next time I can pick up some buckwheat flour 🙂

    • erika

      Oh, thank you so much! You’re too sweet 🙂 Exactly–I just feel like it’s unnecessary! Even though yogurt is equally acidic and weird, I’ll totally do yogurt but not buttermilk–I get you! And hope you like these 🙂

  12. Tina Jui

    I love your pictures and they make me so hungry! I’ve made buckwheat crepes before, but never pancakes. What a great idea and recipe! 🙂

  14. Vy

    Erika. i am a terrible friend. i did not know that you are the pancake princess!!! omg i am so proud of you! i love your site. everything about it. the stories. the font. the design. when i come back, can we have a pancake brunch! you know my love for pancakes!

  15. Amanda

    I just made these for supper and they were absolutely wonderful! I got seven small pancakes out of the recipe, but I didn’t measure them all out. I told myself I would only eat four, but then I went back for the rest. Warm and slathered with peanut butter and maple syrup, yumm! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂

    • erika

      Amanda, so glad to hear!! Peanut butter AND maple syrup sound like an amazing combo. Thanks for letting me know! 🙂

  16. Fu

    I have a few issues with the recipe. I made them and I used unbleached all- purpose flour buckwheat flour isnt sold at my market. It made such a small yield, TWO pancakes. I have no idea what the point of that is. Cooking for one is called take-out. They came out rubbery and bland. I was disappointed.

    • erika

      Hi Fu–sorry to hear your pancakes didn’t turn out! I used a 1/4 cup of batter per pancake and came out with five pancakes, which was a good amount for me. If you use more batter than that per pancake, you could very well end up with two pancakes. But at least they’d be way healthier than take out! 🙂

  17. afracooking

    These have become one of my favourite breakfast recipes. I think I use a lot more yoghurt and milk but other than that I have not changed much. Sometimes I use frozen blueberries instead of banana. So healthy, so tasty – thank you for sharing!

  18. Eden

    Sorry for all of the comments (I have commented on two of your other posts so far), but I am browsing your recipes & they just look so delicious. I can’t wait to try them! 🙂
    My question with these is… Do you think that I could use soy yogurt to make them fully vegan?

    • erika

      Hi Eden! Thank you so much for all of your sweet comments! Yes, I noted that I think that you could use soy or some other type of non-dairy yogurt to make these vegan, although I haven’t tried it. It’s such a small component of the recipe that I have a feeling it would be fine 🙂 Good luck with these and let me know how they turn out!

    • erika

      Lol thank you! Let me know what you think! Heading over to check your site out–the title already has me intrigued!

  25. Averie @ Averie Cooks

    Just found you from FG or one of the food sites? I was bouncing around. Awesome!!! looking pancakes. Love bananas in anything and the fact that you made these vegan and hearty and healthy…and pretty!! A win! Pinning!

    • erika

      Aww thanks Averie! I’m so flattered you took the time to write me such a sweet comment 🙂 And same–I love bananas in ANY baked good! So good!!

  26. Katie (The Muffin Myth)

    These pancakes look great! I love pancakes, but my husband doesn’t like them (weird, right?) so I don’t make them all that often. But I’m home alone for a week, there is a bag of buckwheat flour in the cupboard, and this is such a teeny recipe that I could just go for it! And don’t be afraid of buttermilk! It’s such an awesome ingredient, and healthy. I always mix yoghurt and milk together when I don’t have any (which is often, because they don’t have it where I live) and it’s a great substitute. Thanks for the recipe!

    • erika

      Oh man, so sad. My boyfriend SAYS he likes pancakes, but who really knows?? I do know that French toast is his one and only, so I try not to subject him to pancakes TOO often 🙂 Ooh yay, please do! This is a perfect single lady dinner 🙂 And do you really think buttermilk is healthy? I don’t know too much about it, but the texture and smell have always freaked me out!

  28. Lianna

    Holy crap, your photography is so beautiful! I’m in love with that first picture especially, definitely sold me on trying out buckwheat flour just for these pancakes 😛 I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post as well haha can’t wait to browse through the rest of your blog!

    • erika

      Oh stop 🙂 But YAY I’m happy I made a strong case for the buckwheat flour! I really do think it’s an awesome staple to have on hand. Thanks so muchh 🙂

  29. Elise @ elisebakes

    Ooh these look so amazing! Banana pancakes are the Best pancakes! I love having breakfast food for dinner and totally agree that when it is something sweet, I always feel the need to eat a bunch of veggies after!

    • erika

      Haha right?? The carb/sugar rush is the worst. I always think that greens/fruit after it will help but it doesn’t really, does it?

  30. petit4chocolatier

    Erika, very delicious! When I think you have done the magnificent pancake you show us a new one. This is incredible as all the others are! Possibly Mr. PhD in Finance can get really creative in your future business! You have so much going for you. Take it from a mom with grown children, go for your dreams!! Everything you create is unique and filled with a passion 🙂 Show the world! The Pancake Princess is a great title for a delicious pancake chain!

    • erika

      Judy, you are too sweet! I was just thinking about you and thinking that I need to visit your blog and see what you’ve been up to–thanks for your sweet comment! Haha, Erik and I have actually discussed starting some kind of side business while we collectively work/are in school, so we’ll see 🙂 His math prowess certainly does complement my complete lack of ability to do math! And thanks for your encouragement, you are just the nicest 🙂

  31. Nancy @ gottagetbaked

    Yay, you blogged about pancakes! Not just any pancakes – thick, fluffy, banana packed pancakes that are healthy. Is there anything you can’t do? And I feel ya on the “no time to spend with significant other” thing. I feel like I rarely have quality time with the Husband. Sure, we see each other but we’re always doing chores or taking care of the dog. Nothing fun. I’m glad you’re getting to spend time with Erik this week. Enjoy every moment!

    • erika

      Oh stopp 🙂 Glad you feel me on the significant other time. It’s going to be a looong 2.5 months until he’s done, but…at least there’s an end (sort of) in sight. Hope you and your hubby get to take some time for yourselves and do something fun soon!

    • erika

      Yay, so glad to hear it! I know, I bought buckwheat flour for this one muffin recipe I wanted to make and then it sat in my freezer for a long while until these came along! Let me know how these turn out if you give them a try! And thanks so much for stopping by 🙂

  37. girl in a food frenzy

    Delicious! I often try to sneak in some Buckwheat when making pancakes, sometimes even with blueberries. Bananas are a constant in my freezer for bak ing emergencies such as these. They look truly delicious and that honey drizzle, amazing!

  40. Leah

    Yay for pancake Fridays! These sound soooo good and you’ve convinced me that I need to try buckwheat flour. Did your regular local grocery store carry it?

    Omg, I loved this line, ” I destroyed it, then I made us walk around a park for an hour in an effort to be active even though we both wanted to lie down under the warm sun and succumb to our food coma.” hahaha!

    I know how you feel about the BF always being busy studying! Jon is getting ready for level one of the CFA (finance exam). Even though we live together, he literally has a study schedule and retreats to the guest room to study every night after dinner. It’s too bad we’re not in the same city – We could hang out while they’re hiding under their rocks. 😉

    • erika

      YAY you definitely should!! Yes, my regular grocery store carried it…it was in a smaller bag like the rest of the specialty flours like Bob’s Red Mill, but not too hard to find.

      Hah…that line is the story of my life. Eat, food coma, digest while trying to burn off excess calories….stuff face.

      Ooh ew CFA does not sound fun!! Glad you can relate to my “problems”…I would LOVE to hang out while our boyfriends nerd out!! Let’s move to NYC together, k? Cool.

  41. sally @ sallys baking addiction

    banana pancakes – of any kind – with ANY flour, are always my favorite. I always love to use yogurt in my banana pancakes too. Your pictures are gorgeous today my friend! Is it wrong that I want a HUGE stack of these for dinner tonight? 😉

    • erika

      Thanks Sally! Um, you should definitely pancake it up tonight, or any night really. I think I might do that with one of your huge cookies one of these nights…total indulgence!

  42. Jennifer

    OK, definitely trying these… they look amazing! So glad you found me, I tried to reply via email but you’re set up as a no-reply blogger. Thanks for popping by and commenting, it’s an honour coming from the Pancake Princess!

    Seriously though, your entire site is gorgeous. I’ve subscribed, so as not to miss another pancake recipe 🙂

    • erika

      Aww thanks so much Jennifer! I’m glad I found you too, and thanks for letting me know I’m set up as a no-reply blogger–no idea why, but I’ll try to figure out how to fix that!

  44. Heather

    So let me just say that I absolutely LOVE the picture with the syrup being drizzled down over the pancakes… so creative!! Did you have a helper taking the picture? My head is doing mental gymnastics just trying to imagine myself holding the camera and attempting to drizzle syrup at the same time 😉

    • erika

      Thanks so much Heather!! Ha, funny you should ask…normally I take the syrup pictures solo, which means my poor camera has been the victim of several sticky situations. But this time, I decided to ask my roommate to be the syrup-pour-er which was SO much easier! 🙂