Meatless Monday: Buckwheat Pancakes

By Andrew Johnson

I first encountered buckwheat flour (fun fact: it’s not actually wheat!) at a health-conscious restaurant that toted the grain as a filling, heart-healthy alternative to normal flours. After seeing it there, I noticed quite a few stories and recipes floating around the internet about the unique texture and taste of buckwheat, and I became intrigued. Heading to the local Whole Foods, I picked up a pound or two in the bulk section and brought it home for experimenting. It turns out I had just changed my pancakes forever!

Since pancakes are the perfect food, you can make these in morning, noon, or night. Adding the right combination of sugar, sweet fruits, and toppings can turn them from a hearty breakfast to a decadent dessert. Here is the former of those options:

Buckwheat Breakfast Pancakes

Serves: 3 | Skill level: Easy | Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups buckwheat flour
1 1/2 cups nondairy milk
1/2 cup water
1 egg replacer (I prefer 1 tbsp flax meal, 2 tbsp water, whisked together)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 banana, cut lengthwise into quarters, then thinly sliced

(If you’ve got a sweet-tooth, you may wish to add 1/2 cup sugar or agave nectar)

Step one:

In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients and stir well.

Step two:
In a small glass or bowl, mix together flax and water, let it set for a minute to congeal. While flax is congealing, warm a pan on medium heat or turn a griddle to medium.

Step three:
Add flax/water mixture and wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stir until the batter is smooth. Add banana slices to the pancake batter and stir well

Step four:
Spoon the batter onto the pan or griddle in any desired size or shape. Once bubbles appear throughout the pancake, flip it. Let the pancake cook for roughly two minutes on this side, or until it is golden

Serve and enjoy!

Add your own personal touch to this recipe with your favorite fruit! For the batch I made this morning, bananas were the perfect compliment. However apples, blueberries, strawberries, and peaches all work well. Which would you fancy?