These baby banana macadamia pancakes are so sweet and fluffy they taste like dessert. The best part is they're made entirely from whole foods including gluten-free buckwheat.
Who knew you could make pancakes so irresistible without flour, eggs, milk, sugar, or oil? Instead, these cute little vegan puppies get their sweetness and light texture from the right combination of whole foods.
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Top tip
Grind your own fresh light-colored buckwheat flour from hulled, raw, whole food buckwheat groats.
Ingredients
- Whole raw buckwheat groats - The secret to these gluten-free baby pancakes.
- Raw macadamia nuts - Whole food macadamias add protien and take the place of milk.
- Baking powder - Reacts beautifully with natural enzymes in banana and buckwheat to give the pancakes exceptional rise.
- Sea salt - Adds minerals for extra nutrition.
- Vanilla - Pure vanilla extract gives the pancakes that warm, cozy, from scratch flavor.
- Banana - Extra ripe banana makes the pancakes sweet without added sugar.
Recently I decided to make them for dessert. It was the end of a long day, and they were perfect for a quick, indulgent treat. Heck, you could have them any time of day. Have you ever had pancakes in the middle of the afternoon? It feels so naughty and decadent, right?
Are buckwheat pancakes healthy?
Go ahead and enjoy these scrumptious golden beauties without guilt. They're wholesome and nutritious. That's because buckwheat flour is a healthy alternative to other flour. It's high in protein, minerals, and fiber.
Buckwheat also provides antioxidants and helps lower cholesterol and blood sugar. In fact, it is considered by many to be a superfood.
It's interesting to note that buckwheat groats are not a grain. They are actually the seeds of flowering buckwheat and are naturally gluten-free.
One-ingredient gluten-free flour
Freshly milled raw, hulled buckwheat groats make a light-colored flour that's a great improvement over oat flour often used in gluten-free banana pancakes.
Oat flour adds moisture to pancakes but can make them gummy and heavy compared to buckwheat flour. Buckwheat also has a fantastic fragrance you can't get from any other flour.
Make gluten-free flour
It doesn't take any time at all to make a cup of fresh buckwheat flour. Just buy whole, raw, hulled buckwheat groats and grind them to a fine flour in a spice mill or coffee grinder.
Buying whole buckwheat groats gives you an added bonus. You'll have them on hand to make into other recipes including kasha, the name given to groats when they are toasted.
Kasha makes wonderful savory pilafs and is delicious under a blanket of sauteed mushrooms and vegan sour cream.
Sweet porridge is also a classic preparation for toasted buckwheat. You might like to try my recipe for Toasted Apple Spice Kasha Cereal.
FAQ
Yes, the batter is entirely oil-free. Use a non-stick skillet or griddle for cooking. If you don't mind a touch of oil, rub a heated cast-iron skillet with a couple of drops of oil before pouring the batter.
No problem. You can use Anthony's organic gluten-free buckwheat flour interchangeably with homemade flour you make yourself.
One-half cup of raw buckwheat groats makes ⅔ cup of buckwheat flour.
You can substitute raw cashews or almond flour measure for measure in this recipe.
Serving Suggestions
- Plain - Honestly, this is my favorite way to eat them. Perhaps it's just me being impatient, but they just taste so good the way they are. I can also picture these baby pancakes, sans the sticky syrup, in the fists of toddlers. Such a wholesome grab and go food.
- Yogurt and jam - Make an indulgent sugar-free option when you use 100 percent fruit preserves.
- Traditional - With vegan butter and pure maple syrup.
- Hawaiian Style - Go all out with sliced banana, chopped macadamia nuts and coconut syrup.
I would be thrilled to know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #poppyswildkitchenrecipes on Instagram. Aloha!
📖 Recipe
Baby Buckwheat Banana Nut Pancakes
Ingredients
Blend first
- ¼ cup raw macadamia nuts
- ¾ cup water
Add and blend again
- ½ cup banana packed
- ⅛ tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Dry ingredients
- ½ cup raw buckwheat groats grind to make ⅔ cup flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
Instructions
Blend macadamia nuts to make milk
- Place macadamia nuts in a high-powered blender with water. Blend for two minutes to make creamy nut milk.
Add banana and flavorings
- Add banana, vanilla, and sea salt to blender. Process on high for a minute until very smooth.
Grind buckwheat groats
- Place raw buckwheat groats in a spice mill or coffee grinder and process to a fine flour.
Sift flour and baking powder
- Sift buckwheat flour with baking powder into a medium-size bowl. Toss out any hard grains left in the sifter. I usually have about ½ a teaspoon from grinding buckwheat.
Mix batter
- Pour banana mixture into the bowl with flour. Whisk until smooth and scrape bottom of bowl with a spoon. Let batter sit 3-4 minutes while heating skillet.
Fry pancakes
- Heat a cast-iron skillet on medium-low setting and rub with a tiny bit of oil if desired.
- Spoon batter into a tablespoon measure and fill to slightly heaping. Scoop batter into preheated skillet and use back of spoon to spread pancake to 3 inches across.
- Cook pancakes until bubbles pop and half the top surface is dry. Flip and cook until both sides are golden.
- Adjust the temperature of your skillet or griddle if necessary. Baby pancakes should have a golden brown color and be cooked in the middle.
Serve
- Your choice: Plain - Good for impatient ones and toddlers on the go.Traditional - With vegan butter and pure maple syrup.Hawaiian Style - Go all out with sliced banana, chopped macadamia nuts, and coconut syrup.
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