Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups buckwheat flour (sifted)
- 1/4 cup rice flour (sifted)
- 2 Tbsp flax seed meal (ground flax seeds)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 to 2 tsp agave nectar or 8-10 drops of liquid Stevia (to taste)
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 cups (approximately) unsweetened almond milk or any unsweetened plant-based milk
- 2 Tbsp (approximately) grapeseed oil
- Toppings: non-cow’s milk plain yogurt (used here, Redwood Hill Farm goat’s milk yogurt), unsweetened applesauce, fresh blue berries, bittersweet chocolate chips (optional).
Putting it together:
Preheat a non-stick 12″ skillet on low-medium heat while you assemble the ingredients. You can use a regular stainless steel or cast iron skillet as well – just use more oil during cooking to prevent sticking.
In a large glass or ceramic bowl (I used a 2 quart Pyrex measuring bowl which has a pouring spout and handle), sift the flours, then put all the dry ingredients together. Stir to mix, then slowly add the unsweetened almond milk. Continue to mix and stir while adding the milk. You want to add enough of the almond milk to make a rather thick batter (not runny) but which is still thin enough to pour easily. If you accidently add too much almond milk and it’s too runny, thicken it with some additional buckwheat flour.
Add vanilla and Stevia or agave. Stir until well-incorporated. Taste the batter and add more sweetener if desired. I would caution against adding more than a couple of teaspoons of agave, because what you may get would be more like a dessert, and less like a healthy breakfast food. If you are desiring additional sweetness, save it for the toppings.
When you are ready to cook, drizzle a teaspoon or so of the oil into the already heated skillet (use more oil if not using a non-stick skillet). Turn heat up to medium and wait about 30 seconds for the oil to heat up, then pour the batter into the skillet to make 3-4 inch discs. This size cooks faster and flips more easily. You can squeeze 3-4 cakes into a 12 inch skilet. Your skillet is hot enough if you hear a sizzle as the batter is being poured into the pan, and you begin to see bubbles around the edges of the cakes in about 30 seconds to a minute. You will also begin to smell the fragrance of the frying batter. Check to see if the cake is ready to flip when it’s risen a bit and the edges are golden brown. Loosen the cakes with a spatula and lift to check done-ness. It is ready to flip when you see that the cooking side is a nice golden-brown. Flip the cakes and allow to cook for another 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Remove from heat. Add more oil into skillet and repeat the process until all the batter is gone. Makes about 10 pancakes. Leftover cakes may be stored, refrigerated, in an air-tight container. Eat within 2-3 days.
To plate, place 2-3 of the cakes on a plate. Layer applesauce, yogurt and blueberries on top. Bittersweet chocolate chips also work well as a topping. Bon appetit!
Buckwheat pancakes
