Three Favorite Pancake Recipes (Buckwheat, Cornmeal & Whole Wheat)
I couldn’t very well give you a line-up of all natural homemade pancake syrups and not share any pancake recipes now, could I? Besides, with Pancake Tuesday coming up, I thought you could probably use a new recipe or two in your back pocket to whip out for the kids.
These are three solid favorites from my griddlecake repertoire. In fact, I keep jars of buckwheat flour, cornmeal and organic whole-wheat flour on hand at all times as well as a jug of buttermilk for those non-supper nights when I just want to keep everyone happy.
Ingredients
We all love pancakes because they call for basic pantry ingredients, don’t we? However, if those ingredients are good quality, they can really elevate a pancake into something wholesome and delicious. Here are the essentials for pancake perfection.
- Flour – Organic and fresh. Store in the freezer to maintain freshness.
- Butter – Oil may be substituted, but butter provides a far superior flavor.
- Buttermilk – Or any sour milk will do. The acid in buttermilk acts as a leavening agent when mixed with baking soda, which makes for a light and fluffy pancake.
TIP: Need a substitute for 1 cup of buttermilk? Here are three.
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice and enough milk to equal 1 cup. Let stand 10 minutes.
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt and 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup sour cream (this will be rich!)
Skillet
A bowl, a spoon, a measuring cup and a hot pan – that is about all the fancy equipment you need to make pancakes; the right pan, though, makes all the difference.
I prefer to cook my pancakes on a large cast iron skillet. The heat is evenly distributed which makes for an evenly cooked pancake, and unlike an electric skillet, the pan does not cool when the batter is added. I would almost be willing to bet they are fluffier and tastier when made in a cast iron pan as well!
You can read more about cooking with cast iron here.
Buckwheat Pancakes
You can also make these as a mix, as I demonstrated in Do-Ahead Breakfasts. When I'm really on the ball, I have a couple of jars of mix ready to go.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup buckwheat flour
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, butter and eggs.
- Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined (mixture will be lumpy).
- Heat a griddle or large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Grease lightly with oil.
- Spoon batter onto griddle 1/3 cup at a time. Cook until edges are set, 3 to 4 minutes (bubbles won't appear as with traditional pancakes). Flip, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Nutrition
Cornmeal Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted & cooled
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
Instructions
- Whisk together flours, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, milk, butter and egg.
- Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined (mixture will be lumpy).
- Heat a griddle or large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Grease lightly with butter.
- Spoon batter onto griddle 1/3 cup at a time. Cook until edges are set, 3 to 4 minutes (bubbles won't appear as with traditional pancakes). Flip, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more butter to griddle and keeping prepared pancakes warm on a baking sheet in the oven.
Nutrition
Honey Whole-Wheat Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole-wheat flour
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs.
- Melt butter and stir in honey until dissolved. Add to buttermilk.
- Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined (mixture will be lumpy).
- Heat a griddle or large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Grease lightly with oil.
- Spoon batter onto griddle 1/3 cup at a time. Cook until edges are set, 3 to 4 minutes Flip, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Nutrition
What’s a favorite pancake in your home?
Three fantastic recipes… great job!!
Good ol’ buttermilk here. You’ve made me super hungry! I have not had breakfast yet. I only wish I could like buckwheat, but I cannot get past the taste. :\ I think I’ll be making pancakes this weekend!
These look perfect to go with all those yummy syrups!!
Homemade pancakes are the best!!
Mmm, I can’t wait to try these. I made the buttery maple earlier this week for french toast and it was a big hit. Next up: molasses cinnamon!
Oh, great! Sounds like you’re set for the weekend.
What a terrible job to have sampled all of those pancakes…it must be tough! 🙂 We love buttermilk pancakes. I break out the griddle just for the occasion. I’d love to share my pancake post, which seems to be a popular one.
Gorgeous pancakes, Aimee!
Um, I’m in love! THREE pancake recipes? I’ll take short stack of each, please!
I’m actually really terrible at making pancakes. I want to give the buckwheat recipe a try though. They look fantastic.
My favorite recipe is really similar to your honey wheat pancakes. I’ve soaked the whole wheat overnight in plain yogurt and they taste fantastic too!
I am LOVING the whole-grain, sugar-free recipes. I want to cook more with honey and have basically eliminated refined sugar (use sucanat – at reduced amounts, even – for most baking). The last pancake recipe is just what I’ve been looking for!
Thanks again… I will happily lap up any whole foods recipes you share! I’m such a simpleliving.net fan. 🙂
We love pancakes and that recipe for Honey Whole Wheat Pancakes is calling my name.
All of these look awesome! Perfect for National Pancake Week and waaaaay better than IHOP. I think I may have to go with the honey whole wheat on Sunday!
Thanks for those pancake recipes. I tried to make a version today of using pearl barley as flour. I tried to put the barley in my blender and it mostly ground up, and I just added it to bisquick… Umm it didn’t work so much, it was still a little crunchy – the taste was still OK, but a little different.
Well you tried, right?! It sounds like your pretty creative, so I’m sure you’ll nail a perfect combination soon.
All of your pancakes look delicious! I’m going to give the honey wheat a try asap!
Those honey-whole wheat pancakes are calling my name! I haven’t had pancakes in a long time, I might need to remedy that now 🙂
Yum, I think my daughter and I will be making pancakes soon! Esecially since I was looking for more ways to use my cornmeal!
I’ve posted this before on other websites, but it’s a secret worth sharing.
The key to fluffy ww pancakes is to separate your eggs, blend the yolks with the other wet ingredients, but WHIP the egg whites separately and fold them in (doesn’t have to be gently, but quickly) at the end. Awesome.
Oh yes, I do this for my waffles. It does indeed produce fluffy results!
First multiple syrup recipes, now multiple pancake recipes. Wow! You’re incredible and have provided endless breakfast combinations. I’m trying the cornmeal pancakes first. Thanks for another great post.
Thanks for reading, Monica! You’ll love the cornmeal pancakes.
love me some good pancakes!!
Thanks for linking up Aimee!! I featured you post in my wrap up!
Yum to all three.
Our favorite is whole wheat with banana and almond butter:
http://eatlittleeatbig.blogspot.com/2011/01/recipe-for-whole-wheat-pancakes-with.html
We don’t (can’t) do dairy here… I’m going to try this with almond milk + vinegar sub to see how it turns out. We love whole grains, so these sound great!
Lovely inspiration and tutorial! never get tired of pancakes around here!
Those look so good. We love pancakes. I made some the other day from a recipe on a friend’s blog and I was amazed. I guess they are thinner, so maybe more like crepes, but whatever you call them, they are something you MUST try:
http://www.perrysplate.com/2009/12/blueberry-lavender-ricotta-pancakes.html
OK, so a review of the non-dairy version of these… they’re great! I used almond milk and cider vinegar for the buttermilk sub and coconut oil for the butter. I also used the egg white blade on my food processor to whip the egg whites… super easy and really made a difference in the end result. Made a double batch as the almond milk comes in 4 cup cartons… and am freezing the extra pancakes and will heat them in the toaster later. These are the fluffiest pancakes I’ve ever made! Can’t wait to try the buckwheat version after I get buckwheat flour. Even my 2 year old thought that these were yummy. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Lovely pancake recipes – can’t wait to try them!
Love those honey wheat ones… can’t wait to try them!
Tonight we tried the Honey Wheat Pancakes, and wow …. in my 6-year-old’s words, “They are scrumptious!” And thanks for the Almanzo Wilder stacked pancakes inspiration. My son used honey and Nutella for his pancake stacks and is currently stuffing his mush full of them. 🙂 Looking forward to trying some of your homemade syrups, though I’m a New Englander and nothing beats Vermont maple syrup!
The Buckwheat recipe is SO GOOD!!!! Just made them for breakfast this morning 🙂
I grew up with Aunt Jemima Buckwheat pancakes, and this is the best recipe I have ever tasted!
Glad to hear it! We love them too. You can also make them as mix and store it in the freezer or give it away. Directions here: https://simplebites.net/the-best-do-ahead-breakfast-foods/
Aimee: Thanks for sharing these recipes! I made the cornmeal pancakes last night for dinner. They were great! They were also very filling. We had leftovers which I packaged up in the fridge. My husband likes to snack on leftover pancakes. Anyway, this morning when I staggered out of the bedroom, my husband let me know that he had just a little bit of cereal this morning so he could have two leftover pancakes for breakfast.
They’re a hit! I’ll be trying the honey whole wheat ones next.
Thanks again,
Denny
Leftover pancakes are the best! Glad you enjoyed them.
I just made the honey whole wheat pancakes this morning. Very tasty! Thanks!
Another favorite of mine are these multi-grain pancakes. They are light and wholesome and you can’t even tell they have oats in them. I always feel great after eating them as they are not heavy like most pancakes. My 16 month old loves them too! The recipe is flexible and can be made with milk or soy…etc.
http://theartfulgardener.wordpress.com/2011/02/05/multigrain-pancake-perfection/
Thanks for sharing, Laura! These sounds amazing.
Very Nice Recipe.
I was going to make these traditional pancakes but I think I shall give your recipe a try instead.
http://www.wascene.com/food-drink/pancake-recipe/
Thanks,
Ted
These look delish, beautifully presented and the recipes sound great. I’m going to try the cornmeal ones soon.
Glad I found you via Google.
http://www.myreallifereviews.com
Welcome, Geraldine! I was just on this post today, as we made buckwheat pancakes for dinner to go with our fresh apple butter.
Enjoy the cornmeal! It’s my favorite. =)
Being a Brit, pancakes for breakfast seems crazy… But I always have them when traveling in the states. It seems so naughty for breakfast!
Having said that I am having a day off today and trying out your Honey Wholewheat. They are in the skillet now…. Will let you know how I get on. 🙂 Thanks for sharing such an awesome blog… glad I found you Amiee 🙂 x
…. I’m embarrassed how quickly I ate these. :*) Awesome recipe. Served with a touch of 100% Pure A Grade Maple Syrup and a big pot of coffee. I am really enjoying your blog and will be trying your Chai granola recipe when my shopping comes from the wholefoods store I use online. Will post and let you know how I get on. 🙂 x
Thanks for stopping by, Michelle! We *just* had those pancakes for lunch on a recent snow day. I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Cool! I’ve decided after swooning over your blog and others i’m going to start my own over on tumblr. I think I will post about this recipe first and direct people back to your blog for more inspiration from the expert! 😉
I made these buckwheat pancakes for breakfast today and added blueberries & pom. arils to the batter… I’m a huge buckwheat fan so these were awesome 🙂 Topped them with more pom. arils, coconut milk “whipped cream”, and a bit of tangerine curd. Mmmm mm 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
Pancakes are my favorite breakfast item ever!! I can’t get enough of the fluffy cloud of happiness 😉 this is my kind of round up – – lol I think I now have breakfast – lunch and dinner covered for tomorrow 😉
These pancakes look delicious! Our favorite for years has been the original Graham River overnight sourdough filled with apples slices and topped with spicy apple sauce and yogurt. Could be we need to branch out and try some new flavors :}
What a great post! I am going to save this for future use. I was searching for buckwheat pancakes but all of these sound great. And unlike some of the “recipes” online I did find, yours look workable and sound delish!
Well done!
Geraldine
http://www.veggiesyarnsandtails.wordpress.com
Pancakes for dinner, yum! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve made the buckwheat pancakes many times for my boys now. I recently added apples to them which was fabulous (in link below).