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Sultry chocolate buckwheat pancakes that are moist, fluffy and seeping with delicious flavors! This healthy pancake recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, and low-FODMAP. Whip them up for breakfast this weekend!
Buckwheat pancakes rank high on my highly-curated list of Pancakes Favorites.
What began a few years back as a savory Bacon & Egg Buckwheat Pancakes fiasco morphed into a fruit-topped buckwheat crepes obsession before it revamped itself into a banana buckwheat pancakes hootenanny.
What is Buckwheat Flour?:
Buckwheat flour is simply finely ground buckwheat grouts. Contrary to its name, buckwheat is not wheat at all, nor is it related. It is a seed! Plus, it is packed with fiber and antioxidants and also contains easy-to-digest protein.
It also can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and it naturally gluten-free.
The nutty flavor is always welcome in my pancakes, and I find that in the realm of gluten-free pancakes, buckwheat flour holds together super well.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
The flavor and texture of these healthier pancakes is absolutely stellar! Adding delicious ingredients like cocoa powder, ripe bananas, and chocolate chips results in a win of epic portions.
Keeping this recipe gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo-friendly, I used Silk Unsweetened Almondmilk to bring the pancake batter together.
As you may know, almond milk is always my go-to when it comes to preparing pancake batter (as well as many of my baked goods), as I try to avoid dairy when possible, and almond milk has never let me down.
Per usual with my pancake prep, I made the batter for the pancakes in my blender. Of course, you can always use a mixing bowl, but I find tossing everything in a blender and flipping the switch to be the easiest method.
The pancakes are delicious on their own (the goo from the melted chocolate chips is enough to make you swoon), but when drizzled with pure maple syrup fresh off the skillet, they’re sinfully delicious. In an I-can’t-believe-it’s-not-dessert sort of way.
Recipe Customizations:
The first time I prepared chocolate buckwheat pancakes, I used a couple large ripe bananas and turned them into more of a banana buckwheat pancake affair.
This approach is always delicious, and if you’re looking for more banana flavor, you can double it up and use two ripe bananas and halve the maple syrup.
If you’re banana-averse, replace the banana with ¼ cup applesauce.
You can replace the pure maple syrup with your choice of sugar-free sweetener if you’d like. I’d start with 2 to 3 tablespoons and go from there.
You can also use agave or coconut palm nectar in place of pure maple syrup.
If you’re looking for a base recipe that doesn’t involve chocolate or banana, make my regular Buckwheat Pancakes recipe!
Enjoy these luscious gluten-free chocolate pancakes!
More Healthy Grain-Free Pancake Recipes:
- Paleo Carrot Cake Pancakes
- Coconut Flour Zucchini Pancakes
- Lemon Coconut Flour Pancakes for Two
- Paleo Apple Cinnamon Pancakes
- Crispy Cinnamon Swirl Paleo Pancakes
Your weekend breakfast plans? In the bag. Make these chocolate banana buckwheat pancakes on a regular basis!
Gluten Free Chocolate Buckwheat Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large ripe banana
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients but the dark chocolate chips to a blender and blend until smooth. Stir in the dark chocolate chips
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add enough olive oil or coconut oil to generously coat the surface (1 to 2 tablespoons).
- Measure 1/8 cup (or a scant 1/4 cup) of the batter and pour onto the hot skillet. Cook until several bubbles rise to the top and the edges of the pancake begin to firm up, about 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until pancake is cooked through. Repeat for remaining batter (Note: I typically cook 3 pancakes at a time on a 12-inch skillet).
- Serve pancakes with fresh fruit and a drizzle of pure maple syrup or honey.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
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These sound great but I’m allergic to bananas – can I sub with something else? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I just did some more reading and I see that you suggested apple sauce. Sorry! Do you think that pumpkin would work with this recipe as I’m also allergic to apples.
Hi Vicky,
Pumpkin should work! I’d start with 1/3 cup and see what the batter looks like. You can always add more if need be. xo
These are superb! I used rice milk due to an almond allergy, still fabulous. Added blueberries into batter.
My husband (not wheat averse as am I) ate all he “leftovers” and he normally has a very small appetite. Now that’s a tribute.
These are superb! I used rice milk due to an almond allergy, still fabulous. Added blueberries into batter.
My husband (not wheat averse as am I) ate all he “leftovers” and he normally has a very small appetite. Now that’s a tribute.
P. S. Wish for nutrition info and printable on the same page, please (raher than requiring another sheet of paper)
I made these as a pre-Valentine’s prelude (we met the week of this holiday on a skiing holiday in another state) but will make often for any day.
I’m so happy you like the pancakes, Sherna! They’re one of my favorites too…and such a lovely pre-V-Day treat! xo
So excited to try these next week! One question: You mentioned using a mixing bowl would be ok (my blender will be in use for another part of the meal). Can I just use a hand mixer to blend?
Hi Amy! Aboslutely, a hand mixer would work just fine! If you’d like, you can mix the wet ingredients together first, then add the dry ingredients in, or vice versa 😉 Hope you enjoy!
Thank you so much! I’ll let you know how it goes.
We loved these pancakes!! I went to grab my buckwheat flour and found I did not have enough. I ground some buckwheat groats up in my Vitamix. I had never tried that before so I was glad to see how easy it was! The only thing I changed about your recipe was that I used a flax egg (1 T ground flax mixed with 3 T water) instead of an egg since we try to eat plant based/vegan most of the time. Thanks for a great recipe.
You can stuff my pancakes full of buckwheat any day! In fact this reminds me I need to make buckwheat pancakes for R…the more whole grains i can stuff in her, the better!
only problem i have with the recipe: the chocolate chips are optional?! anyways, these look so deliciously rich and chocolatey, and i love the sprinkling of blueberries you added (i think their tartness goes so well with the sweetness of the chocolate).
LOL, I should have put “1/3 cup chocolate chips, mandatory” on the ingredient list 😉 So glad you like the pancakes!
Oh good gracious! These look so amazing!
Thanks, Annie!
These are out of this world! The melty chocolate mixed with the maple syrup on these is droolworthy 🙂
So happy you like them! xo
This might easily be the most beautiful gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo-friendly recipe I’ve EVER seen.
Haha! They really are a treat 😉 Thanks so much for your kind compliment!
Chocolate and blueberries!?! What a combination! These pancakes have me drooling…
Big fan of eating fresh blueberries with my chocolate e’rthang over here 😉 Let me know if you try them!
I was drooling like an idiot when I saw these on your IG story. They look SO GOOD. I’m a huge fan of buckwheat flour for pancakes too. It’s got this strange stretchy texture to it, even though it’s gluten-free. I’m pretty sure it’s natures gift to the GF world. The chocolate spin on these is making me crazy. I need them in my life ASAP!
Ah yeah girl! These are screaming your name! I’m a big fan of how easy buckwheat flour is to work with too..it’s a nice little blessing compared with coconut flour, ha!
gosh i love buckwheat! and what a hearty combo yet still healthy. SIlk is awesome like that!! Best nut milk out there. So trying your crepes next! how did i miss those?
So glad you’re a fellow buckwheat and amondmilk lover! I posted the crepes aaaaages ago, so I think most people missed them 😉