Quinoa Pancakes Recipe
This quinoa pancakes recipe was developed exclusively for Nuts.com and our customers by Miryam Quinn Doblas, Registered Dietitian (RD). Miryam shares her passion for nutrition and healthy eating on her website, Eat Good 4 Life.
I love making healthy pancakes for my kids, especially as an after-school snack. Pancakes are the snack they ask for the most so I find myself making them pretty often. I usually double the batch so that I can freeze some for later. These quinoa pancakes are not your average pancakes made from refined flour and butter; they’re full of wholesome, good-for-you ingredients.
Quinoa probably doesn’t immediately come to mind when you think about making pancakes. Here are a few reasons why it should! Quinoa is one of the few plant-based foods that is considered a complete protein; it provides all nine essential amino acids. It is also high in B-vitamins, calcium, vitamin E, and dietary fiber. Did I mention that it’s gluten-free?
Aside from quinoa’s rich nutritional content, it has an ideal grain-like texture when cooked. This quality produces fluffy pancakes just like the ones you’ve always known and loved. I sometimes use quinoa in place of rice. Most of the recipes that call for rice can be substituted with quinoa. Quinoa casseroles are one of my personal favorites and make a great vegetarian meal. Quinoa can also be added to salads, stews and soups.
While I used whole wheat pastry flour for this recipe, you can certainly swap it out with brown rice flour if you’d like to keep the pancakes gluten-free. Just make sure you add 1-2 tablespoons of extra milk to the batter.
These pancakes are very versatile. I added some pecans to the batter, however you can add any nuts that you like, as well as fresh fruit such as sliced bananas or blueberries. Chocolate chips would also be delicious, of course! Just get creative and make your own version. Anything goes!
These quinoa pancakes are a staple in my house. If you’d like to freeze them to enjoy later, just make sure you let them cool completely before storing them. Then wrap them in foil before placing them in your freezer. They’ll keep for up to three months. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or brown rice flour for a gluten free version)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 3 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 1/3 cup raw pecans, chopped
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, add the milk, eggs and syrup and mix until well-combined. Add the flour, cooked quinoa, baking powder, pecans, vanilla extract and salt. Fold into the wet mixture with a spatula until combined.
- Add 1/3 cup of the batter at a time onto a nonstick griddle. Cook until puffed and you start to see bubbles forming on the surface of the pancake. Flip and cook on the other side for about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve immediately or let cool and freeze for later.
Notes
For a gluten-free version, substitute whole wheat pastry flour with brown rice flour. Also add 1-2 tablespoons of extra milk to the batter.
This recipe was developed and photographed exclusively for Nuts.com by Miryam Quinn Doblas, RD, of Eat Good 4 Life.
7 Responses to “Quinoa Pancakes Recipe”
Can I use almond flour instead?
Hi Sandy – Yes, you certainly can! Here’s a simple recipe for almond flour pancakes: https://nuts.com/recipes/low-carb-pancakes
Thank you, I expect to try these as soon as I can find pastry whole wheat flour.
They look just delicious!
Hi Mark! We’re glad to hear that. You can find the whole wheat pastry flour here at Nuts.com.
I don’t have access to different kinds of flour. Is there a general conversion for using regular flour? Thanks!
Hi Carol – Feel free to use the same proportions of all-purpose flour in the recipe.
I love using Buckwheat Flour as a healthy alternative to regular flour. Will that work well with this pancake recipe?