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Gluten-Free Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on May 24, 2019

Time

1 hour

Yield

Makes sixteen 3-inch pancakes; Serves 6

Gluten-Free Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients

7 ounces (198 grams/1⅓ cups plus ¼ cup) America's Test Kitchen All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend 3½ ounces (99 grams/¾ cup) buckwheat flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1¾ cups whole milk 3 large eggs, separated4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled2 tablespoons honey 1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil 5 ounces (142 grams/1 cup) blueberries

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Spray wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray; place in oven. Whisk flour blend, buckwheat flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in large bowl. In separate bowl, whisk milk, egg yolks, melted butter, and honey until combined.
  2. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes.
  3. Whisk milk mixture into flour mixture until batter has thickened and no lumps remain, about 1 minute. Gently fold in whipped egg whites until just combined and few streaks remain.
  4. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering, 3 to 5 minutes. Using paper towels, carefully wipe out oil, leaving thin film of oil on bottom and sides of pan. Using 1/4 cup batter per pancake, portion batter into skillet and sprinkle 1 tablespoon blueberries over each pancake. Cook until bottoms of pancakes are brown and top surfaces start to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook until second side has browned, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Serve immediately or transfer pancakes to wire rack in preheated oven (don’t overlap). Repeat with remaining batter, using remaining oil as necessary.
Gluten-Free Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes
Styling by Marie Piraino.

Gluten-Free Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1 hour

Yield

Makes sixteen 3-inch pancakes; Serves 6

Ingredients

7 ounces (198 grams/1⅓ cups plus ¼ cup) America's Test Kitchen All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend
3½ ounces (99 grams/¾ cup) buckwheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1¾ cups whole milk
3 large eggs, separated
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons honey
1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil
5 ounces (142 grams/1 cup) blueberries

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

7 ounces (198 grams/1⅓ cups plus ¼ cup) America's Test Kitchen All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend
3½ ounces (99 grams/¾ cup) buckwheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1¾ cups whole milk
3 large eggs, separated
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons honey
1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil
5 ounces (142 grams/1 cup) blueberries

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

7 ounces (198 grams/1⅓ cups plus ¼ cup) America's Test Kitchen All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend
3½ ounces (99 grams/¾ cup) buckwheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1¾ cups whole milk
3 large eggs, separated
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons honey
1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil
5 ounces (142 grams/1 cup) blueberries

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Naturally gluten-free buckwheat flour is the main ingredient in Russian blini and can be used to make hearty, slightly savory American-style ­pancakes. We started with our Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pancakes recipe and then figured out how to add buckwheat. Buckwheat has an assertive flavor, so we knew that substituting just a few ounces for some of the gluten-free flour blend in our original pancake recipe would provide the nutty, slightly earthy flavor we were after without going overboard. Because buckwheat flour is slightly heavier than our gluten-free flour blend (think wheat flour compared to all-purpose), it was no surprise that our first batch of pancakes cooked up flat and gummy. Adding an extra whipped egg white to the batter gave our pancakes the proper rise. The tang of the buttermilk in our original recipe competed with the flavor of the buckwheat, so we swapped it out for whole milk (and dropped the baking soda because it worked in tandem with the buttermilk). Sweeter, more complexly flavored honey in lieu of granulated sugar, plus a pinch of cinnamon, helped to balance and round out the flavors.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Spray wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray; place in oven. Whisk flour blend, buckwheat flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in large bowl. In separate bowl, whisk milk, egg yolks, melted butter, and honey until combined.
  2. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes.
  3. Whisk milk mixture into flour mixture until batter has thickened and no lumps remain, about 1 minute. Gently fold in whipped egg whites until just combined and few streaks remain.
  4. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering, 3 to 5 minutes. Using paper towels, carefully wipe out oil, leaving thin film of oil on bottom and sides of pan. Using 1/4 cup batter per pancake, portion batter into skillet and sprinkle 1 tablespoon blueberries over each pancake. Cook until bottoms of pancakes are brown and top surfaces start to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook until second side has browned, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Serve immediately or transfer pancakes to wire rack in preheated oven (don’t overlap). Repeat with remaining batter, using remaining oil as necessary.

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