Did you know research shows almost 95% of Americans don’t meet their daily fiber needs? If you find yourself falling short, try making this easy high fiber pancake recipe! The secret to this recipe is using the right brand of whole grain buckwheat flour, which contributes a lot of fiber to this recipe. One serving of these pancakes clocks in at 11 grams of fiber – and you can add even more by topping with fresh berries.
Ingredient Notes
Here’s a photo of all the ingredients you’ll need – just three!
- Buckwheat flour – Buckwheat isn’t related to wheat, despite its name. It’s actually a gluten-free “pseudo grain”, meaning it’s not technically a grain but is used in similar culinary applications. I recommend using Bob’s Red Mill whole grain buckwheat flour, which is higher in fiber than many other varieties of whole grain buckwheat flour. I reached out to them about this and they said the higher fiber content was due to added buckwheat hulls. (If you can’t find this, another whole grain buckwheat flour is still a great choice; the recipe may just have a few grams less of total fiber).
- Banana – Go for a ripe banana for this recipe; ideally one with quite a few brown spots. This is easier to mash and adds sweetness to the recipe. Buckwheat flour has a very earthy, nutty taste, and the sweetness of the banana balances this out. (This recipe is a perfect way to use up overripe bananas!)
- Almond milk or your preferred milk – I like unsweetened almond milk in this recipe, but you can use regular dairy milk, oat milk, or whatever else you’ve got on hand.
Instructions
You’ll find the full recipe amounts and instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s a helpful overview with photos and tips.
Mash the banana in a bowl, and add the buckwheat flour and whatever milk you’re using.
Mix that together, and let the batter sit for a few minutes. Note that the batter will appear a dark grey-ish color; this is normal. Buckwheat flour is quite dark.
Heat a skillet over medium heat, and grease it with cooking spray or butter. Pour the batter in to form two small-medium sized pancakes. The batter will be a little thinner than normal pancake batter; this is normal for this recipe.
Cook the pancakes for 1-2 minutes, then gently (key word) flip and cook another 1-2 minutes. Because these pancakes don’t contain gluten or egg (ingredients that help bind) they are a little more fragile than normal pancakes. But the banana tends to hold them together well. Just be careful flipping. 🙂
Repeat with the rest of the batter until you’ve finished cooking all your pancakes!
Topping Suggestions
Obviously, plain ‘ol maple syrup is delicious here. But if you want to add extra fiber to your meal, here are a few options to jazz up these pancakes alongside the syrup:
- Raspberries (4 g fiber per ½ cup)
- Sliced pears (2.2 g fiber per ½ cup)
- Blueberries (1.8 g fiber per ½ cup)
- Almond butter (1.6 g fiber per tablespoon)
- Cranberry chia jam (1.5 g fiber per 2 tablespoons)
- Strawberries (1.4 g fiber per ½ cup)
Recipe FAQ
Here are some common questions that may come up as you’re preparing this recipe:
Yes! Buckwheat is not related to wheat and is a gluten free option. However, note that some brands may process wheat and buckwheat in the same facility. You may want to double check about cross contamination risk.
Store leftover pancakes in a zip top bag or airtight container in the refrigerator. Store for up to 3 days (freeze for longer storage). The pancakes can be reheated in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds.
Sure! Allow to cool, then freeze in a zip top bag or airtight container. Ideally, place a piece of parchment paper between each to prevent sticking if you plan to only remove one or two at a time. (If you plan to remove the entire stack to eat at once, this is unnecessary). Reheat in the microwave until warm.
Nutrition Benefits
Don’t get me wrong – I love a big ‘ol stack of fluffy white flour pancakes. But as a dietitian, I like finding nutritious alternatives to swap into your routine sometimes, and these high fiber buckwheat pancakes are a great option for that. Here are a few highlights:
- 11 grams of fiber – This starts your morning right and gets you on your way to your daily goal (around 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams per day for men, though this varies based on caloric needs). Note that if you’re an athlete, I don’t recommend eating these directly before a workout, as high fiber foods can cause gastrointestinal upset during tough or long exercise. Instead, have these later in the day!
- Provides 10% of your daily potassium needs – This mineral is important for blood pressure regulation, and important for athletes since we lose potassium in sweat.
- Contains 20% of your daily Vitamin E needs – Since Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, it can be important for preventing damage to cells in the body.
- Free from many allergens – If you’re a food allergy family or dealing with celiac, this recipe can be a nice choice since it can be made without wheat/gluten, dairy, soy, or egg.
**Note: Since these are lower in calories and protein, I like to pair ‘em with a good source of protein alongside it – for example, like vanilla Greek yogurt, eggs, or chicken sausage. This is especially important for active folks that need more calories and protein at their meal.
More Pancake Recipes
If you’re looking for more pancake recipes, try one of these other options here on the blog:
- Cottage cheese protein pancakes
- Whole wheat pumpkin pancakes
- Blueberry Greek yogurt pancakes
- Skillet apple oat pancake
I hope you enjoy these high fiber pancakes! If you get a chance to try ‘em, feel free to leave a recipe rating or comment below.
High Fiber Pancakes
Ingredients
For the pancakes:
- 1 large ripe banana, mashed
- ½ cup Bob’s Red Mill whole grain buckwheat flour (or another whole grain buckwheat flour; see notes)
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
For topping (as desired):
- Pure maple syrup, raspberries, blueberries, etc.
Instructions
- Combine the mashed banana, buckwheat flour, and almond milk in a mixing bowl. Let sit for a few minutes.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Grease with cooking spray or butter. Pour the batter into the skillet to form two pancakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then flip carefully (pancakes will be a bit more fragile than traditional pancakes due to the lack of gluten and egg). Cook another 1-2 minutes on the other side, then remove to a plate.
- Repeat in batches, greasing skillet between each batch, until all pancake batter is used.
- Serve with your desired toppings, like pure maple syrup, raspberries, blueberries, or anything you enjoy.
Notes
- I recommend Bob’s Red Mill as the brand because their flour has additional buckwheat hulls, increasing the fiber content compared to some other brands. But another brand can sub in just fine if that’s what you have on hand! Just note the nutrition facts may be slightly different.
- The banana used for this recipe should have brown spots; this will be easier to mash and lends sweetness to the pancakes.
- Be sure to grease the pan between batches, otherwise pancakes may stick.
- This recipe makes 8 small pancakes. The nutrition analysis below assumes 2 servings, each with 4 pancakes.
Nutrition
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