These fluffy gluten-free and vegan quinoa flour pancakes are easy to make with just 4 simple ingredients.

Hand pouring maple syrup from a small jar onto a stack of quinoa flour pancakes topped with banana and blueberry.

If you’ve never tried quinoa flour, pancakes are a great place to start. You’ll love it in this simple, hearty and nutritious recipe.

These light and fluffy pancakes are easy to make with 4 basic ingredients and are completely vegan and gluten-free. They’re also rich in plant-based protein and perfect for a delicious, satisfying breakfast.

Recipe Features

  • Dietary Features: Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free), nut-free, gluten-free, oil-free and can be sugar-free.
  • Super easy to make with just flour, baking powder, salt, flax and sweetener of choice.
  • Nutty flavour and thick, fluffy texture.
  • Under 300 calories with 11 g of plant-based protein per servings.
  • Great base for add-ins like banana, blueberries, chocolate chips or strawberries.

Ingredient Notes

Visual list of labelled ingredients for making a vegan quinoa flour pancake recipe.

This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.

  • Quinoa Flour: Quinoa flour is readily available in stores or online. Though you can make your own quinoa flour, I recommend using store-bought quinoa flour for this recipe to make sure its fine enough.
  • Sweetener: You can use any sweetener you like. I suggest maple syrup but coconut sugar, cane sugar, monk fruit sweetener and stevia all work.
  • Flax: Be sure to use ground flaxseed, not whole flax seeds.
  • Baking Powder: Active baking powder is key for fluffy quinoa pancakes. You can test it if you’re unsure by adding 2 teaspoons of baking powder to 1 cup of hot water – if it fizzes, you’re good to go!

Step-by-Step Photos

This section shows step-by-step photos for a quick visual reference. Scroll to the bottom of the post to find the complete written recipe.

Step 1: Mix up the flax “egg” and let it sit for 5 minutes. While you wait, mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a mixing bowl.

A flax "egg" in a small dish with a spoon. Bowl of flour is behind the dish.

Step 2: Add the flax, sweetener and water to the dry ingredients and stir until fully combined.

Let the batter rest for 6-7 minutes while you heat a pan over medium heat. This is key for fluffiness!

Pancake batter in a mixing bowl with a spatula.

Step 3: Add approximately 1/4 cup scoops of the batter to the hot pan and let them cook until the edges appear dry and browned and there are bubbles on top.

After flipping, cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Step 4: Repeat until you’ve used up all the batter. If you use approximately 1/4 cup portions, you should get 5-6 small pancakes.

5 pancakes on a small plate on a marble surface.

Add all your favourite pancake toppings and dig in!

Stack of quinoa flour pancakes topped with blueberries and banana on a small plate. There's a small jug in the background and a small jar of maple syrup off to the side.

Topping Ideas

Stack of quinoa flour pancakes topped with blueberries and banana on a small plate. Small dish of blueberries in the background.

Notes & Tips

Batter Taste: The raw batter does not taste particularly good but the bitter flavour cooks out once you make the pancakes.

The taste will also vary by brand. I’ve had success with Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quinoa Flour. It definitely still has a pronounced quinoa flour, so just be aware.

If you’re not a fan of quinoa, you might like my buckwheat pancakes or chickpea flour pancakes for gluten-free options or my chia seed or whole wheat pancakes if you don’t need gluten-free..

Flax: I’ve made these without flax and the recipe will work without it, however, I find the flax lends to a sturdier, slightly denser (but still fluffy!) pancake. If you don’t have any on hand, you can skip it, though I recommend using it if you have some.

Sweetening: I find 1 tablespoon of maple syrup (or sugar) to be enough sweetener but you can increase that to 2 tbsp if you prefer them a bit sweeter. For sugar-free pancakes, you can use stevia or monk fruit sweetener to taste.

Serving Size: The recipe is meant to serve 1 but could make 2 small portions, say for kids or a light snack. I usually make 5-6 small pancakes from one batch but you can make 2-3 large ones if you prefer.

You can also double the recipe to serve 2 or store some for later. They keep well in the fridge or freezer and make a great snack, cold or reheated!

Close up of a stack of pancakes that have been sliced to show the texture inside. The pancakes are topped with blueberries and banana.

Storing & Reheating

Leftover pancakes keep well in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. They can be enjoyed cold or reheated briefly in the microwave. You can also reheat them in the toaster or the oven.

To freeze, freeze them on a baking tray then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container or stack them with pieces of parchment between them to prevent sticking and freeze in a freezer bag. They’ll keep for 3-4 months.

Thaw frozen pancakes briefly at room temperature then reheat as needed. They can also be thawed overnight in the fridge and eaten cold or reheated.

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
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Close up of a stack of pancakes that have been sliced to show the texture inside. The pancakes are topped with blueberries and banana.

Vegan Quinoa Flour Pancakes

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 13 reviews
  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 1
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

These quinoa flour pancakes are extra fluffy and so easy to make. Have a delicious stack of pancakes ready in 15 minutes with just a few simple ingredients.


Ingredients


Instructions

  1. Mix the ground flaxseed and warm water together in a small bowl and let sit for 3-4 minutes.
  2. Thoroughly mix the flour, baking powder and salt (and cinnamon, if using) together in a mixing bowl.
  3. Add the water, sweetener and flax mixture and stir together until fully combined. Let the batter rest for 5-6 minutes while you heat a skillet over medium heat.
  4. Add a light coating of non-stick cooking spray to the pan, if needed, then scoop roughly 1/4 cup portions of the batter into the pan.
  5. Cook until the edges appear dry and browned and bubbles are appearing on top. They should look almost cooked through.
  6. Flip and cook for another minute or two.
  7. Repeat until you’ve used up all the batter then serve right away with your favourite pancake toppings like maple syrup, banana and berries.

Notes

The batter can taste quite bitter before cooking due to the quality of the quinoa flour used but they shouldn’t taste bitter after cooking. However, if you don’t like quinoa, I don’t recommend making this recipe. You may enjoy my chickpea flour pancakes, buckwheat pancakes or chia seed pancakes instead.

This recipe makes 4-5 medium-sized pancakes to serve 1 (or 2 small servings). It can be doubled or tripled as needed. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days in a sealed container or frozen for up to 3 months.

The pancakes can be sweetened with maple syrup, coconut sugar or any another sweetener you prefer. For sugar-free pancakes, use stevia or monk fruit sweetener.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 batch
  • Calories: 227
  • Fat: 6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 39 g
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Protein: 11 g

Originally published February 14, 2018.