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

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.

Quinoa flour is a wonderfully nutritious gluten-free option though chickpea flour, buckwheat flour and oat flour work great for pancakes too! Give it a try in these Gluten-Free Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes, Vegan Chickpea Flour Pancakes or Vegan Oat Banana Pancakes.

Recipe 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

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

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.

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!

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.

Add all your favourite pancake toppings and dig in!

Topping Ideas

• nut and seed butters like tahini, peanut butter and almond butter
• maple syrup
• coconut yogurt
• vegan caramel sauce
• coconut whipped cream
• date caramel or date paste
• thawed frozen berries
• sliced banana
• thawed frozen peaches
• sprinkling of cinnamon and sea salt with maple syrup
• sautéed apples or oven-baked apples with cinnamon
• chopped up healthy baked baked pears

Recipe Notes

• 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.
• 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!

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 comment section below to leave your star rating and review.

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Originally published February 14, 2018.