These einkorn pancakes are a must-make for anyone interested in heritage cooking or working with ancient grains. They have a deep, rich flavor and a beautiful golden hue. Plus, it takes less than 10 minutes to whip up the batter.
It's fun to experiment with different flours, and these einkorn pancakes are a surefire favorite. They have a rich flavor, touched with a note of tartness thanks to the addition of buttermilk.
The pancakes are easy to make, and they freeze well. Use this as a foundational recipe, and once you have the hang of making them, you'll find you can easily adjust the recipe to include your favorite seasonal fruits or other mix-ins.
Why this recipe works
- Einkorn is a delicious ancient grain with a rich, nutty flavor.
- You can whip up the pancake batter in less than 10 minutes, and if you're working with an electric griddle, cooking the pancakes takes practically no time.
- Einkorn has a different gluten structure than modern wheat, and many people who experience gluten intolerance find that they can tolerate einkorn. Celiacs should still avoid it.
- It's easy to adapt these basic einkorn buttermilk pancakes. Add spices, fruit, nuts, or other toppings so that they quickly become your favorite pancakes.
- You can make them in advance and warm them up when you need them for an easy breakfast.
Key Ingredients
- Einkorn flour makes the bulk of the pancake batter. It has a complex flavor and a rich, golden color. Einkorn is more nutritious than modern wheat varieties and contains more protein, antioxidants (especially beta-carotene), and minerals.
- Buttermilk gives the pancakes a creamy, slightly tart flavor. you can also substitute another cultured dairy food such as kefir or yogurt.
- Eggs lend structure to the pancakes. Large eggs are the right size for this recipe. If you happen to have smaller eggs, you may need to whisk an extra yolk into the batter.
- Butter gives the pancakes a rich flavor and soft texture. You can also use the butter to fry the pancakes, so they don't stick to your griddle. Grass-fed, cultured butter with salt will yield the best flavor.
- Baking soda and baking powder give the pancakes their loft, resulting in a soft and fluffy texture.
- Add-ins include fresh fruit such as blueberries or bananas, chocolate chips, or nuts, depending on what you like.
Helpful Tools
A large, stainless steel mixing bowl is helpful for mixing all the ingredients. You can do this by hand with a wooden spoon, or with an electric mixer. A well-seasoned cast iron skillet, a ceramic nonstick skillet, or an electric griddle are excellent choices for cooking the pancakes.
Recipe Tips
- Einkorn needs less liquid and less fat than regular wheat flour, so this recipe calls for less buttermilk than your average pancake recipe.
- If you plan to add any fruit or nuts to the pancakes, have them ready before you mix your batter. Additionally, you'll want to have any toppings ready, too. Your pancakes may grow cold if you take too long to soften butter, warm syrup or whipped cream.
- Pay attention to your temperature. If it's too high, your pancakes may burn without cooking all the way through. If it's too low, you may find that they don't brown at all.
- Use a small cookie or ice cream scoop to measure your batter. That way, you will have evenly-sized pancakes.
- For faster cooking, use an electric griddle as it has a much larger surface area than a skillet.
- To keep the pancakes warm, turn the oven to warm. Then place a cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet inside the oven. Placing the pancakes on the cooling rack instead of directly on the baking sheet will help keep them warm without getting soggy.
- When freezing pancakes, separate them with a square of parchment paper so they don't stick together.
Serving Suggestions
Einkorn pancakes are delicious when served just like any other pancake. We're partial to topping them with fresh fruits, such as berries in the summer, apples and pears in the cold months, and bananas year-round.
Homemade yogurt is an excellent choice, as is freshly whipped cream.
For sweetness, you can drizzle a little maple syrup or raw honey over the pancakes. Homemade fruit syrups are a good choice as an alternative, too. We're even fond of hibiscus syrup.
Other nourishing breakfast recipes include a fresh herb frittata, plum clafoutis, and sourdough bagels topped with homemade cream cheese and salmon lox.
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Variations + Substitutions
If you don't have buttermilk, substitute 1 cup of homemade yogurt, raw milk yogurt, or kefir. You can also substitute regular milk in this recipe and add 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to the batter.
For whole-grain einkorn pancakes, substitute half of the all-purpose flour for whole-grain einkorn flour.
For a dairy-free version, substitute light coconut milk for the buttermilk and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Substitute a little coconut oil, or a combination of coconut and olive oil, for the melted butter.
Drop fresh blueberries into the batter as the pancakes cook to make blueberry einkorn pancakes.
Consider adding chocolate chips to the batter.
For sweeter pancakes, stir a tablespoon of coconut sugar, honey, or unrefined cane sugar into the batter.
For fluffy pancakes, separate the egg whites from the yolks. Beat the yolks into the pancake batter, and then whip the whites separately. Gently fold the whites into the batter, and cook on a hot griddle or frying pan.
Add sourdough discard for a riff on sourdough pancakes.
Hungry for more? You'll enjoy these einkorn recipes, too.
Recipe Questions
Store any extra pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm them in a frying pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until warmed through.
Yes. Place the pancakes in a freezer-safe, resealable plastic bag. As you put the pancakes into the bag, separate them with a square of parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Reheat frozen einkorn pancakes in a 325 F degree oven until warmed through, about 6 to 7 minutes. Take care to prevent them from drying out.
Brenda W. Harris says
Lord have mercy these are good! I added 2 TBL turbinado sugar and 1 cup frozen organic blueberries. I ate more than I should have. I love Grandma's Molasses dribbled over. The Einkorn flour makes them lighter than my usual pancakes. Because I couldn't get to the store that sells the wheatberries, I purchased a bag of Jovial Einkorn flour. When I can, I am going to my store and buy the Einkorn berries and grind them at home. That will be absolutely over the top!
Elizabeth says
Hi Jenny,
Thank you for the recipe; the pancakes were delicious though I find that a mixture of whole wheat with brown rice (soaked) makes for a more flavorful pancake. It was nice to be able to make them on the spur of the moment instead of needing to soak the flour overnight as with other grains. It might take me awhile to make the switch on the pancakes but will definitely start using einkorn with breads.
A couple of observations:
- After mixing the ingredients, allowing it to rest for about 5-10 minutes thickens the batter. I initially thought the batter would be too thin (since I had added a bit too much buttermilk/milk).
- The texture was more dense than with other grains, though fluffy.