These quinoa pancakes are fluffy, moist and delicious thanks to the combination of quinoa, banana and yogurt. Simple to assemble and ready in minutes! You can make them using either quinoa flour or all-purpose flour.

Side view of quinoa pancakes topped with butter and fruit mixture on white plate with fork.

These quinoa pancakes are a delicious alternative to savoury quinoa breakfast and a perfect way to use up leftover quinoa. They are made with cooked quinoa as well as quinoa flour so they are gluten free (but can be made with other flours, see details below). Despite not containing gluten these pancakes are light, fluffy but also filling as they are high in protein as well as fibre.

I made these quinoa pancakes using banana which added moisture, natural sweetness as well as flavour. Quinoa flour can sometimes be a little bitter (if it was made using unrinsed quinoa) and adding mashed banana is an easy way of masking any potential bitterness.

Scroll down to the bottom of the post for my easy tips for serving, storing as well as freezing your gluten free quinoa pancakes.

Quinoa pancakes ingredients and substitutions

Top down view of ingredients for banana quinoa pancakes in small dishes with labels. — Quinoa pancakes ingredients.

Quinoa: you can use any variety of cooked quinoa.
Bananas: for maximum flavour and sweetness use overripe bananas.
Yogurt: I recommend using natural yogurt or another variety that's not overly thick. Yogurt is a wonderful pancake ingredient and, in my opinion, produces fluffier pancakes than milk (see also banana yogurt pancakes).
Oil: you can use any. Melted butter will work, too.
Eggs.
Vanilla extract.
Cinnamon.
Flour: I used quinoa flour but you can use buckwheat (to keep it gluten free) or all-purpose, instead, if preferred (more on that below).
Raising agents: Bicarbonate of soda and baking powder.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1. Prepare dry mixture: Using a whisk stir together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon. Set aside.

Top down view of quinoa flour with cinnamon in glass bowl.

Dry quinoa pancake mixture in glass bowl.

2. Prepare bananas: Mash the bananas until creamy.

Top down view of mashed banana in large shallow bowl with blue design.

3. Prepare wet mixture: Add the cooked quinoa, eggs, oil, yogurt and vanilla extract and stir with a whisk until well combined.

Cooked quinoa, mashed banana, yogurt and 2 raw eggs in large shallow bowl.

Wet quinoa pancake mixture in shallow white bowl.

4. Assemble batter: Add the dry mixture and stir until thoroughly incorporated (use a whisk). Set aside for 5 minutes.

Quinoa banana pancake batter in white, shallow bowl with green whisk.

5. Cook pancakes: Spread a little oil over the pan (I use a scrunched up piece of paper towel to do this) and heat the pan (alternatively use cooking spray). Lower the heat and spoon the batter onto the pan spreading gently to form round pancakes. Cook over a low heat for about 3 minutes until bubbles appear on top and the sides are just starting to set. Flip the pancakes over and cook for about 2-2.5 more minutes or until lightly browned.

TIP: These pancakes will expand so do not overcrowd the pan.

Top down view of 4 pancakes in large pan.

6. Serve: Remove from the pan and serve. Alternatively cover with a bowl or foil as you make the next batch.

*Scroll down to the bottom of the post for a full, printable list of ingredients and instructions.

Serving suggestions

These nutritious quinoa pancakes are delicious with a drizzle of maple syrup, sliced bananas or fresh berries. I served them with some homemade berry fruit compote and a knob of butter (I thickened the compote by adding 1 teaspoon of cornstarch diluted in 2 teaspoons of water towards the end of cooking).

Can I prepare the batter in advance

Yes, you can! You can place your quinoa pancake batter in an airtight container or cover tightly with plastic wrap and make the pancakes the following morning. Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes prior to making the pancakes.

TIP: If using quinoa flour you can stir the batter a little before making the pancakes, but if using all-purpose flour try not to stir (your pancakes may not rise as well).

Can I use different flours

Yes, you can! I made 3 versions of these pancakes using either quinoa, buckwheat or all-purpose (plain) flours and they were all a success. If you don't want to use quinoa flour but still want to keep this recipe gluten free you can use buckwheat flour. Use ¾ cup (as with the quinoa flour), but if you prefer to weigh your ingredients you'll need about 100g of flour.

If you don't need these quinoa banana pancakes to be gluten free use all-purpose flour and apply the same measuring method as with the buckwheat flour.

Top down close-up view of quinoa and banana pancakes with knob of butter and fruit compote on off-white plate.

Top tips

Measuring out cooked quinoa can be tricky depending on how much water it absorbed during cooking, but fortunately this recipe is quite forgiving. In my experience 1 cup of cooked quinoa (tightly packed) can weigh between 160 and 180 grams. Either of these amounts should work. However, if you prefer to weigh your ingredients and your quinoa seems quite moist stick with 160 grams just to be on the safe side.
If cooking quinoa from raw you will need about ½ cup (60g) of dried quinoa. Cook according to packet instructions (be sure to rinse it before cooking).
Do not overstir the batter.
It is important to cook these pancakes very slowly, over a low heat to give them enough time to rise and prevent them browning too quickly. You should see bubbles forming on top before turning the pancakes over.
Cook the pancakes in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
Best served freshly made so if you only need a small batch you can halve the ingredients. Refrigerate leftover pancakes with quinoa in an airtight container (so they retain their moisture) overnight. Reheat in the microwave.
How to freeze: Arrange in a single layer on top of a tray and place in the freezer for 2 hours then transfer to a freezer bag/airtight container and return to the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge.

See also these other easy, delicious breakfast ideas!

Recipe

Keep in touch!

If you make this gluten free quinoa pancake recipe I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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