Pancakes + Orange Blossom Honey
Here is a delicious gluten free and healthy recipe for pancakes that is made from quinoa. They are perfect for a Sunday morning breakfast drizzled with the seductive flavours of orange and vanilla and even more indulgent when I’ve scattered over some lightly roasted hazelnuts. Feel free to use other toppings such as berries, roasted rhubarb, caramalized apple or just a light drizzle of honey. It’s important to use the whole seeds when making these pancakes as they produce the best results and a delicious pancake. Don’t use the flour as it will give it a bitter flavour that you won’t enjoy.
What’s good about them:
Technically quinoa is not a grain but a relative of green leafy vegetables like spinach. It’s gluten free and has a low GI of 53 + it’s a complete protein which means that it contains all the essential amino acids that the body needs for repair. It’s also a good source of lysine, an amino acid important for tissue growth and repair, which makes it a perfect meal after a hard sunday morning workout. Your body needs protein for repair and quality carbs to replenish glycogen and quinoa is a good source of both. The whole eggs will also boost the protein and ground flaxseed add a boost of omega 3 which is important for brain health.
Makes 10 pancakes
200 g (7 oz) quinoa (whole raw grain)
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (linseed) or chia
375 ml (1 ½ cups / 13 1/4 oz) your choice of milk (soy, almond, dairy, seed)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 free range / organic eggs
½ teaspoon bicarb soda (baking soda)
2 bananas – smashed
Orange Blossom Honey (optional)
2 whole oranges
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water – optional if you have it in the pantry.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
Combine whole quinoa, flaxseed and milk.
Soak for at least 1 hour…but best overnight.
Place into a high speed blender like a vitamix along with vanilla, cinnamon, eggs and baking soda.
Blend until smooth and creamy.
Remove and fold in the smashed banana by hand, but don’t blend.
Cook in a pan over low-medium heat until golden.
Serve with orange blossom honey or your preferred topping.
To Make orange blossom honey:
Combine the zest of 1 orange and the juice of 2 oranges in a pan with the honey and vanilla. Add the blossom water only if you have it – it will add another layer of flavour.
Reduce the liquid until thickened then spoon over the pancakes.
Nutrition per pancake without sauce:
Protein: 4.8 g
Total Fat: 2.4 g
Saturated: 0.7 g
Carbs: 11.2 g
Calories: 86
kilojoules: 360
Fiber: 1.6 g
Serving suggestions and notes:
Serve with thick natural yoghurt
Scatter over roasted hazenuts
Serve with banana honey and LSA
Serve with my blueberry jam
Grated apple can be used in place of banana.
Millet can be used in place of quinoa
It’s important you use a good high speed blender for making these pancakes. The final pancake mix should look creamy and smooth before cooking.
Contact Teresa Cutter
These look fantastic!
Are the bananas needed though? I just can’t eat eat them.
Any suggestions for replacements? I’m thinking some blueberries would be nice!
I’m going to try pumpkin – my nutritionist gave me a GF pancakes recipe for Sunday brekkie, and she said bananas and pumpkin can be swapped as they have similar starchiness. In that recipe the swap works well. I used bananas in this recipe this morning.
Yes I can’t eat bananas either. What about grated apple?
Hi teresa, this sounds delicious . I assume the quinoa doesn’t have to be cooked first ? And can we use chai seeds instead of flaxseed ? Thanks :-)
I don’t have scales at home so how many cups is 200g of quinoa? Thanks! Cannot wait to cook x
Hi Teresa,
I am in love with your recipes, I can’t wait to try these pancakes :) Is it best to use quinoa flakes or grain?
Thanks!
Hi Teresa.. these look yum! Is it possible to leave out the eggs or replace them with anything?
I LOVE this recipe. I was dubious about how the soaked quinoa would blend, but it came out beautiful and smooth. Loved the sauce. It is set to become a favourite in our house!
Keep them coming, Teresa!
I love recipes that use whole ingredients, this is perfect!! thank you. :-)
what would you use instead of banana?
Look forward to making these pancakes. This morning I made your oatmeal pancake recipe and successfully used quinoa flakes instead of oatmeal. Thank you for the lovely recipes – I’m using lots of them.
Hi Teresa,
Would you recommend using quinoa flour as a quick substitute for quinoa? Thanks!
Thanks Teresa
I just love receiving all these amazing recipes! Have yet to try all of them but working through … !
Thanks again
Best wishes
Just tried to make these, I didn’t have ground linseed just whole, I thought it would blend up easily as I had soaked it overnight with the quinoa. It didn’t.
I still made them, it was very crunchy! Still had a great taste though. Will try again next weekend & use ground linseed this time!
Very filling too, only managed to eat two drizzled with honey!
Hi, Teresa
Thank you so much Teresa! Love your fantastic, and very healthy recipes!
And also if you plan to open a cooking class, please do let me know.
Love
Anna
Just made these and they are so good!! The kids loved them too. Thanks Teresa!
Hi, just wondering what you could you use instead if banana?
Hi Teresa – BEST PANCAKE RECIPE EVER! These are the tweaks I’ve tried and loved – pumkpin and nutmeg instead of banana (really good with salmon), and a small knob of ginger into the original recipe (YUM!).
H Teresa,
Help my pancakes kept falling apart when I flipped then.
Followed the directions exactly but used a food processor
Cause I can’t afford the vitamix:(
Any idea why this is happening??
Not smooth enough Selina – needs to be like a batter which is why you need to use a blender rather than a food processor. I have lots of other yummy pancake recipes on my site that are awesome and all you need is 1 bowl and a small hand whisk. :)
Lovely texture…very impressed that my 6 and 3 yr old boys ate them up with a little maple syrup and cream on top.
I used Chia seeds and some lovely Tasmanian Quinoa.
Really great and a great alternative as sometimes Buckwheat flour gets a bit much for me in recipes and I always try to avoid the starchy gluten free flours. Yum xxx
These are amazing!!!! I’m in heaven. Thank you!
My blender isn’t strong enough to give the consistency required for this recipe, last time I tried it failed. This time I used quinoa flakes and they came out great, not too bitter with the banana and topped with mixed berries, drizzle of maple syrup (can’t eat honey) and dollop of greek yoghurt. Only problem is avoiding eating the whole batch!