Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- 25 g granulated sugar
- 8 g baking powder
- 3 g baking soda
- 2 g fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 240 ml buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 45 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Add-ins and Cooking
- 120 g cooked quinoa, cooked and fully cooled
- 150 g blueberries, fresh or frozen unthawed
- 15 g unsalted butter
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 209 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 28 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 371 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 64 mg
- Potassium
- 130 mg
- Calcium
- 110 mg
- Iron
- 0.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 21 mg
- Phosphorus
- 125 mg
- Zinc
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 76 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.14 mg
- Niacin
- 0.5 mg
- Folate
- 21 mcg
- Water
- 67 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt until fully combined.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the room temperature buttermilk, eggs, melted unsalted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix gently with a spatula until just combined. Lumps are acceptable and encouraged to prevent tough pancakes.
Gently fold the cooled cooked quinoa and blueberries into the batter, taking care not to crush the berries or overwork the gluten.
Set the batter aside to rest for 10 minutes. This allows the flour to hydrate and the baking powder to activate, creating fluffy pancakes.
Preheat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat to roughly 175 C or 350 F. Lightly grease the surface with a small amount of butter.
Measure out 60ml portions of batter and pour onto the preheated skillet, spacing them evenly to allow for spreading.
Fry the pancakes undisturbed until bubbles appear on the surface, the edges look dry and set, and the bottom is golden brown.
Carefully slide a spatula underneath and flip each pancake. Fry for an additional 2 minutes until the second side is deep golden brown and the center is cooked through.
Serve the pancakes immediately while hot, topped with maple syrup, extra berries, or a pat of butter.
Chef's Notes
- Using cooked quinoa that has been thoroughly chilled prevents the residual heat from prematurely cooking the eggs or melting the butter in the batter.
- Resting the batter is not optional for the best texture. It gives the buttermilk time to react with the baking soda and the flour time to absorb the liquid.
- If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them first. Fold them in directly from the freezer to prevent them from bleeding purple streaks throughout your entire batch of batter.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze flat on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer-safe bag.
Reheating: Toaster on medium setting or in a 175C oven for 5 to 7 minutes until warmed through.
Troubleshooting
Pancakes are dense and heavy instead of fluffy
Cause: The batter was overmixed, developing too much gluten, or the baking powder has expired
Fix: Cannot be fixed once the batter is mixed. Ensure fresh leavening agents for next time.
Prevention: Mix wet and dry ingredients only until the dry flour streaks disappear. Leave the lumps alone.
Pancake is burnt on the outside but raw in the middle
Cause: The skillet or griddle was too hot
Fix: Lower the heat immediately. You can finish thick raw-centered pancakes in a 175 C oven for 5 minutes.
Prevention: Maintain steady medium heat and wait for bubbles to indicate the center is cooking
Cultural Context
Pancakes have been a cornerstone of American diner and home breakfasts for generations. Incorporating cooked quinoa into a traditional 19th-century buttermilk hotcake recipe adds a modern nutritional sensibility, bridging the gap between indulgent weekend comfort food and whole-grain health consciousness.
