I am obsessed (obsessed!) with Quinoa (pronouned “Keen-Wah”). It is a complete protein (amino score o 106), gluten-free, low-glycemic load (18) seed. One cup has 8 grams of protein. I use it in place of rice in many dishes and try to sneak it into a lot of other dishes, including pancakes! It’s become a Faiola-Renoud family household tradition to cook up a huge batch of these on Sunday with a variety of fruits tossed in (tip: if you refrigerate your fruit, you can cut it finely using a food processor so you don’t get fruit lumps in your pancakes). We’re obsessed with blueberry-banana right now.
Banana Quinoa Spelt-Whole Wheat Pancakes
~inspired by Parents Magazine recipe Banana-Quinoa Waffles, June 2012 issue
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup quinoa
- 1 2/3 cup whole-wheat spelt flour (regular whole-wheat flour works if you can’t find spelt flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 mashed bananas
- 3 eggs, seperated
- 3 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups fat free milk, or almond or hemp milk (they all work)
(1) In a small saucepan, add the quinoa and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and chill overnight (pssst: it’s okay if you don’t. The pancakes turn out if the quinoa has been cooled to room temp).
(2) In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, combine quinoa, banana, egg yolks (separate those egg whites now, peeps!), butter and milk. Stir in flour mixture.
(3) In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold them into batter. This adds to the fluffiness of the final pancakes. If you’re adding additional fruits, this is the time to do it.
(4) Turn on your stovetop burners. Ladle out a 3/4 full ladle of the batter. When the outsides of the pancake start to bubble and you see the bubbles start heading towards the middle, flip the pancake. They don’t take long to cook.
(5) Cover the growing pancakes with a towel to keep them warm while you’re baking the whole batch.
These taste delicious with absolutely NO syrup or jam (really, truly!). I eat them plain for breakfast on the go several times a week.
Someone is a fan! And with 176 calories and 7 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat per 2 small-medium pancakes, he should be. Healthy, delicious and full of fiber, this recipe is a win in our household. I hope it is in yours as well.
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I used to love quinoa but recently I’ve found it has such a bitter after taste! Not sure if its just me or something that was always there and I just never noticed it.
I’d still try those pancakes though! They look extra yummy!
You’ll have to let us know how they turn out for you! =)
-Becky with Bramble Berry
You probably know this, but quinoa has a very bitter outer coating that needs to be rinsed away before cooking. I soak mine for about 5 minutes and then dump it into a fine mesh strainer & use my sprayer to rinse the grains for another few minutes. I’ve never been bothered by any bitterness. Hope that helps 🙂
Really?! Have never done this ever. I wonder how much better it will taste if I did this extra step! Ha =) Thanks for letting me know.
Thank you Anne-Marie!
I love quinoa too and am adding it to everything I bake right now. Have you tried quinoa pudding? I gently warm 1 cup of milk (almond is great) add a few shakes of cinnamon and nutmeg, 1 teaspoon maple syrup (the real kind) and 2 to 3 tablespoons of quinoa. Stir well and let sit for 5 mins then stir again. Leave for a further 10 mins and eat – yum! Delicious with stewed rhubarb too 🙂
Sounds deelish! Like a super-protein oatmeal! Must try 🙂 -Kristen with Bramble Berry
I had no idea quinoa was a complete protein! For someone like me who wants to eat more healthfully, but is allergic to soy, it’s nice to know there are other alternatives to meat. Definitely trying this in the morning. Thanks!
Isn’t that great? Quinoa is kind of amazing. 🙂 -Kristen with Bramble Berry
These look delicious, I love quinoa!
I just wanted to offer one correction, however, that these would NOT be considered gluten-free. Spelt flour does contain gluten, and is not safe for an individual with celiac disease or on a strict gluten-free diet. Spelt is a wonderful alternative for those that are not gluten intolerant, though. I really enjoy your recipes!
When she said gluten free, she was talking about just the quinoa, not the entire recipe. I think most of us who are gluten intolerant know that spelt flour has gluten in it. The quinoa itself is gluten free, and we love it at our house too! Our favorite recipe is making a wrap with it, and including black beans, cheese, cilantro, and tomatoes. VERY YUMMY!!
You’re right, the entire recipe would not be considered gluten-free, just the quinoa on it’s own is a gluten-free food. Thanks for the clarification! 🙂 -Kristen with Bramble Berry
I used to love quinoa and ate it a lot some years ago, way before it became popular. Now I find it makes me violently sick. I can’t have wheat either, so I’m looking for a flour I can bake with that will make lovely cookies, french toast, brownies, etc.
I’m gluten-intolerant, so I know about looking for a good flour for baking. I’ve used Rice Flour in the past and found it works really well for me, have you tried it using it yet?
~Becky with Bramble Berry
Rice flour was by far the most popular gluten-free flour we sold at the bulk store I worked at. But take a look in the gluten-free section at your local store (Wholefoods has an AMAZING selection), you should be able to find a lot of nice alternatives! I suggest “almond flour” for cookies! It is really just super ground almonds, it makes for a decently heavy cookie but adds a LOT of flavour and some extra nutrition. As a bonus it is a carb free “flour” too!
OMG! Thank you for sharing! I just LOVE quinoa too! Can’t wait to try this recipe for my family. My favorite thing to make with quinoa is quinoa patties with an avocado cilantro lime sauce. Yum!
That sounds delicious! You’ll have to let us know how this recipe turns out for you. =)
~Becky with Bramble Berry