These have a lot of ingredients, which may be an obstacle, but I have to recommend trying sorghum flour if you have not already. It is inexpensive, healthful and versatile. I also recommend trying your hand at roasting your own pumpkin. Most/all of the dairy is removed from this recipe, and I minimized the amount of “all-purpose" flour, but kept them fluffy and satisfying. I also put in a bit of creamed coconut and flaxseed for extra richness. (If you love dairy, try Gluten Free Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes - version 1 or version 2.) See the end for notes on some of these ingredients.

Ingredients
  • 1 cup buckwheat flour
  • 1 cup sorghum flour (if unavailable, sub same amount all-purpose flour)
  • 3/4 cups gluten free all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup almond meal/flour
  • 1-2 T flaxseed, ground (optional)
  • 1 1/2 t baking soda
  • 1/2 t or so cream of tartar
  • 1/2 t sea salt
  • 1-2 t each cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, coriander*
  • 3 T coconut sugar
  • 5 T melted coconut oil or butter
  • 1 T+ creamed coconut or coconut butter (optional)
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups roasted pumpkin (or other winter squash)*
  • 2 ripe bananas*
  • 2 1/2 cups water (or buttermilk, or your favorite milk substitute), plus more if needed
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 T vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

*Make them banana pancakes by adding two more bananas and some cardamom, and leaving out the ginger and coriander. Mash one or two of the bananas with a fork (not too thoroughly), and put the others in blender, so that there is a bit of banana ’texture’ in evidence.

Instructions
  • Melt coconut oil or butter over low heat. When nearly finished, add creamed coconut (if using), to soften.
  • In a blender, blend together eggs, pumpkin, bananas, vanilla, and around half of the water (depending on the size of your blender).
  • In a separate bowl, use a whisk to sift the dry ingredients with spices, sifting the sugar in last.
  • Heat griddle to medium temperature--around 325F.
  • Mix together wet and dry ingredients, including the remaining water. (Add more water if needed to achieve your preferred pancake consistency.)
  • Fold in the melted coconut oil or butter, and chocolate chips (if using).
  • Cook pancakes on medium heat until bubbles form and break, and the edges (and even the tops) are dry. Then flip and cook until golden on the other side.
  • Serve immediately, or cool/dry on a rack before freezing. They will keep a lovely moist interior, and freeze/toast up fabulously.

Notes on ingredients
  • Sorghum flour—an "ancient grain"—is inexpensive, healthful and versatile. It is one of the more nutritionally valuable gluten free grains, with higher fiber and protein than rice flours. It has a light color and mild flavor, and is an excellent addition to gluten free flour mixes.
  • There are a growing number of gluten free all-purpose flour blends available at stores and online, or you can blend your own pretty easily, if you really get into it. I have had good success with Pamela's All-Purpose Flour Artisan Blend, but have recently started using Arrowhead Mills Organic All-Purpose Heritage Blend, and have been very happy with it in pancakes and waffles—the results are a little bit heavier due to the large proportion of sorghum flour. My mom is also a gig fan of the Namaste brand all-purpose gluten free flour blend. Both Arrowhead and Namaste blends have the benefit of being free of potato starch, which is important if you are avoiding nightshades.
  • Flaxseeds have many great health benefits. If you have an electric coffee/spice mill, buy your flaxseeds whole and they will keep much longer—particularly in the fridge. Just measure out what you need for a recipe, and give them a few pulsing whirls in the mill before adding them to your mixture.
  • Roasting your own pumpkin and other winter squash is less expensive than buying canned, and not at all difficult, provided you have a large, sharp knife of a decent weight. Any winter squash can be handled essentially the same way—rinse the outside, break or slice off stem and then cut in half though the stem end, clean out the insides with a spoon, and roast on a baking sheet with low sides until soft—and the seeds can also be saved and roasted, which is an extra treat.
  • I like the “Let’s do…Organic" coconut cream. It comes in a little pouch, which you massage smooth, and then cut open to squeeze out. I use what I need, and put the rest in a glass container in the fridge. Then I can take it out to warm up on the counter or place the container in warm water to soften before using, or drop a chunk into the melting butter. I prefer adding the coconut cream and using water, because commercially prepared coconut milk and other nut milks have many extra ingredients of dubious value, several of which are corn-derived.