Overnight Buckwheat Oat Gluten-Free Waffles or Pancakes
These overnight, gluten-free oat waffles (or pancakes!) with buckwheat and buttermilk are light and fluffy and absolutely delicious.
Please meet our latest breakfast obsession: overnight gluten-free oat waffles…or pancakes! Extra bonus: buckwheat and buttermilk.
You know how I feel about breakfast. I’m a believer. And when I can, I try to pack a warm, nutritious breakfast in my kids’ tummies before they go out into the big, bad world.
We have a lot of simple breakfast go-to’s like French toast, scrambled eggs, microwave oatmeal, hard-boiled eggs and yogurt. These whole wheat blender pancakes are also a frequent staple as are a whole variety of muffins that I keep in the freezer for a quick breakfast solution.
But I also like to change things up once in a while, so when my friend, Liz (a frequent commenter here; she provides the most helpful feedback on the recipes she’s made) emailed me about today’s recipe, I knew I’d be adding it into our breakfast rotation.
Because weekday mornings are insane around here (the level of chaos trying to get out the door is mind-boggling), recipes that can be started the night before are absolutely heartwarming to my soul.
The base of these buckwheat gluten-free oat waffles is mixed up the night before so the steel cut oats and buckwheat groats (more on this ingredient in a sec) can soften up overnight.
The next morning, the rest of the simple ingredients are thrown in the blender and everything gets a quick whirl before throwing the batter on a sizzling waffle iron or griddle.
So light and fluffy, these nutritious, whole-grain waffles are fantastic!
That nutty, wholesome flavor of the buckwheat is the best part, if you ask me. Being a newbie to the world of buckwheat, I am loving the flavor.
And it goes without saying that buttermilk is one of the best ingredients in the history of ever. I use it in so many things and keep it on hand always.
Don’t forget that homemade buttermilk is so easy and usually works just as well. In this recipe, the batter will be a bit thinner if using homemade buttermilk so take a look at the recipe notes below.
If you are kefir-ing, homemade kefir makes a great substitute as well.
Even though I have’t bought buckwheat before these gluten-free oat waffles came into my life, we’ve made this breakfast so often over the last few weeks that I’ve stocked up.
I hear that my local grocery store carries buckwheat groats in the bulk bins – so if you have a store like that (Winco in my area), try looking there.
So far, I’ve bought my buckwheat groats on Amazon (Bob’s Red Mill brand, this brand by Anthony’s, and Liz highly recommends this Russian brand) and have had great results.
We’ve used the batter as waffles and pancakes, and either option is delicious.
Mmm, I love talking about breakfast! And I love these waffles. Thanks, Liz, for sharing!
FYI: this is the griddle I use for pancakes and our beloved waffle iron (love this thing!).
One Year Ago: Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Tortellini
Two Years Ago: The Perfect Cinnamon Rolls {Gloria’s Famous Recipe}
Three Years Ago: Simple Homemade Haunted Halloween Houses
Overnight Buckwheat Oat Gluten-Free Waffles or Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (276 g) steel cut oats
- 1 cup buckwheat groats (see note)
- 3 cups buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla, optional
Instructions
- In a blender or bowl, stir together the steel cut oats, buckwheat groats and buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 8-12 hours or overnight.
- When ready to make the waffles/pancakes, give the mixture a good stir to loosen it up a bit and process in a blender until smooth and combined.
- Add the butter, salt, sugar, baking soda, eggs and vanilla (if using). Blend again until combined.
- Cook waffles on a waffle maker, according to manufacturer’s instructions, or on a griddle as pancakes.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from here (to make a slightly larger batch for our family) after my friend, Liz, emailed me the recipe – Liz has also added pureed pumpkin and a touch of allspice to this recipe for a pumpkin waffle/pancake recipe and her favorite way to eat them (pumpkin or not) is with bananas, walnuts and a little maple syrup. Yum! Thanks for sending the recipe to me, Liz!
So good! Made with my fresh kefir and I loved them!
Looking for a waffle iron suggestion? Anyone have one they love?
These were so good! I tried it on a whim, and it was a nice change from wheat waffles. My family aren’t huge fans of steel cut oats as oatmeal, so this will be a great recipe to use them in.
These are AMAZING! I am avoiding dairy so I used 3C of unsweetened almond milk curdled with 3T of lemon juice. Turned out perfectly. I put 2 waffles into individual sandwich bags and kept them frozen, then toasted them in my toaster in the morning. As easy as Eggo waffles!
These waffles are awesome! Followed recipe exactly except made them dairy-free by using earth balance butter and made my own buttermilk with coconut milk and lemon juice. Turned out delicious and surprisingly light and fluffy! Thanks for a great recipe!
I have made these gems several times. The first few times, due to operator error, I used old fashion oats NOT steel cut and they were still the best gluten free pancakes I have made. I used the steel cut oats and found I liked the old fashion oats a little better.
This is a great waffle recipe. Light fluffy and crisp. I used Buckeheat flour (2 c) almond flour (1/2)because it is what I had in my cupboard. Also, I had 5 egg yolks that I used in place of 3 eggs and the results were amazing!!! Thank you for a great waffle recipe!!!
My blenders have such a hard time with this recipe. I now have a Blendtec so I wonder if it is the Russian buckwheat. I am gluten-free so I have been so hopeful about this recipe. I am going to try grinding the grains before I soak next time.
Someone else mentioned they soak overnight at room temp instead of putting in the fridge and that helps a lot.
Would it be okay to soak these on the counter? Other buttermilk recipes seem to do that. When I have tried these, for some reason my batter gets too thick and is hard on my blender intge morning. I am wondering if I soak them on the counter then maybe it wouldn’t be so cold and hard to blend?
Yes, I think so! I’ve been soaking some other similar type recipes (in kefir) on the counter, and it seems to work fine as long as it’s not overly warm (so the milk won’t spoil)
These were great!! I made them with rolled oats and buckwheat flour. Used 2 3/4 cup buttermilk, and found they were thin, because I used both of these. I added 1/2 cup oat fiber, but you could add more of either starch. Also added 1/2 Tablespoon each ground ginger and cinnamon and then 1/4 tsp each ground nutmeg and cloves. Thank you. May add some molasses next time 🙂
Amazing recipe, very tasty waffles
Thank you!
Tastier than traditional white flour pancakes
Just wondering if I could substitute buckwheat groats with buckwheat flour? At what point would I add it then? Thanks!
I’m not sure, I haven’t tried it, and I’m not sure how it would affect the texture of the mixture. You’ll have to experiment (and there may be other commenters who have tried it in the thread)
I made these and subbed quinoa for groats. Turned out great; my pickiest eater gobbled them up! Thanks Mel!
Yummy! Hearty! A great way to start the day. I used toasted buckwheat – because that is what I had – along with the steel cut oats. I also added a ripe banana and blended it together before cooking that last two batches. It worked very well with the buckwheat and oat flavors and made the maple syrup sing =) Thanks, Mel!
My waffle iron just broke and I am looking to buy another one. It looks like the one that you recommended is no longer available…? Any other recommendations for a great belgian waffle maker? Thanks!
Hi Tiffany – I hesitate to recommend one that I don’t own/use personally. Are there any helpful reviews on Amazon? This one looks promising: https://www.amazon.com/Presto-FlipSide-Belgian-Ceramic-Nonstick/dp/B000TYBWIG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1490287346&sr=8-2&keywords=belgian+waffle+iron
I’ve been a long time reader of your amazing recipe blog! But now we are a family dealing with food allergies and sensitivities so I am struggling with finding new recipes and adapting our favorites. We are now gluten free and vegan! Has anyone had success using egg replacements for these waffles/pancakes? Often I find that it doesn’t work out well in pancake or waffle form! Thanks!
Any success making this recipe vegan? I’ve been looking for overnight waffle recipe & this one sounds so goo!
I haven’t tried making it vegan – sorry!
Has anyone made without the sugar or used anything to replace?
I have made these many times now, and they are our favorite! We love it with Butter Syrup. The last time I made them, I didn’t have any oats so I just subbed in more buckwheat (equivalent to the oats measurement). They were awesome! I think I actually liked them even better with all buckwheat. Thanks for all the fabulous recipes!!
I’ve just ran out of steel cut oats, can I substitute rolled oats?
Hi Carrie – I havne’t tried that but I think another reader commented above that they used regular oats, if I remember right.
Thanks Mel, I must have missed that one sorry.
PS Thank you for all the work you do to bring us all such great recipes we can rely on, not to mention all the extra goodies such as the great gift ideas.
Thanks, Carrie! And if you don’t see a comment like that, it’s me that is remembering wrong. Either way, it’s probably worth a try. 🙂
I used rolled oats with very very good result
Made these this morning and they were amazing! Highly recommend. We eat gluten but I’m always looking for healthy alternatives. The whole fam loves them. So flavorful! Thank you!
I made these this morning and… Wow! They are beyond delicious- nutty, light, crispy, yum. My family liked them better than “regular” waffles. I followed exactly, using kefir and toasted buckwheat groats/Kashi. One piece of advice (don’t be like me!)- check your blender capacity before you make these. I have an old Oster blender that holds 5 cups to the line (6 cups to the rim) and this recipe was too big to contain once I added the baking soda- I had to run for a bowl! But- super delicious healthy breakfast for four plus some leftovers in the freezer for another day. Now I just have to decide, halve the recipe next time or buy a bigger blender? Thanks, Mel!
I was wondering if you use toasted buckwheat groats or just raw, and if
You use the raw ones, do
Oh know if it would be bad if you used toasted? Thanks!
I use raw but I think toasted should work just fine.
Hi, we live in South Africa and I couldn’t find the steel cut oats so I used rolled oats and they turned out great! Kids loved them!!
these looks great! Can I use buckwheat flour instead?
I haven’t tried it…there are a few comments in the thread with some insight, though. 🙂
How do you think this would fare with an immersion blender? Would it be able to sufficiently pulverize the groats?
I think if it’s a powerful enough immersion blender, then yes. Next time I make these waffles, I’ll try it.
“the level of chaos trying to get out the door is mind-boggling”
You speak the truth. Our house too. Have mercy!
I burned out of eating steel cut oats in the morning so have a bunch stinking up my pantry. I was excited to Try this recipe and it’s great! My eleven month babies gobbled it down too. I will definitely be making it again ( though my husband asked when I turned into a health nut, making buckwheat waffles).
These were absolutely amazing!! The fluffiness of them….I don’t have adequate words! I made them for breakfast this morning and my 10 year old celiac daughter proclaimed these the best waffles she’s ever had! Our other 4, including our just turned 1 year old enjoyed them too! I plan to make them as pancakes for breakfast tomorrow. Thank you for such an awesome gluten free recipe!
Oh man! I was so excited and went out and bought buckwheat flour thinking that was what I needed, any way I could use that instead of the groats?
I’m honestly not sure! I think someone in the comments may have suggested a way?
I don’t think I have any buckwheat groats, but want to make these. Have you tried them with any other kinds of groats? Like oat groats? Or even wheat berries?
I haven’t tried them with anything other than buckwheat groats but I have a feeling they’d fare really well with wheat berries (I have another blender wheat pancake recipe on my blog that’s similar to this).
Made the waffles this morning and loved the flavor! Should the oats/groats/buttermilk mixture be blended until smooth before adding the remaining ingredients? I don’t think I blended mine enough as we still had lots of oats and groats in their “whole” form.
It sounds like maybe a little bit more blending would be good. The mixture will have texture to it but should be pretty smooth.
My brother brought me some buckwheat from Russia that I’ve been wanting to use. I made these waffles this morning, everyone loved them! Thanks Mel for another great recipe!
Overnight waffles! I love it! It’s a brilliant idea. I’m pinning it and making it 😀
Mel, I made these this morning and they were amazing. This recipe is seriously going to change my life! My son got diagnosed with Celiac’s earlier this year and it’s been a struggle finding great wholesome healthy recipes like this. I used to grind all our own wheat and make everything from scratch (still do that) but I haven’t enjoyed using highly processed gluten free flours and starches in our breakfast foods. It just doesn’t seem right! And even the pancakes I make from my homemade “whole grain” blend are just fussy and time-consuming. These not only were packed with whole grains but they tasted great too!! And they were so incredibly easy!!! These will be a huge staple in our house! I’m excited to experiment more with pumpkin and other flavors as well. Thank you so much!!!!
Yay! So happy to hear this!
Grains soaked in an acid medium…I love where you’re going with this! We always try to eat soaked or sourdoughed grains. I’m definitely going to try these!
I, too, always have buttermilk on hand…ugh, but no groats and steel cut oats! I’m adding them to the list and once I try this recipe, I’m pretty sure they’re going to be pantry staples too! I’m so excited to try these waffles!
I found the Bob’s Red Mill buckwheat at Sprouts in the pasta aisle! Will be making these tonight. Thanks for a new idea for breakfast!
Mel, these look delicious! If I add pumpkin or bananas would I adjust the amount of buttermilk? Also, do you make it thinner when you use this recipe for pancakes?
Hi Annisa – I haven’t added pumpkin or bananas myself, but Liz, who gave me there recipe has. I’ll alert her to your question and hopefully she’ll chime in. About pancakes, though, I don’t make it any thinner for pancakes. Hope that helps!
Hi Annisa,
When I add pumpkin puree, I haven’t adjusted any other ingredients. I cook for 1 so make about 1/3 of Mel’s recipe and I added maybe 2-3 T of puree to that amount which would be maybe 1/3 cup to the full recipe. I think that will be fine without backing off anything else as the batter is fairly thick.
I add banana slices/chunks as a topping, but if you want to incorporate, I believe that would also work with no adjustments, although I haven’t tried it.
Mel! Just this morning, I was wishing that you would post a gluten free pancake or waffle recipe that is also hearty/substantial. My wish came true!! I can’t wait to try it. You are the best!
Yum! We love a good waffle at house. We’ll have to try these. We’ve been loving sourdough waffles the last few months. like these you mix most of it the night before then add the baking soda in the morning. If I’m feeling nice I’ll add chocolate chips.
Gluten free waffles!!! Making these ASAP.
I could eat waffles everyday of my life. These look amazing.
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Waffles are one of my favorite breakfast foods! And if I can get a start on them the night before…I’m in good shape. Because this girl hates breakfast dishes.
Anyone have an idea of how I could use buckwheat flour instead of groats? Have a whole bag and need to use up
I am wondering the same thing.
Hmmm, I’m not sure about that Robin. You might try googling a recipe for waffles or pancakes with buckwheat flour and see how it compares.
Thank you! I think I will try this one
I think if you know the weight of the cup of buckwheat groats you could sub in an equal weight of flour?
And Liz, I always enjoy reading your comments:) Thanks. Love this site, Mel!
Thanks, Brittany!
Wow – thank you Brittany!
Mel does make this a fun place to learn and be inspired.
Sounds delicious thanks, ladies!
This brought to mind the memory of my dear Mom making buckwheat pancakes for her 7 children
Memories like that are so heartwarming! ❤️
You are very welcome, Mel and so happy to hear that you and your family enjoy these!
You probably don’t have leftovers, but for anyone who does … these freeze wonderfully and then you just pop them in the toaster/toaster oven at a light setting and with defrost if you have that option.
Happy birthday to your 11 year old!
I was just coming to ask about freezing them. Like Teresa above, I don’t know how you pull this off in the morning (though I could swing it on a weekend), so I was thinking double batch made at dinner and leftovers frozen for breakfasts. Thanks for sharing, Mel, and thanks to Liz for the recipe and freezing tip! 🙂
Love the make extra to eat later idea…the leftovers of these have done great in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer.
Yes to freezing! We’ve had a few extras and we either refrigerate for a few days or freeze, so that’s a great make-ahead option! Thanks again for the recipe, Liz!
Yum, those look really delicious. Even with the overnight prep, I don’t know how you pull this off in the morning for all of your kids! I am in awe of you. I will definitely be making these this weekend for breakfast or even for dinner one night, thanks!!!
Oh gosh, don’t get any false ideas of how the mornings go. They are not easy and sometimes there are tears (mine!). I do wake up pretty early to get a head start and the overnight prep helps (and at the end of the day…there’s always cold cereal in our pantry).