I wanted to see if quinoa would fry up as a type of pancake. I took a cup of cooked quinoa, leftover from dinner last night, added an egg as a binder and mixed it up. Fried it in a skillet with melted butter. Ok, so I fried with with way too much butter. I had planned on adding some Splenda and cinnamon to it, but decided not to at the last minutes. I wanted to know what it tasted like straight.
They were ok to good. I thought they tasted a tad bitter plain, but hubby really liked them covered with sugar free maple syrup. I did too. The texture was similar to corn grits or a potato pancake, so they might also be good with onions and savory seasonings.
I think that they would also be worth trying with the Splenda and cinnamon. I’d even make them just plain again, as long as I had something sweet to put on them.
Which reminds me – we used these gluten free, grain free pancakes as a base for taste testing five different sugar free maple syrups. I’ll get the results up for you soon.
It’s a dreary rainy morning and it was really nice to have something hot and sweet to eat for breakfast.
I ate 1 1/2 of the pancakes and I’m still full hours later. You should try them. They are so easy!
I am so liking quinoa!
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What is sugar free maple syrup? I have 100% maple syrup, is it the same thing? Just curious because I switched from Mrs. Butterworth’s recently after using it for oh….maybe 2 to 3 decades. The consistency took some getting used to, but now I *love* the maple syrup. I pour it into a little glass condiment container and heat it for about 7 seconds so I can dip each bite of pancake so it hits the taste buds first. I use less syrup this way, too!
No, I’m afraid that sugar-free maple syrup is a sad substitute for the real thing. However, having said that, it is a treasure indeed for those who can’t tolerate the high sugar content in maple syrup.
I also grew up on Mrs. Butterworth’s. It was so good! And the thinner consistency of the the real stuff does take some getting used to. A bit like going to skim after drinking whole milk. But the taste of the true syrup is much better and it is healthier for you, since it does not have the high fructose corn syrup in it.
My next blog post, which I will try to post tomorrow, will be about our unofficial taste test of the different sugar-free syrups. The ingredients in them may astound you. Thanks for your comment!
In baking my quinoa pan cake, I mizx all the ingrdients . Now just add choco syrup at the top of the food.
I have celiac and just came opon your quinoa pancake blog! I have to tell you I have been blending 3/4 cup cooked quinoa with 6 egg whites cinnamon and vanilla extract for a healthy gluten free pancake alternative for forever! I even add blueberries and pumpkin sometimes! they are delicious and good for you too! Try them!!
Megyn,
That sounds fabulous! I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for the tip!
Hi Lisa,
Any idea how they’d be without the egg and what to use as a binder? I can’t eat eggs (among other things). Just tried hot quinoa this am with almond milk and cinnamon. Am new to all of this – your website has been very helpful – thanks!
Sue,
You could use flax gel to replace egg, or even the Chia seed gel. Use 1 TBSP. ground flax to 1/4 cup hot water. The Chia Seed ratio is different. I personnally haven’t used that one but the ratio is on this site for Chia Seeds. I like the Flax gel. Used it many times when I have run out of eggs.
Camille,
Thanks for the suggestion – any help is welcome!
Sue
My wife and I discovered quinoa only fairly recently (a few years ago). We have been pleased with every dish that we have made using the seed.
NOT because of grain or gluten issues (I’m not even allergic to the DEVIL — good genetic German stock, you understand), but because I REALLY like the taste and texture of quinoa.
Pancakes are on my list to try ASAP. Thanks for sharing.
I have been grain free for 6 months and have experienced easy weight loss and reflux free, migraine free life but have had progressively more leg cramps at night. I recently had to travel and live at the mercy of family that left me little choice but to eat grain and found that while eating grain I had less leg cramps but of course the headaches are back. Is there a reason why I have leg cramps without grain? Are there other foods that would balance my diet so that I can stay grain free and also cramp free? Have you experiences the cramping?
Hi Lori,
I recently attended a bariatric (weight loss medicine) conference where low carbohydrate diets were much discussed. Although a grain free diet is not necessarily a low carb diet, it can be. One thing that happens with a low carb diet is that you lose a lot of your water weight that you normally retain when eating grains. When the excess water is flushed out of your system, it takes sodium and potassium with it. When you have not enough sodium in your system, you can get leg cramps and fatigue. There was some mention at the conference of some folks having to use a sodium supplement when this occurs.
I don’t know if this is the case with your situation. I haven’t had leg cramps since I was a child, but I certainly can empathize with the headaches and reflux! I will research this a bit more and see what I can find out.
Which grains did you add back into your diet? Wheat is a major culprit of headaches, so you might think about keeping that grain eliminated. You also might consider adding some of the non-grain grains back in, such as quinoa or amaranth. You also should consider keeping a food journal to help discover which of the foods are giving you the headaches.