Hearty but healthy quinoa pancakes are naturally gluten-free, dairy-free and perfect when topped with an easy berry compote. It's a delicious and nutritious weekend breakfast with no added sugar.

stack of quinoa pancakes on a plate topped with berry compote and yogurt..

Back in the day when kids didn't wake me up at 7:00 every Saturday morning, I used to create different healthy pancake recipes every weekend. Mr. Table and I would always relax every lazy Saturday morning drinking coffee and making pancakes. Fast forward to now, we still have pancakes (or waffles) every Saturday, but mornings start a little earlier and are a lot more crazy, so I tend to stick a couple of my standards (whole wheat buttermilk pancakes, usually.) But every once in a while I'm reminded of some old favorites, like these hearty quinoa pancakes with the simplest berry compote, and I'm brought back to the slower, lazier Saturday mornings.

Why You'll Love These Quinoa Pancakes

If you love weekend pancakes but you don't love being hungry two hours later, then these are the pancakes for you! They are:

Substantial and filling
Naturally gluten- and dairy-free with no added sugar
Super delicious topped with the easiest berry compote
Perfect for using up leftover cooked quinoa
Baby led weaning friendly
Great for meal prep

white bowl of easy berry compote with a black spoon in it.

What Makes These Pancakes Healthy?

I like to focus more on what foods have going for them than what they are free of, but in this instance, these pancakes are naturally gluten and dairy free thanks to a whole grain base of quinoa and oats, and bubbly seltzer water instead of milk. They're also free of any added sugar, instead relying on the berry compote for natural sweetness. But they still have a whole heck of a lot going for them too! Whole grain quinoa and oats are full of fiber and a little plant protein, making for a stack of pancakes that will fill you up and give you steady, lasting energy that won't fade in an hour, while flax seed adds a little healthy fat.

How To Make Gluten-Free Quinoa Pancakes

nine image collage showing steps for making healthy quinoa pancakes.

Grind the oats into the consistency of flour using a blender or food processor.
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Add the egg, vanilla and soda or seltzer water. Whisk until blended.
Stir in the quinoa and let the batter rest for about 5 minutes while the oats soak up some of the liquid. Add more liquid if needed after 5 minutes.
Pour batter by ⅓ cup on a skillet heated over medium-low heat and cook until the edges start to dry and bubbles appear on the surface.
Flip and continue cooking for 1-2 more minutes.
Serve with berry compote and yogurt, if you like!

How To Make 1-Ingredient Berry Compote

Side by side images of frozen mixed berries in a pot and the cooked berry compote in a pot.

Pour some frozen mixed berries into a saucepan. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Uncover and simmer an additional 10 minutes, smashing the berries a little bit with a spoon.

overhead view of quinoa pancakes with berry compote on a white plate, bowl of berry compote, and bowl of yogurt, and white linen.

Tips and Ingredient Substitutions

If you don't have oats, or prefer to use flour, you can use ¾ cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour. Decrease the liquid by a couple of tablespoons.
Buttermilk or milk may be used in place of soda.
If you like the berry compote sweeter, you can add 2-3 tbsp of sugar with the frozen berries.

How To Store Leftovers

Store leftover pancakes and compote separately in airtight containers. Pancakes will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days, and compote will keep for 1 week. Pancakes and compote can both be frozen for up to 3 months. The compote is delicious on everything from yogurt to oatmeal!

Closeup quinoa pancakes topped with berry compote with a bite taken out and a black fork beside them.

More Healthy Pancake Recipes

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a star rating in the comments below!

Gluten Free Quinoa Pancakes with Easy Berry Compote

Hearty but healthy quinoa pancakes are naturally gluten-free and perfect when topped with an easy berry compote. It's a delicious and nutritious weekend breakfast with no added sugar.

Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8 pancakes 1x
Category: breakfast
Method: stovetop
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup rolled oats
2 tbsp ground flax seed
1 large egg
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
¾ cup club soda or seltzer water
1 cup cooked quinoa

For berry compote:

2 cups fresh or frozen mixed berries

Instructions

To make the berry compote, add berries to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer, covered, on low heat for 10 minutes, then uncover and simmer an additional 10 minutes, smashing the berries a little bit with a spoon.
Heat pancake griddle or skillet to 325°F or medium-low heat.
Blend oats in a blender or food processor until they are the consistency of flour.
In a large bowl, mix the oats, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
Add the egg, vanilla and soda. Whisk until blended.
Stir in the quinoa and let the batter rest for about 5 minutes. The oats will soak up liquid as it sits. You may have to adjust the amount of liquid to suit your preferred consistency.
Spray a preheated skillet pan or griddle with cooking spray or lightly grease with coconut oil or butter.
Pour about ⅓ cup of batter (more or less, depending on the size you want) onto the pan to form a circle. Let cook until you see bubbles forming in the batter's surface and the edges start to dry. Flip and cook on the other side until it is cooked through, about a minute.
Repeat with remaining batter.
Serve pancakes with berry compote and any other toppings you like, such as yogurt, fresh berries, or maple syrup.

Notes

If you don't have oats, or prefer to use flour, you can use ¾ cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour. Decrease the liquid by a couple of tablespoons.
Buttermilk or milk may be used in place of soda.
If you like the berry compote sweeter, you can add 2-3 tbsp of sugar with the frozen berries.
Store leftovers in separate airtight containers. Pancakes will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days, and compote will keep for 1 week. Pancakes and compote can both be frozen.

Keywords: gluten-free quinoa pancakes, quinoa pancakes with berry compote, healthy quinoa pancakes

This post was originally published September 2015 and has been updated.