UntrainedChef
Barley Flour Pancakes - breakfast, lunchbox recipe

Barley Flour Pancakes

1 hr
2 portions

Hearty whole-grain pancakes that hold up well in a lunchbox or on a hike. Make a batch the night before and you're sorted.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Mix the wheat flour, barley flour, and salt together in a bowl.

  2. 2

    Whisk the eggs and milk together, then pour about half of it into the flour mixture while stirring constantly. Add the rest and keep stirring until there are no lumps left. Let the batter rest for 20–30 minutes.

  3. 3

    Melt a little butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour in a ladle of batter and swirl the pan so it spreads out in an even layer. Once the underside is golden brown, flip it and cook the other side quickly. Repeat with the remaining batter.

  4. 4

    Serve with whatever you like — blueberries and vanilla yogurt, jam, bacon, or anything else that sounds good.

Per average serving

176
Calories
kcal
6.7
Protein
g
25.3
Carbs
g
5.4
Fat
g
1.8g
Fiber
2g
Sugar
99mg
Sodium

Tips from the kitchen

  • Don't skip the 20 to 30 minute rest. The barley flour soaks up the milk and the batter thickens noticeably, which gives you a smoother pancake that doesn't tear when you flip it.
  • Barley flour has no gluten of its own, so these are a bit more delicate than all-wheat pancakes. Keep the layer thin and wait until the underside is properly golden before flipping, otherwise it'll stick and fold on you.
  • Wipe the pan with just a little butter between pancakes. Too much and the first side fries unevenly with dark spots instead of an even golden color.
  • If the batter sits a while and gets too thick, splash in a little more milk to loosen it back to a pour that swirls easily across the pan.
  • Whisk in roughly half the egg and milk mix first, get that smooth, then add the rest. Adding it all at once is how you end up chasing lumps.

Ways to vary it

  • For a slightly nuttier batch, swap one of the three dl of wheat flour for more barley flour. They'll be a touch more tender, so handle them gently in the pan.
  • A tablespoon of sugar and a little cardamom in the batter turns them more toward a dessert pancake if you're serving with jam.
  • Fold a handful of fresh blueberries onto the batter right after you ladle it into the pan, before you flip, instead of serving them on top.

Storage & leftovers

Stack them with a bit of parchment between each and they keep in the fridge for about three days, which is the whole point if you're packing lunchboxes. They freeze well too, up to a couple of months. Reheat in a dry pan over low heat or eat them cold, they hold up fine either way.

What to serve with it

Blueberries and vanilla yogurt is the classic here, but they're happy next to crispy bacon or a spoon of good jam. A glass of cold milk doesn't hurt.

UC
By Untrained ChefPublished 16 May 2026 · Updated 11 July 2026

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