Easy fresh milled flour pancakes that are fluffy, insanely flavorful, and nutritionally superior. Made with Khorasan ancient grain or soft white wheat milled right before cooking, these pancakes have a richer, nuttier flavor and far more nutrients than pancakes made with store-bought flour. If you're new to fresh milled flour or just looking for the best fresh milled pancakes, this recipe is for you!
A few months ago, I finally got my hands on a grain mill, and I've been obsessed ever since! Pancakes were the first thing I made, and I was honestly shocked after that first bite. Not only are the freshly milled flour pancakes better for you, but the taste and texture are on a whole different level, too! Even my toddler loves them.
They have a bit of hearty, almost cornbread-like texture, but yet soft and fluffy at the same time. I'll never go back.
What is freshly milled flour?
Freshly milled flour is made by grinding wheat berries into flour right before baking or cooking. Unlike store-bought flour, which is often stripped of most nutrients and sits on the store shelves for months, freshly milled flour contains the entire grain, including the bran, germ and endosperm. This means more nutrients, like protein, fiber, B vitamins, and essential minerals.
My grain mill is from NutriMill, but there are other great mills available online, and I buy my wheat berries through Azure Standard - they have the best prices I've found for organic grains.
Fresh milled flour versus store bought flour
Whole grains are made up of three parts: bran, endosperm and germ. The bran is the outer shell and contains most of the fiber, the endosperm is the starchy, middle layer and provides energy, and the germ is the nutrient dense core rich in vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. Most store-bought flours remove the bran and germ to extend its shelf life, while freshly milled flour keeps all three parts intact.
Why you'll love fresh milled pancakes
- Amazing flavor. Fresh milled flour has a rich, nutty, slightly sweet flavor that you just don't get from store-bought flour, and because the wheat is milled right before cooking, the pancakes taste noticeably fresher and have so much more flavor.
- The best texture. Just like your any delicious pancake, these fresh milled flour pancakes are still soft, fluffy and tender, but they're a bit more hearty, which I love! The texture is kind of similar to cornbread, in the best way, but still soft and fluffy!
- Full of nutrients. Freshly milled flour retains the bran, germ and endosperm of the grain, which means more protein, fiber, minerals and vitamins in every bite. Unlike refined flour from the grocery store, none of the good stuff has been stripped away. Making freshly milled pancakes nutritionally superior!
Ingredients
See recipe card for full list of ingredients and measurements.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Khorasan wheat. I love using the ancient grain Khorasan wheat, also called Kamut, because of its superior flavor and nutrition. It has a buttery, slightly sweet, nutty taste, and is naturally rich in protein, fiber, and minerals like magnesium, zinc and B vitamins. If you don't have Khorasan, soft white wheat is great substitute.
- Coconut sugar. Coconut sugar adds a subtle caramel-like flavor similar to brown sugar and has a slightly lower glycemic index. You can easily substitute with cane sugar, brown sugar, or granulated sugar if preferred.
- Cinnamon. I love adding just a bit of cinnamon for warmth and flavor. If you use Ceylon cinnamon, it also offers additional health benefits because it's rich in antioxidants and minerals and has antimicrobial properties that support a healthy microbiome.
- Sea salt. I always recommend using an unrefined, mineral-rich sea salt, such as Redmond, Celtic, or Himalayan.
- Milk. If needed, you can substitute with nut milk or coconut milk.
- Butter. If needed, you can substitute with avocado oil.
Variations
- Blueberries. I love to add frozen or fresh blueberries. Gently fold 1-2 cups into the batter once it's mixed, or sprinkle blueberries on each pancake right after pouring the batter onto the skillet.
- Chocolate chips. After you pour the batter onto the skillet, sprinkle chocolate chips over the uncooked side of the pancake. For a fun twist, add sliced banana with the chocolate chips.
- Cinnamon & nuts. Increase the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon and fold a handful of copped walnuts or pecans into the batter.
- Mini kid-friendly pancakes. My toddler loves when I make him mini pancakes that are easy to hold! I use just a couple tablespoons of batter per pancake, and sometimes I'll even make tiny bite-sized ones!
How to make fresh milled pancakes
See recipe card for full instructions.
- Step 1: Combine dry ingredients. Mix fresh milled flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- Step 2: Combine wet ingredients. Mix milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Step 3: Combine dry and wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Let rest 10-15 minutes.
- Step 4: Cook the pancakes. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Grease with butter or oil and add pancake batter. Cook for 1-2 minutes until bubbly, then flip and continue cooking until both sides are browned.
Expert tips
- Mill the flour right before you make the batter. For best flavor and nutrition, mill your wheat berries right before making the pancake batter. Once flour is milled, it begins to oxidize and can lose a significant amount of its nutritional value - up to 45% in 24 hours.
- Avoid over mixing the batter. Stop mixing once the wet and dry ingredients are just combined. While over mixing can affect any pancake batter, Khorasan wheat is especially delicate. Too much mixing can overdevelop the gluten, resulting in dense, tough pancakes instead of light and fluffy ones.
- Let the batter rest. Allow the batter to rest for at least 10-15 minutes before cooking. This gives the bran and germ time to hydrate and allows the gluten to relax, resulting in soft, tender pancakes.
Recipe FAQs
Freshly milled flour pancakes are nutritionally superior to pancakes made with refined flour from the grocery store. Freshly milled flour contains the entire grain, including the bran and germ. This means more protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals that are often lost during commercial processing. Compared to pancakes made with all-purpose flour, fresh milled flour pancakes offer more nutrition in every bite.
Yes, freshly milled flour pancakes have noticeably better flavor! The flour adds a richer, nuttier, slightly sweet and buttery taste in all the best ways.
Fresh milled flour pancakes are best when cooked relatively soon after milling. I recommend cooking the pancakes within 1-2 hours after making the batter; during this time, the batter can be covered and kept in the refrigerator. While freshly cooked pancakes taste best, you can freeze cooked pancakes for a quick, make-ahead breakfast and reheat them as needed.
Storing and reheating
Store leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, or freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3-4 months. Frozen pancakes are perfect for a quick, easy and nutritious breakfast.
Reheat individual pancakes in the toaster until warm on the inside and lightly crispy on the outside. This works with refrigerated or frozen pancakes.
Serving
I love topping these pancakes with lots of butter and maple syrup, then serving them with fresh berries, scrambled eggs and my maple sage venison breakfast sausage. It's a hearty breakfast that's packed with nutrients and protein.
Did you try this recipe?
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Thanks so much! - Rachel
Best Fluffy Fresh Milled Flour Pancakes
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh milled Khorsan wheat (or soft white wheat) 360 g
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar (or cane sugar) 24 g
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 ¼ cups whole milk (or buttermilk) 540 g
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 2 eggs whisked
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the freshly milled flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix with a spatula until just combined. The batter will seem thin at first, but let rest for 10-15 minutes to give the wheat time to absorb the liquid.
- Heat a skillet over medium-low heat and lightly grease with butter or oil. Use a ¼ or ⅓ cup scoop to pour the batter into the skillet. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the underside of the pancakes are golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook an additional minute, or until browned. Add more butter or oil to the skillet as needed and continue cooking remaining batter.
- To keep the pancakes warm while you're cooking, place them on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to lowest temperature, about 170 degrees.
- Serve the pancakes with lots of butter, maple syrup, and your favorite toppings!
Notes
- Coconut sugar. You can substitute with cane sugar, brown sugar, or granulated sugar if needed.
- Sea salt. I always recommend using an unrefined, mineral-rich sea salt, such as Redmond, Celtic, or Himalayan.
- Milk. If needed, you can substitute with nut milk or coconut milk.
- Butter. If needed, you can substitute with avocado oil.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated by a third party software and is only an estimate, not a guarantee. This information is provided as a courtesy, and you are solely responsible for all decisions related to your health.
Nate says
Great recipe! Perfect Pancakes!
Rachel Kochlin says
Once you make these fresh milled pancakes, you'll never want to go back! Not only are these pancakes full of nutrients from the fresh milled flour, but the flavor and texture can't be beat. So so good!