I must say, my kids put up with a lot with my Saturday morning pancakes because I am forever experimenting. Today, I realised I was out of eggs and thought it was a perfect time to try an egg substitute – the flax egg replacer. I also realised that these pancakes could be a complete bomb and was trying to convince myself as I continued preparing them that my kids would love them and would not firmly state how disgusting they were.
For every egg needed, use 1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 3 tbsp water and let sit 10 minutes. That simple. I like to throw some banana into the recipe too to help it bind. But make sure you use a high speed blender to process the banana into the milk otherwise my kids find the banana taste too strong.
Before I get into the recipe, I have to say how much I love my le creuset pancake griddle pan. It is cast iron, but when seasoned properly it becomes non-stick (never wash it with soap, just run it under warm water with a cloth, otherwise you remove the natural, non-stick finish that builds up). The reverse is a grill pan (with ridges). For all of you non-stick lovers out there, I’m sorry, but I just can’t get over that “they” say it’s safe as long as it’s not scratched. I don’t think I’ve seen a non-stick pan that is not scratched; and, what about the tiny, microscopic not visible to the human eye scratches? If fumes from teflon is enough to kill a bird it’s enough to deter me from wanting to use it. And I feel good about that decision. I think it’s important we all make decisions in life that we feel good about.
Before I go any further, again, I should say that my kids LOVED these pancakes. They thought they were better than my regular recipe (as of late) that contains 2 eggs. I don’t have a problem with eggs, but a lot of people do. It’s great to give them a break but even better to have a solution for the Saturday mornings when I open the fridge and see no eggs. No more running to the village market corner store in my pyjamas for me, yay.
Today, this batch was on the thinner side, but the same recipe can result in thick or thin pancakes, I find. It can depend on the humidity in the air as well as how long the batter is left to sit, etc… So if you like thicker pancakes, don’t be discouraged. And if they turn out thin you can always just stack 5 or 6 on top of each other.
gluten free, dairy free, vegan, nut free, guilt free
vegan pancakes
makes 12 med-large pancakes
• 2 cups gluten free flour* (I always experiment with flour; today, I used 1 cup Bob Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free flour and 1 cup Sorghum flour; however, safe & easy would be to use 2 cups of the Bob Red Mill All Purpose mix – not their 1:1 mix.)
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 c milk (I used almond milk)
• 2 tbsp honey or amber maple syrup
• 2 tbsp oil (I use avocado oil as it withstands high temperatures)
• 1/2 banana **optional
• 2 tbsp ground flax seed
• frozen PC Organics (Loblaws) wild blueberries and raspberries, optional
*If you don’t care about gluten free by all means use your favourite flour. Whole Spelt flour is a super healthy choice, and is often tolerated by wheat or gluten intolerant.
** I have made these without the banana and they were just fine – my kids couldn’t tell the difference.
HEAT
pancake griddle pan or skillet over medium heat
EGG SUBSTITUTE
place 2 tbsp ground flax in a small bowl; mix in 6 tbsp of water and let sit 10 minutes
MIX IN A LARGE BOWL
the first three, dry ingredients together
BLEND
2 c of milk with 1/2 a banana
ADD
oil, sweetener and flax egg – pulse to mix
POUR
wet ingredients from the blender into the dry ingredients and combine
Make sure you wait till you see bubbles throughout the entire pancake before flipping it. Serve with thawed (my kids prefer them frozen) wild blueberries and raspberries (I put some in a small pot on the stove on low while the pancakes are cooking) and amber maple syrup. We used to put plain yogurt on our pancakes – it’s great with fresh berries and maple syrup over top. Enjoy xo
