Makes about 8 pancakes
HOORAY, it’s pancake time! I grew up eating pancakes and I’ve tried and tried to re-create them without grain. They simply don’t come out the same, which is why I don’t have any pancake recipes in the Pure section. This was hard for me to digest (so to speak) because I love a good pancake on the weekend. When I was a little girl, not even tall enough to reach the upper cabinets in the kitchen, I would pull a chair over and climb onto the counter and reach up to where my mom kept the pancake mix, and then climb down and make pancakes for the whole family. Of course, those boxed mixes are really nothing more than white flour and sugar, and we will have none of that here. Instead, this recipe, which I created one morning after discovering teff flour, is scrumptious topped with some real maple syrup and honey butter. Teff is an Ethiopian grain that is naturally gluten free, so it is very nutritious. It has a nutty flavor and I think it’s beyond delicious. Try these and you’ll be starting your day full of fiber, protein, and goodness.
½ cup buckwheat flour
½ cup teff flour
¼ cup brown rice flour
½ cup potato starch
2 tablespoons aluminum-free baking powder
½ teaspoon Himalayan salt
1 cup rice milk, coconut milk, or any other additive-free, unsweetened nondairy milk
½ cup water
⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons grape seed oil
1½ teaspoons real maple syrup, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon palm shortening, nondairy butter (such as Earth Balance), or coconut oil, for the pan
Honey Butter (here)
In a small bowl, whisk together all the flours, the potato starch, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the rice milk, water, applesauce, oil, and maple syrup. You may need more or less liquid to get the consistency that you like. Add the wet ingredients to the dry a little at a time and mix just until combined. You might need to experiment. A thin crepe-like pancake with fresh strawberry jam in the center is amazing, but a thick hearty pancake topped with warm maple syrup can make me smile just as wide.
Coat a cast-iron skillet with palm shortening and heat over medium heat until it sizzles when you drop a little water into the pan. Pour three or four portions of batter into the skillet a little at a time for smaller pancakes, or make one large pancake. Cook until bubbles start to form in the center of the pancakes, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn and cook until they are cooked through (peek under one with a spatula to check that it is golden brown), 30 seconds to 1 minute. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
Serve warm with Honey Butter and a gooey splash of maple syrup.