Sunday is pancake day at our house and we are very picky. It has taken over a year of testing mixes and recipes to finally end up with one that consistently pleases. In my mind, and to my taste testing volunteers, this recipe tastes better than others even if you are not trying to go vegan. It does take a bit more thought and planning but the taste is worth the effort.

To make this more convenient, I make up 6 batches of this at a time in individual zip lock bags or mason jars that I store in the freezer. Pull out a baggie/jar, mix up the dry ingredients with a fork, add the oil and water and you’re ready to cook.

Vegan Pancakes

1 cup sprouted grain flour (nuts.com has a good one here or One Degree organic foods or King Arthur )

¾ cup All Purpose organic flour

¼ cup organic yellow Masa Harina corn flour

¼ cup coconut flour

¼ cup buckwheat flour

4 tablespoons coconut sugar

6 tsp. aluminum free baking powder

1 very rounded tablespoon ground flax seed

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 rounded tablespoon lemon zest (from organic lemon if possible)

1 tsp. sea salt

2 ½ cups warm water

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

(Optional) 1 cup fresh blueberries

Mix all the dry ingredients (and the blueberries if you go that route) together and make a well in the center of the bowl. Into the well, pour the melted coconut oil and warm water. Fold the wet into the dry being careful not to over mix the batter. Here is the consistency you are looking to achieve. Depending on humidity and the flours you are using, you may need slightly more or less water than specified in the recipe. I pour about 2 of the 2 ½ cups of water into the dry ingredients then mix gently to get a feel for it, then adjust as needed.

Ladle onto a hot skillet (this is my ceramic skillet from Scanpan shown here) lightly greased with coconut oil spray and cook on one side until bubbly then flip and cook until the other side is lightly browned.

Transfer to warm plate and serve.

In case you are wondering about some of the ingredients, here is the inside story. Sprouted wheat flour improves the digestibility and increases the amount of nutrients your body can get from the grain. It lowers the glycemic index of the wheat so that it doesn’t spike blood sugar the way regular flour does and has lowering effects on cholesterol. I find it needs to be mixed with some all purpose flour to get the right texture and air pockets.

Masa Harina is finely ground corn flour made from lime treated corn. Treating with lime turns the corn  into a digestible grain that is sweeter, softer and holds onto moisture better in baked items. Regular corn flour is not usually lime treated so check the label.

Coconut flour increases sweetness while adding additional protein in an easily digestible form. It does not give the final pancake a coconut taste according to my tasters in case you are concerned. Coconut sugar adds inulin, a pre-biotic fiber, that helps your good gut bacteria to thrive while having a lower glycemic index than regular sugar. The coconut oil must be melted and the water warm to mix well and stay a liquid in the recipe.

Buckwheat flour is gluten free and lends a hearty and full flavor to the cakes. All baking powder should be, but sadly is not,  aluminum free due to the link  between ingested aluminum and dementia. Check your pantry and make the switch if you need to.

Ground flax seeds (always store in the freezer or the oils go rancid), serve as a binder while contributing healthy omega 3 fatty acids from it’s alpha-linolenic acid , fiber and antioxidant lignans.

Cinnamon, besides being tasty, helps control blood sugar. Lemon zest sparks up the whole flavor of this recipe so please don’t leave it out. Zest organic lemons if you can since you will be eating whatever chemicals they put on the rind. It also helps the baking powder to bubble by adding some acid. I freeze zest in a zip lock or small shaker so it’s always ready to add. In a pinch you could use lemon juice but it does not have the same amazing aroma as the zest.

So there you have it, pancakes both as healthy and delicious as I can make them. Also good for dinner 🙂