Traditional Pancakes Get a Vegan Recipe Makeover

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Who doesn’t love a short stack of pancakes? There’s more reason to give ’em a try now, with this vegan pancake recipe makeover.

A pancake breakfast is as comforting as it gets, but did you ever take the time to consider what really goes into each cake? This vegan pancake recipe gives your body the nutrition it deserves and needs first thing in the morning so that you can take on the day with your best foot forward. Overall, the pancake has room for vast improvement. Fortunately, I’ve come up with a vegan pancake recipe that not only does a wholesome breakfast justice in terms of each ingredient consumed, but also keeps the ingredient list animal-friendly. 

Because you arise with an empty stomach, whatever you eat first in the morning will set the stage for the day, and pancakes are truthfully not all that nourishing. The typical ingredients in a classic pancakes recipe are white flour, white sugar, butter, eggs and milk. Sure, the list is short and simple, but the white flour and sugar are empty carbohydrates that dehydrate you without the benefit of fiber, and the butter, eggs and milk are difficult to digest, especially when combined with flour.

This vegan pancake recipe replaces white flour with whole-wheat flour, which makes a big difference for digestion. During the refining process, white flour is stripped of its fiber-rich bran and left with only 2.6 grams of fiber per cup. Whole-wheat flour, on the other hand, has 12.8 grams of fiber in the same serving. Another swap is replacing the traditional recipe’s white sugar with a banana. The banana has many roles — it acts as a sweetener and binder and it provides a fluffy texture. The banana also provides you with energy and fiber.

This vegan pancake recipe also calls for frying with coconut oil, which has a high burn temperature and is thus among the healthiest oils to cook with. It also leaves behind a distinct taste you’ll be craving long after the plate is licked. Feel free to adorn your vegan pancakes with toppings of your choice. I like adding fresh fruit and jam. Enjoy!

Easy Vegan Pancakes

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Makes 6-8 pancakes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole-wheat flour (or any flour you like)
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 banana, mashed
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
  • Extra coconut oil for frying

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix together the mashed banana, almond milk, and oil. In a separate, smaller bowl, combine the whole-wheat flour, baking powder and sea salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until evenly combined. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brush the bottom with coconut oil and scoop pancake mixture into pan, two at a time. Cook until bubbles form and then turn each pancake over to cook on the other side. It will take about 1 minute more to cook and then the pancakes are ready to serve. Continue brushing pan with coconut oil and frying the pancakes until the batter is finished.

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 Photo Credit: Dvorty Girl, GlowKitchen