Healthy pancakes may sound oxymoronic, but actually they are very possible.
Pancakes are a favorite breakfast food for many of us, and if they can be made healthy, while retaining all of the fluffy, yummy goodness that we love, then why not?
My first step to making pancakes healthier while adding to the taste factor starts with substituting the all-purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour. The improvement in taste is remarkable because the whole grain adds a rich nuttiness. Whole wheat pastry flour, which is made from a light whole grain, is low in gluten and a perfect substitute for all-purpose flour in most baked goods, other than delicate cakes and breads. At the same time it also adds to the nutritive value of any food it goes in because it contains large amounts of fiber and protein.
Flax seed powder mixed with water substitutes for eggs here, and I use soy milk instead of dairy - all healthier options than the ingredients one would normally use while making pancakes. I also use canola oil instead of butter, and the difference is...well, there is none.
My Whole Wheat Pancakes are decadence for breakfast- and they prove that delicious food can be good for you, and vice versa.
Whole Wheat Vegan Pancakes
Ingredients:
Dry:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Mix the dry ingredients well and set aside.
Wet:
1 1/2 cups soy milk
2 tbsp flax seed powder mixed with 6 tbsp water
3 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Mix together the wet ingredients and add to the dry. Mix gently until the dry ingredients are just moistened. There should be some lumps remaining in the batter.
Heat a nonstick or cast-iron griddle. Smear lightly with a few drops of canola oil. Pour about 1/4 cup of the batter on the griddle and let it cook until bubbles appear at the top of the pancake and the underside is golden-brown. Flip over with a spatula and cook the other side until it is lightly browned.
Serve hot with a pat of vegan spread and maple syrup.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Whole Wheat Pancakes
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13 comments:
Hi Vaishali,
I have a doubt again:) I don't seem to find flax seed powder where we live. Is there any other substitute (other than bananas)?
Hi Latha, Tofu makes a decent egg substitute, although I'll confess I've never used it in pancakes. You could use 1/4 cup of silken tofu in place of 1 egg. In this recipe, that would equal about 1/2 cup of tofu, first blended smooth, then added to the ingredients. If you decide to try it, I'd love to hear how it worked out!
Well, I know it is quite past the date this recipe was posted but I have been trying my hand at several vegan pancake recipes since I turned vegan a year ago and can I just say...WOW!!! Thank you for a fabulous and tasty recipe and my only complaint is that I will eat far too many pancakes now. :) I substituted unsweetened almond milk for soy and olive oil for canola and they came out absolutely delicious! Thanks again!!
Anonymous, I am so happy you liked the pancakes. And if you do eat too many, don't worry because you can always tell yourself they are good for you :) Thanks for the feedback- I always appreciate it.
I just made these for Father's Day breakfast as I wanted something delicious but healthy. I topped them with fresh strawberries and bananas and a teensy bit of maple syrup. Delicious!
Heather, A topping of strawberries and bananas sounds delicious. I am so glad you enjoyed the pancakes.
Some vegan pancakes are gummy and chewy, but these are light and fluffy and wonderful. This has become my go-to Saturday morning breakfast, and I just wanted to thank you for posting it. :)
We had these pancakes yesterday. They were wonderful!
Thanks for the recipe.
The pastry flour does make a huge difference.
I love these! Absolutely the best vegan pancakes I've ever had. Thank you so much! :) I've made it the recipe-of-the-week on my blog: http://jeccabellezza.blogspot.com/2009/06/recipe-of-week-healthy-pancakes.html
Hi Vaishali,
I'm so glad to have found your blog. My toddler is allergic to dairy and eggs and I've struggled to find recipes that win his approval. But for a while now your blog has become my go-to source for all new recipes. I tried your whole wheat pancake recipe this morning and he ate two full pancakes!! You have one very grateful mother as your fan.
TheCooker, Jecca, Thanks for the feeddback and so glad you liked them.
Pooja, so thrilled to read your son love them-- passing the kid test is never easy, and I'm honored :) Thanks for letting me know!
Hi Vaishali, Thanks for all your wonderful recipes. I just made these pancakes and they tasted great, but did not come out as fluffy as other commenters' did. I'm wondering if it's because I used flax meal - is this not the same as flax powder? I'm thinking maybe I could use my coffee grinder to grind it to a finer consistency. Thanks for you help :)
Hi Andrea, Here are a couple of possibilities: it is likely that the leavening agent you used--the baking powder-- might not have been fresh. The other possibility is that you might have overmixed the batter, which would have activated the gluten in the flour. I doubt that the flax had anything to do with it. In fact, flax meal and flax powder are one and the same-- I use the words interchangeably. It doesn't need to be too fine. I usually grind mine in a coffee grinder to a coarse consistency.
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