Perfect Pancakes (Vegan and Gluten Free)

Vegan pancakes are easy. Throw gluten free into the mix and things get tricky. I have tried countless recipes for a vegan gluten free pancake and have incorporated bits and pieces into one awesome recipe. These are amazing with Earth balance vegan butter and maple syrup. Stud them with blueberries, nuts, or chocolate chips for even more flavor.

The most important element to this recipe is the buckwheat that I use. I originally used Arrowhead Mills buckwheat flour. The problem is that it has a gray color, due to the fact that the buckwheat hull is black. So my pancakes were grey. Tasty, but very gray. I looked at multiple health food stores to see if there was a bleached or white buckwheat flour, but found nothing. What I did find was this:

*Hodgson Mill Buckwheat hot cereal?? Hmmm, it's not grey. Not grey at all! I can work with this. All you have to do is grind the buckwheat cereal in a coffee grinder. I have an old one that I use specifically for tasks such as this one. This recipe also calls for gluten free oat flour. If you can't find or don't have pre-ground oat flour, you can grind regular old fashioned quick cooking oats in the same way.

Okay on to the recipe!

Perfect Vegan Gluten Free Pancakes

(Makes about 6 pancakes)

 Ingredients

1-1/2 cups almond milk (or any vegan milk)
1/2 cup cashews
1/4 cup oil (coconut, vegetable, canola etc. )
1 flax egg (2 tablespoons ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup water or almond milk)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoom baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup gluten free oat flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour*

Heat the almond milk over low heat until warm to the touch. Add the cashews and let them soak in the almond milk for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the flax egg.

Place the cashews, almond milk, flax egg, oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla in a blender. Blend until completely smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine baking soda, baking powder, salt, gluten free oat flour and buckwheat flour. Stir.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until combined.

Heat a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Coat the pan with a thin layer of oil. Use about 1/2 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook on each side until browned.

I'm Back!!

Dear Blog. It really is nice to see you. It has been such a long time! So much has changed since we last spoke. Because there have been some major changes around here, Blog, and I got to be honest, this affects you too. We need to talk. I have a confession to make.

I have gone...

VEGAN.

Dun Dun DUNNNNNNNN


This is actually very similar to the conversation I had with one of my closest friends about a year ago. She lives a few hours away. Life had been busy for both of us and we weren't talking as regularly as usual. She was home for Thanksgiving and we were out to lunch.

Avid lovers of goat cheese, bacon and gelato, we shared many a beautiful moment appreciating delicious dishes together. And I had to tell her that I was now vegan.

It was actually akin to breaking up with someone. I had to prepare myself for the inevitable heartbreak that I would undoubtedly cause. I said I had something to tell her, and she wasn't going to like it. After the initial shock of realizing that our food sharing ways may have come to an end and explaining the reasons why I chose to do this, our friendship has survived, of course.

One thing that didn't survive the vegan shock is this blog. I completely stopped posting. Vegan cooking was all new to me. After many failed experiments and just as many triumphs, I finally feel confident enough in this new style of cooking to start posting my favorite new recipes.

My revamped blog will have recipes, restaurant reviews, and other useful tips and tricks for vegan and gluten free cooking. I am truly amazed at the delicious food that I am still able to eat and I hope to share what I have learned with anyone who needs it!