For as long as I can remember, Sunday has been my favorite day of the week. No matter what went on Monday through Saturday, I knew my family would spend time together on Sunday and I looked forward to it every week! We went to church in the morning and always enjoyed good food later on, whether that meant going out to eat or zipping home to cook game day food and watch football.
As I've grown older, I've kept the tradition of going to church and enjoying good food afterwards. When I attended graduate school, I used to make pancakes almost every Sunday after church - it's actually when I developed most of the pancake recipes you see on Hey Foodie Girl. I wouldn't let myself study until I had finished my post-church pancakes, and it always helped me feel refreshed and recharged before heading to the library.
Even now, when we can hardly remember what day it is or how many weeks we've spent at home, I make it a point to step away from the stress of the world on Sunday mornings. I've been attending church virtually and have continued to treat myself to a fun brunch at home. I think it's so important for all of us to find what energizes us and refreshes us before starting a new week. For me, this combination of faith and food has served me well, and I don't intend to stop spending my Sunday mornings this way...ever!
Enough about my Sunday routine...let's talk P A N C A K E S! I love pancakes that are light and crispy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside. I also love pancakes that taste phenomenal and without giving me a crazy sugar crash later on. For that reason, I love experimenting with different healthy pancake recipes. I don't think I'll ever tire of coming up with new pancake recipes, because I definitely won't get sick of eating them...
Without further ado, my latest (and possibly greatest) pancake creation and recipe:
The Best GF/Vegan Pancakes
fill 'em with chocolate chips, blueberries, or whatever your heart desires...
Serves 1
Gluten Free & Vegan
Ingredients
1.5 tablespoons ground flax seed
2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup 1:2:1 gluten free flour (I used Trader Joe's brand)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 heaping tablespoon coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup oat milk
Toppings (blueberries, chocolate chips, or
whatever else sounds good to you)
Method
Make your flax "egg" by stirring together the flax seed and water in a small bowl. Place it in the fridge to help it gel up, and it will take on the consistency of an egg when you make your pancakes.
Melt your coconut oil and set aside.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl with a fork until completely combined. Add in the vanilla, coconut oil, oat milk, and flax egg to the dry ingredients and use the fork to stir until everything is completely combined and you don't see any dry bits of flour in the batter.
Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat and add a bit of coconut oil to the pan to help the pancakes cook without sticking at all. While you do this, the baking powder in the batter will start reacting and your batter will start to get fluffy - it's kind of wild to see! Don't worry - this is what you want to happen because your pancakes will be nice and fluffy.
This recipe makes enough for three small pancakes. Divide the batter into three even-ish pancakes and pour them into the pan. (If your pan isn't big enough to make them all at once, just make them one at a time.) After you pour in the batter, sprinkle your toppings on. Fry the pancakes until they start to bubble around the edges and the bottom side is golden brown. Carefully flip them over and fry until the pancakes puff up and are golden brown.
Enjoy with real maple syrup (duh!) and whatever else you're feeling for brunch.
Did you try this recipe? Leave a comment below and don't forget to share your creation on Instagram! Tag @heyfoodiegirl #heyfoodiegirl and send it to me in a DM if you're private so I can see it. Happy cooking, foodies!