pancakes

Vegan Sweet Potato Pancakes

Vegan Sweet Potato Pancakes

Once upon a time, a long long time ago, I would go visit my brother in North Carolina and he would make us sweet potato pancakes. He made them from a mix that he was able to find in his local grocery store, and I was never able to find in Florida (this was pre Amazon Prime being the norm, so basically the Ice Ages.)

This was long ago, and I am certain they were not vegan, but man, they were so delicious and I looked forward to eating them every visit. For whatever reason it NEVER occurred to me to try and make my own until about a week ago.

I often pre bake sweet potatoes for smoothies or for my husband to reheat for a quick week day lunch, but we had 8 that had yet to be eaten. Then, a light bulb went off and I finally decided to try and recreate the beloved sweet potato pancakes of my past. Well y’all, it worked. They are easy and delicious. You do need mashed sweet potatoes to make this recipe, so I highly recommend baking up some during the week and just popping them in the fridge for these pancakes, a sweet potato pie smoothie, or ever quick and easy sweet potato quesadillas. There are a ton of ways to use up baked sweet potatoes, but for now I think this recipe will be on constant rotation!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

  • 4 tablespoons white sugar (If vegan, not plant based, make sure the brand you use is in fact vegan, not all white sugars are. I use Florida Crystals)

  • 4 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 2 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

  • 2 1/2 cups plant based milk

  • 2 tablespoon melted vegan butter

  • 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes ( baked, then removed from skin and mashed)

Vegan Sweet Potato Pancakes

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Whisk all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

  2. Add in the melted butter, plant based milk, vanilla, and stir well. Finally, stir in the mashed sweet potatoes.

  3. Heat a large skillet or electric griddle on medium heat. Add a teaspoon of vegan butter or spray the pan with cooking oil. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop out batter into the skillet, 3-4 pancakes at time.

  4. Let pancakes cook until tiny bubbles begin to form and pop, once this happens they are ready to flip. Cook on the other side for another minute or two, until cooked through.

  5. Repeat, adding more butter or oil to the pan as needed, until all batter is used.

If you like this recipe, try these:

 

Vegan Blueberry Pancakes with Sweet Lemon Ricotta

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Have I mentioned how much I love summer! It yields all of my favorite fruits, and picking our own makes me feel so much more accomplished!

Every year in May we drive 45 minutes north to a local organic blueberry farm and we pick blueberries until we can no longer stand the heat.

We live in Florida, so by May the temps are easily already into the 90s. This means we maybe can last an hour tops before everyone is melting and miserable. The heat, and bugs are well worth the reward, though.

Affordable, beautiful, organic blueberries, pound and pounds of them. I have 4 kids, so thats a lot of hands for picking!

So instead of just making the obvious but favorite blueberry pancake this weekend, I decided to step up my game, and made these beautiful and delicious vegan lemon blueberry compote pancakes with sweet lemon ricotta! I am always looking for recipes to pile sweet tofu ricotta on top of, and these pancakes were the perfect fit.

They were such a hit that I have a feeling we will be eating these all summer! I mean after all, we have 16 lbs of blueberries to get through!!!

If it happens to not be summer time or you can’t get your hands on fresh blueberries, no worries, frozen will work just as well. Like I said, we picked a ton and there will still be some in my freezer come winter. I really love making recipes like this in the colder months as a bright and happy pick me up.

In the south, winter time is actually citrus season, so finding nice fresh lemons in the winter months should be super easy!! I end up making a lot of citrus themed recipes in the winter, which is perfect for cold and flu season. We need all the vitamin C we can get to fight off all those sniffles!!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

  • 4 tablespoons white sugar (If vegan, not plant based, make sure the brand you use is in fact vegan, not all white sugars are. I use Florida Crystals)

  • 4 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2 1/2 cups plant based milk

  • 2 tablespoons melted vegan butter

  • zest from 1 lemon

  • 3/4 cups fresh or thawed frozen blueberries

Lemon Ricottta:

  • 1 block firm tofu

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup, or a few tablespoons agave

  • Juice from 1 lemon

  • zest from 1 lemon

Blueberry Compote:

  • 1 and 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

  • 1/2 cups refined sugar

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. For the compote: place blueberries and sugar in a medium sauce pan over medium. Mash up the blueberries some using the back of a spoon. Allow the berries to come to a simmer. Let them continue to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and allowing the liquid to reduce. After 20 minutes turn off the stove and let the berries cool in the pot.

  2. For the pancakes: Whisk all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

  3. Add in the melted butter, plant based milk, vanilla, and stir well.

  4. Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add a teaspoon of vegan butter or spray the pan with cooking oil. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop out batter into the skillet, 2 or 3 pancakes at time. Sprinkle 4-5 blueberries on top of each pancakes. This works better than mixing them into the batter because they like to sink to the bottom.

  5. Let pancakes cook until tiny bubbles begin to form and pop, once this happens they are ready to flip. Cook on the other side for another minute or two, until cooked through.

  6. Repeat, adding more butter or oil to the pan as needed, until all batter is used.

  7. For the ricotta: Drain the tofu, and break it into a few pieces. Add it along with the sweetener, lemon juice, and zest to a high speed blender, and blend until creamy and smooth.

  8. To serve, stack 3 or 4 pancakes and top with blueberry compote, lemon tofu ricotta, and extra lemon zest if you like.

Serves 4 - 6.

If you like this recipe, try these:

Vegan Orange Creamsicle Pancakes

Vegan Banana Pudding Pancakes

Vegan Samoa Pancakes

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Vegan Banana Pudding Pancakes

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If you are even remotely southern, you have probably had classic banana pudding in your lifetime.

Sweet vanilla pudding, sliced bananas, vanilla wafter cookies, topped with the most perfect, light and fluffy, golden brown peeked meringue!

It’s a work of art and a thing of beauty. I dream about banana pudding at night. So what is one to do when they can’t wait for dessert? You turn your favorite dessert into breakfast, obviously!

So may I introduce you to the vegan banana pudding pancakes! Perfectly fluffy pancakes, vanilla pudding, bananas, crushed vegan vanilla wafers. and sweet aquafaba meringue! I can not think of a better way to start my day than with these pancakes!

INGREDIENTS:

For the pudding:

  • 3 1/2 cups diary free milk ( we used almond)

  • 1/4 cup tapioca or corn starch

  • 3/4 cups sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • pinch of salt

For the Pancakes:

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

  • 4 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon vanila extract

  • 2 tablespoons melted butter

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 2 1/2 cups non dairy milk

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the aquafaba meringue according to instructions and set aside

  2. Add the ingredients for the pudding to a medium/large sized pot. Whisk in the starch so there are no lumps, and heat the mixture over medium heat. Continue to stir the mixture for about 5 minutes or until it has thickened to thin pudding consistency. You don’t want the pudding too thick because you want to be able to drizzle it over the pancakes. Once pudding has thickened, remove from stove top and set aside.

  3. Whisk dry pancake ingredients together. Add in the wet ingredients and mix until there are no lumps.

  4. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of butter or some spray oil to the pan. Once the pan is nice and hot, scoop out pancake batter using a 1/4 cup measuring cup. Do not over crowed the pan. When tiny bubbles form and pop in the batter, the pancakes are ready to flip. If you notice the pancakes are too dark or beginning to burn, reduce the heat on your stove. Repeat with remaining pancake batter.

  5. On a baking sheet, make stacks of pancakes 3-4 high. If you want you can spread a little pudding between each pancake in the stack. I think it makes them extra yummy, but you can also just wait and drizzle it on at the end. Scoop a large dollop of sweet aquafaba whip on top of each stack. Set oven to broil. Once the coils are red in the oven, place the pan inside and DO NOT TAKE YOUR EYES OFF OF THE PANCAKES FOR EVEN A SECOND!!!! You just want the meringue to brown at the peeks. it will go from beautiful golden brown, to inedible black char in a matter of seconds, so once the aquafaba has started to brown, remove the pan from the oven.

  6. Using a spatula, transfer pancakes to a plate. Drizzle each pancake stack with vanilla pudding, and top with sliced bananas and crushed cookies.

Serves 4-6

Vegan Chocolate, Coconut, Caramel Pancakes (The Samoas)

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Once again when Girl Scout cookie season is in full swing, I am left craving my favorite cookie from days of old.

Although the Girl Scouts do offer some delicious vegan cookie options, none hold a candle in my opinion to the gooey, coconutty, chocolatey, Samoa!

Naturally we needed to think outside the box and get creative, so we took all that goodness and turned it into a pancake!

These perfectly fluffy vegan pancakes are covered in vegan chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, sweet aquafaba whip and toasted coconut. I mean come on!! These things are amazing!

Don’t worry, if you feel guilty eating these for breakfast, just make them for dessert or brunch. These vegan Samoa pancakes are a thing of beauty and really do help take your mind off of the legendary forbidden cookie.

And if you haven’t tried some of the Girl Scouts vegan cookies, give them a whirl, they really are good. I mean, I will never turn down a thin mint!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

  • 2 tablespoons white sugar (If vegan, not plant based, make sure the brand you use is in fact vegan, not all white sugars are. I use Florida Crystals)

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 1/4 cup plant based milk

  • 1 tablespoon melted vegan butter

  • 1 cup vegan chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate, divided in half

  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil, or vegan butter for the chocolate sauce

  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut, toasted

Sweet Aquafaba Whip: (you could also use canned vegan whip cream)

  • liquid from 1 can of chickpeas

  • 3/4 cups sugar

  • 1/3 teaspoon cream of tarter

Easy Vegan No Cook Caramel:

  • 1/2 cup dried dates

  • 1/4 cup canned coconut cream

  • 1/3 cup maple syrup

  • pinch of salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. For the Sweet Aquafaba whip: Add sugar and chickpea liquid to a microwave safe container. Microwave for thirty seconds at a time, stirring each time until the sugar is dissolved. Add all of the ingredients to a stand mixer and mix for about 10 minutes until stiff peaks form and the whip is glossy. You can also do this in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer. It takes a good bit longer for aquafaba whip cream than it does basic aquafaba because of the sugar. Trust me when I say it’s worth the effort. It is like a marshmallowy/whip creamy perfect cloud of magic. I highly suggest trying a batch. You may never go back to coconut whip cream!

  2. For the Caramel: Add the ingredients for the caramel to a food processor or blender. You may have trouble getting it to process in your blender because it is a small volume of ingredients. If you do not have a food processor, I suggest doubling the ingredients so you have enough volume that your blender will break it down. Let’s be real, I’m sure you can find plenty of ways to use up the extra! Store caramel in the fridge 1 - 2 weeks.

  3. For the Pancakes: Whisk all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

  4. Add in the melted butter, plant based milk, vanilla, and stir well.

  5. Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add a teaspoon of vegan butter or spray the pan with cooking oil. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop out batter into the skillet, 2 or 3 pancakes at time. Sprinkle each pancake with some of the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. You will only use half of the chocolate for pancakes.

  6. Let pancakes cook until tiny bubbles begin to form and pop, once this happens they are ready to flip. Cook on the other side for another minute or two, until cooked through.

  7. Repeat, adding more butter or oil to the pan as needed, until all batter is used.

  8. Take the other half of the chocolate that you reserved, along with the teaspoons of coconut oil or vegan butter in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well and repeat microwaving at 30 second intervals time until chocolate has melted.

  9. Add coconut to a skillet and heat over medium heat, stirring continuously until the coconut begins to brown. Remove coconut from the pan once it is toasted.

  10. Stack 3 - 4 pancakes on a plate, topping with sweet aquafaba whip and coconut. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and camel to serve.

Serves 3 - 4. but the pancake batter can be easily doubled!

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Vegan Orange Creamsicle Pancakes

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We have 4 kids, so we eat a lot of pancakess in this house. That said, I am always trying to think up new toppings to keep it interesting.

I am not a huge fan of maple syrup on my pancakes so fruit is normally a go to. I also LOVE orange creamsicle flavored anything, so it seemed like a natural answer to my most recent pancake breakfast ponderings!

Ringing in the new year, I am also making a conscience effort to cut as much refined sugar from our diets as I can.

So these pancakes are not only delicious but also pretty healthy! If you have never made a sweet tofu ricotta, I promise you will probably be surprised and delighted by just how tasty it is!

Winter time is also citrus season where we live, and its cara cara orange season! I love using up those beautiful pinkish red, flavorful oranges any way I can! Seriously, if you have never eaten this particular orange, go, search, find them and buy them all! They are soooo delicious!

So whip up a batch of these low sugar, protein packed vegan pancakes and let me know what you think!

INGREDIENTS:

The Pancakes

  • 2 tablespoons agave nectar

  • 3/4 cups white flour

  • 3/4 cups whole wheat or spelt four

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 1/4 cups plant based milk

  • 1 tablespoon melted vegan butter or coconut oil

  • sliced almonds for garnish ( do not add to the pancake mix)

Orange Syrup

  • 2 large seedless oranges ( I used cara cara navel oranges)

  • 1 cup water

  • 3 tablespoons agave nectar

Sweet Vanilla Ricotta

  • 1 block firm tofu

  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup

  • Juice from 1/2 lemon

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • pinch of salt

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. FOR THE ORANGE SYRUP: Peel oranges. Cut oranges into quarters and place in a high speed blender or food processor. Process until the oranges are liquified. In a medium sized pot add the orange, water, and agave. Heat on medium heat, whisking often for about 20 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken and seems sticky. Set aside to cool.

  2. FOR THE PANCAKES: Whisk all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

  3. Add in the melted butter, plant based milk, vanilla, and stir well.

  4. Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add a teaspoon of vegan butter or spray the pan with cooking oil. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop out batter into the skillet, 2 or 3 pancakes at time.

  5. Let pancakes cook until tiny bubbles begin to form and pop, once this happens they are ready to flip. Cook on the other side for another minute or two, until cooked through.

  6. Repeat, adding more butter or oil to the pan as needed, until all batter is used.

  7. FOR THE RICOTTA: Add all of the ricotta ingredients to a hight speed blender or food processor and blend until the mixture is completely smooth. Taste for sweetness. You can add more maple syrup if it is not sweet enough for you.

  8. Top pancakes with a scoop of vanilla ricotta, drizzle with the oranges syrup, and sprinkle with sliced almonds to serve.

Serves 3 - 4. The pancake recipe can easily be doubled to serve more. The ricotta and syrup will serve more and will not need to be doubled.

Light and Fluffy Vegan Pancakes

Light and Fluffy Vegan Pancakes

Pancakes shouldn’t be rocker science, vegan or otherwise.

So why is it that I have made and eaten some really awful pancakes in my time?

When I was. a kid I thought Bisquick was the only way one made a pancake, because that was the only way we made them…that or frozen pancakes.

I remember once I moved out going and buying a box of Bisquick to make pancakes for my roommates and having to call my mom and ask her how to actually make them. Like why are they falling apart, what am I doing wrong…ITS JUST A PANCAKE. That was the day I learned you had to wait of the batter to bubble and those bubbles to pop before you could flip them. Thanks mom!

I have probably googled and made 100 different pancake recipes in my life, and two thirds of those recipes were mostly garbage. Too dense, not fluffy, too flat, too gummy and so on.

So why is it so hard to make a decent vegan pancake? Well, its really not, actually. And once you find a good recipe, take my advice and just stick to it!

A decent vegan pancake in my opinion is light, fluffy, and buttery. Not too sweet, and can hold an add in (blueberries, chocolate chips, nuts, and so on) no problem.

So here we are all these years later and I have, in my opinion, made a pretty darn good, and easy vegan pancake to meet all the above criteria. No Bisquick required.. You can sprinkle in a chocolate chips, or berries, you can top them, or just drowned them in melted butter and maple syrup.

This recipe is simple and works every time I have ever made them. Just make sure not to flip these vegan pancakes until you see tiny bubbles form and pop! Some wise motherly pancake advice form Joanie that I am sure others needed to hear, too.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

  • 2 tablespoons white sugar (If vegan, not plant based, make sure the brand you use is in fact vegan, not all white sugars are. I use Florida Crystals)

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 1/4 cup plant based milk

  • 1 tablespoon melted vegan butter

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Whisk all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

  2. Add in the melted butter, plant based milk, vanilla, and stir well.

  3. Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add a teaspoon of vegan butter or spray the pan with cooking oil. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop out batter into the skillet, 2 or 3 pancakes at time.

  4. Let pancakes cook until tiny bubbles begin to form and pop, once this happens they are ready to flip. Cook on the other side for another minute or two, until cooked through.

  5. Repeat, adding more butter or oil to the pan as needed, until all batter is used.

Serves 3 - 4