Vegan Pancake Ideas

Pancakes from different cultures made vegan: American-style Banana Pancakes, French-Style Buckwheat Galettes and Moroccan-Style Beghrir

Virtually every nation has some form of ‘pancake’ in their culinary collection. Consider thick American-style leavened pancakes; very thin crêpes in France; yeasted thin pancakes in Northern Africa; thin crespelle in Italy that are often filled; acidic fermented pancakes called Injera in Ethiopia; ancient Chinese savory pancakes; Japanese-style soufflé pancakes; an assortment of Indian-style pancakes, including the popular fermented dosa; Indonesian panekuk, called serabi and made from rice flour and coconut; Eastern European blini; German-style Pfannkuchen (literally meaning ‘pan cake’) plus many more.

Shrove Tuesday (known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday in France, the US and elsewhere) is traditionally known as ‘Pancake Day’ in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries. Because no meat products should be eaten during the period of Lent in Christian religions, pancakes became a simple and popular way to use up the remaining bits of fat.

This week’s recipes honor the tradition of ‘Pancake Day’ and explore different cultural variations worldwide, I am offering my 3 favorite vegan interpretations from different cultures: American-style Banana Pancakes, French-Style Buckwheat Galettes and Moroccan-Style Beghrir. I have also included a list of alternative recipes to explore on the myfreshattitude.com website to inspire you to make some pancakes this week.

Please feel free to leave a comment below or share your creations with me or on your social media sites. I am always happy to hear from you or answer your questions.

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American-Style Banana Pancakes

American-Style Banana Pancakes with Apple-Walnut Compote

It is difficult to make pancakes quicker than these – or even ones that taste better.

You can prepare and enjoy these fresh, hot, tasty and fluffy pancakes in about 15 minutes from start to finish – assuming you have all the ingredients. Now that’s a convenient recipe to turn to when the morning is hectic.

I serve these thick American-style pancakes with a simple fruit sauce or compote – or perhaps a good drizzle of top-grade maple syrup. This recipe scales well – it is easily doubled if you need to feed a hungry household.

Gluten-free versions are also simple to make – just substitute the flour amounts with an equal amount of your favorite gluten-free flour mixture.

Difficulty: simple

Yield: makes 8 medium-sized pancakes

Ingredients

• 100 grams (5 1/2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• pinch of salt

• 160 ml (2/3-cup) soymilk (or any other type of non-dairy milk drink)

• 7 1/2 grams (1 1/2 teaspoons) apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons unprocessed rapeseed oil (optional)

• 2/3 banana, sliced

Instructions

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a medium bowl.

2. In a glass or measuring cup, mix together the soy milk and vinegar. Allow this mixture to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.

3. Add the soymilk mixture to a small blender. Add the oil (if using) and the banana. Process until smooth, then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well to create a smooth batter.

4. Heat a medium-sized, non-stick pan over moderate heat – adding a drop of water to the pan should quickly ball up like mercury. If the water evaporates right away, then your pan is too hot.

5. Coat the pan lightly with unprocessed rapeseed oil. Spoon the pancake batter onto the hot pan – leave enough room in between pancakes to allow enough space to flip them over. Cook the pancakes until bubbles form on the top and the edges appear slightly dry. Turn the pancakes and cook another minute.

6. Enjoy right away with your favorite topping.

Tips

I like to add buckwheat flour as a rustic variation and the hearty flavor it gives to the pancakes. Replace up to 20% of the all-purpose flour with buckwheat flour.

To make these pancakes gluten-free, replace the all-purpose flour with your favorite GF mixture that might include all or a combination of these flours: quinoa, corn, chestnut, GF oats or teff.

Coating the pan with a light film of unprocessed rapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil creates an even golden color on the surface of the pancakes. You can skip this step if you prefer avoiding oils and if your pan is preheated and has a good non-stick surface.

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More Pancake Ideas

• Indian-Style Lentil and Rice Pancakes

• Cannelloni di Crespelle

• Chickpea Pancakes   

Much more vegan food and cooking information at  myfreshattitude.com

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Buckwheat Galettes

Buckwheat Galettes with Pears, Raisins, Pecans and Maple Syrup

Crêpes are essentially a pancake made by cooking a thin layer of batter in a non-stick or special crêpe pan. When the batter is made with buckwheat flour, it is often called galettes – a famous offering in the French region of Brittany.

This recipe is best when the batter is prepared at least 2 hours in advance and allowed to relax so the air beaten into the batter has dissipated. The batter’s flavor and color also improve with time. I generally make the batter the night before I want to serve them, and keep it refrigerated overnight.

Crêpe batters are normally made with eggs to help bind the thin pancakes. Using a small amounts of starch and glutinous fiber (ground flax seeds or psyllium husk) are excellent egg substitutions in this recipe.

Serve buckwheat galettes with fresh fruit and nuts, fruit jam, creams or your favorite savory filling – like mushrooms or wilted greens.

Difficulty: simple

Yield: makes about 12-15 (20-cm/9-inch non-stick pan)

Ingredients

• 300 grams (2 1/2 cups) buckwheat flour

• 1 teaspoon ground flax seed or ground psyllium husk

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 15 grams (2 tablespoons) egg replacer

• 60 ml. (1/4 cup) water

• 4 tablespoons unrefined rapeseed oil

• 650 ml. (2 cups) water or non-dairy milk

Instructions

1. Combine the flour, ground flax or psyllium and salt together.

2. Mix the egg replacer with 60 ml. (1/4 cup) water and allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes.

3. Combine the egg replacer mixture with the oil and 650 ml. (2 1/2 cups) of water or non-dairy milk in a blender. Blend well. Add the dry ingredients to the blender and begin mixing at low speed before gradually increasing the speed to high. The resulting batter should be thin with a pourable consistency. Thin the batter as necessary with more water. Allow the batter to rest for 2 hours or refrigerated overnight.

4. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, lift it off the stove with one hand while pouring a thin stream of batter into the pan with the other hand and simultaneously swirling the pan to coat the bottom evenly with a thin layer of batter. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the top appears completely dry. Carefully flip the galette and cook the other side for roughly 30 seconds. Remove the galette and keep covered with a towel. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm with jam, fresh fruit and nuts, syrup or your favorite savory filling.

Tips

It is possible to make galettes right after making the batter. They will have some small air bubbles and the flavor will be slightly less intensive. The color of the galettes may also appear slightly lighter. The batter may thicken if left overnight in the refrigerator. Thin with 2-3 tablespoons of water and mix well.

It is ok to increase the size of the non-stick pan for this recipe. Larger galettes may have slightly curled edges but that is perfectly ok.

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Beghrir (Moroccan Pancakes)

Beghrir with Orange Blossom Syrup, Oranges, Dates and Almonds

The mind doesn’t often formulate an image of pancakes when it considers Moroccan food. Instead, couscous, rustic tajine preparations or even b’stilla are the recipes people tend to think of more often than pancakes. But Beghrir is extremely popular throughout Morocco – it’s just not often found on a restaurant menu.

These pale-yellow pancakes are made from semolina flour. The batter has yeast in it, which is why the top is covered with tiny holes that loosely resemble honeycomb.

The ingredient list is short and the preparation is simple. The pancakes are cooked on a non-stick surface with little or no oil…and only on one side. If made correctly, Beghrir are very light – perfect with a bit of fresh fruit, dates and almonds.

Difficulty: simple

Yield: makes about 12 pancakes (23-cm/10-inch pan)

Ingredients

• 180 grams 1 1/2 cups) semolina flour

• 90 grams (2/3 cup) all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 750 ml. (3 cups) water

• 12 grams (1 tablespoon) dry yeast

Instructions

1. Combine the semolina flour, all-purpose flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Sift into a clean bowl.

2. Mix together the water and yeast. Stir to slightly dissolve the yeast in the water. Add this liquid mixture to a blender and blend on low for 10-15 seconds. Add the dry ingredients and blend on low to mix, then increase the speed gradually to high. Blend until well mixed – about 20 seconds. Remove the batter to a clean bowl or large measuring cup.

3. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. When the pan is sufficiently hot, pour enough batter into the center of the pan and allow it to spread evenly to the edge of the pan – don’t swirl the pan like a crêpe. Cook only on one side until the top is covered with little bubbles and no wet areas appear on the surface. Lift the pancake out of the pan and onto a clean towel. Allow the pancake to cool slightly, then place it on a plate and keep it covered. Repeat with the remaining batter.

4. Serve warm with maple syrup or with orange wedges stewed in orange blossom syrup (recipe in tips section).

Tip

You can use a smaller pan for this recipe but I suggest avoiding anything larger than 23-cm/10-inch.

Semolina flour is important for this recipe. You can use other kinds of flour but the pancake will lose much of its flavor and color.

A handheld blender or food processor also works instead of a blender. Of course, if you prefer mixing everything by hand also works.

There should not be a need to oil the pan before cooking the pancakes. If the pancakes stick, then it might be necessary to add a light film of oil to the pan before adding the batter.

These pancakes are traditionally served with butter and honey. I find maple syrup – although very much non-Moroccan – also works well. My favorite topping by far is orange wedges stewed in orange blossom syrup. Here’s how to make it: carefully peel two oranges with a knife, making sure to remove the white pith. Cut into wedges and reserve. Add 150 grams (3/4 cup) sugar to a small pan. Add 75 ml. (1/3 cup) water and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 8 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add 60 ml. (1/4 cup) orange blossom water to the sugar syrup. Add the reserved orange wedges along with any orange juice. Allow the oranges to cool in the syrup.

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