Vegan Breakfast Pancakes For The Whole Family

Who doesn’t love pancakes?! My brother-in-law makes excellent pancakes, and I have been known to have them with butter and vegemite….yep, don’t judge me. These little lovelies are a little different though. They are thicker, almost erring on the side of pikelets, but that’s just semantics. The point is that they are secretly a nourishing breakfast all wrapped up in a cute pancake! Plus they’re delicious.

Packed with quinoa they supply your morning protein boost along with magnesium, B vitamins and iron. Round that out with nourishing and sustaining healthy fats, topped with some extra vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in the form of fruit – perfect!

I have made many versions of these. My daughter likes them straight up, whereas I prefer them layered fancily and adorned with extra berries and maple syrup. Whatever your preference, I hope you enjoy them. They are gluten, egg, dairy and nut free (and yet still delish), and so extremely allergy friendly and make good little lunch box treats if needed. They are simple to make, and extremely adaptable. If you don’t have an ingredient, sub in something else, or if you don’t quite have enough banana for example, they are forgiving enough not to care – just make with what you have. I have made chocolate versions by adding cacao powder, and vanilla is also a good idea. Another fabulous quality of this recipe is that you can mix it up the night before and pop it in the fridge for an even speedier result. And if that wasn’t enough – they freeze beautifully, so make more and keep some to whip out on a whim next week!

Makes 8 small pancakes

2 tbs chia seeds

1 cup quinoa flakes (or rolled oats blitzed up in a blender for a few seconds)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

A pinch of sea salt

1 banana

1 tbs maple syrup or honey

1 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tbs tahini (or any other nut butter, or coconut oil)

1 tbs coconut oil, melted, or at least soft

1/4 cup berries (optional but I highly recommend raspberries)

Put the chia seeds in a small bowl, cover with 6 tablespoons of water and leave to sit for at least 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl combine the quinoa flakes, cinnamon, and salt.

In another bowl mash the banana and then add the maple syrup, lemon juice, tahini, coconut oil and berries if using. Give the chia seeds a stir, and once all of the water has been absorbed, add to the banana mix and whisk together with a fork. Add the banana mix to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Let the mix sit for a few minutes while you heat up a frypan to medium heat.

Add heaped tablespoon sized spoons of the mixture to the pan and gently press down a little until they are the thickness you like. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until golden on the bottom. To turn, you need to encourage the side up onto an egg flip, quickly slide it under and then flip over. They are not the most sturdy pancakes at this stage, but keeping them small will help here. Once the other side is cooked they hold together beautifully.

Eat straight up or I recommend adding extra bits and bobs of your choice, like berries, banana, stewed fruit, yoghurt/coconut yoghurt, you get the idea. Enjoy! x