Happy New Year to you! If, like me, you have decided to take on the Veganuary challenge, I’m sure you’re looking for vegan recipe inspiration all over the web.
After a week back at work following Christmas, I wanted to treat myself to a tasty and rich breakfast at the weekend.
I’ve found so far on my vegan journey that cooking involves a fair bit of planning. However, I put this recipe together with just a couple of vegan staples and otherwise usual storecupboard ingredients.
These pancakes accidentally taste like banana bread. I added mashed banana as an egg substitute, but unknowingly, it also adds extra natural sweetness which is a real treat. The banana is also a great energy booster.
I used coconut milk as I wanted my pancakes to be creamy and sweet, but you could use any dairy free milk depending on your preference. A lot of recipes recommend almond milk; I imagine its nutty, earthy flavour would contrast well against the sweet banana and sugar.
The self-raising flour and baking powder together make these pancakes so light and fluffy. Eating them made me feel like I was in the film, Matilda. Whenever I think about thick, American-style pancakes I think of that film. It’s one of my faves.
I adapted this from a non-vegan recipe, which says it should make 4-6 servings. But my version serves 2!
Ingredients
- 140g self-raising flour
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 medium, ripe banana
- 130ml coconut milk (or your preferred dairy-free alternative)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Dairy free spread for frying
- A generous drizzle of Maple syrup and your favourite toppings to serve
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Makes 7-8 pancakes (2 portions)
Method
- Sift the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into a mixing bowl.
- Mash the banana in a jug or bowl and pour in the milk. Stir well with a metal spoon and then add the olive oil. Stir again until smooth. Don’t worry if there’s an occasional lump of banana.
- Tip the milk and banana mix into the dry ingredients and whisk well, until you have a thick batter.
- Put a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat and add a knob of dairy free spread. When it’s melted, pick the pan up and move the spread around so it covers the base of the pan.
- Add slightly less than a ladleful of pancake mixture at a time. You should be able to fit three pancakes in the pan. Cook until golden, roughly 3-5 minutes on each side. Flip them over with a fish slice. When they’re cooked, remove them from the pan and either put in the oven on a low heat to stay warm, or put to one side. Repeat this process until you’ve used up all the batter.
- Serve stacked on a plate with a drizzle of maple syrup and your favourite toppings. I recommend washing them down with a fresh cup of coffee.
This recipe was inspired by BBC Food.