When it comes to pancakes, I am very VERY picky. I ask...nay...DEMAND the fluffiest, thickest, bounciest pancakes! Filled with endless bubble pockets to capture the inappropriate amount of maple syrup I plan to add. Thick enough to house sweet little blueberries, should I choose to add them. A sturdy enough build so I can stack them one on top of another to Instagram like a pro. An all-around have it any-way-you-like pancake.
And this recipe is it! With this you can have it plane as classic, or throw in some berries, chocolate chips, maybe a little grated apple. Whatever you like! Also, you have the flexibility of choosing your egg replacer, which can alter the type of pancake you make. More on that below:
*NOTE ON EGG REPLACER*
I use VeganEgg from Follow Your Heart
Mix 2 tbsp 'egg' mix with ½ cup ICE water.
This can be found in many health food stores such as Herbs and Nutrition in Toronto. However, if you don't want to use this one, the following are other options you can use. The texture and structure may alter slightly, but it should still turn out fine!
1 egg replacer equivalent:
BANANA: ½ cup pureed banana.
APPLE: ½ cup applesauce.
PUMPKIN: ½ cup cooked pureed pumpkin (great for spiced pancake!)
INGREDIENTS:
1 Egg Replacer of choice *See NOTE ON EGG REPLACER above.
2 tbsp Cane Sugar or Redpath White Sugar
¼ cup Vegetable Oil of choice
1 cup Plant-based Milk of choice
1 tsp Apple Cider or White Vinegar
1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
2 cup All-Purpose Flour
3 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Cinnamon
Now depending on what kind of egg replacement you choose, you can have a little fun with this recipe and customize to some pretty unique and yummy pancakes.
Here are some ideas:
Banana Chocolate Chip
Use Banana egg replacer + ½ tsp more cinnamon + ½ cup chocolate chips.
Warm Apple Spice
Use Apple egg replacer + ½ tsp more cinnamon + ½ tsp powder ginger *For an extra apple boost add ½ cup grated apple
Berry Pumpkin Patch Surprise
Use Pumpkin egg replacer + ½ tsp more cinnamon + ½ cup frozen raspberries.
INSTRUCTIONS: There is no need to pre-heat your pan before making this batter. Actually, the longer you let the batter sit, the fluffier your pancakes will be! This means if you have batter left over, you can place it in a sealed container and save it for later. Trade secret my dear.
1. Mix your egg replacement, sugar, oil, milk and vanilla with a whisk.
2. Throw in the rest of the ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon. If you don't have a wooden spoon...why on earth don't you have a wooden spoon?! Didn't you steal one from your mom's house when you moved out? Well, head over to a Homesense and get some sense to own a wooden spoon in your home!
3. Make sure the batter is not too runny or too dry. It should have a sort of thick bring-the-boys-to-the-yard 'milkshake' consistency. (If you get that joke, congrats. You're old like me) What I mean is that, when you lift some with a spoon and let it drop, it should take a while to fall. If it's too runny, then they will come out too thin. If that's what you like, *shame *shame *shame. *bell toll.
4. Now that you're batter is done it's time to fry. Pay attention, because this part can be tricky. Heat your frying pan on high heat. You know it's ready when you splash some water on it and it sizzles right away. Add a little cooking oil or vegan butter so the pancakes don't stick.
Everyone has their own method, but I like to use an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter, then use the round part of the scoop to move the batter around to make a nice big circle, no bigger than 5 inch. Any bigger and it will be too thin.
5. Turn the heat down to med or med-high heat depending how your stove top runs. You don't want it to cook the pancake too quickly.
You know it's ready to turn over when there are popped bubbles in the batter and the edges are brown and baked. Now, flip it!
6. From here it shouldn't take longer than a few minuets. To check, just poke the pancake. If it bounces back, it's ready. If the indent stays, or you feel raw batter underneath, then wait more.
7. Not really a step, but just repeat step 4 through 7 until you have all the pancakes you want.
Plate, drown in maple syrup, pat of butter, twirl of whipped coconut cream, top with berries and dive into the pleasure!
P.S I apologize for all my wise-cracks on this recipe. I had WAY too much sugar before writing this and I hold no responsibility for my mind on such high glucose levels.