As a kid, I looked forward to Sunday breakfast because that usually meant pancakes! We used Betty Crocker’s Bisquick mix to whip up a batch in the blender, fry them up in a skillet with a few generous glug-glugs of oil or Crisco, and then I’d slather the finished product in Aunt Jemima’s syrup.
I rarely make pancakes these days, and when I do, I make the batter from scratch and I rely primarily on fruit to provide the sweetness. Here, I used just-harvested red apples and seedless red grapes to make a fresh, hot topping for these cakes. I encourage you to put away the maple syrup, honey, jam, or whatever you normally use to top your stack. I swear you won’t miss it.
So what’s Einkorn flour? Only THE most ancient grain on the planet. And it’s still unadulterated. And much lower in gluten than modern wheat, to the point where even those with gluten sensitivities might be able to consume it without trouble. I could go on and on about how wonderful this stuff is to work with and how tasty it is, but you really need to try it out for yourself. Fluffy. Light. Mmmmmmm.
It’s pretty easy to find Einkorn products on the internet. We buy it on Amazon and usually get the Jovial brand. I used their pasta in this recipe, and their wheat berries in this soup. Totally delicious!
Did I mention that these pancakes are vegan? Yep. No eggs or milk. Instead, I used a banana to hold everything together – which worked out amazingly well. And I swapped out unsweetened vanilla soy milk for the other stuff. You could use almond, coconut, or any other vegan milk.
If you want to learn more about Einkorn and see tons of awesome recipes using it, I suggest you check out The Einkorn Cookbook by Shanna and Tim Mallon. I keep a copy on my shelf within reach and feel inspired every time I open the cover.
I also came across this blog post by Sarah Pope, The 4 Reasons Why I Switched to Einkorn Wheat, which I recommend if you’re interested in finding out more about the history of wheat and the potential benefits of eating Einkorn.
Ingredients (serves 5 – makes about 10 pancakes)
1 cup Einkorn flour (or whole wheat flour)
1 ripe banana
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ to 1 cup unsweetened vanilla soy or almond milk
cooking oil (optional)
Compote Ingredients
2 cups diced red apple (about 2 medium apples)
2 cup seedless red grapes (cut in half)
½ cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
Directions
1. Place the compote ingredients in a small sauce pan, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low, remove the lid, and let cook for another 20 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. When most of the liquid is gone, stir in the arrow root powder and remove from the heat. Cover and let sit until ready to use.
2. While the compote is cooking, break the banana into chunks and place in a blender or food processor. Add ¼ cup of the milk and blend until completely smooth. Then add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and another ½ cup of milk. Blend until smooth. If batter is too thick, add more milk 1 tablespoon at a time until correct consistency is achieved.
3. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Fill a ¼ cup measuring cup about 2/3 full of batter and pour into the center of the pan. Use the back of the cup to gently spread the batter in a circular motion until it is about 4 to 5 inches round. Cook for about 2 minutes until the surface is covered with bubbles, then flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. When cooking without oil, I found it easier to cook 1 pancake at a time in the center of the pan.
4. If you want to cook with oil, pour the batter in the pan and then drizzle a small amount of oil around the edges of the pancake so the edges turn golden brown and crisp up slightly.
5. Serve pancakes and compote topping hot immediately. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 – 2 days. Garnish with a sprinkle of shredded coconut!
shanna mallon says
Awesome! I am alllll about pancakes that look like this. What a great use of einkorn! : )
shanna mallon recently posted…Tim’s Italian Meatballs with Red Sauce and Roasted Vegetables
Amy says
Thanks, Shanna! Your book has been so inspiring – love everything about it!