Okay, so today I’m gonna share my adventure with making vegan and gluten-free pancakes using coconut flour. Let me tell you, it was a journey! I’m not a pro baker or anything, just a regular person who likes pancakes and has some dietary restrictions.
It all started when I was craving pancakes, like, REALLY craving them. But I’m trying to eat less gluten and also avoid dairy. So, I hit the internet, and coconut flour pancakes seemed like a promising option. I saw a bunch of recipes, and they all looked kinda similar, so I picked one that seemed simple enough.
The ingredients I gathered:
- Coconut flour (duh!)
- Plant-based milk (I used almond)
- Flaxseed meal (for a vegan “egg”)
- Maple syrup (for a little sweetness)
- Baking powder (gotta get that rise!)
- A pinch of salt
- Coconut oil (for cooking)
First, I mixed the flaxseed meal with some water and let it sit for about 5 minutes to get all goopy and egg-like. While that was happening, I whisked together the coconut flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Then, I added the almond milk and maple syrup to the flaxseed mixture. After that, I poured the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mixed it all together. Now, coconut flour can be tricky; it soaks up liquid like crazy! The batter was THICK. Like, seriously thick.
I heated up a little coconut oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Then came the moment of truth. I dropped a spoonful of batter onto the hot pan. And…it didn’t spread. At all. It just sat there like a little blob. Hmmm. Okay, so maybe it needed more liquid. I added a splash more almond milk to the batter and mixed it in. That helped a little, but the batter was still super thick.
I tried cooking another pancake. This time, I used the back of the spoon to gently flatten it out. It cooked a little better, but the edges were browning super fast, and the inside was still kinda gooey. Sigh. This wasn’t going as planned.
I decided to lower the heat. That seemed to help with the burning edges. I also added a little more almond milk to the batter AGAIN, until it was a bit more pourable. Finally, after a few more tries, I started getting pancakes that were actually… edible! They weren’t the fluffiest pancakes I’ve ever had, but they were definitely pancake-like.
Here’s what I learned:
- Coconut flour is thirsty! Be prepared to add more liquid than you think you need.
- Low and slow is the way to go. Don’t cook these pancakes on high heat, or they’ll burn before they cook through.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment! Every recipe is just a starting point.
I topped my (slightly imperfect) pancakes with some fresh berries and a drizzle of maple syrup. They weren’t perfect, but they satisfied my pancake craving! It wasn’t the easiest baking experience, but I definitely learned a lot. And hey, at least they were vegan and gluten-free! I’ll keep tweaking the recipe next time and hopefully get even better results. Wish me luck!