Weekend pancakes anyone? I woke up this morning craving pancakes and feeling adventurous. Thus, this recipe was born. I love carrot cake. The spices, natural moisture, and lovely orange color is irresistible. And it just so happened that I had a bag of carrots in the fridge…
A couple of things about these pancakes: they were so quick to wipe up, I was starving after a long morning workout. Second, they were easy. There was never a point in the process (as there often is with gluten free pancakes) when I was worried that they wouldn’t turn out. These pancakes have incredible texture, soft and spongy – like carrot cake should be. If there is any concern, the carrots do not overpower the pancakes, they are soft and almost sweet. Finally, the Key Lime Cream on top of these cakes really puts this recipe over the top. I’d compare this dairy-free cream to a cream-cheese frosting – which is a pretty traditional topping for carrot cake. It is quite tangy, so feel free to layer on some extra honey or syrup, but it is really worth making.
Give these pancakes a try one of these weekends. They are sure to be a winner in your home!
- key lime cream:
- 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked for at least 4 hours
- scant 1/4 cup water
- 1 Tbsp key lime juice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp honey
- pancakes:
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup plant-based milk (I used almond milk)
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup gluten free flour blend (sub spelt or wheat flour if not gf)
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp.honey
- 1/2 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
- 2 cups finely grated, loosely packed carrots*
- toppings (optional):
- granola, chia seeds, honey, maple syrup
- To make the cream, combine the cashews, water, lime juice, vanilla and honey in a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Scrape cream into a small bowl and store in fridge until ready to serve – it will thicken a bit.
- To make the pancakes, mix the chia seeds and water together until combined. Set aside for 5 minutes or until the mixture gels.
- In another bowl, combine the apple cider vinegar and milk. Set it aside and let it to curdle for a few minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, orange zest, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in the egg, honey, coconut oil, chia gel and curdled milk mixture. Mix in carrots.
- Warm up a skillet to medium-low. Lightly grease with coconut oil and once hot, drop 1/8 cups of batter into the skillet. Spread gently to create a circle. Cook until bubbles appear at the surface and the edges are golden. Flip pancakes over and repeat on the other side. Continue to cook remaining batter and store cooked pancakes in the oven on warm (170 degrees F).
- Serve warm with cashew cream and optional toppings.
- *I grated my carrots in my Kitchen Aid food processor on the fine side of the grater attachment. If you do not have a food processor grating attachment, use the finest side of your cheese grater if possible.[br]
