Coconut Cream Pancakes ~ Vegan, Gluten-free and Oil-free!

Calling all coconut lovers! These pancakes will blow your pancake-loving mind with their creamy consistency and coconutty goodness. It's like eating a coconut cream pie for breakfast! This recipe is NOT low in fat, however, so if you are limiting your fat intake, just be aware of that. But on Sunday mornings I like to sometimes splurge and this is one splurge I will keep around for a while…

Ingredients:

~ dry

• ½ cup tightly-packed, blanched almond flour
• ½ cup brown rice flour
• ¼ cup coconut flour
• 1 TBS ground flax seeds (I used golden flax seeds for a prettier result)
• 1 TBS ground chia seeds (I used white chia seeds, again for a nicer looking pancake, but you can certainly use black chia seeds and brown flax if that's what you have on hand)
• ¼ cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda

~ wet

• 2 cups unsweetened, plant-based milk + 1 tsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup full fat coconut milk (I used Thai Kitchen brand—be sure to mix it well before measuring as it separates in the can)
• 2 TBS pure maple syrup or other pure liquid sweetener of your choice

Directions:

1. Combine all dry ingredients and mix well (you may want to sift the coconut flour as it can tend to clump)
2. Combine the wet ingredients and stir well.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk well to combine.
4. LET THE MIXTURE SIT FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES. This is important, otherwise the batter will be too thin and your delicious pancakes will fall apart.
5. Drop by ¼ cup onto a non-stick skillet ON LOW HEAT (use a ¼ cup ice cream scoop to make the job easier). I used a smidge of spray coconut oil to ensure they wouldn't stick. The batter will be very puffy and light. As the pancakes cook, they will flatten out a little so don't worry that they look too tall to start. Also, if your heat is too high, the pancakes will cook on the outside too much and the insides will not be cooked enough and won't set up. 
6. Let the pancakes cook until the bottoms are golden brown and the sides are dry. It takes some time for the first side to cook so don't be impatient.  They are pretty delicate, so flip carefully! Keep the cooked pancakes warm in the oven while you cook the rest. 
7. Serve topped with some coconut cream and toasted coconut flakes for an extra delicious coconut treat!

Makes 12 pancakes. Enjoy!

Healthy trails,