Do you love pancakes? I do! Problem is they don’t love me. Something about them zaps me of energy. Maybe it’s the sugar. Maybe it’s the processed white flour. Regardless, a pancake breakfast has always guaranteed me a mid-morning energy dive.

Not anymore!

These quinoa pancakes are the answer. They’re made with naturally gluten-free quinoa flour and are sweetened with maple syrup. They have a slightly sweet, mildly nutty flavor and a fluffy texture. I love the taste, especially if served with maple syrup, date paste or a fruit compote.

If you are looking for an IHOP pancake experience, be warned. This is not the pancake for you. However, if you like your food to taste hearty and wholesome, these pancakes deliver.

I’ve got my mother to thank for my appreciation of nutritious food. As a child, while my friends were enjoying Wonder Bread, Twinkies and Hostess Cupcakes, my mom was pushing whole grain breads and a steady supply of fruits and vegetables. Admittedly, I yearned for their colorfully packaged sugar bombs. Now I appreciate being raised to enjoy the flavors and textures of foods in their whole or minimally processed forms. My mom was a woman ahead of her time.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients for the pancakes:

1 cup almond, oat or soy milk

2 tbs ground flax seed

1 tbs apple cider vinegar

2 tbs maple syrup

1 cup quinoa flour

1 tsp baking soda 

½ tsp salt

Procedure for the pancakes:

In a medium bowl, combine the plant-based milk and ground flax seed and set aside to thicken for 5 minutes. Stir in the apple cider vinegar and maple syrup.

Heat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. 

In a large bowl, mix together the quinoa flour and baking soda. Add the almond milk mixture and stir to combine. If it appears too thick, you can thin it out by adding 1 tbs of  plant-based milk at a time to reach desired consistency.

Use a ladle to spoon the batter into heated non-stick pan. Heat for about two minutes until mostly cooked through but not burned and then flip and heat for another two to three minutes.

These pancakes are a plant-strong winner! Now get cooking!