THE TRAVELLING VEGAN: Perfect Vegan Cacao Pancake Recipe

THE TRAVELLING VEGAN: Mia's Perfect Cacao Pancakes

As part of our new delicious vegan recipe series, Mia (Aka, The Travelling Vegan) is sharing one of her biggest hits; her Perfect Vegan Cacao Pancakes. Having personally tasted these at Birch & Wilde HQ, we know they are pretty addictive (but that's ok, because they are also pretty nutritious!). Simple to make and easy to tailor to your own personal 'food loves', this is a firm favourite! If you have never braved vegan pancakes before, it's time to have a go...

More About Mia and her Soulful Food...

Hi, I'm Mia, veg and fruit lover extraordinaire. My plant-based journey started with a love for this planet and everyone who's living on it. Through travel, experimenting, and a lot of curiosity, I have discovered just how easy, accessible, and simple (yet diverse, tasty and nutritious!) vegan food can be. It is very important to me that my diet supports all my nutritional needs, and so my recipes focus on finding ways to this this whilst also tasting scrumptious!

What I love the most about cooking is the community aspect of it. The joy and comfort of gathering and sharing – how it brings everyone together. My regular recipes and posts are to do just this! I will be sharing my favourite tasty and healthy vegan meals and treats with you. And I hope that you will enjoy looking after yourself by eating them, and of course sharing them with your own tribe, large or small.

Wishing you lots of love, health and happiness, Mia xx

PERFECT CACAO PANCAKES - why are they so good?

When you find yourself decidedly lacking in energy towards the end of a busy week, or perhaps wanting a little guilt-free treat over the weekend, then a plate of my utterly delicious and wonderfully nutrition boosting pancakes is just the thing you need!

This recipe has slight twist on the traditional egg-based American Style Pancake. They're just as tasty, but more nutritious (so don’t feel guilty indulging from time to time!).

With the main ingredient being oats, instead of white flour, we are incorporating a food that has been medicine for many generations. It is one of the most treasured of the ancient grains and is proven to have calming and restorative properties for both physical and mental exhaustion.

Oats also have the highest protein content of all the cereals (so are great for any diets where protein may be restricted, like vegetarian or vegan). As well as this, they are rich in vitamins B1, B2, D and E and have high levels of magnesium and calcium.

So how do these help support your health and wellbeing?

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) – proper functioning of your nervous system (powerful in terms of mood and alertness).

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) – essential for converting food into energy (helps maintain good energy levels), antioxidant qualities (fighting off free radicals).

Vitamin D – ensures good calcium absorption and helps keep bones and teeth healthy.

Vitamin E (Tocopherol) – a key antioxidant protecting your body from free radicals, essential for a healthy heart and blood supply, very good for your skin and eye health.

Magnesium – essential for every biochemical process in your body, including energy production and synthesis of genetic material (known to help support better sleep, depression/mood problems, and premenstrual syndrome).

Calcium – most important for healthy teeth and bones, also crucial for conducting messages along nerves and enabling muscle contraction (also known to help with joint pain, period pain, some depression/mood problems).

I love to include cinnamon in this recipe, it really adds a little something! Cinnamon is a precious and much-loved evergreen tree that is native in Sri Lanka and parts of Asia. It was so well treasured that people considered it to be more valuable than Gold! Used for many centuries to treat insomnia it is soothing, calming and quieting. There is some evidence that cinnamon can help with blood pressure, blood sugar and digestion, and it is also noted to have some antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.

To me there’s nothing more satisfying and relaxing than my weekly pancake ritual. How food is prepared and eaten is at least as important as the quality of the ingredients! So for this one create yourself a great space / atmosphere, gather people you love (or take time out for yourself), slow down and enjoy them at any time of the day.

The options to top your pancakes are endless. In this recipe I have opted for a favourite – Cacao Drizzle, yum! I have included other ideas for both the pancake mix, and the serving suggestions below.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 3 hungry herbivores - for double the people, just double the quantities!

VEGAN PANCAKE BATTER

3 cups of oat flour (homemade or premade – choice is yours)

2 cups milk alternative (oat, almond, coconut and soya milks all work)

1 tbsp chia or ground flax seeds

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

Sprinkle of sea salt

VEGAN CACAO DRIZZLE

1 can coconut milk

3 tbsp cacao powder

1 tbsp maple syrup or sweetener of choice

1 tsp cornflour

PANCAKE PREPARATION

Start by soaking chia or flax in 2 tbsp of water - mix them together and let it stand for at least 10 minutes. Once gooey, this will be your egg-replacement.
If you have chosen to make your own oat flour, now is the time to do it (while the chia mix is standing). Don't worry though, pre-made works just as well!
Add in the cinnamon, baking powder and sprinkle of sea salt to the oat flour.
Put the oat flour mix into a large mixing bowl and add the chia mix while stirring in your chosen milk alternative.
Stir gently until mixture is smooth (don’t beat/whisk).

Your basic batter is now complete!

If you want some slightly ‘fancier pancakes’, you can a little somthing extra to your pancake mix now. My favourites include chopped dates, coconut flakes or dark chocolate chunks. For more savory options I like to add roasted seeds or chopped nuts.

Let the pancake batter mix stand while your prepare the cacao drizzle.

DELICIOUSLY CACAO DRIZZLE PREPARATION

Heat one can of coconut milk gently in a pan on a medium heat.
Stirring with a whisk, gradually add the 3 tablespoons of cacao powder, 1 teaspoon cornflour and 1 tablespoon maple syrup, as the mixture warms.
Keep stirring with the whisk until all the lumps dissolve.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool down for at least 10 minutes - the drizzle needs to thicken on cooling / standing.
Can be stored in fridge for up to 5 days.

vegan pancakes

COOKING AND SERVING

Infuse your pan with a generous knob of coconut oil and heat to a medium temperature. A non-stick pan is essential if you prefer to use no oil.
Pour the batter into pan (I use a ladle per pancake and let one pancake form before adding another, or cook them individually, depending on the pan size!)
Once bubbles start to rise in the mixture, they are ready to flip.
When done with frying process, keep warm in oven on a very low heat).
When ready to serve, put desired amount on plate and add a generous serving of our scrumptious cacao drizzle.

OTHER YUMMY TOPPING IDEAS

Add some bananas to your plate before drizzling the cacao mixture – hmmm!
Warm stewed apples: cut apples into cubes, throw into pot with a dash of water, a pinch of sugar and sprinkle with cinnamon. Place on lid to let simmer on low heat for 5-10min.
Simply seeds - sprinkle your favourite selection of seeds (ideally lightly toasted) over the drizzled cacao.
Serve with beautiful freshly chopped ripe seasonal fruit.
Classic maple syrup - simple and scrumptious!