SPICED GOJI BERRY PANCAKES
For many parents, smoothies are the go-to tactic to sneak in nutrition for picky-eaters. For me, it’s pancakes.
My oldest son will eat ingredients he wouldn’t even dream of trying if I’ve worked them into my pancake batter. He calls these “orange pancakes”. Their vibrant orange, sweetly spiced batter resembles that of pumpkin pie. In the beginning of the school year, I like to double the recipe and keep the batter in the refrigerator to help those early mornings go a bit smoother and make sure my kids are getting the sustenance they need to get them through the day.
Makes about 12 pancakes
YOU WILL NEED
1 cup nondairy milk
1 banana
¼ cup dried goji berries
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup almond flour
½ cup cassava flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
Coconut oil, ghee or salted butter for greasing
Salted butter, for serving (optional)
Maple syrup, for serving (optional)
TO MAKE
Bring a large cast iron skillet or pan to medium heat.
Combine the nondairy milk, banana and goji berries in a high-powered blender and blend until the berries are fully processed and the mixture looks like orange milk, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cassava flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves. Pour in the milk mixture and whisk until combined. Whisk in the eggs until combined to make a batter.
Melt 1 tablespoon of coconut oil on the skillet. Pour about ¼ cup of batter onto the skillet to make each pancake. Cook until bubbles start to form on the edges of the pancakes and the bottom has turned golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip them and cook until the other side is golden brown, about 3 more minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Serve immediately with the toppings of your choice.
THINGS TO NOTE: If you can’t get your hands on almond flour and cassava flour, this recipe will work well with 1 cup of a paleo or gluten free flour blend. To make these completely dairy free, use coconut oil instead of ghee or butter. If you don’t have all the spices, don’t worry, just use those that you have.