Perfect Pancakes Done Vegan and Healthy

I have a lot of favorite breakfast foods but I think pancakes might be my all time fave.  It's taken some time and tinkering, along with a whole lot of pancake eating, to get my recipe just right.  Not only are they vegan, but also healthier using whole wheat flour and no oil!  It was worth the wait!

Some tips from my successes and failures with pancakes:

DO sift the dry ingredients.  It makes them lighter, less chewy.

  For the flour I typically use whole wheat pastry flour and sometimes sub in 1/3 cup oat flour (optional).

DO mix your wet ingredients thoroughly before combining with dry. This helps with the following...

Do NOT over mix your batter. DO let it sit at least 10 minutes. It's hard to wait, I know, but the the batter must rest.

DO heat your skillet.  10 minutes over low heat is ideal.  So VERY IMPORTANT!

Cook over medium-heat, no higher.  They will burn too fast.

If adding any fruit, add on pancakes JUST BEFORE flipping.  Adding too soon can weigh down,

you want those delicate pancakes to rise and be light in texture.

DON'T overcrowd the pan.  Leave plenty of space around the pancakes.

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Makes 4-6 pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup almond or soy milk

1/4 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce

Method

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl (you can use a mesh strainer to do this).  Add the rest of the ingredients to another bowl and whisk or stir to thoroughly combined.  Add the the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just mixed.  Do not over mix.  Let batter sit at least 10 minutes.  If it's too thick after standing you can a tablespoon or two of milk.

Now make sure to heat your skillet (cast iron works well) over low-medium heat for a few minutes.  To test, drop a little water on it and if it sizzles.  Spray with cooking spray and turn heat up just a bite to medium.  Pour a small amount of batter into into skillet to form pancakes.  Don't overcrowd.  Cook about 3-4 minutes until small bubbles begin to form.  If adding any fruit, add now then flip and cook about 3 minutes longer.

Favorite Variations:

Banana Nut: Add a pinch or 2 of cinnamon to the dry ingredients.  Add thinly sliced banana to pancakes before flipping.  Top with syrup and walnuts or pecans.

Maple Cinnamon: Add a some maple syrup and sprinkle of cinnamon to a small dish and microwave about 10-15 seconds, drizzle over cooked pancakes before serving.

Blueberry or Strawberry: Heat fresh or frozen blueberries or strawberries, optional: stir in a little jam (any berry flavor).  Pour over pancakes.

Just Peachy: Heat fresh or frozen diced peaches, stir in a pinch of each cinnamon and brown sugar.  Pour on pancakes and sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Blueberry topped pancakes