Tuesday, 29 July 2014

Gluten-Free Vegan Protein Pancakes with Cinnamon Poached Apple


One of the first things people ask when they find out you eat a vegan or plant-based diet is "where do you get your protein?". This question gets irritating after a while because people who eat this way are perfectly capable of consuming the recommended amount of protein needed on a daily basis by eating a wide variety of natural and wholesome food. The outdated notion that vegans are malnourished and weak with poor fitness levels because of inadequate protein consumption is completely misguided; there are plenty of vegan athletes with strong, healthy bodies, such as Brendan Brazier (author of the 'Thrive' series of books) - these people are clearly not lacking in the ability to develop and maintain a toned and muscular physique. However, whilst I do think it's entirely possible to get enough protein by eating a diet rich in whole foods, such as legumes, quinoa, nuts, seeds and tofu/tempeh, sometimes people just want the extra boost that protein powder can contribute, whether it's to gain weight healthily without having to eat a large volume of food or simply to aid in the recovery process between workouts. Everyone has their own opinion of protein powder but I personally think that if it's a natural plant-based powder with no added nasties then it's a great addition to a balanced diet. 



I've been getting back into lifting weights recently so I've decided to increase my protein intake due to the extra stress that's being placed on my body; adding protein powder to meals such as pancakes and porridge/oatmeal is a great way to get that extra nutrition because you don't even notice it's there! This basic recipe contains over 20g of protein (this will vary depending on which powder you use) and if you add a superfood powder to it then you're getting heaps of nutrients as well! I added mesquite powder to the pancakes pictured and they were absolutely incredible so I definitely recommend trying that; I also topped mine with cinnamon poached apple which is a super simple yet extremely delicious addition to any breakfast food - you can even eat it on its own as a comforting snack or dessert! The recipe for the apple is below the pancake recipe.

Read more about vegan athletes and their dietary tips here.




Gluten-Free Vegan Protein Pancakes



Ingredients
Makes 6 - 7 small pancakes

  • 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flaxseed and 6 tbsp water)
  • 1/2 cup buckwheat flour 
  • 1 tbsp natural vegan protein powder (I use raw natural brown rice protein powder - either or this one)
  • 1 tbsp superfood powder of choice, e.g. mesquite, lucuma, cacao, maca, carob, acai berry etc. You could use 1 tbsp ground cinnamon instead if you want cinnamon flavoured pancakes
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1/2 cup non-dairy milk of choice
  • Oil of choice (I use coconut) for cooking


Method

The first thing you need to do is make your flax eggs; to do this simply mix the ground flaxseed and water together in a cup and leave it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to thicken up. 

When your flax eggs are ready you can begin making your pancakes. Firstly, sift the flour, protein powder, superfood powder/ground cinnamon and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and stir it all together. Mash the banana into a pulp (you can leave a few slices to top the pancakes with, if you wish), then add it into the bowl along with the non-dairy milk and flax eggs. Mix well until everything is combined - the consistency should be fairly thick, similar to that of cake mixture.

Heat a small amount of your oil of choice in a frying pan over a medium heat; when the oil has heated up pour about 1/4 cup of the batter into the centre of the pan and spread it out slightly with a spoon, forming a pancake shape. Let it cook for a minute or two, until bubbles start forming on the top, then flip it over and cook it for another minute or so. Repeat with the rest of the mixture, then add your toppings and enjoy!



Cinnamon Poached Apple



Ingredients
Serves 1 
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 apple, peeled and chopped into small pieces
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract


Method

Bring the water to a boil in a small/medium saucepan then add the apple, ground cinnamon and vanilla extract - stir everything together until the apple is coated in the mixture. Bring the liquid back to a boil then reduce the temperature and leave it to simmer. If you're using this as a pancake topping then start cooking your pancakes at this point and top them with the poached apple as soon as they're ready - if you're having the apple on its own then simply let it simmer for 10 - 15 minutes or until it's tender. Once ready, drain the liquid from the pan and serve immediately. 


SHARE:

16 comments

  1. 29 July 2014 at 14:46

    These look absolutely to-die-for. O.O I can't wait to start making some of your pancake recipes once I have all the ingredients.

    I'm in love with your blog and when I saw your instagram post I had to come and see this for myself. It did not disappoint! Thank you so much for sharing, Meghan, you're really an inspiration to me. :)

    Bethan xxx (bettymaestrange)

    Reply
    Replies
    1. 29 July 2014 at 16:13

      Thank you so much sweetie! I can't wait for you to try the pancakes - if you make some and post a picture to Instagram could you tag me in it so I can see? :) I love seeing people try my recipes!

      Awww, that's so lovely of you to say, you're such a sweetheart! I can't believe I'm an inspiration to you, that's so flattering and it means the world to me :)

      xxx

  • 29 July 2014 at 16:25

    All of your pancakes always look so yummy :)!

    anyway I think the worst question than : when do you get your protein? is when somebody ask you if you are eating fish because it is not meat, agr so ridiculous :D

    Reply
    Replies
    1. 29 July 2014 at 17:29

      Aww, thank you so much! Oh my goodness, that's a bad one too - fish are still living beings so why would we eat them if we're vegan?! xxx

  • Anonymous29 July 2014 at 18:43

    Yuum! Think I'll have to make this. Do you think they'd be nice with baobab as a superfood?! I don't know if it would fit into the rest of the tastes.... maybe i'll just have to try it out haha ;)

    Reply
    Replies
    1. 29 July 2014 at 22:43

      I really hope you do! :) they might be actually, mesquite worked perfectly so baobab probably would too! Let me know how it goes if you do try it :) xxx

  • 29 July 2014 at 20:45

    This looks absolutely delicious! YUM! I wanted to know if you thought chia eggs would work in place of flax (I'm allergic). Thanks and keep up the amazing recipes! :D

    Reply
    Replies
    1. 29 July 2014 at 22:47

      Thank you so much! Yep, chia eggs would definitely work - I use them in my pancakes sometimes when I fancy a change :) I make them by mixing 2 tbsp ground chia seeds with 6 tbsp water and leaving them in the fridge for 15 minutes to thicken up - I'd also suggest adding an extra 1/4 cup of milk to the recipe, just because chia eggs tend to be a lot thicker than flax eggs!

      Aww, thank you for your extremely lovely words, they mean so much to me xxx

  • Anonymous5 August 2014 at 08:29

    Meghan, thankyou so so much this recipe worked an absolute treat and tasted amazing. I love how easy it is! xxx

    Reply
    Replies
    1. 6 August 2014 at 17:40

      I'm so glad you liked it, thank you so much for trying it! xxx

  • piscesj16 September 2014 at 16:25

    Meghan, Thank you for sharing recipes. Your recipes are always yummy!

    Reply
    Replies
    1. 18 September 2014 at 09:33

      Aww, thank you so much! That's such a lovely thing to hear :) xxx

  • 6 December 2014 at 21:40

    Just stumbled upon your blog and I have to say I LOVE it! Thanks for sharing these awesome recipes!

    Best wishes,
    Aleksandra

    http://beautytipsbysandra.blogspot.com/

    Reply
    Replies
    1. 18 December 2014 at 17:13

      Thank you so much sweetie, that means a lot to me! Your blog looks awesome :) xxx

  • 7 December 2015 at 01:56

    Thanks for all the recipes Meghan! I've tried one of your pancake recipes and I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, mine were still runny in the middle after cooking for a while. I'm really sensitive to estrogen so I've been using chia eggs instead of flax. Do you have any suggestions that would help the pancakes come out more pancakey and less runny?

    Reply
    Replies
    1. 12 January 2016 at 20:29

      You're very welcome, I'm so happy you enjoyed the pancakes :) Hmm, was the hob temperature too low (it should be on a medium heat)? I've tried pancakes with chia eggs and they've worked just as well as flax eggs so I don't think that would be a problem! Mine have been runny in the middle before when the batter hasn't been thick enough so maybe reduce the amount of liquid slightly next time you make them? I hope they work out better next time! x

Newer Post Older Post Home
© Naturally Meghan . All rights reserved.
by