I was in a slump recently when it came to pancakes. I was tired of my tried-and-true recipes and wanted something different. So, I challenged myself to find some of the most popular online pancake recipes and not only veganize them, but also make them gluten-free and soy-free. After finding the following three recipes, I got to work in the kitchen.

The first pancake recipe I tackled was the Fluffy Pancakes from AllRecipes.com. This buttermilk style recipe calls for souring rice milk with vinegar first. The pancakes had a beautiful buttery color, wonderful texture and browned up nicely on the edges. What I liked most is that they had a classic flapjack look to them.



Recipe Challenge #1: Faux Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients:
¾ cup rice milk
2 Tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 cup gluten-free flour blend
2 Tablespoons organic white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons EnerG egg replacer
3 Tablespoons water
2 tablespoons Soy-Free Earth Balance, melted

Instructions: Preheat a lightly greased skillet on medium heat. Put the rice milk in a bowl and add the vinegar. Set aside and blend the rest of the ingredients together. Add the soured milk and stir again. Drop pancake batter onto skillet and flip em’ over when they’re ready to be flipped.

The second recipe was the basic pancake recipe from SouthernFood.About.com. It seemed like an easy recipe to follow and convert so I went with it. The batter was lumpy and the end result turned out with a rubbery texture, but it sure tasted good.



Recipe Challenge #2: Super Basic Pancakes

1 cup gluten-free flour mix
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
1.5 Tablespoons organic sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons EnerG egg replacer
3 Tablespoons water
¾ cup rice milk
1 Tablespoon Soy-Free Earth Balance, melted

Instructions: Preheat lightly greased skillet on the stove. Blend all dry ingredients together. Stir in rice milk and Earth Balance and blend until smooth. Dollop batter on the skillet and make your pancakes like usual.


The third recipe I came across had a 4.5 star rating on Food.com. I decided to go for it and this time, I used ground flax as my egg replacer. This recipe had great texture and a nice, buttery flavor.



Recipe Challenge #3: Buttery Pancakes

1 Tablespoon ground flax
3 Tablespoons water
1 cup gluten-free flour blend
1 Tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup rice milk
2 Tablespoons Earth Balance soy-free margarine, melted

Instructions: Preheat lightly greased skillet on the stove. Blend the flax and water together and set aside. Blend all dry ingredients together. Stir in rice milk, Earth Balance and flax egg and blend until smooth. Dollop batter on the skillet and make your pancakes like usual.


And the winner was…the Faux Buttermilk Pancake recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com. These pancakes won hands-down in all categories including flavor, texture and appearance. Yum! Now, I’ve got another go-to recipe to add to my collection.



Want to add some protein power to your pancakes? Here is an easy recipe for a cashew butter spread.

Cashew Butter

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cashews, soaked
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons agave or maple syrup

Instructions: Soak the cashews overnight. Drain cashews and drop into food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until creamy. Dollop onto pancakes.