Power-Packed Blueberry Pancakes

By: Jackie Akerberg, excerpted from The Clean Vegan Cookbook

By: Jackie Akerberg, excerpted from The Clean Vegan Cookbook

When you think of pancakes, you probably don’t think of a power-packed, protein-rich breakfast. Traditional pancakes are made with processed grains, refined sugar and animal products, but this recipe is wholesome, cruelty-free and delicious. These pancakes use a secret ingredient that may catch you off guard—silken tofu! But trust me when I say it works and results in what many of my friends and family members have declared to be the best pancakes ever. I can’t help but agree. Not only do these pancakes have fabulous flavor and the perfect fluffy texture but they are also full of protein and nutrients, which means you really can have your pancake and eat it too.

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Yields12 pancakes

Ingredients

Pancakes
8 oz (224 g) silken tofu
1 1/2 cup (360 ml) water
2 1/2 cups (225 g) gluten-free rolled oats
3 tablespoons (21 g) ground flaxseed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon (8 g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (148 g) fresh or frozen blueberries
Avocado oil spray
For Serving
1/2 cup (120 ml) plain unsweetened coconut yogurt
1/2 cup (120 ml) pure maple syrup
1/2 cup (74 g) fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons (20 g) hemp seeds

DIRECTIONS

To make the pancakes, combine the tofu, water, oats, flaxseed, maple syrup, vanilla, vinegar, lemon juice, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a blender. Blend the ingredients at medium-high speed for 30 seconds, until the batter is smooth and creamy. Use a long wooden spoon or rubber spatula to gently fold the blueberries into the batter. Set the battery aside and let it rest for 5 minutes. The batter will thicken slightly as it sits.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 250°F (121°C) and place an oven proof cooling rack on a large baking sheet.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over low heat and spray it lightly with the avocado oil spray. Test the skillet to see if it is ready: Pour 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the pancake batter in the skillet. Cook the mini pancake for 2 minutes, and then flip it and cook it on the opposite side for 2 minutes. If the skillet is evenly heated and ready, the mini pancake should cook evenly and flip easily. Enjoy this mini cake as a breakfast appetizer while you prepare the rest of the pancakes!
Use a ¼-cup (60-ml) scoop to pour batter into the skillet, making two or three pancakes at a time. Let the pancakes cook, undisturbed, for about 3 minutes, until small bubbles start to form on the top of the batter. Use a thin metal spatula to flip the pancakes, and then cook them for 2 minutes on the opposite side. Transfer the cooked pancakes to the cooling rack on the baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the oven to keep the pancakes warm. Repeat this process with the remaining batter, transferring each batch of pancakes to the oven to keep them warm.
Serve the pancakes in a tall stack topped with a dollop of the yogurt, a drizzle of the maple syrup, a few fresh blueberries and a sprinkle of hemp seeds.