gluten-free pancakes, take two: orange zest and ginger

i’m really starting to love citrus zest. when the delicate flavors of orange zest and ginger are added to a relatively simple recipe, it tastes like something special. and as you may have realized, i believe there’s no reason to skimp on these extra details, even if you’re just cooking for yourself.

this (adapted from Ginger Lemon Girl) is my gluten-free pancake template right now. i did cocoa pancakes with it the first time. as i mentioned here, in my post on lemon flaxseed cookies, a regular cheese grater works fine for zest. with these, i also made some other changes:

-added a scoop of vegan protein powder.
-reduced the milk and replaced some of it with water, as i’ve been going through coconut/almond milk cartons far too quickly, at (at least) $3 each.

make these vegan by substituting the single egg with another flax egg (see step #1). my batch made 21.

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon each of salt, cinnamon
1 scoop vegan protein powder
1 large orange
1-1 and 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cage-free egg
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (like almond or coconut)
1 tablespoon oil (i used olive)
1/2 cup (or one 4 oz. container) of unsweetened applesauce

1. boil a cup of water. in a small bowl, mix 4 tablespoons of hot water with the flaxseed. set aside for at least 5 minutes to gel.
2. combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, from first to last, and then the flax gel.
3. stirring well, add water only 1/4 cup at a time (you can’t undo it!) to wet the mixture and reach your desired consistency. i added 3/4 cup water total.
4. spray a heated skillet over medium-high with canola spray. drop batter by a little less than a full 1/4 cup. cook until you begin to see bubbles in the batter and they appear to be firming up. turn to cook the other side.

gluten-free cocoa pancakes

this pancake batter is rich and mousse-like, and i noticed that it keeps a circular shape amazingly well when you pour it into the skillet. freeze a batch for quick, versatile breakfasts. microwave one or two and top with things like:

nut butter
sliced bananas or strawberries
honey

this recipe is adapted from Ginger Lemon Girl. a note- i tagged this recipe dairy-free because i learned that eggs are eggs, in other words- their own category. dairy refers to animal byproducts. but you can substitute the single egg with another “flax egg” (see step #1) to make them vegan.

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cage-free egg
1 and 1/4 cups non-dairy milk (like almond or coconut)
1 tablespoon oil (i used olive)
1/2 cup (or one 4-ounce container) of unsweetened applesauce

1. first, boil a cup of water. remove from heat, and mix 4 tablespoons of this water in a small bowl with the flaxseed. it should form a gel in 5 minutes.
2. in a mixing bowl, mix everything from flour through xanthan gum.
3. add vanilla, egg, milk, oil, applesauce, and flax/water.
4. over medium heat, spray a large skillet with canola spray.
5. use a little less than 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. cook until you see bubbles and the edges are browning. flip over with a spatula to let the other side cook.

gluten-free pumpkin pancakes

these were the fluffiest pancakes i’ve ever had, adapted from a recipe at gluten free mommy.

in my amateur research, i started noticing that wheat is eliminated from a general anti-inflammatory diet, so i decided to try to reduce my consumption.

tip- set aside another mix of all the dry ingredients to make the next batch easier!

1 cup brown rice flour
3 tablespoons tapioca flour
1/3 cup potato starch
1/2 teaspoon each: baking soda, salt, xanthan gum
1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon raw sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons oil (i used olive)
6 tablespoons canned pumpkin
1 cup non-dairy milk (like almond or coconut)
1 cage-free egg

1. stir dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then stir the wet into dry.
2. spray a skillet heated on medium with cooking spray. use a bit less than 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. flip over with a spatula to cook the other sides.
3. enjoy with pure maple syrup.