During the school year, a typical morning in my house looks like someone pressed the fast forward button. Five people scuttle around the kitchen in haphazard directions, stopping only for a few seconds to guzzle breakfast, then dispersing into the day.
But during summer, the morning unfolds leisurely, with a more substantial meal to send everyone off on their way. This week, I was in the mood for a tall stack of fluffy, golden pancakes, but I had forgotten to restock eggs, flour, and buttermilk (hey, the kids aren’t the only ones on vacation).
In my summer state of mind, I tend to shrug off just about everything with a “whatever,” so I carried on anyway. I used almond flour
Much to my surprise, the pancakes turned out golden and fluffy, just how I was hoping. But omitting the eggs made them very delicate, so I added a bit of whole wheat flour to hold them together. The recipe was about as clean as any pancake recipe could be. I was even thinking of saving some to turn into a savory dish, topped with a summer ratatouille or vegetable curry.
The only problem was that they disappeared before I could even get my fork into one. Guess I may have to start moving a little faster in the mornings.
Makes approximately 10 dollar-sized (about 3-inch diameter) pancakes
1 cup vanilla or plain almond milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or Kosher salt
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil or Earth Balance, plus additional for cooking
Maple syrup, fruit compote, rhubarb jam
1. Combine the almond milk and lemon juice in a measuring cup and let sit for a few minutes; then give it a stir.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir the melted coconut oil into the almond milk and gradually stir into the dry ingredients until smooth. The batter should be quite thick.
3. Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat until warm. Add enough oil to coat the pan. When it sizzles, pour in heaping spoonfuls of batter, leaving about an inch in between each so the pancakes do not run together. I like to make dollar sized pancakes (about 3 inches in diameter) so that they are easier to flip.
4. After about a minute, gently lift the corner of a pancake with a spatula to see if it is golden brown. Carefully flip and cook the other side until golden.
5. Serve the pancakes immediately, with maple syrup and berries, or transfer to a rack to cool. Once cooled, the pancakes can be frozen in an airtight container for up to one month. To reheat, simply place in a 300° F. toaster oven for about 10 minutes until warmed through.
Try these pancakes served with this:
If you love the flavor of almond like I do, try these healthy morning Spelt Peach Almond Muffins.
You can still enter the Summer Cooking Contest for a chance to win one of these chic wooden serving bowls!
Photo credit: SheKnows.com
Try these handy charts we found on the CUESA (Center for Urban Education and Sustainable Agriculture) 
These look excellent- I LOVE pancakes!
Hi, I’m diabetic and can’t eat wheat flour…do you have any ideas for replacements for that? Thanks!
Hi, Salena,
No problem, just substitute brown rice flour or white rice flour. Enjoy!
D