I wanted a new twist on the same old wholewheat pancakes that I had been making for years, so I decided to experiment. This recipe is a mixture of two nutritious flours: coconut flour and buckwheat flour. That means you are looking at some gluten-free pancakes that are bursting with health.
Chia and Coconut Flour Pancakes with Blueberry Baobab Sauce
Makes about 12 small pancakes
6 tablespoons chia seeds
270ml water
60g coconut oil, melted, plus extra for greasing
300ml almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
50g coconut palm sugar
100g coconut flour
100g buckwheat flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
Maple syrup, for drizzling (optional)
For the blueberry baobab sauce
150g blueberries
100g coconut palm sugar
120ml water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon baobab powder
To make the blueberry baobab sauce, heat the blueberries, coconut palm sugar, 120ml water and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Stir frequently, then bring to a low boil. Use a fork to mash the blueberries to help release some of the juices. Slowly stir in the xanthun gum - this helps to thicken the sauce - and the baobab powder, then simmer until the blueberry sauce is thick enough. Leave to cool.
Combine the chia seeds with the 270ml water in a bowl and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Put the coconut oil, almond milk, vanilla and coconut palm sugar in a large bowl and add the chia seed mixture. Stir in the coconut flour, buckwheat flour and baking powder.
Grease a non-stick frying pan with coconut oil and heat over a medium heat. Pour one-quarter of a cup of batter into the pan for each pancake and cook for 2 minutes on the first side and 1 minute on the other, until they are golden brown. Don't be alarmed by how thick the batter is - this is due to the coconut flour.
To serve, stack the pancakes and smother with the blueberry sauce. Drizzle with maple syrup, if using.
Chia seeds are great as an egg replacement, and, because they swell to up to 10 times their size when mixed with liquid, you feel fuller for longer.