Blue Corn Pancakes with Mixed Berry Syrup
Fact: I am a seriously low-functioning individual when I wake up. To put it mildly, I am not a morning person (more like a morning monster). Everyone who has ever lived with me (parents, sister, hubby, and roomies) knows that not only am I a hot mess leaving trails of clothes, makeup and other random items strewn around, I’m waaaay grumpy for having to be awake and at times, hostile (sorry to you all… you are saints). I love my sleep, even more than royal weddings cuz I didn’t even consider being awake for it (sorry Kate & Will… ps Kate I love your dress choice! Well done!).
So for these blue corn beauties to happen, I used mind over matter, strong coffee, and peppy tunes to snap me out of my usual AM sluggishness. And the results were worth it. After I ate these pancakes, my grouchiness was gone and I spent the rest of the morning swooning over how good they were.
I first had blue corn waffles in the spa cafe at The Enchantment resort in Sedona AZ – they were sooo good. As soon as I ate these light and flavourful waffles, I wanted to recreate a gluten-free pancake version when I got home. The resort has a recipe for blue corn pancakes on their website from their cookbook which I modified (major GF change: I replaced the flour with Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour).
I used my usual egg replacer too, and dairy-free yogurt and milk so this recipe is vegan too. When you mix all the ingredients together, the batter will be quite thick. Don’t worry. As long as all the ingredients are well incorporated, you will have fluffy and tasty pancakes.
With normal gluten pancakes, you know when to flip the pancakes when you see those little bubbles appearing on the panckes surface. This batter is thick and those little bubbles are a no-show here. So after 2 to 3 minutes, see if the edges of the pancakes are starting to firm up (not so liquidy anymore) and then flip. They should be slightly golden brown.
Making your own berry syrup is amazingly easy and delicious – my fave combination. I first made this syrup using a recipe from an old issue of Fine Cooking Magazine. This was one of the first cooking magazines I’ve ever purchased and I’m still a loyal reader now. They have really clear directions and mouth-watering recipes that almost always turn out great. Low-functioning morning monster like me? Make this syrup the night before and reheat before serving. Also, great using frozen cherries, or any other berry really.
I had to be fast to get this pic of D's plate of panckes, he was starving while patiently waiting for me to make these.
How do I know if what I made is actually good? The plate looks like this after D is done eating. Success!
Low Fat Blue Corn Pancakes (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup blue corn meal
- 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups dairy-free milk (I used unsweetened soy milk)
- 1/3 cup dairy-free plain yogurt (I used plain coconut yogurt)
- 1 egg replacer
- Non-stick cooking spray
Mixed Berry Syrup
- 2 cups frozen mixed berries
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup sugar (I like using organic cane sugar)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix. Add milk, yogurt, and egg replacer and mix until well combined. Batter will be thick. Set aside for 10 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the mixed berry syrup (see below).
- Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium heat and add cooking spray. Add 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until edges start to firm up and are no longer liquidy. Flip the pancakes and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until pancakes are firm when pressed down with back of spatula/pancake flipper. Both sides should be lightly golden brown. Re-spray pan between batches. Keep warm until ready to serve. Makes eight 6" pancakes.
Mixed Berry Syrup
- Combine all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and heat on low heat until sugar dissolves, about 3 to 4 minutes. Increase heat to high until mixture just starts to boil, then remove from heat immediately. Serve warm. You can make this ahead and gently reheat.
