Vegan Gingerbread Pancakes with Apple Topping (WFPB)
Whip up these whole food plant-based vegan gingerbread pancakes with apple topping for a wholesome breakfast that feels festive! They are whole-grain, oil-free, low in added sugar, and can be made gluten-free if needed.
Cold weather has a way of making us want to add ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon to as many things as possible, am I right? I have been on a gingerbread kick lately. I love to make my Gingergread Cookie Dough Bites as a sweet treat that is still healthy. These gingerbread cookies are also fun to make every year at Christmastime. I’ve made a gingerbread smoothie and have tested gingerbread muffins. My best creation though has been these gingerbread pancakes, and they are taken up a notch with a quick homemade apple topping that is less sugar than straight maple syrup.
Whole Wheat in Pancakes
I grew up on whole wheat pancakes for breakfast, and they are still a breakfast I make every Friday for my family.
Pancakes are not all created equal! They can be made from a white flour mix and served with corn-syrup-maple-syrup. OR, they can be made with freshly milled whole wheat (or oats for gluten-free) and served with fruit.
I’ve recently read about the benefits of freshly-milled whole wheat. Even though I’ve always prefered to mill our own wheat and not buy whole wheat flour off the shelf, I didn’t realize just how much better for health that freshly-milled option is (not to mention it tastes way better!). Sue Becker is out to share the benefits of freshly milled whole grains. Did you know that of the 44 nutrients our bodies need from food, all but four are found in whole wheat? (The ones not found are A, C, B12, and iodine.) Whole wheat is so good for us. If you can’t get a mill and grind your own, still buy whole wheat flour off the shelf as it’s always more nutritious than white flour.
I get my organic hard white wheat grains from Azure Standard (currently $1.48 a pound when you buy a 25 lb bag), and use this Classic Nutrimill to grind it. I grind flour right before making bread or pancakes if possible, and keep any extra in the freezer. Nutrients start to oxidize and be lost as soon as 24 hours after being milled, and freezing helps preserve them.
What makes these vegan gingerbread pancakes healthy and delicious?
Almond flour makes these extra tender while using a whole-food form of fat instead of oil. Applesauce and molasses give them a little natural sweetness, and all the spices make them yummy enough to eat hot off the griddle without any toppings at all!
If you want a breakfast under 500 calories, you can eat 4 of these pancakes with toppings and get 16 grams of protein, 12 grams of fiber, and lots of micronutrients (the most important thing!) like B vitamins, magnesium, iron, and zinc.
Check out these other healthy pancakes recipes!
Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes with Apple Cinnamon Syrup
The Fluffiest Whole Wheat Pancakes Mix
Zucchini Lemon Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup
Gingerbread Pancakes with Apple Topping (WFPB, Vegan)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1/2 cup almond flour sub 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil for nut-free
- 1 cup whole wheat flour use 1/2 cup oat flour and 1/2 cup all purpose gluten-free flour for GF
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon molasses can be omitted if you don't have it, mostly for gingerbread color
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup soy milk (or any non-dairy milk)
Apple Topping (optional)
- 2 apples, cored and diced Fuji, Granny Smith, Braeburn, Pink Lady, or other hardy apples are best
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water
Instructions
- Start heating a large skillet for pancakes.
- In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, mix the wet ingredients: molasses, applesauce, vanilla, and soy milk
- Stir wet and dry together. Do not overmix. Let sit for a few minutes and puff up.
- Use 1/4 cup measure to pour pancakes onto skillet. Mine is non-stick and I don't grease it, but you may need to for yours. When the edges are not shiny and small bubbles start to appear, flip the pancakes, and let cook about 1-2 more minutes on the other side. Since there is some natural sugars in the batter from applesauce and molasses, they will brown faster, so watch them carefully.
- Remove to a large plate. Serve with apple topping, applesauce, pomegranate arils, jam, or pure maple syrup. It's not pretty, but I often sprinkle mine with ground chia and flax seeds for nutrition's sake, too.
Apple Topping
- Combine the apples, water, lemon juice, cinnamon, and maple syrup in a saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover and cook for 4-5 minutes until apples are soft. Stir the cornstarch and water together, then mix into the apples, stirring constantly to avoid cornstarch clumps. Stir for 1 minute for the mixture to thicken, then remove from heat. Add more maple syrup if you want it sweeter--depends on the tartness of the apple.Serve over warm pancakes.
Nutrition
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
