I woke up this morning and saw that it was International Pancake Day, so I couldn’t not make pancakes. I bring to you, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, Blue Buckwheat Pancakes! Happy Pancake Day, lovers.

I’m a breakfast fanatic, and you can’t have an amazing breakfast without pancakes….am I right?! I’m right.

The buckwheat flour in these pancakes make them gluten-free, yet still texturally on-point. Buckwheat is actually a seed that is packed with protein and antioxidants. I prefer using it to other gluten-free flours (such as almond and coconut flour) in pancake recipes as it acts more like regular flour would.

The “blue” comes from spirulina. If you follow my blog or instagram page (@nevernoteatingca), you know that I use spirulina a lot. It is basically algae that has been dried and ground up into a powder form. You can purchase regular green spirulina, which has an unpleasant fishy smell, but is usually not detectable when added to food/drink, or you can buy blue spirulina, which doesn’t have any fishy odour or taste, and makes your food appear vibrantly blue in colour.

This recipe is also dairy-free. When I started to become interested in cooking and baking (pre-internet), I would grab my mom’s ancient cookbooks out of the closet and do my best to follow the recipes. I would always become frustrated when seeing the ingredient, “buttermilk” listed, as it was something we never had. BUT, after flipping through an old-school Betty Crocker book my mom owned, I learned that mixing vinegar and milk together created an alternative that could be substituted for buttermilk! And now, since I don’t drink cow’s milk, I always substitute regular milk for non-dairy, nut milk and I’m pretty sure it works. Thanks, Betty. If you DO drink milk, you can stick to buttermilk instead of using the apple cider vinegar and almond milk mixture in this recipe. You do you.

There are a few other unorthodox ingredients I have snuck into these babies. Maca powder for an energy boost and further health benefits. Maple syrup to replace the regular, refined sugar that would be added to pancakes. And because maple syrup just goes with pancakes, of course!

I’d say that these pancakes are worth a shot if you are trying to live a healthier lifestyle but still want to indulge in breakfast’s best. They are fluffy, moist, delicious and beautiful! Top with fresh fruit and more maple syrup and enjoy!

Happy International Pancake Day, everyone!

Blue Buckwheat Pancakes

Serving size: Makes about 10 small pancakes

Prep time: 8 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I like almond)
• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp blue spirulina powder
• 1 tsp maca powder (optional)
• 1 large egg
• 1-2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Coconut oil (for the pan)

Instructions:

1. Stir together the apple cider vinegar and the dairy-free milk and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spirulina and maca powder (if using).
3. In a large bowl, beat the egg and then add the maple syrup, vanilla and milk/vinegar mixture.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until just incorporated. Set aside for a few minutes to let the batter develop.
5. Preheat your griddle or pan over medium heat. Add enough coconut oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan and (when the pan is hot) scoop in some of the pancake batter. When you see the edges begin to cook and bubbles begin to form on top (about a minute and a half to two minutes), flip the pancake. Let it cook for another minute or until cooked through and remove from pan. Continue with the remainder of the batter.

NOTES:

These are great the next day, or make them for meal prep and place them in your freezer, take them with you to work and pop them in the toaster! Easy peasy.

The colour of the pancakes become less vibrant as the pancakes cook, so if you want them to be a brighter blue colour – add more spirulina and cook them until just done on each side, trying to avoid browning which takes away from the blue.