I’ve used my soup maker to make an abundance of different recipes, such as: soup (duh!), smoothies, juices, pancakes and my favourite, alcoholic beverages. It’s truly simple to use and does all of the cooking and blending for you, allowing time to clean up your kitchen, or do something more fun, like snack while you wait for your food. If you have a soup maker, or are thinking of purchasing one, check out my Instagram account for some more fun recipes to make in it – @nevernoteatingca

So let’s talk about these crepes. Firstly, I struggle to call them “crepes,” because as a kid, my family and I only ever ate “Finnish pancakes,” which were more crepe-like in appearance, but were never referred to as crepes. Those were our style of pancakes. We never ate traditional American pancakes. But you know what?! I’m all about pleasing the people. People see flat pancakes, they say “crepes.” So, this is for you.

Secondly, if you follow my IG account, or have read some of my posts, or even tried some of my recipes (thank you), you know that I like to put a healthier spin on foods that aren’t so healthy. Therefore, I have made these “crepes” with gluten-free flour, plant-based milk and no refined sugar. If you want to indulge a bit more, feel free to sub in the healthy ingredients for the not-so-healthy ones.

I can’t decided whether my favourite part of this dish is the pancake…I mean crepe…or the filling. It’s apple season right now, and nothing goes better together than apples and cinnamon. And nutmeg. Nutmeg is bomb. The filling is tart and sweet and ooey and gooey. It’s a great addition to these less-sweet crepes. I prefer to use honeycrisp or granny smith apples for this, but you can definitely use whatever you have on hand. I also like to keep the skins on, mostly because I’m lazy, but feel free to peel your apples if that’s your jam.

Below you will find two ways to make this recipe. The first is the easiest way, but you need a soup maker for that! The second is more traditional, but totally yummy just the same.

May your day be enhanced with pancake-crepes and fall fillings!

Gluten Free Crepes with an Apple Cinnamon Compote

Serving Size: Makes 10 large crepes

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

•  2.5 cups dairy-free milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tbsp maple syrup, plus more for serving
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups gluten free flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 medium apples, finely diced (I use honeycrisp or granny smith)
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of fresh nutmeg
• 1/2 tbsp of cornstarch
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or brown sugar
• coconut oil or butter (for the pan)

Instructions

With a soup maker:

1. Add the milk, eggs, syrup, vanilla, flour and salt to your soup maker. Set to “juice.” When finished mixing, skip to step 3 below.

Without a soup maker:

1. Whisk together milk, eggs, syrup and vanilla and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour and salt together. Add the wet ingredients and whisk until combined.
3. Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add half a tablespoon of coconut oil (or butter). When the pan is very hot, add about 1/3-1/2 cup of the crepe batter (depending on the size of your pan). Swirl the pan around until the batter coats the entire bottom. There shouldn’t be a lot of batter sitting on top.
4. Let the crepe cook until the edges begin to come up from the pan and the bottom is browned. Flip and cook on the other side for about 2 minutes or until darker spots begin to develop on the underside. Remove from pan, place on a plate and store in the oven or microwave to keep warm. Continue with the remainder of the batter.

For the filling:

1. While the crepes cook, add the apples, zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch and sugar to a bowl and stir to combine. Let sit for at least 5 minutes.
2. Preheat a large pan over medium-low heat. Add a half tablespoon of coconut oil or butter to the pan. When melted, add the apples. Let cook until apples are fork tender, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Assembly:

1. Top each crepe with a few spoonfuls of the filling and a drizzle of maple syrup. Roll and enjoy!

The post Gluten Free Crepes with an Apple Cinnamon Compote appeared first on Never. Not. Eating..

Not only is pink a pretty hue, but it has also made its mark on our planet. Pink ribbons are used to raise awareness for breast cancer, a pink shirt is a symbol for anti-bullying, and pink flowers and hearts are given to express one’s love for another.

Pink food is more enjoyable as well, and that’s a fact. Okay, fine…it’s not a fact, but it’s my very strong opinion and I dare you to challenge me!

Anywho, since we now agree that pink food is better than non-pink food, I have a pretty sweet recipe for you – The Triple P’s! PINK PITAYA PANCAKES.

Since we’ve already discussed the importance of the colour pink, let’s talk about pitayas. If you don’t know, a pitaya is a fruit, commonly known as “dragonfruit” in North America. It has a pink skin with scale-like spikes shooting out of the exterior. It’s quite unique in appearance, and also quite beautiful. The inside of a pitaya can be white or a bright pink, with little black seeds, similar to that of a kiwi. It has a very mild taste and soft, fleshy texture. The pitaya I am using in this recipe is actually in powder form. The fruit is dried out and then finely ground so it can be used in smoothies, baking, and today – PANCAKES! You can find pink pitaya powder here.

And, these aren’t just any pancakes, peeps. These are gluten-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free! You. Are. Welcome. So, what replaces all of the glutenous, sugary, dairy-forward ingredients, you ask? Well, let’s start with the dry:

Buckwheat flour – I love, love, love using buckwheat flour as a substitute for all-purpose. It is NOT made out of wheat, and therefore is gluten-free. Buckwheat is actually a seed and it is ground up and sold in ‘flour’ form. I consider it to be the best GF flour for pancakes because it holds up and acts the most similar to regular flour. I also really like the nuttier taste.

Flax – Eggs are a typical pancake ingredient, but if I added them to this recipe then the pancakes wouldn’t be vegan. So instead, I use a flax ‘egg,’ which is literally just flax meal and water mixed together and left to sit for a few minutes to thicken up. It’s the perfect vegan binder.

Oat Milk – In any standard flapjack recipe, you will either find milk or buttermilk. And, again, since I’m going for vegan pancakes today, dairy products just don’t cut it. That’s why I have created my vegan ‘buttermilk’ by mixing some organic apple cider vinegar with oat milk instead of the baby cow elixir. You can also use white vinegar for this, if you don’t have ACV. Make sure you are using a certified gluten-free oat milk, as oats themselves do not have gluten in them, but often can be cross-contaminated with other glutenous products. If you can’t find a gluten-free oat milk, you can definitely use almond, cashew or soy milk instead!

Maple Syrup – Finally, the sweet stuff. Obviously white refined sugar is standard, but that shiz is so bad for you, man. I typically could eat these pancakes without any sugar, just because I’m sweet enough, but sometimes I like to add a little maple syrup to bring out the Canadian in me. It’s completely optional, but you do you. You can add more than what is called for if you like a sweeter pancake.

Alright, I think I’ve covered all of the important bases here. Let’s make some flippy flappies!

The Triple P’s – Pink Pitaya Pancakes (Vegan, GF)

Serving size: Makes about 15 small pancakes

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp flax meal
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 3/4 cup gluten-free oat milk (or your preferred dairy-free milk)
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp maca powder (optional)
• 1.5 tbsp pink pitaya powder (optional)
• 1-3 tbsp pure maple syrup (according to how sweet you want them, I do 1 tbsp)
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• coconut oil

Instructions:

1. To a small bowl, add flax meal and 2.5 tablespoons of water. Mix well and place in the fridge for at least 5 minutes.
2. Add vinegar and plant-based milk to a measuring cup and stir. Set aside.
3. To a medium bowl, add buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, maca powder and pitaya powder, if using. Whisk to combine and set aside.
4. Add the maple syrup and vanilla to the measuring cup with the vinegar and milk. Remove flax mixture from the fridge and add to the milk mixture as well. Stir and then pour into the dry ingredients. Whisk until combined.
5. Add about 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil to a pan set over medium heat. When the oil is hot, use a ladle to pour some of the pancake batter into the pan. When bubbles begin to appear around the edges (about 1-2 minutes), flip the pancake and cook for 30 seconds to one minute more. Remove from heat and continue with rest of batter, adding more coconut oil as needed.
6. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

NOTES:

I love serving these with fresh fruit, yogurt and pure maple syrup.

This recipe feeds approximately two people. You can double the recipe if feeding a larger family.

The post The Triple P’s – Pink Pitaya Pancakes (Vegan & GF) appeared first on Never. Not. Eating..

Not only are these pancakes gluten-free, they are also dairy-free and refined sugar-free. You. Are. Welcome.

This recipe was inspired by the extra pumpkin puree that I had after making my favourite pumpkin pasta dish. I hate waste and when I was thinking about what I could use the leftovers for, my brain immediately went to pancakes. Usually when I try recipes for pancakes that are gluten-, dairy- and refined sugar-free, they often turn out flat. It was my goal to create healthy pancakes that taste and look like normal pancakes. I think these are it. And, by “think” I mean “know.” I just didn’t want to sound cocky.

Because these pancakes are refined sugar-free, they are on the less-sweet side. They include the natural sweetness from a banana, but feel free to add some brown or white sugar to the wet ingredients. I, personally like to aggressively drizzle them with maple syrup after they are made and ready-to-eat, and this covers the necessary sweetness!

To start, whisk up all of your dry ingredients. Buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. The use of buckwheat is what makes these pancakes gluten-free. Buckwheat is actually a seed, not a wheat, as the name suggests. The seeds are ground up into a flour. It is my preferred ingredient for pancakes as I have found it to have a similar outcome as regular wheat flour, unlike other gluten-free flours, like almond and coconut.

The wet ingredients include: pumpkin (of course), canned coconut milk, a mashed banana, an egg and some vanilla. These all get whisked together. When combined, add in the dry ingredients and stir until everything has been incorporated. The batter will be thick. Set it aside to allow the ingredients to get to know one another.

When ready, add the batter to a hot pan. I find it easiest to use two spoons to help shape your pancakes the way you would like them. They only need a minute or two on each side until they are ready.

Serve with your toppings of choice. I love fresh fruit on these, cinnamon, and some yogurt. Oh, and pools of maple syrup, of course!

The Fluffiest Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes

Servings: Makes 8 pancakes

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (or the packaged powder)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 very ripe banana, mashed
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup canned coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Coconut oil

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk the buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, banana, beaten egg, coconut milk and vanilla together until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and stir until everything has been combined. Batter will be thick. Set aside for a few minutes to allow the flavours to meld.
3. Preheat a pan over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of coconut oil to grease the pan. Use two spoons to dollop the batter into the pan and to help spread and shape the pancakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes – you will notice the edges begin to set and bubbles begin to form on top – and flip, cooking another minute. Remove from pan and continue with the rest of the batter.
4. Serve with your choice of topping – I recommend pure maple syrup, fresh fruit and dairy-free yogurt!

The post The Fluffiest Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes appeared first on Never. Not. Eating..

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.

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