Veganuary: Can’t wait for pancake day?
Hello all! I know it’s not pancake day yet but I just wanted to do a recipe that shows just how effective substitutes can be in vegan baking/cooking. Making the transition to vegan doesn’t mean having to learn lots of new recipes, in fact, I would recommend starting by simply swapping ingredients in your current favourite recipes.
Now the traditional British pancake day style pancake uses both milk and egg. When substituting milk there are plenty of options…oat, soya, coconut, rice, hemp to name a few, and usually it doesn’t really matter which one you choose.
Egg, however, is a little different. Your substitute depends on the purpose. Some examples are:
Flaxseed – Really good as a binder but can add its flavour. Grind and add water.
Chia seed – Also good as a binder, just add water.
Mashed banana or apple puree – Great to use in cakes but can add sweetness so consider reducing the amount of sugar you use.
Baking soda and apple cider vinegar – A combination found in a lot of vegan cake recipes.
Tofu – A good swap to replace scrambled eggs. You can also puree it to use in cakes or brownies.
Egg replacement powder –Simply mix the powder with water and whisk to a fluffy mixture to use in baking.
Gram flour – I’ve made a great frittata using a gram flour mix rather than egg!
Vegan egg - Vegan egg mixes can be bought that can replicate egg for use in scrambled eggs and omelettes.
This is not an exhaustive list, I’m not that much of an expert but I’ve found a list online that offers a lot more information than I can. (www.healthline.com/nutrition/egg-substitutes#section14)
Back to my pancakes… As I’m making thin crepe-style pancakes I need an egg replacer that is thin, has a smooth texture and is flavourless. For this recipe I have chosen to use egg replacer powder. Some people I know are not so keen on this but I find it really quick and easy to use.
Here goes:
INGREDIENTS
ORIGINAL RECIPE from www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/perfect-pancakes-recipe -100g plain flour
-Pinch salt
-2 eggs
-300ml semi skimmed milk
-1 tbsp sunflower oil
MY VERSION with a couple of swaps
-100g plain flour
-Pinch salt
-2 vegan egg replacement powder eggs
-300ml soya milk
-1 tbsp rapeseed oil (just because that's the one I had in!)
METHOD
-So simply mix the flour, ‘eggs’, salt, oil and 50ml of the soya milk in a bowl.
-Whisk to a thick dough then continue to add the water to the desired consistency for your pancakes. If you like thin pancakes add more soya milk and if you like thicker, add less!
-Heat some oil in a frying pan on a moderate heat and then soak it up with some kitchen roll.
-Pour in some of the batter and then tilt the pan so that the mixture spreads to a thin circle.
-The batter will start to cook and set within 30 seconds. After 30 seconds flip the pancake and cook on the other side.
-When cooked, slide onto a plate and add your favourite toppings…melted chocolate, peanut butter, vegan ice cream or, if you’re like me and are old school, you’ll like just a sprinkling of sugar and a squeeze of lemon.
I hope this has shown that even recipes that are very un-vegan can be veganised very simply with just a few direct swaps of ingredients. Now to eat my pancakes...thanks for reading everyone!
