Matcha and Coconut Pancakes.
A temptation-, gluten- & dairy-free pancake recipe, using coconut flour.
Matcha and Coconut Pancakes.
Low in calorie and high in protein, these are a nutrition packed alternative to regular pancakes and can be dressed up or down as the occasion desires.
Delicious for breakfast, as a snack or treat, the wheat-free batter is a versatile recipe for a regular and healthy home kitchen repertoire.
Coconut flour is milled dried flesh of fresh coconuts and a low carb flour devoid of gluten containing healthy fats. It has a low GI index, just like coconut sugar, and contributes a natural sweetness to sweet as well as savoury preparations. It can be freely used in baking and cooking, adding fragrant texture as well as thickness. Coconut flour is very dense and highly absorbent, and as a result needs to be used differently to regular flour. In baked recipes, substitute 25-30g of coconut flour for 100g of regular flour. Due to its lack of gluten, it also requires additional moisture and binding; use 4 beaten eggs for every 100g of coconut flour, as well as 75ml of a liquid/milk of your choice. It is a very filling flour, and a little goes a long way. It is also safe to use in no-bake recipes.
Matcha is a finely-milled, high quality Japanese green tea powder and one of the most prized of Japanese teas with a history spanning almost a millennia. A natural prebiotic containing antioxidants it has a number of health benefits including boosting skin elasticity and improving the immune system and gut health.
Matcha and coconut sugar are a match made in heaven, resulting in a deliciously nutty and caramelly flavour. Either or both can be omitted however – the recipe can easily be made sugar free, relying on the sweetness of the banana and coconut flour alone, although being natural, minimally-processed and plant-based coconut sugar is a healthier alternative to regular sugar and its naturally caramelly taste and grainy texture make it enormously useful and addictive in the kitchen.
Matcha can be substituted for cocoa powder in this recipe to make almost equally tasty coconut-chocolate pancakes instead.
Clarified butter is another enormously useful and addictive home kitchen ingredient – its natural nuttiness makes it a great source of flavour as well as fat. Coconut oil can be used instead of clarified butter for a dairy-free option, although this is exactly the type of recipe where clarified butter really comes into its own, combined with the equally nutty and caramelly coconut sugar: both very good options for a simple bowl of porridge too!
For richer results, add some melted butter or coconut oil into the batter also. And play around with toppings to find your favourite combination.
As with all pancake batter it is a good idea to make the batter an hour or so in advance to let the flavours develop, or even better the night before.
The key to delicious pancakes as always is to serve them very warm –reheat the pancakes in a stack once you have cooked all of them.
Ingredients.
Serves 1-2
Makes 4 medium sized pancakes.
Pancakes:
Banana ½
Coconut flour 1 large tablespoon of
Coconut Sugar 1-2 tablespoon of
Matcha 1 teaspoon of
Eggs, 2 large, beaten
Salt 1 pinch
Vanilla, essence or pod
Coconut oil or clarified butter, large spoonful
Shredded coconut 1 tablespoon of (optional)
Splash of coconut or oat milk (optional)
Toppings:
Clarified butter or coconut oil
Toasted coconut
Match powder or cocoa powder or dark chocolate shavings or chips
Coconut sugar or maple syrup
Fruit such as banana or strawberries in seasons
Coconut yoghurt or sour cream
1. Put all of the batter ingredients into a mixer and blend together. You can also do this by hand.
2. Melt the clarified butter or coconut oil on a gentle heat and set aside in a separate bowl.
3. Heat your pancake pan on a medium heat. Then dab a small amount of kitchen paper into the melted butter or oil and wipe your pancake pan.
4. Once the oil is hot, add a ladleful of batter to the pan and cook on both sides until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
5. Stack the pancakes on a plate as you cook them and once you have made all 4 pancakes put them back into the hot pan in a stack to warm through, flipping the stack over once.
6. Serve drizzled and topped with your favourite toppings
