Pancake Day 2019

Get your frying pans at the ready! It’s that time of year when the nation fills up on pancakes. Our chefs at V for Life offer some great plant-based alternatives.

Regular Pancake Mix

Makes 3–4 pancakes. Vegan

Plain oil such as sunflower or vegetable for frying
120g plain flour
½ pint non-dairy milk
Pinch salt

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, sieve the flour and salt. Add the milk a little at a time, whisking to make sure there are no lumps. Pop in the fridge for 20–30 minutes.
2. Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan, then add a quarter of the mixture making sure to cover the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Cook for around 3 minutes.
3. Using a spatula, carefully remove the pancake and turn (or if you’re feeling brave you can flip!)
4. Cook remaining side for another 3–5 minutes or until cooked. Pop onto a plate and cover with your favourite toppings.

Our second recipe incorporates banana and almond flour. Perfect for anyone wishing to increase their calorie intake.

125g plain flour
25g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1 ripe banana
1 tbsp vegetable oil
250ml soya milk

Instructions

1. Place all the pancake ingredients into a large measuring jug. Blend with a hand blender until you get a smooth batter. 
2. Make 10 small pancakes in small batches. 
3. To serve, warm up a few teaspoons of chocolate hazelnut spread. Drizzle some over the pancakes and serve with some fresh berries, kiwi fruit, bananas etc.

Here at VfL, the favourite topping among the team is banana alongside chocolate and traditional option of lemon and sugar (our team definitely has a sweet tooth!) Ollie, our Roving Chef (South) recommends using oil instead of butter when frying pancakes because butter can often burn.

Here’s a selection of fillings you might want to try:

Sweet

• ½ cup frozen berries slow cooked in 2 tbsp water on a medium heat. Add on top of yoghurt and finish with crushed nuts.
• Boozy caramelised banana. Add 2 tbsp brown sugar to a frying pan and cook until melted. Add a sliced banana, coat well and cook for a further 30 seconds. Remove the pancakes from the heat and pour on 1 tbsp spiced rum.
• ‘Snickers’ pancake is simply peanut butter, chocolate spread, and a little maple syrup.

Savoury

• Creamed mushrooms (full recipe available from our Take V publication)
• Scrambled tofu
• Cheeze, seitan ham and spring onion
• Goat’s cheese/vegan alternative, rocket and caramelised onion chutney

Happy flippin!