Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Apple Cider Pumpkin Pancakes

I am following up my recent Pumpkin Pie Waffle recipe with my Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Apple Cider Pumpkin Pancake Recipe – perfect for those cozy pajama-ridden holiday mornings when you want to whip up something quick.

This recipe evolved from my basic gluten-free buttermilk pancakes because I was looking for a fun and healthy way of making them dairy-free as well.  Always on a mission to provide you all with a unique and flavorful way to make my recipes allergen-friendly without the compromise of taste, I decided to replace the buttermilk, that I normally use, with a mixture of apple cider and pumpkin puree.

The consistency of the cider and pumpkin, when whisked together, lends to the batter the same consistency of a full-fat buttermilk, without having the effect of a  full-fat diet buster.  The taste of the two, when whisked together, lends to the palate all of those delectable flavors of winter, without slaving for hours to get them.  The smell of the two, when whisked together, lends to the senses the heady aromas of holidays, without having to burn those thickly scented candles to get it.

I decided to whip these up the other night before my oldest son’s flag football practice.   I was on my way out of town early the next morning and wanted to make sure my husband had something hearty to feed the boys for breakfast while I was gone.  So while the other moms from our team were feeding their families stew and meatloaf before the chaos practice ensued, I was busy experimenting with cider and pumpkin and plating up “brinner” (breakfast for dinner) for mine.

These Apple Cider Pumpkin Pancakes surprised us all.  Both of my boys were tickled that dinner before practice was such a treat.  Thus, my usual chirping to get them to finish their meal before heading off to practice was silenced by their surprisingly quick inhalation of these.   I was thrilled that these were met without resistance, especially knowing that the pumpkin and ground chia seed that are included in these are a nice additional boost to the nutrient value (you can read what Andrew Weil, M.D. says about the benefits of chia here).

And the fact that I even managed to get a picture of these and get us out the door to practice on time, allowed me to give myself the “Mom rocks” props that I reserve for those moments when I really manage to impress myself.

Apple Cider Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancake Recipe

Also Dairy-Free

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour

1/2 cup Almond Flour (for Nut-Free: add another 1/2 cup brown rice flour instead of almond flour)

3 Tablespoon Arrowroot Starch (or tapioca starch)

1/3 cup Potato Starch (NOT Potato flour)

1 Tablespoon Ground Flax Meal or Ground Chia Seeds (optional, but a wonderful health addition)

1/2 teaspoon Xanthan, or guar, gum

2  teaspoons Baking Powder

3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 1/2 cup Apple Cider (your favorite brand)

1/2 cup Organic Pumpkin Puree

2 Organic Eggs, separated

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 Tablespoons Organic Coconut Oil (or if not Dairy-Free, then can use equal amount organic butter, melted and cooled)

Directions:

1.  In large bowl sift together, until well-blended: brown rice flour, almond flour (or additional brown rice flour), arrowroot starch, potato starch, flax meal or ground chia, xanthan (or guar) gum, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.

2.  In another bowl whisk until well-blended: apple cider and pumpkin puree.

3.  Add to apple cider mixture:  egg yolks, vanilla, and coconut oil (or melted butter) and whisk until well blended.  Set aside and let sit for fifteen minutes.

4.  In separate bowl: add egg whites and then using hand mixer, beat whites until soft peaks form.  After batter has been sitting, gently fold in whites until just incorporated.

5.  Prepare griddle or skillet: Lightly grease and heat to medium high.  Pour 2-3 tablespoons of batter per pancake onto griddle (Note: if batter seems too thick to pour, you can gently stir in a little more cider) Pancakes are ready to flip when the edges start to look a little dry and you can see small bubbles forming on the surface.  Flip, then cook for 2 minutes more.

6.  Serve with warm organic maple syrup and a slight sprinkle of cinnamon.

I will be sharing some of my favorite holiday breakfast dishes over the next couple of months since lazy winter mornings are so special to me. Do you have any traditional holiday breakfast recipes that are your favorites? I love to hear what my fellow readers are eating in their jammies….

This post is linked to:
Hearth and Soul Blog Hop
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
Real Food Wednesday