The
great pancake test!
As
pancake day is nearly here we thought we'd (well I had to get someone
to help me eat the results didn't I? - Michelle) do you a service by
testing some gluten free (see here for reasons not to eat gluten -
http://paleoleap.com/11-ways-gluten-and-wheat-can-damage-your-health/
) versions of these lovely little treats. Yes folks, even a
'healthier' version should still be an infrequent treat rather than
an everyday item.
Most
of the recipes we tried make thicker batters suitable for the smaller
American style pancakes, although most could be thinned out with
water, milk or your chosen dairy substitute (we used KoKo, a coconut
based alternative in place of milk). We used either a hand blender
(to deal with the bananas, and the thick mixtures) or a balloon
whisk, and cooked all but the crepe version on a flat cast iron
griddle using coconut oil. Pour a small amount of the batter on the
hot griddle and flip once the batter is bubbling on the top.
Where
recipes asked for milk we used KoKo (a coconut based alternative) and
in place of sugar we used a little agave nectar (about a dessert
spoonful).
We
used the following alternatives to flour and recipe sources:
Oat
bran
– this one would not thicken so we made a crepe style pancake here.
It is a version of the Dukan diet recipe.
Protein
powder
– our only concern here being whether the protein powder is heat
stable, or loses some of the nutrients when cooked? Michelle's own
recipe (2 ripe bananas mashed, 2 eggs, 1 serving of protein powder,
milk, substitute or water to get desired consistency).
Almond
flour
– we used the same recipe as for the coconut flour pancake but had
to increase the flour element x4 times.
Coconut
flour
-
http://www.nourishingdays.com/2010/07/fluffy-coconut-flour-pancakes/
Gluten
free plain flour
- http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/american-breakfast-pancakes-141
subsitute gutlen free flour and gluten free baking powder.
Buckwheat
–
the simplest recipe we found
http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/441110/Buckwheat-pancakes.
And
the results of the test are:
Oatbran
– Very runny batter, could be used as an alternative to tortillas
if made thin and cooked until crisp. The results were very dry and
needed some accompaniments to be really palatable. They certainly
won’t roll up like traditional crepes do.
Protein
powder
– Lovely fluffy little pancakes, take care not to overcook, they
only need a few mins. They hold together well and considering that we
used chocolate protein powder and bananas they did not need any
further accompaniments, although we found them very tasty with greek
yoghurt and berries.
Almond
flour
– A little grainy in texture but nicely sweet and creamy. Would go
very well with salmon and cream cheese as a savoury snack.
Coconut
flour
– This batter thickens well on beating and produces a very pale
fluffy pancake which is slightly sweet and only a little grainy.
Gluten
free plain flour
- (These are the pancakes I usually serve to friends and family –
even those who do not avoid gluten – Michelle)
Buckwheat
– These ones have an earthy/vegetable taste and are a little
rubbery (although I may have overcooked them a little – Michelle).
There are some very complex recipes for buckwheat pancakes out there
but we found a simple recipe so that everyone can make them with
easy-to-find ingredients. On their own they are a bit tasteless but
with yoghurt and berries they make a tasty breakfast!
The
winner is:
The
protein pancakes were the outright winner! Possibly due to the
chocolate protein powder we used along with the bananas. You can of
course make these with any flavour protein or the flavourless
versions too.
The
fluffy slightly sweet coconut ones came second and the almond flour
3rd.
Thanks
to Emma for her assistance and cooking skills – Michelle.
