The Recipe Redux is a group of like-minded food bloggers whose mission is to inspire the food lover in every healthy eater and inspire the healthy eater in every food lover. Each month members post recipes to their blogs following a theme set by the group moderators.
This month’s Recipe Redux theme is a fun one – First Cooking Recollections. It’s always interesting to hear how someone who is passionate about their work first became interested in it. For many food bloggers that initial spark of interest in cooking happened, as it did for me, at a young age. I have vivid childhood memories of a Charlie Brown cookbook that belonged to my sister. Between the pages, that over the years became encrusted with dried bits of batter, was a recipe for Lucy’s Lemon Squares. We made those lemon squares countless times and this is where my love for anything lemon was born. Later, when I was older, I remember making Italian stuffed shells from a recipe I pulled out of Seventeen Magazine. I used that recipe so often that the paper it was printed on started to disintegrate and I had to make a photo copy, which I still have today! But the cooking memory I have that is strongest, perhaps because of the visual it creates in my mind’s eye, is that of making pancakes – a big red mixing bowl and a box of Bisquick sitting on the counter with a dusting of this classic baking mix seemingly scattered everywhere. Although there were only a few ingredients to stir together, I nevertheless made a complete mess of the kitchen, but those pancakes sure tasted good. Traditional pancakes disappeared from my diet long ago and now, when a craving for pancakes hits, I make Baked Quinoa Chia Pancakes.
Looks can be deceiving! Baked Quinoa Chia Pancakes look exactly like traditional pancakes but in reality they are quite different. Not only are they baked, instead of pan fried, but they are made with nutrient dense foods that bear no resemblance to the ingredients used in wheat flour pancakes. Quinoa and chia seeds provide the base for these pancakes and when they are processed as outlined in the recipe below they are transformed into a batter that, when baked, produces wholesome, earthy pancakes that are gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan – something of a small miracle when you consider that almost all pancakes are made with milk, butter, eggs, and wheat flour!
One of the things I love about Baked Quinoa Chia Pancakes is that you don’t need to be tied to the stovetop making multiple batches of pancakes, flipping them over and carefully watching to make sure they don’t burn. The entire batch of Baked Quinoa Chia Pancakes bakes in the oven, all at once, in 12 minutes and the only work you have to do while they cook is rotate the baking sheets halfway through the baking time. I highly recommend using silicone pan liners for this recipe so that the pancakes don’t stick to the pans.
Baked Quinoa Chia Pancakes can be frozen and reheated in the toaster oven. Freeze the baked pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet(s) then transfer to a plastic storage bag or container. It’s super convenient on busy mornings to pull a couple out of the freezer and pop them in the toaster oven.
If you’re not vegan and don’t follow a dairy-free diet go ahead and put a big pad of butter on these pancakes. They taste fantastic with just fresh berries and maple syrup on top, but even better when you add warm melted butter! Serve Baked Quinoa Chia Pancakes with a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice for an incredible healthy and tasty breakfast.
- 1¾ cups quinoa (uncooked), 10½ ounces
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1 pint fresh berries
- ½ cup Maple syrup
- START RECIPE THE NIGHT BEFORE
- Soak the quinoa in cold water and leave in the refrigerator overnight. (The amount of water does not matter because it will be drained. Just make sure all the quinoa is completely immersed.)
- Put the chia seeds in ½ cup of water and stir. Leave this to soak in the refrigerator overnight as well. (It will turn into a thick gel.)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats and spray with olive oil cooking spray.
- Drain the quinoa well and place it in a food processor.
- Add the chia gel, ½ cup water, olive oil, baking soda, salt, and apple cider vinegar. Process for 3 minutes. (The mix will be a thick batter with some of the quinoa and chia seeds still visible.)
- Using a ½ cup measure, make 4 pancakes on each baking sheet.
- Bake on the bottom racks of the oven for 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through (after 6 minutes).
- Serve with fresh berries and maple syrup.
Adapted from www.thehealthychef.com
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Oh my gosh, we had that same Charlie Brown Cookbook growing up! So funny.
These pancakes look fantastic, a perfect way to start the day.
Thanks Brynn! How funny you had the same cookbook. Charlie Brown was a favorite of mine as a kid.
I love love the reference to the Charlie Brown cookbook and Seventeen magazine! One of the first recipes I learned to make was pancakes from my moms 1970 Better Crocker cookbook 🙂
Yes, Betty Crocker was big back then. I had a 1970’s Betty Crocker pie cookbook that I loved and that is where I first learned to make pies. Antoher cooking memeory!
Can the batter be refrigerated for baking a few days later?
Unfortunately no.