Just in case you hadn’t noticed last Tuesday was Shrove Tuesday, better known as Pancake Day! I have recently become pancake obsessed and love nothing more than having them at the weekend for breakfast or lunch, or dessert, or for a snack! Hah, told you, obsessed! So I certainly wasn’t going to miss out on having pancakes on their very own day just because I normally can’t summon the energy to make them mid-week.

I had a big old bag of buckwheat flour that had been sitting in my cupboard unused for a while so thought it was about time I put it to use and that’s when I threw together this batter and it just so happened to make the best pancakes I have ever made! I was so pleased with myself I have made them twice since, partly just to check it wasn’t a fluke… but it wasn’t! Who knew, vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free pancakes could be so awesome.

Now, no pancake set up would be complete without a delicious topping. Mine normally range from something as basic as lemon juice, to mashed banana and maple syrup or a fruit compôte. So I decided to use up the last of my frozen berry stash which I picked last summer and make this yummy compôte to drizzle over them. After all, Spring is on its way right…

Cinnamon and raisin, vegan, gluten-free pancakes
Makes 6 large pancakes

1/2 cup raisins
2 tbsp flax seeds
90 ml water
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup almond milk
Coconut oil for frying

Frozen summer berry compôte

1 cup frozen berries (I used red currants and raspberries)
1 tbsp maple syrup

• Soak the raisins in a small bowl of warm water and set aside.
• Finely grind the flax seeds in a spice grinder or high-speed food processor, whisk together with the water in a small bowl and set aside. The mixture should become gloopy and gelatinous.
• Mix the remaining dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Before you mix in the wet ingredients, begin heating a frying pan on a medium-high heat and put the frozen berries in a small saucepan on a low heat. Stir occasionally and add in the maple syrup whilst you continue making the pancakes.
• Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the flax mixture and half the almond milk. Using a fork mix together the flax and milk and slowly begin to incorporate the flour. Add the remaining milk a bit at a time until everything is combined.
• Put 1/2 tsp or so of coconut oil in the hot frying pan and pour in just under half a cup of the pancake batter. Fry for about 2 minutes until the bottom has browned nicely then flip and further for a further minute or two.
• Keep the pancakes warm under the grill until you have fried them all. Serve warm with the berry compôte.

Enjoy! A x