Buckwheat Banana and Hemp Power Protein Pancakes…. try saying that ten times quickly! These beauties may have a tongue-twister of a name, but they’re really very simple to whip up of a Sunday morning. Indeed, pancakes do tend to be a weekend treat at our house as we try to stick to my classic Green Goddess Smoothie on weekday mornings.
They really feel like a treat, despite being free from sugar, gluten, dairy, soy, eggs and anything artificial. In fact, they only contain 5 main ingredients! Buckwheat is a naturally gluten-free seed, which resembles a grain. It’s rich anti-ageing phytonutrients and in the natural sedating mineral, magnesium, which helps us to feel more calm, relaxed, and eases any muscle tension.
Rather than using a protein powder, I used hulled hemp seeds for this recipe, as they’re a complete source of easily-digested plant protein, with 7.4g of protein per serving. They’re also a powerful source of omega-3 fats for a smooth complexion, and fibre for our digestive health.
Rather than a sweetener, I used mashed ripe banana, cinnamon and vanilla to sweeten them up, but they could just as easily be made savoury, with chopped coriander, chilli, garlic, cumin and turmeric. I added a couple of handfuls of blueberries for their antioxidant benefits. The cashew cream is a handy trick to know if you’re looking for an alternative to whipped cream. It’s so simple to make, and the vanilla seeds make it taste like Italian vanilla ice-cream š Pop a small spoonful of organic maple syrup into the cashew cream if you fancy an even sweeter treat!
- 120g (One cup) of buckwheat flour
- 355ml (1 1/2 cups) of unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tbsp hulled hemp seeds
- 1 tbsp organic virgin coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 a ripe banana
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 125g fresh raw blueberries
- 1/2 a banana
- 1 tbsp unsweetened desiccated coconut
- 129g (1 cup) raw unsalted cashew nuts, soaked for 2 hours in cold water to soften (Buy organic if possible)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla seeds
- 1 tsp pure organic maple syrup (optional)
- Coconut oil, for cooking
- In a large mixing bowl, place the buckwheat flour, mashed banana, cinnamon, vanilla, coconut oil and hemp seeds. Slowly pour in the almond milk, stirring continuously until a smooth batter forms.
- Heat up a little coconut oil in a skillet or frying pan. When it bubbles, pour on enough batter to make a thin pancake. I like to keep them to a medium-size to get more pancakes out of the mixture š
- When the edges of the pancakes start to detach from the base of the pan, gently use a spatula to lift the pancake free from the pan and carefully flip it over. Cook it on the other side until golden-brown.
- Place on a plate topped with a piece of kitchen roll to mop up any extra oil. Continue cooking until all the batter is gone and place aside.
- To make the cashew cream, place the soaked cashew nuts, vanilla and optional sweetener in a blender and combine until a smooth cream forms. I usually need to use a little water to help blend, and scrape down the sides every so often.
- Decorate your pancakes with the cashew cream, blueberries and bananas and serve hot. Enjoy!
