# Pancakes need some love



## VegGuy (Apr 9, 2017)

A little background on this first...

My family has celiac disease (wife and son) so any gluten/wheat recipes are out. My son is allergic to oats, so any recipe with oats is also out. My wife is semi-allergic to soy, so most soy is not an option.

The entire family has been vegan for a decade now, including eggs, honey, etc.


That said, I had actually made a pretty damn good Gluten-free, vegan pancake recipe that I perfected over the course of 2 or so years. Made the recipe from scratch without using any pre-mixed commercial products or "replacers" like GF Flours or egg-substitutes. 

Since I cook by intuition, it's hard to translate a recipe but, here's the gist:

2 cups Ground, hulled buckwheat.
1 large banana
2-3 tsp baking powder
Salt
Sugar
Vanilla to taste
Coconut/Almond/Soy milk until the right texture is reached

It turns out the same each time, but I can't tell you the exact measures.


Here's the catch: I used to live at 5,000 ft above sea level when I made that recipe.

Now I've moved to 500 ft above sea level and that same recipe is a brick. I call them "Neutron Star Pancakes" in their current state. 

Any more leavening agents and they taste like bitter chemicals. 

I need some help on how to "fluff" them while sticking to the same criteria I used when making the recipe.


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## caseydog (Apr 9, 2017)

I'm not vegan, or even vegetarian -- although I love fresh vegetables. But a couple of things about your recipe stand out to me. I could be wrong, but it has never stopped me from saying something before. 

First, that banana is probably adding a lot of density, which may work at high altitudes, but not down here where most of us live. Maybe -- not sure.

Also, I don't see any kind of fat in your recipe, even vegetable fat. That may be an issue, too. 

So, I'm basically shooting in the dark, but those are my observations. 

CD


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## VegGuy (Apr 9, 2017)

caseydog said:


> I'm not vegan, or even vegetarian -- although I love fresh vegetables. But a couple of things about your recipe stand out to me. I could be wrong, but it has never stopped me from saying something before.
> 
> First, that banana is probably adding a lot of density, which may work at high altitudes, but not down here where most of us live. Maybe -- not sure.
> 
> ...




I'll try various types of oils. In the past, I've used a couple types of margarine but didn't notice a difference. They may be a factor at lower elevations though.

Unfortunately, the best egg replacers that are non-commercial are usually a fruit puree with baking powder. Others that use flax seed tend to be even more dense. I think that's what's pushing the chemical limit between "fluffy" to "chemical burn".

I might skip the puree entirely though and see how the buckwheat flour holds up on its own, now that I think about it. It's one of the more glutenous non-gluten grains out there.

Thanks!


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## msmofet (Apr 9, 2017)

Have you tried almond meal/flour? 

I'm not vegan or vegetarian either. I have been making homemade yogurt and straining the whey out. I use the whey to replace liquid (buttermilk, milk, water) in my pancake/ waffle batters and they fluff like crazy due to the acidic reaction with the baking powder (like when using buttermilk).  Plus whey is loaded with protein and active cultures which is a plus to me.  But it is a milk by product so you can't use it.  I have heard of people making vegan Greek yogurt and straining the whey. Some use soy (which you can't use) or coconut milk but not sure what starter they use. Probably a powder starter. 

Maybe search vegan yogurt, vegan whey and see what you find. 

Sorry I can't be of more help at the moment. I will try to get more info when I get the chance.


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## CakePoet (Apr 9, 2017)

https://teffco.com/recipes/teff-pancakes/

Try this type of pancake, my friend does this recipe with buck wheat.


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## dcSaute (Apr 10, 2017)

there's a few basic things you can check:
- is the baking powder fresh?  it does not keep forever...
- pan/griddle temp - lower than before?

most BP is "double acting" - that means one component reacts with acid liquids to produce CO2, the second release of CO2 comes from heat.  if the batter is cooking slowly, it may set up before it gets up to temp enough to puff up.

cow milk is slightly acidic; soy, almond, and coconut are neutral to alkaline.  a change in brand may have pushed you over the edge of dark neutron matter.  half tsp of a mild vinegar or lemon juice may help.

I'm sensitive to the metallic taste of BP - so I use an aluminum free brand.  if you have to up the BP, try Rumford or Clabber Girl (nationally marketed)

note also that buckwheat pancakes were 'invented' using (natural) yeast leavening - similar to sour dough.  you can start from scratch or use a starter - either case is an overnight in-the-fridge rise.  works only if your group is not also sensitive to yeasts....


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## VegGuy (Apr 10, 2017)

Thanks to pretty much everyone for the replies!

These are a weekly weekend meal I make, so I'm going to try some things next Saturday.

Just one added note: I use hulled (no hull) buckwheat and a Vitamix to grind the buckwheat... which pretty much creates a fine dust, so it isn't exactly a standard buckwheat pancake 

I know altitude has definitely altered the physics of cooking these quite a bit, so I'm going to try some of the suggestions here to see what happens.

(But for anyone living a mile above sea level, this recipe works well!)


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## blissful (Apr 10, 2017)

dcSaute said:


> there's a few basic things you can check:
> - is the baking powder fresh?  it does not keep forever...


I agree with dcSaute, check your baking powder.
How to tell if baking powder is still good - David Lebovitz


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## caseydog (Apr 10, 2017)

BTW, I love buckwheat pancakes. I haven't had any in years. 

CD


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## buckytom (Apr 11, 2017)

Where's the Chief when we need him? He's got the best basic pancake recipe, so I'd bet he could adapt if for buckwheat and banana.


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## Cooking Goddess (Apr 11, 2017)

*bt*,I found the *Chief*'s buckwheat pancake recipe, but it looks like it needs a lot of tweaking to meet the specifications of *VegGuy*.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f158/worlds-best-pancakes-with-buckwheat-10609.html#post112393


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## Aunt Bea (Apr 11, 2017)

VegGuy said:


> A little background on this first...
> 
> My family has celiac disease (wife and son) so any gluten/wheat recipes are out. My son is allergic to oats, so any recipe with oats is also out. My wife is semi-allergic to soy, so most soy is not an option.
> 
> ...



Try leaving  out the baking powder and use 1T apple cider or white vinegar and 1t baking soda instead.


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