It’s Sunday morning, you’re snowed in (still!), you couldn’t go for that morning jog, and you are desperately in need of some my-body-is-a-temple food. Except you want it to be really decadent because it’s your day off, for heaven’s sake, and you need some pampering before you are driven to something desperate by all that snow piling up outside. Something that’ll shine up from your plate like that elusive ray of sunshine. Something…like these vegan Orange Sweet Potato Wholegrain Pancakes.
Making healthy pancakes of all flavors is a bit of an obsession with me, not least because I live with people who are obsessed with pancakes. Desi could eat them all day, and even Jay – finicky Jay – has taken to pancakes so much that he starts begging from them right from Friday night.
For these pancakes, I combined two sunny flavors that go together beautifully: oranges and sweet potatoes. They add just that little hint of flavor and sweetness without being overpowering. And they make the pancakes really pretty too, with that sunny, golden color.
As always, I make my pancakes wholegrain by using whole wheat pastry flour. You can easily try this with a combination of regular whole wheat flour and all purpose flour, in equal proportions to substitute the pastry flour, or you could even make these with my gluten-free pancake mix, if you swing that way.
And then, all you have to do is gorge on them. Happy Sunday, all!
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Looking for more vegan breakfast recipes?
The best vegan pancakes (whole wheat)
Vegan Banana Crumb Muffins
Easy Vegan Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
Savory Leek Sourdough Bread Pudding
Vegan Artichoke Potato Gratin
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Vegan Orange Sweet Potato Pancakes
Vegan Orange Sweet Potato Wholegrain Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp flaxmeal
- 1 medium sweet potato cooked in the microwave or roasted in an oven until cooked through. To microwave, pierce with a knife in several places, wrap in a paper towel and microwave first for five minutes and then for three, or until a knife pierced in the center goes cleanly through.
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk
- 1/2 cup orange juice
Instructions
- Mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and flaxmeal in a large bowl.
- Blend the sweet potato, orange juice, applesauce and non-dairy milk in a food processor or blender until you have a smooth mixture.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, whisking or mixing with a spatula until everything is just combined. Do not overmix.
- Heat a griddle and spray on some oil. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter in the center and cook until the sides start to dry and bubbles appear on top. Work on medium heat and keep a close eye because the sugar in the sweet potatoes and orange juice can cause the pancakes to brown quickly.
- Flip the pancake and continue to cook until the other side is golden-brown.
- Serve hot with any syrup of your choice.
Notes
Nutrition
This looks delicious! I wonder what would happen if I used coconut flour? What do you think?
Lindsay,
Don’t do it! I used coconut flour because I am new at this vegan thing and it absorbs the liquids so they were really thick and crumbly! I later learned after going online that when using coconut flour only use a few tablespoons at a time until you get the right consistency. I could only taste the coconut and orange juice in these, but maybe if you use less flour then it won’t be so overpowering!
mine were mushy inside . What did I do wrong?
You need to give the pancakes enough time to cook on each side. Wait for the bubbles to appear at the center before flipping.
I made these pancakes again today. I made a small change. Since I like the golden color of the pancakes, I used 1/2 cup milk and 1-1/2 cups orange juice (I reversed the quantities)..
My sweet potato gave me only 1/2 cup, so I boiled and mashed a carrot to make one cup.
These are the ultimate pancakes …golden and absolutely delicious. Thanks Vaishali
Fareeda, what a great idea, and so glad you like the pancakes recipe. Thanks for letting me know!
Sweet potato AND apples sauce, mmm. Sounds good!
I Just made these pancakes for breakfast. They are absolutely delicious. We topped them with sliced strawberries and thin slivers of avocado, then sprinkled on some hemp hearts and cinnamon.
Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Fareeda, so glad you liked them! Your toppings sound scrumptious. Thanks for sharing!
I like the idea of strawberries on top. That’d just be the crowning touch. 😉
What would be the best way to split this across meals? Would I be able to store the remaining batter or is it better to make them all and freeze the extras?
Hi Krithika, it’s best to make them and freeze. They also last in the refrigerator 2-3 days. Leaving the batter is not advised because the leavening agents (baking soda and powder) lose their effectiveness over time.
I cannot get enough sweet potatoes. I love that you added the OJ in this recipe for a little bit of extra sweetness!
Thanks, Rachel, the OJ makes a real flavor difference.
Yum- I love adding sweet potato to pancakes! The orange juice sounds like a great twist (pun kinda intended) on it!
Question though- for the medium potato- how much would that be approximately? 1 Cup?
-Kelsey
http://www.alittlerosemaryandtime.com
Hi Kelsey, the sweet potato I had only gave me about 3/4 cup of flesh, although if you got about 1 cup it would work just fine. You really wouldn’t need to adjust anything else since the sweet potato has a good, moist consistency. If the batter is too dry, add a hint more of the non-dairy milk. Cheers. (And love the pun! :))
Hi Vaishali, first of all, thank you so much for aspiring modern vegan dishes and Indian, as I am e young Vegetarian, struggling with planning dinner en inventing new dishes.
Do you know more about vegetarian wines? i bought a vegetarian wine at a store in Amsterdam, one of the nicest after tastes ever.
Hi Esperanca, I am definitely a wine drinker, and I usually prefer whites, both just to guzzle and to go with vegan dishes. I can’t say I am an expert at pairing, though. I would love to hear more about this wine from Amsterdam, if you can share.
We are really obsessed with healthy pancakes in our house at the moment- it seems everyone loves them 🙂 Thanks for posting this; will try it out 🙂
Thanks, Sarojini. As a fellow pancake lover, I totally get the obsession. 🙂
Nice pics n delicious luking pancakes..
Thanks, Maha.