Fluffy Vegan Quinoa Pancakes + Cranberry

Fluffy Vegan Quinoa Pancakes + Cranberry---We're kicking off the week with #OrchidsHolidayBreakfastWeek in time for the Holiday season ahead. So, keep your eyes peeled for some delicious options for you and the entire family.

These Cranberry-inspired Drinks are perfect for the Holidays:

When it comes to this Apple Cranberry Ginger Lemon Detox Juice, it’s all about the spicy ginger and cranberry flavors paired with the bit of tartness from the lemon and granny apples.

This Cranberry Apple Cider Orange Sangria is a perfectly refreshing way to kick things off for the Holidays. Packed with a ton of sweet, Fall/Winter flavors—this recipe is the right way to enjoy a cup of non-alcoholic sangria. 

Now that we're in the middle of November, I honestly must say that I'm freaking out a bit about Christmas being around the corner so soon. Anyone else feeling the same?

While I've been super excited with creating amazing Holiday recipe options, it's definitely overwhelming when it comes to rolling everything out in time.

Granted, as a Food Blogger, we often spend months prior creating Holiday content, however, this year has been SUPER crazy for me and I haven't had the time or opportunity to do that. But hey----stuff happens and that doesn't diminish the amazing things headed your way!

So, can we talk about these pancakes for a sec? They are SO GOOD, ya'll! I know. You might be wondering----why quinoa pancakes? Are they really delicious?

Yup. They are. And they are so light and nutritious too.

Last year, I made these Healthy Pumpkin Quinoa Pancakes + Praline Syrup, which were amazing! In true Fall fashion, these vegan pancakes come loaded with pumpkin + spice flavor and topped with a sweet, dairy-free + vegan praline sauce that is packed with toasted pecans.

However, I wanted to highlight just quinoa in these pancakes since pumpkin is such a bold flavor. Trust me, you don't miss a thing with these quinoa pancakes at all.

Looking for a Healthier Sweetener Option?

The Best Healthy Sugar Alternatives + Substitutes list is all about finding better ways to enjoy your favorite sweets without compromising your healthy lifestyle. For those who follow a vegetarian and/or vegan lifestyle, this lists offers a few great ideas to incorporate healthy sweeteners into your diet.

While I've seen other quinoa pancake recipes which choose to use quinoa flour, I wanted to keep things interested with the actual quinoa grains, which add such a great texture to every bite.

It's so simple to cook quinoa and once cooked, after allowing them to cool, you just add it to the batter and wallah!

The Secret to Fluffy Vegan Pancakes?

Of course, when adding something 'wet' or 'heavy' to pancake batter such as actual cooked quinoa, it's super important to add a special ingredient to ensure that your pancakes aren't flat and droopy.

Believe me----I've learned this after several mistakes when making pancakes like this one. Pancake recipes often include baking powder and baking soda, which works together as a great 'riser', however, with pancakes that include extra 'wet' ingredients, you'll need to add some sort of starch as well---to produce double the rise.

Personally, I often love to use Arrowroot starch which is vegan and gluten-free. You can purchase it from my two faves----Bob's Red Mill or Namaste Foods.

Why Quinoa?

As we know, Quinoa is not only one of the most popular health foods of today, but it's also a seed (great alternative for those who aim to refrain from grains), gluten-free, high in protein, and one of the few plant foods that contain a sufficient amount of all nine essential amino acids.

Among those facts, quinoa also offers the following benefits:

It's Highly Nutritious.

Quinoa is high in Fiber, Magnesium, B-Vitamins, Iron, Potassium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Vitamin E, and other great antioxidants.

It also contains a small amount of Omega-3 fatty acids and is usually grown organically.

Best Source of Fiber---Even Than Most Other Grains!

Yup. You've read this right. Quinoa offers a very good source of fiber in comparison to other grains. Just know that once boiled, Quinoa's fiber content reduces due to the intake of water during the process. However, it's still an amazing source of fiber for our daily needs.

Gluten-Free.

Yup. Quinoa is GF, which works perfectly for those of us with a Gluten Intolerance, whether mildly or severely. So, be sure to fill up your cabinets with Quinoa when wanting to refrain from breads and pastas. See our best Quinoa Recipes further down in the post for some great ideas!

Has a Low Glycemic Index----Good for Blood Sugar Control!

In case you weren't aware, the Glycemic Index of foods measures how quickly foods raise your blood sugar level.

With Quinoa, the Glycemic Index is low, which means that it also keep you full longer, which counters the risk of obesity among other health related issues.

Positive Metabolic Health Effects!

According to health studies, it shows that Quinoa had positive Metabolic Effects in that it helps to reduce Blood Sugar Levels, insulin, and triglyceride levels.

Of course, there are many other health benefits with Quinoa, which include the possibility of being an aide in weight loss, high in antioxidants, and much more.

Looking for Great Ways to Incorporate Quinoa?

This Baked Sticky Orange Cauliflower + Quinoa recipe is a deliciously healthy option for the entire family. At first glance, these beauties truly remind you of classic orange chicken (and trust me, they taste just as good, if not better!), however, they aren’t! Just know that your taste buds won’t be able to tell the difference either!

This Homemade Vegan Chickpea Quinoa Meatball Subs recipe is truly something special and is the perfect rendition of the traditional New York Marinara Sub.

This Slow Cooker Quinoa Veggie Soup recipe is truly a delicious meal for those not so warm days. The warmth of great flavors and succulent taste of the individual veggies marrying together, makes this bowl of goodness completely irresistible.

This Vegan Chickpea + Quinoa ‘Meatballs’ + Polenta recipe is truly something special. Loaded with savory, spicy and sweet flavors, these ‘meatballs’ made from veggies are moist, silky, and tender. This dish is the perfect meal for dinner for the family on any given day.

These Spicy Jamaican Lentil + Quinoa Vegan Patties are truly something amazing! Wrapped in a nice parsley-infused, flaky crust, and stuffed entirely with curried lentil, quinoa, veggies, and nutritional yeast, these patties will leave you forgetting that it’s totally meat-less and convinced that vegan patties are the new ‘foodie’ favorite!

Plus, we have a ton more recipes which feature Quinoa, here!

Whelp, let’s dig right into these pancakes, shall we?

Start by whisking together the organic all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, arrowroot starch, cinnamon, and sea salt in a large bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl, add the quinoa, ‘chia eggs’, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and maple syrup and whisk together until well combined.

Now, add the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients and stir together with a rubber spatula until well combined. Slowly, add Almond milk to mixture until desired consistency is met. NOTE: Batter shouldn’t be too runny or too thick. Try to find it somewhere in the middle. **Try not to Over-mix.**

Add a thin slice of vegan butter to a heated medium skillet and pour ⅓ cup of batter unto the surface of the skillet. Cook for about 1-2 minutes (until batter begins to bubble) and gently flip pancake to it’s opposite side, cooking another 1-2 minutes. Be sure to gently press down on pancake to ensure that center cooks through.

Once cooked and lightly brown, remove pancake from heat and repeat steps until all batter is used.

For Cranberry Topping:

Combine all ingredients into a medium pot on medium-high heat, just until the sugar dissolves. Ensure that you stir all ingredients together well.

Once it begins to boil, reduce heat and let simmer until cranberries are softened and ‘bursting’.

Once cranberries are fully cooked and 'sauce-like'/thickened, remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes.

To serve, stack pancakes onto one another and add cranberry topping and lightly drizzle with maple syrup, if desired.

Bon Appetit!

MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?

If you choose to make these Fluffy Vegan Quinoa Pancakes + Cranberry or any other recipe from us, be sure to tag us on Instagram at #Orchidsandsweettea so that we can share the love, rate, comment below, + share!

Fluffy Vegan Quinoa Pancakes + Cranberry 

5 from 10 votes

These Fluffy Vegan Quinoa Pancakes + Cranberry are the best thing that you’ll ever encounter for breakfast. In true Fall/Holiday fashion, these vegan pancakes come loaded with nutritious quinoa and topped with a sweet, tart cranberry sauce that adds a beautiful tasty combo. Completely easy to make and can be whipped together in just 30 minutes.

Author: Shanika

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Serves: 6 pancakes

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup organic All-Purpose flour + 1 Tbsp (I use Bob's Red Mill)
• ▢ 1 cup multi-grain quinoa, cooked (I use TruRoots; According to packaging instructions)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch (I use Bob's Red Mill or Namaste Foods)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 2 'chia eggs' (See Notes!)
• ▢ 2-3 Tbsps pure maple syrup (See Notes!)
• ▢ 3 Tbsps coconut oil, melted (See Notes!)
• ▢ 1 cup Almond milk + 1 Tbsp (I use So Delicious; You can use your fave Plant-based Milk!)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ vegan butter, for cooking

Cranberry Topping:

• ▢ ¼ cup fresh water
• ▢ ½ cup organic pure cane sugar (I use Wholesome Sugar)
• ▢ 2 cups organic cranberries, fresh or frozen

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Start by whisking together the organic all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, arrowroot starch, cinnamon, and sea salt in a large bowl and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, add the quinoa, ‘chia eggs’, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and maple syrup and whisk together until well combined.
• Now, add the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients and stir together with a rubber spatula until well combined. Slowly, add Almond milk to mixture until desired consistency is met. NOTE: Batter shouldn’t be too runny or too thick. Try to find it somewhere in the middle. **Try not to Over-mix.**
• Add a thin slice of vegan butter to a heated medium skillet and pour ⅓ cup of batter unto the surface of the skillet. Cook for about 1-2 minutes (until batter begins to bubble) and gently flip pancake to it’s opposite side, cooking another 1-2 minutes. Be sure to gently press down on pancake to ensure that center cooks through.
• Once cooked and lightly brown, remove pancake from heat and repeat steps until all batter is used.

For Cranberry Topping:

• Combine all ingredients into a medium pot on medium-high heat, just until the sugar dissolves. Ensure that you stir all ingredients together well.
• Once it begins to boil, reduce heat and let simmer until cranberries are softened and ‘bursting’.
• Once cranberries are fully cooked and 'sauce-like'/thickened, remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
• To serve, stack pancakes onto one another and add cranberry topping and lightly drizzle with maple syrup, if desired.
• Bon Appetit!

Tips & Tricks

• SWEETENER: If you choose to opt out of pure maple syrup, you can always substitute with Agave as well.
• CHIA EGGS: 2 Tbsps of chia seeds + 6 Tbsps water = 2 'chia eggs'. Whisk chia seeds and water in a small bowl until well combined and let sit for 10 minutes. Mixture should be thick.** Continue recipe!**

   

Nutrition

Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 459mg | Potassium: 259mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 207mg | Iron: 3mg

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Fluffy Vegan Quinoa Pancakes + Cranberry.

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