A gluten-free and vegan carrot cake pancake drizzled with nutty tahini.
Most of us enjoy pancakes, and you know that I LOVE pancakes. What a better day to share one of my favorite pancakes than on National Pancake Day! These Carrot Cake Tahini Pancakes are not only gluten free but also vegan. I’ve had so many requests from all of you out there to do a vegan variation of my pancakes and today that’s what I’m here to share! These cake-like, sweet and chewy pancakes are filled whole food ingredients such as sweet bananas, carrots, nuts, cinnamon spices, and nutty tahini paste.
I’ve always loved carrot cake and tahini has been a kitchen staple of mine for years, so blending the two of these came very naturally. I love pancakes all day long, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner but sometimes you need a different topping than good ole’ maple syrup and tahini is the beez neez. It’s loaded with vitamins and minerals especially calcium, magnesium, and zinc. These Carrot Cake Tahini Pancakes are not only loaded with minerals but also contain a good amount of plant-based protein and fiber, perfect to add to a vegan lifestyle.
How to Serve
- Stacked // I love these with my homemade granola in between each layer of the pancake and then drizzled with maple syrup- crunchy and chewy at the same time
- Drizzled // with Sweet Tahini Drizzle
- Fruit // Bananas, pears, and blueberries go best with these pancakes in my opinion
- Dollop // of Apple Fruit Butter on top, Coconut Whipped Cream
- Dessert-style // add my Dark Chocolate Avocado Mousse in between each layer… whoa.
Why do I create gluten-free recipes on Nutrition Stripped?
First, check back here to read the About me section where I share my story on why I practice a gluten and dairy free lifestyle. Also, I’m trying to expose and share new ways of eating for the typical Standard American Diet, which is overly processed and nutritionally-dead in comparison to many whole foods that are included in a plant-based diet. Gluten-free lifestyles also open you up to a whole new world of fresh food including, fresh fruits, fresh veggies, and whole food sources of carbohydrates that you may have overlooked since relying on processed foods such as quinoa, millet, buckwheat, amaranth, etc.
Many of the carbohydrates that we eat contain wheat and gluten, most are highly processed to the point where they severely lack wholesome nutrition; not to mention most taste dry and lifeless- just sayin’. Whole foods coming from the ground, the trees, and the earth are loaded with water, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that processed foods (including gluten containing) don’t have. Think of the difference between a popular kids cold cereal on the shelf and rolled oats, vastly different in terms of ingredients and nutritional profile.
Should you go gluten-free?
Several years ago when gluten-free diets were the “new thing” to try and gluten was the new buzz-word, people jumped on the diet wagon in hopes to lose weight or feel better. That’s fantastic, but we also have to pay attention to the reason behind it. Going gluten free is extremely important if you suffer from an allergy, sensitivity, or intolerance to gluten; but also if you may suspect gluten is an issue. Having constant issues with your digestion and generally feeling low in energy are just a couple of signs gluten might not be jive with your body. People who suffer from gluten sensitivities, intolerances, or worse Celiac, have to participate in this lifestyle or else they’d feel down right crummy. I know what it’s like to have tummy troubles and they’re nothing but frustrating; I’d be more than happy to help share my tips and come up with a plan to whip that digestion back into shape (I’m an email away).
So, let’s jump back onto these amazing gluten-free and vegan-friendly pancakes. I have to say this recipe was so fun to experiment with; I found myself dancing and singing (as I often do in the kitchen) into my wooden spoon, mixing up the batter and cleaning while listening to records. It was a fun and relaxing weekend to say the least, and it was even better to have been rewarded by the perfect plate-o-pancakes.
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 cup vanilla almond milk + 1/3 cup water
- 1 cup oats, ground into a flour
- 1/4 cup brown rice flour
- 1/3 cup grated fresh carrot
- 2 tablespoons vanilla Sunwarrior warrior blend protein powder (optional)
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon psyllium husk
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
- pinch of ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil, for the pan
- Pour 1-2 tablespoons of tahini on top (this can be adjusted to your liking)
- Garnish with maple syrup, tahini, walnuts, and sesame seeds
- In a large mixing bowl, stir all dry ingredients together (flours, powders, spices).
- In a food processor or blending on pulse, combine the almond milk, banana, and vanilla until mixed.
- Pour the wet ingredients from the blender into the dry ingredients and mix until a batter forms. Add grated carrots here.
- Add additional almond milk if needed.
- Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes or until all is well soaked and combined together.
- In a medium skillet, add a little bit of the coconut oil just to grease the pan, scoop about 2 tablespoons of the batter into the pan and cook until bubbles form on the top side.
- Flip, and continue cooking until both sides are golden brown.
- I typically will put the cooked pancakes in a warm oven (about 150 degrees F) to keep them nice and warm and also helps continue the cooking process in the middle if it’s a bit wet.
- Serve and garnish with walnuts, sesame seeds, bananas, grated carrots, and of course tahini!
- Enjoy!
These Carrot Cake Tahini Pancakes are not your “normal” super light, fluffy pancakes you typically find in most diners or out-of-the box mixes. These are a bit more dense, nutty, and rich, which I love! Top these with more fresh grated carrots, bananas, sesame seeds, and smother in maple syrup and tahini and you won’t think twice about boxed pancakes and you’ll also have peace of mind that these pancakes won’t add to your waistline or give your tummy troubles.
I enjoyed recipe testing these pancakes so much, especially the end result as you can see from the photo- I ate the entire plate… in my pajamas…listening to Otis Redding on our record player. I hope you all have a beautiful and relaxing weekend just as I have spent.
Shameless plug // SAVEUR Magazine just opened up the polls to nominate your favorite food blogs! I’d love to be considered for the “best special diets blog” or “best new blog”, click here for the link to support Nutrition Stripped if you love what I do here <3
Cheers to a lazy day,
xx McKel
