Gingerbread pancakes with a Vegan Frosting

We're continuing with the Christmas theme here on the blog and next up is this basic recipe for gingerbread pancakes with a vegan lucuma-vanilla frosting... yum! I usually make my pancakes with a mix of coconut flour and buckwheat flour but I've been suspecting for a while now that it's the coconut flour that make the pancakes go all soft and gooey inside, big no-no if you're not into eating raw batter! So I completely omitted it and these turned out perfectly moist and fluffy, just like they're supposed to be. A perfect start to any winter day.

Gingerbread pancakes with a Vegan Frosting

Pancakes:

1/2 cup (70g) buckwheat flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp gingerbread spice mix (cinnamon, ginger, cloves)

1 chia egg (1 tbsp ground chia seeds mixed with 3 tbsp water)

1 small banana, mashed (approximately 80 g)

3-4 tbsp almond milk

1 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

How to:
1. First, prepare your vegan 'buttermilk' by mixing the almond milk with the apple cider vinegar. Set aside to curdle.
2. Now prepare your chia egg: Grind one tbsp of whole chia seeds either by hand or in a coffee grinder, then mix the ground seeds with 3 tbsp of water. Stir well and let sit on the side for a few minutes to swell.
3. In a small bowl, mix the buckwheat flour, baking powder and baking soda well until they're evenly divided. 
4. Mash the banana with a fork or blitz it a couple of times with a hand blender if you don't want any clumps whatsoever left.
3. Pour in the chia egg, mashed banana and 'buttermilk' and stir until the batter is completely smooth. Let sit on the countertop for a few minutes (the batter should be THICK)
4. Fry in a spoonful of coconut oil (unless you have a non-stick frying pan) on medium heat for a couple of minutes on each side.

Vanilla-Lucuma Frosting

4 oz/108 g silken tofu

1 tbsp lucuma powder

1 pinch vanilla powder

2 dates, pitted and (if you want) peeled

1 tsp melted coconut oil (optional)

How to:
1. Blend all ingredients with a hand blender until smooth. Place a spoonful of frosting between each pancake, save a dollop for the top and serve with fresh fruit!