Brown Rice and Quinoa Pancakes ( V + GF )

I've been on a journey to find the perfect vegan and gluten free pancake recipe. After hours and hours of mixing batters and experimenting with different flours and milks, I finally landed upon this recipe because it produces a delectably fluffy cake with a nutty quinoa flavor. Perfect to satisfy a pancake craving - sans gluten - and to pair with a steaming hot cup of coffee.

These pancakes taste delicious next to a coffee that has chocolate notes in it's flavor profile. The nuttiness of the quinoa, the sweetness of the banana and syrup combined with the cacao notes in the coffee is something to be savored. 

I chose to pair these pancakes with a freshly roasted, single-origin coffee from Guatemala roasted by Caffe Luxxe. Using an Aeropress, I brewed this coffee according to the specifications given in this great video tutorial: Just Add Water by Tonx Coffee.

Brown Rice & Quinoa Pancakes ( V + GF ) 

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup Brown Rice Flour
• 1/2 cup Quinoa Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Xanthan Gum
• Pinch of Salt
• 2 Tbsp Oil (coconut oil gives a nice flavor but make sure it's liquified)
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk 
• OPTIONAL - bananas, chia seeds, flax seed meal, slivered almonds for garnish

Method:

1. In a large bowl, thoroughly combine both flours, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt.
2. Whisk dry ingredients together with oil and vanilla and your choice of non-dairy milk. Mix until you have a fully combined, smooth batter.
3. Heat up a non stick pan to or griddle to medium and grease with oil (I use coconut oil).
4. Add dollops of batter to your pan.
5. If desired, sprinkle top of pancakes with slivered almonds, blueberries, bananas, or whatever suits your fancy.
6. Flip when after the batter starts bubbling consistently and the underside has browned sufficiently.
7. Once cooked through, remove the pancakes from the pan. 
8. Garnish with fruit, maple syrup and enjoy with a cup of coffee. 

I hope you enjoy these pancakes as much as I do. They predominantly take on the flavor of the quinoa but are also influenced by whatever milk you decide to use. In this case, I used an unsweetened soy milk because I prefer alternative milks with simple ingredients. I also like to sweeten my pancakes with a maple syrup garnish after they have been cooked. 

Enjoy!