If you follow me on Instagram or even just take a quick look through this blog, you’ll quickly surmise that I must love pancakes. (You’d also surmise that my tablecloth is made of newsprint. . . but that’s another story).
Indeed, I am a huge fan of pancakes. I likely eat them at least once or twice a week. I mean, really, what’s not to love about pancakes? They’re quick. They’re easy to make. And (as the name implies) they are cake-like. Sold!
After the Chestnut Spice Latte was such a huge hit with all of you (thanks for all the shares and comments!), I decided it would be fun to keep on playing with chestnuts (ooh, that sounds rather naughty, doesn’t it?).
First of all, chestnuts are a great anti-candida food (in moderation in Stage 1 or Stage 2 and later). They also are low fat and high fiber, which is great for digestion; their complex carbs allow for more stable blood sugar levels; yet they also contain heart-healthy essential fatty acids. Plus, you probably have a half bag sitting around your fridge after making that latte and you’re looking for a way to use it up, right?
[In all their naked glory. See how the color looks sort of teff-like?]
For my first attempt to craft a delicious chestnut pancake, I took my favorite grain-free high-protein pancake and adapted it by adding chestnuts. LOTS of chestnuts.
Um. . . FAIL. What I got instead was a dense, thick, flat patty housing a soggy mess inside, like a flowerbed after a rainstorm. (It did have a lovely flavor, mind you. . . but still a soggy mess).
Undeterred, I decided to add some teff to the mix. Not only is teff a high-protein grain, it’s also high in fiber, low in fat, and considered low glycemic. To many people, teff has a mildly nutty, mildly chocolate flavor, too.
Plus, the color of teff matches perfectly with chestnuts.
(Okay, I realize that fact has nothing to do with whether or not these pancakes actually taste good. But there are two kinds of people in the world: those with coordinated wardrobes, and those with complementary wardrobes. The Coordinated group chooses clothing with colors that match perfectly, like brown corduroy pants paired with a rust-and-brown sweater (the same shade of brown as the pants), for instance. Complimentary folks sport different colors that nevertheless look fetching side-by-side: navy slacks with a maroon sweater and white turtle neck, say. Needless to say, I’m Coordinated. If I could, I’d wear an ensemble made of chestnuts and teff together).
I don’t know if it was the matching teff-chestnut palette or what, but second time was the charm! The pancakes were fluffy, light, and delicately flavored with that characteristic nutty, toasty, slightly sweet presence of chestnuts. They worked perfectly with a slathering of nut butter, some leftover cranberry sauce, or even all-fruit jam. Leftovers freeze beautifully and can be easily re-heated for another stellar breakfast down the road.
So, I guess I’m officially in love with chestnuts now, too. (But shh, don’t tell pancakes. Besides, they’ll always be my first love).
Chestnut Pancakes
These gluten-free and vegan pancakes are quick and easy, and a great way to celebrate the season with chestnuts. Freeze any leftovers; they can be popped, frozen, in the toaster to heat up later.
3.5 ounces (100 g) pre-roasted, vacuum packed chestnuts (like these)
1 cup (165 g) teff flour
2 Tbsp (30 ml) potato starch
1 Tbsp (15 ml) whole chia seeds (see note)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) whole psyllium husks
1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) baking soda
1/8 tsp (.5 ml) fine sea salt, or to your taste
2 Tbsp (30 ml) pure vanilla extract
1 tsp (5 ml) apple cider vinegar
20-30 drops pure plain or vanilla liquid stevia, or 1/4 tsp (1 ml) or NuStevia Simple Syrup
1-1/2 cups (300 ml) unsweetened plain or vanilla almond or other alternative milk, or more if necessary
Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until perfectly smooth. Allow to sit undisturbed 5 minutes (it will thicken up as it sits).
Coat a nonstick frypan with coconut oil or nonstick spray and heat over medium heat. Using a large ice cream scoop or 1/3 cup (80 ml) measuring cup, drop the batter onto the pan and gently spread to about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thickness. Cook 4-5 minutes on one side, until the tops are almost completely dry and the pancakes have begun to puff. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes. Serve. Makes 6-8 medium pancakes. May be frozen.
Suitable for: ACD All Stage 2 and beyond, sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg free, soy-free, yeast-free, vegan, low glycemic.
Never miss a recipe–or a comment from The Girls! Click here to subscribe to RickiHeller.com via email. You’ll get recipes as soon as they’re posted, plus cookbook updates and news about upcoming events! (“We love subscribers, Mum. . . almost as much as we love treats!”)
[Disclosure: this post may contain affiliate links. If you buy using these links, at no cost to you, I will earn a small percentage of the sale.]
yep you might say that pancakes are one of the quickest ways to make a cake – we make them often but I am not so free to experiment these days as children seem to have limited imagination when it comes to food! though at least sylvia loves banana in hers unlike her cousin who had breakfast with us recently. I wish I had chestnuts rolling around the fridge – but I am too lazy to bake the raw ones and rarely find them tinned or vacuumed packed. But these do look delicious naked or dressed.
That’s really unfortunate that you can’t get the vacuum pack kind–they are SO easy and so delish–I often pop a few on their own as a snack! Glad you liked the way they look, anyway! 🙂
What a lovely recipe! I discovered chestnuts last year and my favourite way to eat them are roasted with some salt and rosemary! But your recipe sounds great and my children will certainly love it! Thanks!
Ooooh, Natalia, that sounds heavenly! I will have to try it out–thanks so much! Hope you like the pancakes, too. 🙂
I love chestnuts, but I love teff even more (actually made teff crêpes just a couple of days ago). Here, we eat gluten free pancakes every single morning, but I never made them with teff nor chestnuts. It’s a really good idea; I’ll probably give it a try soon. Thanks for sharing.:-)
Hello, i want to try the chestnuts pancakes because they look so good and I love chestnuts! I don’t have gluten intolerance , but I do have wheat allergy in the sense that when i eat wheat daily I start to sneeze in the morning and I have to blow my nose . I recently find out that wheat allergy can cause allergic rhinitis. So i do avoid wheat , but not gluten. Can i use barley or spelt flour instead of teff and potato starch? would I have a good result? Thank you
Hi Miri,
I’m pretty sure you could use barley instead of teff, but I don’t know how the spelt would be instead of the potato starch. I’d replace one flour with another and one starch with another–so if you have arrowroot, tapioca or cornstarch at home, use that instead of the potato starch and use your other flour instead of the teff. I can’t guarantee results as I haven’t made them that way, though. Let us know how they turn out if you try them! 🙂
I cannot find teff flour. What other flour can i use? Thanks
HELP! I just made the pancakes and because I cannot find teff flour i used Bob Red Mill gluten free baking mix. The batter was very thick . They looked good but in the middle they were uncooked. I wonder why? Any suggestions? I had to toss everything! Could be the type of flour? Did i need more baking powder? Did I mix the batter too much?
Hi Miri,
Sorry I missed your first comment! I don’t know whether it was the flour, but I can tell you that an allpurpose baking mix would definitely change the texture. And yes, my batter was very thick, too. I cooked them very, very well (they were quite brown on the outside), but while the interior was moist, it was definitely cooked. I’m really not sure without having tried it that way myself. . . sorry! You could try cooking longer on a lower heat and see if that helps, or using fewer chestnuts (since they are high moisture).
So good Ricki! I never go to anyone else for pancake recipes now 🙂
I happened to have a box of vacuum-packed chestnuts hanging out in the cupboard so thought I’d give these a go – fluffy, nutty and filling! So pleased I made the full batch as now I can freeze the leftovers for easy breakfasts as you suggest.
I guess I’ll be trying your latte with the rest of the box!
Yay, Emma! So glad you enjoyed them–and are using more chestnuts, too! And LOL on the pancake recipes 😀 That latte is one of my favorite hot beverages now. . . hope you love it, too. Chestnuts forever!