When I was younger, Sunday morning meant pancakes. Chocolate chips or mini M&M’s would go into mine. Same for my dad, except sometimes he’d want blueberries. Plain for my mom. Never syrup on top, but a sprinkle of sugar which would crunch under your teeth. Syrup was only for waffles since it gets stuck in the crevices.

My first summer in Maine about 5 years ago, I had to go through a pretty restrictive elimination diet to heal my gut and find out lingering allergies. Without gluten, dairy and eggs (among other things), baking in general was quite tough on this former pastry chef, and pancakes were certainly not on the menu.

After that healing, I follow a gluten free, mostly dairy free lifestyle to keep my body balanced in the way that’s best for it, but I consistently try to push boundaries with local products. This local kefir is one of those things. Yes, it’s made from grass-fed cow’s milk, but because their milk is raw with the digestive enzymes still intact plus the probiotics from fermentation, I’ve use it as a buttermilk substitute when only pancakes are desired. The kefir and water mixture also makes the oats more digestible – think overnight oats – but you may also use your favorite dairy free yogurt with the same results. I switch between the two personally.

Whether you’re gluten free or not, these pancakes will get the whole family up on a happy note, or can be used as a great bribery during the week. Trust me, I’ve done the latter many times before, which is why we have Pancake Saturday or Sunday every week now!

makes 10-12, serving 2-3 people

ingredients

1 ½ cups (4.6 oz // 130g) organic oat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 large egg, room temperature
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
½ cup grass-fed kefir or 5 oz dairy free yogurt
½ – ¾ cup water
splash of vanilla extract

optional toppings or mix-ins

½ bar (1 ounce) 75-80% chocolate
½ cup frozen blueberries
½ banana, sliced
½ chopped pecans or walnuts

In a large bowl, add the oat flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Whisk to combine.

In another bowl, combine the remaining ingredients together. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and whisk until smooth. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes to thicken.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees, placing a baking sheet inside to keep your pancakes warm before serving.

Heat your skillet over medium heat. Melt a thin layer or brush coconut oil on the bottom. When the oil is shimmering, pour the batter in 1/4 cup increments. I got about 3 pancakes per batch, but make them the size you prefer.

Cook until you see bubbles form around the edges, about 1-2 minutes, placing your desired toppings onto the pancakes and pushing them down ever so slightly to get submerged. Flip and cook for another minute or so until the cakes are golden brown on each side.

Continue making pancakes until the batter is finished, placing them into the oven as needed.

Serve with coconut oil, butter, maple syrup or if you’re feeling decadent like the 5-year old me, a sprinkle of maple sugar for that delicious crunch. Enjoy!

*If you use kefir, use ½ cup of water. If you use dairy free yogurt, I have found ¾ cup of water to be best depending on the thickness of the yogurt you’re using. The batter will be thicker than heavy cream consistency.