Who doesn’t adore zucchini bread? It’s lovely, and there is no shortage of recipes in books and on the blogosphere, but let’s face it, the bread version’s been done to death. I found myself needing a recipe challenge as the barrels of the oblong green vegetable began rolling into farmers markets last month. And I came up with something I think you’ll love. These pancakes are delicious and absolutely sugar-free. Since I fry them like latkes in coconut oil till they’re crisp around the edges, they are so nice and fat-laden, they don’t need extra butter. If you’re frying with non-stick cooking spray, that’s a different story.
What I’m trying to convey is, fried under the right circumstances, these are luscious enough to eat au natural. But if syrup is your thing, go for it! And I did plop some organic cashew butter on a stack once. Worked wonderfully.
Zucchini is a high-moisture vegetable, so even after wringing moisture out of the shredded zucchini, you’ll find the batter rather dense and wet, which will require extra time and attention at the griddle. You don’t want them to burn, but you also don’t want a soggy middle. My advice is don’t make ‘em too big. Besides, stacks of silver dollar pancakes are adorable!
Ingredients
1 zucchini, shredded with a cheese grater or in a food processor and drained over a cheese cloth or thick paper towels for at least 20 minutes
2 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 box sugar-free vanilla pudding
3 eggs, room temperature if possible
½ to 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tablespoons grapeseed or avocado oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
Directions
After zucchini has sat draining for 20 minutes, place on fresh paper towels and give it one more squeeze. Set aside. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix almond flour, baking soda, and vanilla pudding mix together. In a blender, blitz the eggs and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients along with the oil and mix well. Add shredded zucchini and coconut and blend. Add ½ cup almond milk and mix thoroughly. If batter is too thick, add more milk until desired texture is achieved.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray or melt coconut oil in pan. When pan is properly heated, take a small ladle or medium-sized serving spoon and drop enough batter into the hot pan for a pancake that’s silver-dollar sized, or a little larger. When bubbles appear in the top of the pancake, flip over carefully and cook for 2-3 minutes longer.
Pancakes may placed in a warm oven until are finished. Serve with syrup or topping of your choice. If you only want to do a few pancakes at a time, the batterkeeps for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Stacey Morris is a Loudonville-based wellness coach, food blogger, and yoga instructor. She’s the author of “Clean Comfort,” “Sweet Comfort,” and “A Bowl of Comfort.” Her website is www.staceymorris.com.