Cook quinoa thoroughly before using it as a dry ingredient in pancake batter. Use a small amount of acid to activate the yeast and add dry spices for flavor. Avoid adding too much butter or syrup by using savory toppings like nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves.
Quinoa pancakes can be a healthy and delicious substitute for standard breakfast pancakes made with an all-purpose flour. To make these protein-packed pancakes as delicious, fluffy, and flavorful as possible, be sure to cook the quinoa thoroughly first, and treat it like a dry ingredient when mixing the batter. Often, healthy pancakes are significantly denser than their lighter, fluffier counterparts. To get the same texture with quinoa pancakes, use a small amount of acid in the batter to fully activate the yeast. For healthy, flavorful pancakes without the use of copious amounts of butter and syrup, try adding dry spices to pancakes before baking.
It’s extremely important to cook the quinoa before mixing it with the other ingredients, as not doing so would be the equivalent of adding uncooked rice to the pancake batter. You can simply cook the quinoa according to package directions, although a ratio of two parts liquid to one part quinoa is usually best. Because you’ll be using it in pancakes, water is generally the liquid of choice, and it’s important to rinse the grain before cooking, as the natural coating can have an unwanted texture.
Even for an experienced baker, determining whether to treat quinoa as a dry or wet ingredient can be a bit confusing, as it has a slightly moist texture after cooking. One of the best tips for making quinoa pancakes is to treat this ingredient as you would any type of flour. It should always be mixed with the dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients. Adding it to the wet ingredients on its own before mixing it with the other dry ingredients can result in lumpy quinoa pancakes.
Often, whenever an all-purpose flour is replaced with a whole grain, such as quinoa, the resulting product has a thick texture, which isn’t usually what you want in pancakes. That’s because whole grains are naturally thicker than their refined counterparts, and as such, the yeast used in the batter gets weighed down. A good way to alleviate some of these problems when making quinoa pancakes is to include a small amount of acid, about 1 tablespoon (about 15 milliliters), to fully activate the baking soda, which is the ingredient responsible for most of the softness of the pancake. Lemon juice and white vinegar are the two most popular options and generally have little effect on the flavor of quinoa pancakes.
Generally, quinoa pancakes are extremely healthy right out of the pan; however, what you use to complement this dish can make an otherwise nutritional and figure-fitting meal unhealthy. To keep a good amount of flavor without having to use a lot of butter or syrup, try adding savory toppings to your pancake batter. Nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves are all excellent and complementary ingredients, while a small amount of brown sugar can add to the sweetness of the dish without a lot of extra fat or calories.
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