Have an alternative Pancake Day - Recipes if you can't eat flour, eggs or milk

Have a great Pancake Day!

To mark Pancake Day, food intolerance specialist YorkTest has put together four alternative recipes for those who struggle to consume the common ingredients - flour, eggs and milk.

The recipes, put together by YorkTest nutritionists, include:

● Egg-free lemon and sugar pancakes

● Gluten and dairy-free banana and chocolate pancakes

● Buckwheat and berry gluten-free pancakes

● Dairy-free sweet potato drop scones

At least one in ten people in the UK have an intolerance to gluten, dairy or egg, which means that the majority of classic pancake recipes will be off the menu for them this Shrove Tuesday.

With a 50 per cent increase of searches on Google in recent months for ‘gluten-free pancakes’ and 48 per cent for ‘dairy free pancakes’, there’s a huge appetite out there for recipes which won’t trigger any digestive issues.

Sal Hanvey, expert nutritionist at YorkTest, said: “We’ve created these delicious pancakes with the ten percent in mind.

"The ten percent who will struggle to eat pancakes in the traditional way, so that they can make their own creations on the day, without feeling like they’re missing out.

"They’re simple to make, too, so family members hosting gatherings for pancake day can easily make these recipes.

“Some of the substitute ingredients, such as buckwheat for gluten flour, are not only great alternatives, but they can also help to promote healthy digestion and keep blood vessels supple.

"Coupled with popular pancake toppings like antioxidant rich berries, these pancakes will give you all you need to power on through lent.”

Egg-Free Classic Lemon And Sugar Pancakes (serves four)

No egg? No problem. If you’re intolerant to egg, you can still enjoy one of the UK’s favourite pancake recipes:

Ingredients

4oz Plain Flour

1tsp Sugar

2 tsb baking powder

2 tbsp. water

2 tbsp oil

9 floz whole milk

Method

1) Gently sift the flour into the bowl and add the sugar and baking powder

2) Add the water and oil with the milk

3) Once these ingredients are added to the bowl, mix with a whisk until a batter texture forms

4) Add 2tbsp of oil to your frying pan (make sure you use a non-stick pan!) and maintain a medium heat throughout

5) Add a scoop of the pancake mixture into the frying pan. Note: you must be quick and make sure you get your flipping skills in action!

6) When your pancake has turned slightly brown, serve and add your favourite toppings: lemon, sugar and that good ole’ maple syrup!

Gluten Free Banana and Chocolate Pancakes (Serves 2)

Simple to put together and full of flavour, these are an ideal option if you’re looking for a pancake that kids can get involved in making.

Ingredients

150g rice flour

150ml rice milk

2 eggs

1 tsp. baking powder

1 banana, finely diced

1 tbsp. honey

120g dark chocolate (optional dairy free)

Method

1)Beat together the eggs and rice milk with a whisk.

2)Using a sieve, sift the rice flour and baking powder into the egg mixture, continually beating to make sure no lumps are formed.

3)Add the honey and diced banana into the mixture, along with a small handful of the chocolate. Whisk and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

4)While resting, place the rest of the chocolate in a bowl to melt on a low heat in the microwave.

5)Add a small drop of oil to a non-stick frying pan, and pour in a ladleful of the batter, cooking for a minute or so on each side. Once cooked, place on a warmed plate covered with a tea towel whilst you make the rest of the pancakes.

6)When cooked, top each pancake with the melted chocolate and a little extra banana.

Buckwheat And Berry Gluten Free Pancakes (Serves 4-6)

Swapping out the wheat in pancakes isn’t just a great way to make them gluten-free as, depending on what substitutes you use, you could end up giving yourself a health boost too.

Ingredients

225g buckwheat flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 large egg

275ml rice milk

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tbsp. butter

175g fresh berries of your choice (we like raspberries and blackberries)

3 tbsp. honey, to serve (optional)

Method

1)Put the berries in a blender or food processor, then blitz until fairly smooth.

2)Strain the berry mixture through a sieve. If you don’t mind pips, you can leave this step out. Set the mixture aside.

3)Place the buckwheat flour, baking powder and cinnamon in a large bowl, and mix together.

4)Whisk the rice milk and egg together in a separate bowl. Then, slowly pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients bit by bit, whisking to make sure everything is well incorporated and you end up with a smooth batter.

5)Heat a non-stick frying pan and melt in a small amount of butter. Then, ladle in a small amount of the pancake batter to make a thin crepe-style pancake. Fry for around 2 minutes then flip over to cook the other side.

6)Serve with maple syrup alongside the berry sauce.

Dairy Free Sweet Potato Drop Scones (Serves 4-6)

Drop scones, or scotch pancakes, are smaller, rounder, and fluffier than your average Shrove Tuesday effort. With brown rice flour, no eggs, and no milk, these pancakes are a perfect alternative if you’re intolerant to wheat, gluten, dairy or eggs. What’s more, the addition of sweet potato makes these pancakes pack a real antioxidant punch.

Ingredients

1 small sweet potato, peeled and chopped into small pieces

1 tsp baking powder

200g brown rice flour

200ml oat milk

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp desiccated coconut

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Coconut oil, for frying

Method

1)Boil or steam the sweet potato pieces for about 10 minutes, until really soft – they almost need to be falling apart.

2)When cooked, put the potato in a blender with everything but the coconut oil, and blend for around 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth and thick.

3)Place a non-stick frying pan on the stove and, when hot, place in a small amount of coconut oil.

4)When melted, pour in around 2 tbsp. of the batter, and smooth into a rough circle. Leave to cook on one side for about 2-3 minutes, until the top no longer looks completely runny. Then, flip over and cook for another 2 minutes.

5)Repeat until all the batter is used up, keeping the scones warm on a heated plate. Serve with jam.

Readers can see all four recipes here: https://www.yorktest.com/blog/the-alternative-pancake-day/