Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes

These Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes are citrusy, nutty and perfectly sweet! They're soft and fluffy, and covered in a gorgeously tangy lemon syrup.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword gluten-free lemon poppy seed pancakes, lemon poppy seed pancakes, vegan lemon poppy seed pancakes

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings pancakes

Calories 131kcal

Author Rhian Williams

Ingredients

230 ml (1 cup) unsweetened almond milk (or sub any other plant-based milk)
3 tablespoons (3 tablespoons) maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
6 tablespoons (6 tablespoons) lemon juice
1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) lemon zest
85 g (⅔ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
85 g (⅔ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) poppy seeds

For frying:

Coconut oil (or sub vegetable oil)

For the lemon syrup (optional):

2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) lemon juice
4 tablespoons (4 tablespoons) maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)

Instructions

Place all the ingredients for the pancake batter in a bowl and mix well (no need to sift the flours).
For best results, let the batter sit at room temperature for about half an hour before making the pancakes - I found this made the pancakes super fluffy, but if pressed for time the recipe still works without this step.
Heat up a tiny bit of oil in a frying pan (non-stick is best) and spoon or ladle in a small amount of the pancake batter.
Cook on a low heat for a few minutes until you see little bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake.
Use a spatula to flip it over and cook for another few minutes, until golden brown on both sides.
Repeat for the rest of the batter - makes around 8 pancakes.
Leftover pancakes keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days - reheat in a dry frying pan or in the toaster!

For the lemon syrup:

Mix together the lemon juice and maple syrup in a small bowl.
Pour it over the pancakes just before serving!

Notes

*You can alternatively use almond flour.

For optimum lemon flavour, I would recommend using fresh lemons (not ones that you’ve had sitting in your fruit bowl for weeks!) and organic ones if possible.
You have to be careful when cooking with lemon juice, as the acidity and lemon flavour can really vary depending on the lemons you use.
I would recommend tasting the lemon juice you’re using and adjusting the amount of lemon juice you use accordingly.
For the lemon zest, make sure you use unwaxed lemons.

Nutrition