Chai Pancakes with DELICIOUS Hot Chocolate Sauce

WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT THIS DISH? 

First of all, these pancakes are healthy. Usually pancakes are packed with fat and refined sugar but not this one! Second, they are vegan! And please, if you think vegan pancakes are boring and cannot be fluffy, try this recipe now. You’ll be proven wrong!

WHAT IS CHAI? 

Chai actually is a tea that originated in India. To be exact, a black tea with spices, that is usually drunken with milk in it. It has become super popular in the recent years and nowadays you can find a chai, a chai latte, a dirty chai latte and so on in almost every coffee house! In these pancakes, we are not actually using the tea, as in tea bags, but we are using the spices that can be found in the chai tea. These spices are: cinnamon, cardamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg.

ARE THESE PANCAKES HEALTHY? 

They definitely are way more nutritious than regular pancakes! Why? Regular pancakes are made from butter, sugar, flour and eggs in most cases. Whereas ours, are made of apple sauce instead of butter, which has far less fat and calories, chia eggs instead of regular eggs for extra fibre, wholegrain flour instead of white flour for more fibre and nutrients and plant-based yogurt, apple sauce and a little maple syrup instead of white refined sugar. Those still contain sugar but contrary to white refined sugar, they come along other healthy nutrients.

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN TO FLIP MY PANCAKES? 

There is a great trick for that! You need to cook them on medium-high heat all the time. When they start to get bubbles while cooking, it is time to flip them. But also, be aware that the first few never turn out as pretty as the last ones!

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE PANCAKES

• 1 tbsp Chia Seeds

• 3 tbsp Plant- Based milk

• 50g Apple Sauce

• 50g Plant-based Yogurt

• 2 tbsp Maple Syrup

• 100ml Sparkling Water

• 100g Wholegrain Flour

• 1tsp Baking Powder

• 1 tsp Cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp Ginger

• 1/2 tsp Cardamon

• 1/4 tsp Cloves

• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg

• Some oil for frying

For the chocolate sauce

• 2 tbsp Canned Coconut Milk

• 3 tbsp Cacao Powder

• 2 tbsp Maple Syrup

• 2-3 tbsp Plant- Based Milk

• Fresh fruit

How to do it

1. To make the chia egg, combine the chia seeds with the plant- based milk and let sit for 3-5 minutes until the chia seeds start getting jelly. 

2. In the meantime, combine the flour with the spices and the baking powder. 

3. Add the apple sauce, plant-based yogurt, sparkling water and maple syrup to the chia egg and give it a good stir until everything is combined! 

4. Whisk in the flour until you obtain a smooth cream. It should have a cake- butter like consistency. If too thick, add some more milk or water, if too thin, add some more flour. 

5. Heat up a pan and melt the oil/ butter in it. Once hot, add the pancakes, about 3 tbsp of the butter for each and cook on medium-high for about 4 minutes. Once the bubbles start to form on the top of the pancakes, it is time to flip and cook them for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. 

6. Whilst your pancakes cook, start making your delicious chocolate sauce by combining all of the ingredients in a pan and let them boil. Whisk everything for a couple of minutes and then take the heat off!

7. When all of your pancakes are done, serve them with your sauce and add some fresh fruit for an extra flavour and enjoy!

Recipes provided and created by The Wellness Reporter contributor, Une Petite Cuisinière (plant-based lover and food blogger)