Veggie-Loaded Chocolate Pancakes (Gluten-Free) Recipe
These Veggie-Loaded Chocolate Pancakes are a delicious and nutritious gluten-free breakfast option. Made with finely ground oats, spinach, and rich cacao powder, they combine wholesome ingredients into fluffy, chocolatey pancakes. Sweetened naturally with honey or maple syrup, and packed with hidden greens, these pancakes are perfect for a healthy start to your day.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 pancakes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats (ensure certified gluten free if necessary)
- ½ Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup cacao powder or cocoa powder
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana
- ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup milk of choice
- ¼ cup avocado oil, melted coconut oil or butter, plus extra for cooking
- ½ Tablespoon vanilla bean paste
Vegetables
- 1-2 handfuls fresh spinach
Instructions
- Grind the oats: Pour the rolled oats into your blender. Pulse until they are finely ground and resemble a flour-like texture.
- Prepare the batter: If using a high-speed blender, add all remaining ingredients—including eggs, applesauce, honey, milk, oil, vanilla, spinach, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and cacao powder—to the blender with the ground oats. Blend until smooth and no spinach bits remain, scraping the sides as necessary. If you're not using a high-speed blender, blend all wet ingredients, spinach, and powders in the blender separately until smooth, then combine with ground oats in a medium bowl and stir thoroughly to achieve a uniform batter.
- Heat the skillet: Warm a skillet over medium heat and add a small amount of oil to prevent sticking.
- Cook the pancakes: Once the oil is warm, ladle portions of batter onto the skillet. Cook each pancake for about 2-3 minutes on one side until bubbles appear on the surface, then flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until cooked through and lightly browned.
- Serve and store: Transfer cooked pancakes to a plate while cooking the remaining batter. Enjoy them warm with your favorite toppings. Once cooled completely, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
- Use certified gluten-free oats to ensure the recipe is safe for gluten-sensitive individuals.
- Honey can be substituted with maple syrup to make the recipe vegan-friendly; however, the eggs would need to be replaced to fully veganize.
- Adjust the amount of spinach according to your taste to balance the veggie flavor.
- For fluffier pancakes, ensure the baking powder is fresh and mix batter gently after combining ingredients.
- Leftover pancakes freeze well; separate layers with parchment paper for easy thawing.
