Lemon Chia Pancakes

Mar 16, 2019 (Last updated Sep 13, 2021) by Hannah Sunderani

Lemon Chia Pancakes

It’s finally the weekend! Which means I have more time on my hands for a long and lazy breakfasts. Cue these Lemon Chia Pancakes! There is no better weekend spent than sinking your fork into a tower of pancakes. And these lemon chia pancakes take, well – the cake as one of my favourite flavours.

If you know me then you know I find classic pancakes a tad boring. (I know I’m an anomaly! But dousing a plain pancake in maple syrup just won’t cut it!). Instead, I like to fancy up my pancakes recipes, maybe by using oats, or making protein pancakes with raspberry chia jam, or making them rainbow coloured! This time round, I’ve used citrus. And I can attest that these Lemon Chia Pancakes are a hell of a fancy feast.

What’s in these Lemon Chia Pancakes?

The recipe pays tribute to more of a classic batter; using all purpose flour, baking powder and salt. But the fun comes by adding the juice and zest of a lemon, and chia seeds. If you’re a fan of lemon flavoured treats (like lemon tarts and cakes), then you’re going to love these lemon chia pancakes.

As for the chia, this is a great egg substitute for making pancakes vegan. It helps to bind the batter and make them fluffy, plus the little black flecks inside are so pretty. It’s a bit like a lemon poppyseed cake, but in the pan form.

Topped with a dollop of coconut yogurt, a squeeze of lemon and maple syrup to drizzle and these pancakes are award winning. I urge you not to skip on the coyo topping (i.e. coconut yogurt) as it pairs so beautifully.

How to make a flawless pancake?

I’m not going to lie, pancakes and crepes haven’t always been my speciality. In fact, my vision of a relaxing pancake Sunday almost never came to fruition. I’ve got tons of memories of batters not cooking, or sticking to the pan like glue. Into the trash they’d go, with a skillet so wrecked I’d leave it to soak for a day. (I may flip out over a few measly pancakes, but someone had to given the pancakes wouldn’t!).

The point of the story is that you’re not the only one who finds pancakes hard to master. It takes practice. And even us food bloggers have our struggles.

Fortunately I’ve got a few tricks and tips that have helped me along the way, so that you can get a flawless flip every time:

1. Use the dreaded teflon – When did you ever think I’d flip to preaching a non-stick teflon pan?! When I started flipping pancakes! Welcome to the dark side. Because when it comes to pancakes, you want this pan as your confidant. Trust me, I’ve tried all the skillets; from a well-seasoned stainless steal to a “non-stick” ceramic pan (which apparently needs no oil at all? pfft). It just didn’t work for me! For pancakes and crepes, I recommend a little flip of a dark surface; embracing the teflon. It’s going to allow you a fuss-free, buttery smooth flip. (But, if you’ve found a good natural non-stick pan I’d love to know in the comments below!) For now I’ll prioritize my mental health over physical.
2. Give your pan time to warm, and be patient! A common problem for pancake newbies is to rush the process. We don’t give time for the skillet to warm, so the first few pancakes take forever to cook. Then we crank up the heat and they end up burning. Sound familiar? The best temperature to cook pancakes is on medium-low heat. Cook the first side for 1-2 minutes, until little bubbles start to form. Then flip and cook the other side for 30s seconds. But first, I give my pan 10 minutes to heat up. Pancakes are slow food. So be patient and go slow! If you’re looking for something quick you should be searching “smoothies” in the side bar of this blog, not pancakes.
3. The first pancake is always a throw-away. This brings me nicely to my last point – you’ll get better as you go. To put it frankly, your first pancake will probably be a dud. Although totally edible, they don’t start to resemble a flawless pancake until the third or fourth. So don’t be discouraged if your vegan pancakes are not flawless after your first attempt. As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect.” The more you make, the better you’ll get. So stay optimistic, and confident that you’ll find your rhythm. And with tips #1 and #2 I’m sure you’ll have no problem.

So there we have it. A gorgeous and flavour rich Lemon Chia Pancakes recipe to enjoy your lazy weekend to the fullest! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we have. And, if you do make these vegan lemon chia pancakes please let me know in the comments below what you think! I love hearing from you. And of course, tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.

Lemon Chia Pancakes

5 from 1 vote

By Hannah Sunderani

These vegan lemon chia pancakes are a fancy feast! It's a classic pancake recipe, infused with lemon juice and zest for premium flavour. Topped with a dollop of coconut yogurt and maple syrup to drizzle. You just upped your pancake day.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Serves 16 pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour , or gluten-free flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt finely ground
• 3 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 1/2 cup oat milk (or other plant milk of choice)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil , melted (or other neutral oil)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 lemon zest and juice
• 1/2 cup coconut yogurt , for topping
• maple syrup to drizzle

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

• In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, sea salt, chia seeds, ginger and cinnamon. Mix to combine.
• In a separate bowl whisk together maple syrup, oat milk, coconut oil (melted), and vanilla extract. Add the juice and zest of one lemon, and mix again to combine.
• Pour wet ingredients into dry and whisk until smooth and combined. Then, wait 10 minutes for the chia to absorb and thicken. (While you're waiting, turn stove top to medium-low heat). Optional to season your non-stick skillet with 1/2 tsp coconut oil to stop pancakes from sticking.
• Transfer batter to a measuring cup with spout (this will make it easier to pour). When pan is hot, pour approx. 1/4 cup batter into the skillet and cook pancake for 2 minutes, or until little bubbles form, flip and cook the second side for 30 seconds. Continue until you've used all your batter. (Makes approx. 16 pancakes)
• Top pancakes with a dollop of coconut yogurt and drizzle with maple syrup to taste.

Notes

DO AHEAD: Pancakes can be made ahead. Reheat by popping them into the toaster, or turn oven to 300F/150C and bake covered in foil for 20 minutes.

Chia seeds take time to absorb liquid, which is why I've recommended waiting 10 minutes for the chia to absorb and thicken the batter. If you notice the batter is thin at first, this is why. If batter looks too thick after 10 minutes, you can add splashes more oat milk to thin. I found 1.5 cups oat milk in total the perfect amount.

I recommend using a non-stick skillet to flip your pancakes. I started by adding 1/2 tsp coconut oil to season. Both these recommendations help to stop your pancake batter from sticking to the pan. 

Nutritional information is a rough estimate. Per pancake without toppings. 

Approvals

Nutrition

Calories: 92kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 46IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 1mg

DID YOU

Tag @twospoons on Instagram
and hashtag it #twospoons

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