Strawberry Beet Pink Pancakes

You can’t beet an inviting stack of pinkaliscious prettiness for Valentine’s Day breakfast, or anytime throughout ‘Loveuary’ and beyond. The vibrance of red beets and the juicy lusciousness of fresh strawberries blend blissfully in one of the most welcoming batters out there. I used sprouted spelt flour and went with applesauce only for these pictured here. The beets and strawberries add nutrients you’d have every reason to expect in a package on the soggy side, but look how fluffy and tender they turned out?

I’ve always thought pancakes to be among the most forgiving mixtures out there, and really, how apt is that for the season of love? Whether you like to toss ingredients according to your day’s flow or scrutinize a recipe, you’re bound to turn over something pretty scrumptious. For these, switch up to pastry flour one day, or swap in a little oil—almost anything you do will still yield the kind of breakfast/brunch/breakfast-for-lunch-or-dinner pleasure that is so signature pancakes.

You can roast or boil your beets, although roasting does deepen the flavor in an enticingly rich way. Transform into full-blown dessert with layers of coconut whip and fresh berries. If you’re feeling extra indulgent, maybe even drizzle a little bit of chocolate…

Wishing you all some warm fuzzies for Valentine’s Day and always! xo

Make someone's heart skip a beet!

Strawberry Beet Pink Pancakes
Makes 8-10 pancakes

1 small beet, roasted or boiled, peeled and chopped
½ Cup strawberries, hulled
1 Cup unsweetened almond or other plant milk
I ½ Cups flour (sprouted spelt, whole wheat white whole wheat–probably oat)
¼ Cup oats
2 Teaspoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed in 6 Tablespoons water
¼ Cup unsweetened applesauce (or sub in oil of choice)
Coconut cream, maple syrup, fresh berries to serve, optional

In a large bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Mix together.

In a small bowl, prepare the so-called flax egg: combine 2 Tablespoons of ground flax seeds and 6 Tablespoons of water. Mix well and set aside for a few minutes to thicken.

In a food processor, puree the beet, strawberries, and almond milk. Add the flax mixture and applesauce/oil.

Make a well in your flour mixture and pour in the wet mixture, stirring to combine into a batter. 

Working in small batches, pour about ¼ cup per pancake into rounds on a skillet coated lightly with cooking spray over medium heat. Cook for a minute or two, until firming around the edges with slight bubbles appearing on the surface. Flip, and cook on the other side until cooked through but tender. Remove and repeat with the remaining pancakes, thinning batter as needed with water or extra plant milk.

Serve with toppings as desired. Enjoy!