These caramel chocolate pancakes are great for breakfast or as a dessert. The recipe is vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and can be made refined sugar-free. This blog post is kindly sponsored by SUNFOOD, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Caramel chocolate pancakes
After making chocolate stuffed pancakes I thought it’s time to make caramel chocolate pancakes. Because we all know chocolate is life. And so is caramel. So combining both is pretty amazing. Of course, I had to add banana slices on top since I love, love, love bananas. A final drizzle of chocolate and your favorite nut butter (or seed butter) and ready is this delicious dessert.
Vegan and gluten-free recipe
The recipe is quite similar to my chocolate stuffed pancakes. In fact, I used the same flour blend again (oats and rice flour) because it’s awesome for pancakes. Other gluten-free flours which might work are buckwheat flour, quinoa flour, and sorghum flour. I wouldn’t recommend coconut flour though since it’s very absorbent.
To make the recipe egg-free, I used one small banana and 1 tbsp of ground flax seeds. You can also use ground chia seeds and applesauce if you don’t like bananas. Instead of cow’s milk, you can use any of your favorite plant-based milk of choice, for example, almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk etc.
Health benefits of cacao powder
I am sure you know that cacao is a superfood in its natural state. It’s filled with many minerals such as magnesium, zinc, potassium, iron, copper, and manganese. Raw cacao powder has more antioxidants than most foods on earth!
I am pretty obsessed with chocolate and love using cacao powder to make healthy chocolate treats. Sunfood’s Cacao Powder is organic, raw, non-GMO and has a premium quality!
These caramel chocolate pancakes are:
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Chocolatey
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Soft
- Can be made refined sugar-free and nut-free
Please leave a comment below if you make this recipe. You can also make a photo of them and post it on Instagram (or send me a DM). If you tag me in the caption + photo with @elavegan and use the hashtag #elavegan I will gladly check out your post and leave a comment.
Caramel Chocolate Pancakes
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 1 cup (90 g) oats (see notes)
- 1/2 cup (80 g) rice flour white
- 3 tbsp cacao powder
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1 tbsp chia seeds ground (or flax seeds)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
Wet ingredients:
- 1 scant cup (225 ml) plant-based milk
- 1 small (80 g) banana (see notes)
- 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses (optional)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or lime juice
- coconut oil (for frying)
Caramel filling:
- 3 tbsp (60 g) maple syrup (or agave syrup)
- 1/4 cup (60 g) sunflower seed butter or nut butter of choice (see notes)
- 1 tbsp cacao butter (melted)
Instructions
Caramel
- Put all "caramel filling" ingredients into a small bowl and stir with a whisk.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spoon about 1 heaped tbsp onto the paper. Use the back of the spoon to spread it out into a round disc about 7-8 cm in diameter (see photo above in the text). Make 6 discs in total.
- Put the pan into the freezer for about 20 minutes.
Pancakes
- Meanwhile, put all dry pancake ingredients into a bowl and stir with a whisk.
- Process all wet pancake ingredients (except the oil) in a blender.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir with a whisk to combine. Let the batter rest for a few minutes.
- Once the caramel discs are firm, you can start making the pancakes: Preheat a skillet to low-medium heat and add a little bit of oil (or you can use cooking spray).
- Pour about 1 1/2 heaped tbsp of the pancake batter into the skillet, spread it and place 1 frozen caramel disc into the center of the batter. Add more batter (approx. 1 tbsp) to cover the caramel.
- Put a lid on the skillet and cook the pancake for approximately 3 minutes. The lid is important, otherwise, the pancake won't cook properly because of the frozen caramel disc! Flip the pancake and cook if from the other side for a further 1-2 minutes. Continue with the remaining pancake batter. (Tip: By using two skillets at the same time you'll save time).
- Enjoy with banana slices and a chocolate sauce!
Notes
- You can use 80 g of applesauce instead of the banana.
- You can use regular oats or gluten-free oats. To make oat flour, simply process the oats in a blender or in an electric coffee/spice grinder.
- Any nut butter like almond butter, cashew butter, peanut butter will work.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Simple and Delicious Vegan Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!
Hi!
Looking forward to making these! Question…if not avoiding gluten can I use all AP flour instead?
Yes, that should be totally fine. Simply use 1 1/2 cups of regular flour instead. 🙂
Just wondering what I could use instead of the banana – can’t eat them either…
Hi Anne! If you can’t eat applesauce or banana the only thing I could think of would be using two flax eggs. To make a flax egg mix 2 tbsp ground flax seeds (flax meal) with 6 tbsp water and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Oh OK, I can eat apple purée, but flax seeds, yes. I didn’t realise they could be substituted, thank you!
Yum! Cannot wait to try! Can I use chickpea flour? And what can substitute cocoa butter with?
Not sure if chickpea flour will work (and taste good) but you can give it a try.
Coconut oil can be used instead of cacao butter. 🙂
Hi ????How much coconut oil to replace the cocoa butter ? I live in Miami and my coconut oil is very liquid …I was thinking of putting in the fridge bu I think that is not going to make a difference if anyway I have to put it on the stove with the other filling ingredients ????
Omg. I’m wrong. I don’t have to put it on the stove. Is in the freezer ????
Should I put the coconut oil in the fridge the night before to get the butter consistency? Sorry ???? I
Hi Sonia, you can use the same amount (1 tbsp). No, you shouldn’t put it in the fridge. Melted is fine! 🙂
Ok. Let me tell you that my kids loved the pancakes. Thanks a lot for the recipe. I made the caramel sauce with almond butter and it was yummy ????.
I did have to put more milk to the batter because for some reason was very thick and it was so difficult to pour it in the pan. And instead of cook the pancakes for 3 minutes in one side and one minute on the other side I had to cooked them for 5 minutes one side and 3 the other side other wise they brake when I tried to turned them
But I will give 10 stars ⭐️ thanks again.
These caramel stuffed chocolate pancakes look so delicious!
Love that caramel filling! I wish I could eat them now ????
Lots of love,
Bianca ❤️
Thank you, my dear! I hope you will give them a try.
Much love, Ela ❤️