If you’re looking for a gluten-free option that’s different for pancakes this Pancake Day, why not give our American-style ones a try? They’re thicker and spongier than everyday pancakes and have a caramelised pineapple centre that makes them look really special. Topped with a splash of delicious butterscotch sauce, they taste perfect!
Ingredients
For the pancakes
- 175ml rice milk
- 60g vegan margarine, melted
- 2 large free-range eggs, whites and yolks separated
- 200g self-raising gluten-free flour (we used Dove’s Farm)
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 x 435g can pineapple pieces, thinly sliced and juice reserved
- 1 tbsp caster sugar, to caramelize the pineapple
For the butterscotch sauce
- 150ml pineapple juice, from the can
- 50g light soft brown sugar
- 25g vegan margarine, cut into cubes
- 2½ tbsp cornflour
- 100ml vegan plant-based double cream (we used Elmlea Plant Cream)
Method
- To make the pancakes: In a jug, add the rice milk, margarine and egg yolks. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar and bicarbonate of soda. In a second large bowl, add the egg whites.
- Whisk together the ingredients in the jug, then mix it into the flour mixture. Whisk the egg whites until fluffy, then gently fold them into the pancake batter with a spatula.
- Heat a medium non-stick frying pan over a low heat. Divide the pineapple pieces into 12 batches and sprinkle each with caster sugar. Put one batch into the pan, sugar side down. Let them caramelize for 30 seconds.
- Use a ladle to pour 1⁄12 of the pancake batter over the pineapple to create an even, round layer. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the batter has stopped bubbling. Flip over the pancake with a spatula and cook the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat the process with the rest of the batter to make 12 pancakes.
- To make the sauce: In a small saucepan, add the pineapple juice and sugar. Heat the juice over a medium-low heat, until the sugar has melted.
- Bring the pan to the boil. Add the margarine and whisk it in for 10 minutes over a medium-high heat, until the sauce turns a light caramel colour. Turn down the heat and sieve the cornflour into the sauce. Whisk in the cornflour and continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes, until thickened.
- Remove the pan from the hob. Whisk in the double cream, until smooth and glossy.
- Serve 3 pancakes per person, with a generous drizzle of butterscotch sauce.
