Recipe: Healthy Fruit Cake Pancakes for Christmas

I'm one of those people who want to celebrate Christmas for the entire month of December (and November.....), rather than just a single day or the week of Christmas. 

Luckily, my family are too. It's been very festive in the SIL house recently and I've been working on lots of yummy Christmas recipes. After the success of my first Christmas breakfast recipe for this year, Healthy Gingerbread Baked Oatmeal (and our Gingerbread Pancakes Recipe last year!), I knew I needed to come up with another Christmas Pancake Recipe for 2014.

I couldn't do another gingerbread breakfast recipe so I knew I needed to mix up a different flavour combination. As I was soaking the fruit for my fruit cake recipe, I came up with an idea....

Christmas Pudding Pancakes - or Fruit Cake Pancakes, if you prefer. Soft, fluffy pancakes filled with all of the flavour of your favourite Christmas Pudding or Fruit Cake.

So I set to work and what I came up with was the most amaaaaaaaaaazing pancake recipe that's also healthy, gluten free, low fat and vegan - and because they're healthy, that just means you have no excuse not to top them with custard or vanilla creme anglaise, right?

I mean, it's all in the spirit of Christmas, right?! ;) 

These pancakes are so so good and crazy simple to make and you can make just a single serving so you can have them whenever you like!

Let me give you the recipe so you can make them yourself! >> 

Healthy Fruit Cake Pancakes serves 1, easily multiplied

healthy, gluten free, low fat, vegan, egg free, dairy free 

2 tbsp dried fruit (for a traditional version, use mixed fruit with a mix of raisins, citrus peel and currants or if you're like me and can't eat citrus, use a mix of 1 tbsp chopped dates and 1 tbsp raisins)

1/4 tsp mixed spice*

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup (60g) gluten free flour** see below for options

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp (30g) unsweetened applesauce 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1/4 cup milk of your choice

Optional: sweetener to taste if desired.

First, soak your fruit in 1-2 tbsp boiling water, add in your spices and leave to sit for ~10 or so minutes to soften and plump up.

Once your fruit has soaked, add in all of your other ingredient and mix until combined.

Cook your pancakes on a lightly greased non-stick frypan/crepe pan over a medium-low heat, flipping once bubbles begin to form on the surface and cooking until your other side is golden.
Repeat until all of your pancakes are cooked.
Serve the pancakes warm, topped with custard, vanilla creme anglaise or cream if desired (or opt for a simple topping of butter and syrup or nothing at all!).

*What is Mixed Spice? Mixed spice is exactly the same as Pumpkin Spice in the US and is a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice. If you don't have mixed spice, use either pumpkin pie spice or a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice.

**Flour Options: Feel free to use 1/2 cup of your favourite gluten free pancake mix (we love Orgran's Buckwheat Pancake Mix) or 1/2 cup gluten free plain flour or a mix of 1/4 cup gluten free plain flour + 1/4 cup buckwheat flour. If using pancake mix, still add the baking powder as per the recipe.

But tell me, are you someone who loves Christmas and celebrates it as long as you can - or are you not much of a fan?

Once one food you just can't pass up this time of year?