This Vegan Dutch Baby Pancake Is the Mood-Boosting Breakfast of Your Dreams

What's better than homemade pancakes? A giant homemade pancake. In the episode of Alt-Baking Bootcamp, baker and nutrition coach Sashah Handal demos how to make a vegan dutch baby pancake (AKA a giant, fluffy baked pancake that's completely plant-based). "It just hits every single note that you want weekend morning pancakes to hit," Handal says. "It's just so remarkably easy. And so remarkably tasty."

If you're unfamiliar with what a dutch baby pancake is, basically it's a big, beautiful, fluffy, custard-like giant pancake that's baked in a cast iron pan. In a typical recipe, the pancake gets super tall and voluminous thanks to lots of eggs and dairy. Handal decided to make a vegan version to see if she could "nail the same structure and product without using any animal products." (Spoiler alert: She hits the nail right on the head.)

Part of Handal's genius stems from her usage of flax eggs, which are a simple vegan swap for regular eggs that help give the dutch baby its light, airy, toothsome texture. Flaxseeds aren't just a great replacement for eggs, however: They're filled with health benefits. This is largely due to their rich omega-3 fatty acids, which are linked to everything from boosting your brain health, your mood, and your cardiovascular system to helping you live longer. “Omega-3s are the polyunsaturated fats that your brain needs most for optimal health and function during the aging process," neuroscientist Sonja K. Billes, PhD, the founder of August Scientific and a member of the Science Advisory Team at Solaray previously told Well+Good. "This is because low levels of omega-3s have been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. They're found in fatty fish, nuts such as walnuts, chia and flax seeds, and certain plant oils, like flaxseed oil."

That's not even the best part. Everything about the recipe is easy, from the prep to the cleanup. "You literally put everything into the blender, and then you don't need to deal with any more dishes," Handals says. "So this is just the perfect recipe for like a lazy Sunday morning breakfast that seems more extravagant than it actually."

A delicious, giant, looks-fancy-but-takes-minimal-effort pancake? Sold. Once more, just in case it wasn't clear: "I cannot reiterate how glorious this recipe is," Handal says. Press play on the video to watch the recipe in action, and follow along with the instructions below.

Vegan dutch baby pancake recipe

Ingredients

Pancake:
1 Tbsp coconut oil
4 flax eggs
2 cups oat milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 cup cane sugar
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

Toppings:
2/3 cup berries
1 Tbsp powdered sugar

1. Place the coconut oil in a 9-inch cast iron skillet as it preheats to 400° F.

2. Next, make your flax eggs by combining 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal with 4 tablespoons of warm water. Mix well and allow to thicken for five to 10 minutes.

3. Combine all of your ingredients into a blender and pour the mixture into your pre-heated cast iron skillet. Bake for 30-35 mins, until the baby puffs up nicely and the edges become golden and crispy.

4. Top with fresh berries and a delicate dusting of powdered sugar. Be sure to use oven mitts to transfer to a serving plate as the skillet will be very very hot.

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