Nine weeks into my whole food plant based journey, and I’m surviving… and thriving! My workouts are going great. As of today, I’m on day 22 of my 80 day fitness journey. I feel like I’ve turned a new page in my life where I’m not controlled by sugar anymore. It’s the greatest feeling of release. You have no idea how much white sugar controls your life until you remove it from your diet. All of the sudden you just stop thinking about getting your next fix every chance you get. I don’t know about you, but that’s how it was for me. Sugar was like a drug. I feel like a piece of my mind has just been freed up for more positive activity. It’s hard to explain in words, but it is so freeing.

That said, I still like a treat once in a while! I just use different kinds of sweeteners in my cooking now, specifically maple syrup, coconut sugar, or honey. Since I’m not eating animal products anymore, I’ve also had to learn how to bake without eggs. And, just for an added challenge, I’ve cut out oil as much as possible and replaced it with applesauce where applicable.

One would think I’m suffering, but I’m not! I have reviewed tons of vegan baking recipes and experimented until I found the right combination for my taste. Texture was huge for me. So many Vegan recipes use oats for the flour base and I found that everything comes out gummy. I also wasn’t crazy about how so many recipes used banana in place of oil. Whole wheat flours, regular flour, flax, and applesauce made for better alternatives for the flours, oils and eggs.

Before you try this recipe, I want to clarify something. If you are trying vegan baking for the first time, remember you are cooking in a new way. These are going to be slightly different in texture and taste from the muffins you are used to making. Keep an open mind. When you turn to a plant based diet, your taste buds change. You don’t need tons of sugar and oil for something to taste good. I guess what I’m saying is don’t try to compare apples to oranges. These are a healthy alternative to your run-of-the-mill high calorie muffin, and a nice treat for those on a plant-based diet.

This is Kelley. Kelley makes really, really good pancakes.

Kelley’s pancakes are special. They are special because Kelley has a daughter with auto-immune issues and allergies that are severely affected by the food she consumes. Kelley’s daughter loves pancakes but her body does not love gluten or dairy. Kelley rose to the occasion and created the best tasting gluten and dairy free pancakes I’ve ever tasted. She even had my flour lovin’ boys begging like this…

If you are cutting back on gluten and dairy, or have an intolerance, give these pancakes a try. Get crazy and throw some Enjoy Life dairy free chocolate chips in there, or some fresh blueberries!

I’m on my fourth week of removing grains from my diet and on cue (usually lined up with a certain time of the month, if you know what I mean), I’ve started craving dessert. I saw where you could cook cakes in the air fryer, so I just had to give it a shot.

I kind of threw this recipe together as a hail Mary after looking at some similar recipes I have made in the past and not having all the ingredients needed on hand. I have to say that I came up with a combo that hit the spot!

These would be fantastic with a Paleo frosting, but I sprinkled on chocolate chips instead. Full disclosure – these are regular chocolate chips. I typically use EnjoyLife chips, but I was all out today. I tolerate dairy just fine, but I wanted to be honest about my photos since my chips are not Paleo. EnjoyLife Chips are non-dairy and cook just like regular chocolate chips. They are amazing!

I hope this turns out well for you. Before you ask, I have not baked this recipe in the oven yet, so I can’t say what the cooking time would be. My advice would be to set your oven at 350, cook it for 15 minutes and then check every few minutes after to see when it is done. One other note – all air fryers vary in cooking time. Keep in mind that I used a Power XL Air Fryer and this timing worked out for me. You may want to check your cakes at the 10, 12, and 15 minute mark to make sure they do not overcook. Good luck!

xo Jaime

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I’m thinking about my grandmother today, and often lately. My “Gram” is 94 years old and has been in a nursing home for the last few years. I went to visit her last weekend during a quick trip to my hometown in Maryland. It’s hard to see her in there. Her eyesight is gone, and she is no longer mobile. She lived a very vibrant life in her younger years, never missing a dance at the Moose Lodge and loving to stun her friends with raunchy gag gifts. I can’t imagine life without her in it, but I know the life she has now would never be her choice. During my visit, I asked her if she thought she’d live to be 100. She emphatically said, “No!” I said, “Well, how about 95?” She said, “Yeah, I think so.” I said, “How about 96?” She said, “I hope not.”  I said, “Once you hit 95, you’re officially out of gas?” She laughed and said she thought so.

I spent a lot of time at my Gram’s house growing up. There were things that she cooked that I loved, but she knew my favorite was “breakfast for dinner.” She made THE best pancakes I’ve ever had, and I’ve spent years trying to figure out how to get them to taste as good. Much of it has to do with the fact that she wasn’t afraid to cook those bad boys in hot oil. The edges were so crispy that it was almost like eating a funnel cake at the fair. I’m okay with the fact that my pancakes will never be as good. It is a memory that I will always hold dear and have no intention of replacing.

Now my own kids also love “breakfast for dinner,” along with our tradition of Pancake Sunday. Each time I make pancakes from scratch, I tweak the recipe a little more. Today I tried something new and it took my recipe to a new level. You know all that clear stuff that rises to the top of your homemade yogurt? It’s called “whey” and most people have no idea what to do with it after they strain it from their Greek Yogurt. Turns out you can trade out the liquid in your pancake recipe with whey for a healthy little kick. Not only did my pancakes turn out fluffy and tasty, I loved that I was using something that was essentially free in place of something I would otherwise have had to buy. Want not, waste not!

If you’ve found yourself pondering what to do with your leftover whey, give these pancakes a try. They aren’t as good as my Gram’s, but you’ll never know that!

Print Recipe

Whey Delicious Pancakes

Course

Breakfast

Cuisine

American

Servings

4" Pancakes

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 1.5 TBSP baking powder
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 cups whey
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Course Breakfast Cuisine American Servings 4" Pancakes Ingredients 3 cups flour 1.5 TBSP baking powder 1/2 cup Sugar 1 tsp Salt 2 cups whey 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Instructions

1. In a medium size bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.

   
2. Whisk eggs, and pour into dry ingredients.

   
3. Add whey to mixture.

   
4. Stir until completely blended, and make sure not to over-mix.

   
5. Stir in vanilla extract.

   
6. Using a quarter cup, pour batter onto hot greased griddle (375 degrees) to form 4" pancakes. If you wish, sprinkle in toppings like pecans or blueberries at this time.

   
7. Cook until bubble start to form, and then flip. Serve hot of the griddle!

   

Recipe Notes

This recipe can be cut in half, or doubled.

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