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A few months ago, I bought the cookbook Eat, Drink and Be Vegan. No – not because I have any interest in becoming vegan, but because I was hoping I would find some different ways to eat those things I hate. You know . . . vegetables.


So naturally, the first thing I was dying to try were the banana cream pancakes. No veggies. Guess you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, eh?


I made them, devoured them, and they were incredible. Pancakes, waffles and pastries are not even things that I usually enjoy eating, but I knew the mix of coconut milk and banana would just be perfect.


It made my husband gag, but that just meant more for me.


I love all fruit, and bananas rank up there pretty high. I really wanted to try it with strawberries, though. Strawberries are my most favorite fruit – at least for the time begin, until I change my mind again.


So with a few adaptions, these strawberry cream pancakes came alive. And boy, they are tasty!


I added a bit of orange zest, which was perfect in the pancakes.

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It gave them a more fruity taste and was excellent with the strawberries.




When I was blending the coconut milk, berries and zest, all I wanted to do was eat it. Doesn’t it look delicous?

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After the batter was mixed, I used my favorite product the cook the pancakes.

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I love coconut oil spray! I love regular coconut oil as well, but mine is usually in semi-solid form. It is difficult to tell how much you really need, and sometimes the food ends up ‘oily.’ This spray gives the dish a great flavor, without the dripping oil.



While I was in the process of making the pancakes, I made some syrup on the side.


I pureed strawberries and bananas, and a few drops of maple syrup.

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This was incredible. It would be great on things other than pancakes, such as oatmeal or yogurt. It was so, so good. I found myself eating it straight, by the spoonful.








When the pancakes were finished, I could barely wait to eat them.

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My husband refused. I think he believes that ‘vegan’ food means there is vegetables somewhere inside. He also wouldn’t touch a vegan dish with a 10-foot pole for the lack of meat. It is a sin to him. A crime of ultimate proportions. No meat, no eat.



My favorite thing about these pancakes was how creamy the insides really were.

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And after eating them, I didn’t feel weighed down. I actually felt more energetic. I usually don’t like to eat pancakes because of the food coma they put me in.

I would like to eat them everyday, especially if they were filled with chocolate. But I’m barely productive as it is, and a pancake-induced food coma every afternoon would probably result in divorce.


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Vegan Strawberry Cream Pancakes

adapted from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan

1 1/3 cup spelt flour

1 tablespoon + 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 cups light coconut milk

1 cup sliced strawberries

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest

coconut oil spray

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a blender or food processor, combine coconut milk, strawberries, vanilla and orange zest and blend until smooth. Add wet mix to dry mix and stir.

Heat a skillet on medium heat and spray with coconut oil. Once hot, use a ladle or measuring cup to scoop out batter and form pancakes. Let cook until top side is bubbly, then flip and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Repeat until batter is used. Makes 5 large pancakes or 10-15 small ones.



Strawberry-Banana Syrup

1/4 cup strawberries, sliced

1/4 cup bananas, sliced

3 tablespoons maple syrup

Combine ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix until smooth. Mixture can be warmed if you’d like.



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From now on I will probably be making some form of these vegan pancakes. I loved the creaminess of the coconut milk and the lightness of the spelt flour.


There are still some other recipes I want to try from the book, including lots of sweets and treats. Looks like veggies will have to wait awhile.


They will probably be waiting a long time.