Paleo St. Paddy's Day Pancakes

Growing up almost every holiday meant brightly dyed biscuits in festive shapes for breakfast. Valentine’s Day was pink hearts followed by green shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve tried natural food colorings but they don’t pack the punch of classic colors from my childhood. Way back in September, I attended a cooking demonstration by Danielle Walker of Against All Grain. Someone asked if they could substitute sunbutter for almond butter in one of her recipes. She said it was a fine substitute but warned the treats would turn green. The baking soda reacts with trace amounts of chlorophyll in the sunbutter, which results in natural green food coloring! Boom. It is insane. 

I was so excited about this recipe but disappointed when the pancakes didn’t turn green. I wondered about the sunbutter-baking soda ratio but was at a loss. Not until I cut into them about 30 minutes later, I was shocked to see it did work. As they sat out, the pancakes just kept turning more kelly green. My final bite was a dark beautiful green. I couldn’t believe not a drop of food color was involved! 

Ingredients

2 eggs

1/2 cup organic sunbutter

1/2 cup apple sauce, I made my own but this brand is good

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp nutmeg

coconut oil, for frying

Directions

Heat oven to 200 degrees. Beat eggs with a hand mixer. Add all other ingredients and mix until smooth.

Melt a little coconut oil in a griddle or flat-bottom skilletover medium heat. Scoop about 1/4 of a cup of batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Allow cook for a couple minutes or until the center of the pancake starts to bubble. Flip and cook for another few minutes. Makes approximately 9 pancakes. Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes. This allows the pancakes to turn green!

Recipe adapted from here. 

Enjoy!

x vanessa