Vegan Apple and Banana Pancakes

These gluten-free vegan apple and banana pancakes are inspired by a recipe for Latvian Apple Pancakes.

There are a lot of Latvian recipes I want to try. Specifically, there are lots I want to try and make gluten-free. The Latvians love their rye. But there is one Latvian dish which sounds delicious and is naturally gluten-free; Latvian Grey Peas. That dish looks both delicious and very nourishing to me.

I opted for Latvian Apple Pancakes though because I love finding new breakfast recipes.

Originally I was just going to make them with the recipe above but using gluten-free flour. And then I saw this article, Stop This Madness, and decided to make it clear that these recipes are only inspired by traditional recipes from EU countries.

So I hope no one is offended by any of the EU recipe posts. They are generally not, in any way, accurate copies of traditional recipes. They’re mostly just inspired by a recipe from the country in question.

Why Vegan Apple and Banana Pancakes?

I have very few vegan breakfast recipes on twimii so I thought, why not make this vegan? And I swapped out the sugar in favour of banana to make them that bit healthier too. Although, as you can see I did serve them with a nice drizzle of maple syrup.

These pancakes are made with a mixture of oatmeal, chia seeds and almond milk which is left overnight to thicken up a bit. The next morning you blend in some mashed banana, apple and a squeeze of lemon, before stirring in some grated apple, sprinkled with cinnamon.

They are full of fibre, they have some protein from the oatmeal and chia seeds, and they have some vitamin C from the fruit, and some potassium from the banana. Also they’re full of good fat. Hmm, I’m labelling this one heart-healthy.

I love them. They taste great – and they taste divine with a little maple syrup.

But, little word of warning for you, they are not the easiest thing to cook. The first pan I used they just stuck to. I had no hope of flipping them. The second one worked better but I had to cook about 4 pancakes to get them right. And I opted for a small size so that I could use a fish slice to make sure they were not sticking at all on the bottom before flipping.

Are they worth the effort? Yes, I’m definitely making these again. They’re healthy, nutritious and yummy.

Things to See & Do in Latvia

• What is Latvia famous for? Frankly, I was sold with just the thought of a bowl of Grey Peas, but Latvia sounds gorgeous. 40 – 50% of the country is covered in trees, so there are many forests and many areas of protected wildlife. They also have lots of UNESCO World Heritage sites.
• Top 10 attractions in Latvia – I can’t get over the castles and palaces. And surrounded by forests. Beautiful.
• Where to eat in Riga, The Ultimate Foodie Guide – If you’re planning a visit to Riga definitely read this post, it details where to find the best of so many different cuisines there – even vegan. It does looks like a bread lover’s paradise.

So how easy is it to navigate Latvia as a coeliac or gluten-intolerant?

I haven’t been there yet. But at the moment I think I’d do fine with just Grey Peas and salads. And have fruit for breakfast. But let’s get some more information from online sources.

OK, it may not be the easiest place to navigate for coeliacs for the moment. But if you let restaurants know in advance they will do their best to accommodate you. Also, you can find gluten-free produce in the supermarkets. And here are three restaurants that do have gluten-free menus.