Ever since I read Kim Boyce’s recipe for quinoa and beet pancakes, a recipe that inspired her wonderful book “Good to the Grain,” I’ve wanted to add puréed beets to a pancake batter. I finally got around to it. I used two-thirds whole wheat flour and one-third all-purpose flour in this very pink batter. Ms. Boyce uses a mixture of quinoa flour and all-purpose, which shows off the bright color of the beets to a better effect. I think millet flour would be a good choice too. It’s important to purée the roasted beets until they’re really smooth; I found using a powerful hand blender was more effective for this than my food processor.
Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 medium beets (enough for 1/2 cup puréed roasted beets)
- 125 grams (1 cup) whole wheat flour or teff flour (or a combination)
- 60 grams (1/2 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 10 grams (2 teaspoons) baking powder
- 5 grams (1 teaspoon) baking soda
- 2 grams (rounded 1/4 teaspoon) salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar, honey, or agave syrup (optional)
- 2 eggs
- 5 grams (1 teaspoon) vanilla
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk or 1 cup yogurt + 1/2 cup milk
- 35 grams (3 tablespoons) chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons sunflower, grapeseed or canola oil
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (15 servings)
105 calories; 4 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 26 milligrams cholesterol; 259 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
About 15 pancakes
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the greens away from the beets, leaving about 1/4 inch of stems. Scrub the beets and place in a baking dish (or lidded ovenproof casserole). Add 1/2 inch water to the dish. Cover tightly. Place in the oven and roast medium beets (4 to 6 ounces) for 50 minutes, large beets (8 ounces) 60 minutes, or until very soft and easily penetrated with the tip of a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the covered baking dish. Cut away the ends and slip off the skins. Purée in a food processor fitted with the steel blade until smooth. Measure out 1/2 cup. Freeze any extra.
- Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar (if using sugar). In a medium-size bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk or yogurt and milk, oil, vanilla, beet purée and honey or agave nectar (if using). Quickly whisk in the flour mixture and fold in the chia seeds.
- Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat and brush with butter or oil. Drop the pancakes by the scant 1/4 cup onto the hot pan or griddle. Cook until bubbles break through and turn the pancakes. They will be quite moist so make sure to wait long enough so that they don’t fall apart when you turn them. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on the other side, until lightly browned. Remove to a rack. Serve with maple syrup and butter.
- Advance preparation: You can make these a day ahead and reheat, or freeze them and thaw in the microwave.
1 hour 30 minutes
Dining and Cooking