SMALL TOWN YOGINI

Crepe-cakes. Because it's not quite a delicate crepe, but not a fluffy pancake either.In the spirit of all things autumn, here's a healthy recipe for pumpkin spice crepe-cakes! It's also in line with a Paleo diet. Since these are flourless, expect a different consistency than normal pancakes. Instead of flour, these are thickened up with canned pumpkin and eggs, therefore the texture is somewhere in between a crepe and a pancake.

If you like healthy eating and anything pumpkin-spiced, this will be right up your alley. And if you haven't checked out my recipe for a healthier version of the Pumpkin Spice Latte, give it a try as well...

Here are some really good things about this recipe: it's easy, really fast, doesn't require hard to find ingredients, it's festive and you can use it for breakfast, brunch, or my favorite- breakfast for supper. Yummmm. Serve it with a little bacon, fresh fruit, or greek yogurt.​It's also pretty healthy (unless you're scared of a little grass-fed butter and pure maple syrup, that is). In my opinion, as long as you don't overload with butter and syrup on the finished product, this is not an unhealthy meal. If you're already eating an overall healthy diet, a little butter and syrup every now and then is good for the soul. 🙂

Here we go...

Recipe:
Serves: 3, or 2 with big appetites  🙂

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Canned Pumpkin
4 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
2-3 Tbsp Honey or Pure Maple Syrup (I've even heard talk of substituting a banana here but have never done it)
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp Butter* (preferably grass fed) to be mixed into the batter
1 tsp Coconut Oil* (to grease the pan)

* You can just use all butter or all coconut oil if you only have one. I like the flavor of butter for the batter, but since we'll be cooking the pancakes at a medium heat, I like coconut oil better to lightly grease the pan. Scorched butter is yucky, and I always seem to do that.

•Mix up the 4 eggs, pumpkin, vanilla, and maple syrup. I just use a whisk to keep clean up super simple. No need for a mixer, etc.
•Then, sprinkle the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda into the batter. Stir well.
•Melt the 2 tbsp of butter on medium-low heat in the same skillet you'll use to cook the pancakes. I suggest a non-stick or a well seasoned cast iron. As soon as the butter is melted, add it to the pumpkin mixture and stir it in.
•Carefully and lightly grease the pan with a tiny bit of coconut oil. You probably won't even need the whole teaspoon. You'll want just enough to prevent sticking, but DON'T put too much, or the crepe-cakes will soak it up and be soggy.
•Turn the heat up on the pan to medium.
•Use a ladle to slowwwwwwly pour the batter into the pan. Since this batter may be thinner than what you're used to, you really do need the pan hot before pouring to help it set, AND it helps to pour slowly. Here's a real-time video clip of me doing this...

•Have a brief wait until some bubbles start to manifest in the crepe-cakes (as seen in the photo below), and then flip them. Let the second side brown slightly, then remove. These will be a little more browned than normal flour pancakes, because, well, they’re orange to start with. 🙂

•Make a stack and keep them in a warming drawer or just pop them in the unheated oven to help them stay warm while you cook the rest of the batter.
•Option: serve with a tiny bit more butter, syrup, and cinnamon if you want to. They don't need much at all.
•EAT!