This is a recipe re-make. As I posted on Friday, I do use existing recipes as starting points for creating allergy-friendly dishes sometimes. I read this blueberry pancake casserole recipe on The Kitchn and could not. stop. thinking. about. it. Drooling.
I love pancakes, but after I’ve made the second one, I’m ready to eat and be done cooking. Casserole seemed the perfect fix. But the recipe. It’s probably great, but it was mostly made up my things that make me ill. All-purpose (wheat) flour. Eggs. Buttermilk. Whole Milk. More flour. Butter. It did seem like a lot of things to fix.
After a few experiments, let me say that it’s possible. Also, for some wonderful reason, this casserole actually tastes better re-heated. So you can absolutely make it the night before — I encourage you to.
To be clear: This is not an original recipe. This is a heavily-modified version of this recipe at The Kitchn. I really wanted to eat this pancake casserole, so I figured out how to make it safe for me. Maybe you can do the same. I have not listed this as a tree nut-free recipe, as I used almond milk in every test, and I used creamed coconut in at least one version as a replacement for vegan margarine (weird sub, I know, but it worked). I have not noticed substantially different outcomes using different non-dairy milks, and if you can use soy milk, I have a feeling it will work well in this recipe. But if you try something different, please tell me how it works!
- 2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds or ground chia seeds
- 6 Tablespoons water
- 2 1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend divided -- 2 c and 1/2 cup
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups non-dairy milk (I usually use almond)
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 Tablespoons vegan margarine or creamed coconut (I know this seems like an odd alternative, but it works)
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries (works okay with fresh or frozen -- do not defrost)
- Grease a 13x9 baking dish. Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, mix the chia or flax seeds with the 6T water. Set aside.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup GF flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the cinnamon.
- In a large bowl, mix 2 cups of gluten-free flour, sugar, salt, non-dairy milk, lemon juice, and the flax or chia "gel." When well mixed, fold in the second flour mix.
- Pour into the prepared pan, and then sprinkle the blueberries over the top.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, until the top is dry. This casserole doesn't pass the touch test (where the "cake" springs back if you poke it lightly) or the toothpick test (the blueberries mess it up, especially if they were frozen), but it should looke baked and done. Let it rest 10-15 minutes before cutting into it if you plan to eat right now. Otherwise, let it cool completely and cover it. Then re-heat for 10 minutes (if at room temp) or 20 minutes (if it was in the refrigerator) at 300°F in the morning.
- Serve with vegan margarine, if desired, and maple syrup (really not optional, as maple syrup is the point of pancakes).