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The Pancake Princess

The Pancake Princess

A baking blog curating internet recipes.

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Top Posts of 2013

by erika 21 Comments

A big THANK YOU goes to you, yes you, the one with eyeballs on this blog right now.

Thank you for coming back and reading my rambling thoughts week after week. In the coming year, I hope to bring you more deliciously wholesome recipes that will make you burp with joy, healthy desserts, not-so-healthy desserts, and—duh—lots of pancakes! And now before I get too rambly, I’m going to share my five most popular posts from 2013:

Most Popular Posts // The Pancake Princess

  1. Banana Buckwheat Pancakes: Possibly the most delicious and healthy pancakes I’ve developed–an entire stack for under 300 delicious vegan (optional) and gluten-free calories.
  2. Vegan Chocolate Mini Muffins (no sugar): Dates might be my personal discovery of 2013: finding out that you can cook down naturally sweet dates into a puree that can replace sugar in baked goods was a total game changer—as were these luscious chocolate muffins.
  3. Pumpkin Banana Breakfast Cake: This banana and pumpkin-studded recipe blew up on Pinterest! Because it’s so low in sugar, I was worried people might think it wasn’t quite sweet enough, but you all seemed to like it! I’ll definitely be making again when pumpkin season comes around this year.
  4. Soft No-Bake Chocolate Granola Bars: Chewy. Chocolatey. No bake. No explanation necessary.
  5. Cherry Pie Larabars: Even though I thought there were already 4976938450292 million recipes for DIY larabars out there, it appears that you all are always willing to read one more recipe for uber delicious bars made out of nuts and dried fruit. So thanks.

And, of course, I can’t leave out my personal favorite recipes from 2013. With exactly one savory dish in this entire round-up, I bet you can guess what I’ll be doing for the next few weeks (hint: eating vegetables).

Favorite 2013 Posts // The Pancake Princess

  1. Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Dip
  2. (Vegan) Cupcake Mixology
  3. Chia Icebox Cake
  4. Best Black Bean Chocolate Cake
  5. Peanut Butter Quinoa Oat Muffins
  6. Oat Flour Banana Bread
  7. Date Newton Bites
  8. Baking level layer cakes

I can’t even believe we’re here, really. I remember when hitting 20 views a day on my blog was exciting. Then when a spike of 78 views in a day had me squealing. And then when daily hit stats became more like 500, then 1,000.

Without you, I wouldn’t have made it out of the prenatal years of this blog when I posted about 10 gazillion awful pictures in each post and then abandoned the blog for an entire school year. I would have schlumped half-heartedly into the sort of actual birth of this blog once I graduated from college and made it my mission to find the ultimate banana bread recipe. And I certainly wouldn’t have made it to this year, when I finally switched over to self-hosted blogging, got a DSLR camera and sorted of started to hit my groove. So thank you.

And of course, thank you for the thoughtful comments you always leave me:

screenshot

No, but really. Siblings aside, you guys really do give me the best feedback, comments, and thoughts. You are the best bunch of readers.

Happy 2014!

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  1. vic@cakebook

    February 22, 2014 at 10:05 am

    Happy New Year – you rock! keep posting! 😀

    Reply
  2. yummychunklet

    January 7, 2014 at 11:06 am

    Great post recap!

    Reply
  3. Kelly

    January 7, 2014 at 8:43 am

    What a great year and round up, so many wonderful recipes here. Hehe, awesome comments too 🙂 They all look awesome but some of my faves were your banana buckwheat pancakes, chia icebox cake and vegan cupcake mixology too 🙂 Can’t wait to follow along and see what 2014 brings girl!

    Reply
    • erika

      January 7, 2014 at 12:00 pm

      Thanks Kelly! Those were definitely some tasty eats I wish I could have shared with all of you awesome readers and blog friends! So glad to have you as a blog friend 🙂

      Reply
  4. Lianna

    January 7, 2014 at 1:45 am

    Happy New Year!!!!! haha omg your siblings are amazing. And I am amazed at how good everything looks and sounds on your top posts list. I seriously want to try them all. I love how much you’ve improved with your photography, you actually have the ability to make ugly food look stunning. I don’t normally make new years resolutions but I do want to make healthier but still indulgent goodies so I’m going to keep letting you inspire me in the kitchen and with my camera and I think this year will be just rad. I can’t wait for all of your 2014 posts!!! xoxo

    Reply
    • erika

      January 7, 2014 at 11:59 am

      Loll I’m so glad people are appreciating that screenshot as much as I did. I literally burst out laughing at work. #inappropriate

      And thank you!!!! As another blogger said, it’s a myopic process trying to determine if your own work is improving, so thanks for the kind words about my photography. I can’t wait for all of YOUR 2014 posts! So happy to hear you’re planning to get back in the kitchen! 😀

      Reply
  5. laurasmess

    January 6, 2014 at 11:14 pm

    This is a gorgeous post Erika! So much goodness over the past year! I can understand why that pumpkin breakfast cake would’ve taken off… who doesn’t get excited over the idea of cake for breakfast!? Plus, your gorgeous photography = instant love. I look forward to seeing the goodness that 2014 brings… you’re amazingly talented and it’s awesome to have you as an inspiration and blogging friend. Hugs! xx
    P.S that screenshot. Heeeeeeelarious!!!

    Reply
    • erika

      January 7, 2014 at 11:57 am

      Thanks Laura! You understand me! (I just ate cheesecake for breakfast this morning.) And awww! YOU are amazingly talented and one of the best virtual friends/commenters a blogger could ask for. Seriously. Not to mention an inspiration with all your healthy, elaborate, gorgeous food!!

      Reply
  6. Shikha @ Shikha la mode

    January 6, 2014 at 1:44 am

    Happy new Year! I can’t how many hits you get on your blog – you are truly so amazing and such an inspiration! I hope I can reach 1k hits this year too! Can’t wait to cook more with you 🙂

    Reply
    • erika

      January 7, 2014 at 11:53 am

      Happy New Year friend! Thanks thanks and yes cooking with you is always the most fun!! 🙂

      Reply
  7. The Vegan 8

    January 4, 2014 at 11:52 pm

    I love that Nichole left you so many comments about poopoo, LOL! Everything looks so delicious, I’m just salivating…..especially all the mini cupcakes. I really need to try the chocolate muffins, I am NOT a big date fan at all, but if they are pureed into a muffin and then baked, then I think I would love it. I can only handle it in small doses, so a muffin would be perfect. Are the muffins nice and sweet? I also love the look of that black bean cake!
    It’s exciting to see our blogs grow, huh! I had good steady stats on The Healthy Flavor, but once I created The Vegan 8 just a few months ago, it has exploded and I’ve never been more thankful I took the plunge!

    Reply
    • erika

      January 7, 2014 at 11:53 am

      Hahaha yes my siblings are something special…and yes I’d say the muffins are sweet. Not overly sweet, but definitely not undersweetened in my opinion! And I’m sure your stats must have exploded on The Vegan 8–it’s looking so so good!! Kudos to you and all your hard work that made it happen!

      Reply
  8. cynthia

    January 4, 2014 at 8:54 pm

    LOL I died at that screenshot (especially with me right above it, bahaha). Loved reading this post — I feel just the same as you. It wasn’t that long ago when I was freaking out over ANY views on my blog that weren’t my own! haha. This blog journey is so surreal yet gratifying. So glad that I met you through it, Erika! Happy new year! 🙂

    Reply
    • erika

      January 7, 2014 at 11:51 am

      Hahaha yeah I considered cutting you out so you wouldn’t be associated with my siblings (and also because you actually DO leave the best, most thoughtful comments)…but then I didn’t. Lol glad you didn’t mind. I’m so glad I met you too! I want to meet IRL someday when I come to NY next (or you come to Houston…?! Ha!)!

      Reply
  9. Natasha @ The Cake Merchant

    January 4, 2014 at 1:50 pm

    I think my favorites are the single slice of cake and the vegan cupcake mixology. Both are genius!

    Reply
    • erika

      January 7, 2014 at 11:50 am

      Thanks Natasha! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Mary Frances @ The Sweet {Tooth} Life

    January 4, 2014 at 10:48 am

    Those cherry pie larabars look so good! Checking those out asap. And that artichoke dip will always be one of my favorites. Congrats on 2013 and looking forward to 2014! Oh, and those Facebook comments made my day! So funny!

    Reply
    • erika

      January 7, 2014 at 11:49 am

      The cherry pie larabars are so easy!!! Hope you get a chance to try em. And my siblings…sigh. What can you do 🙂

      Reply
  11. janet @ the taste space

    January 3, 2014 at 8:06 pm

    It is funny what the masses like the most, eh? I hope you share more of your savoury eats because I’ve already tried your #1 favourite and it was delicious. 🙂

    Reply
    • erika

      January 7, 2014 at 11:49 am

      Oh yay!!!! Honestly, that is so good I don’t even know how I’m going to come up with recipes that can rival it in terms of health and taste. Glad you liked it!!!

      Reply
  12. Kayle (The Cooking Actress)

    January 3, 2014 at 7:04 pm

    <3 <3 <3!!!

    Reply

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{HOUSTON GIVEAWAY} Hi friends! If you’ve been f {HOUSTON GIVEAWAY}

Hi friends! If you’ve been following me for a little bit, hopefully you know how obsessed I am with @happyearthcompost and their mission to make composting more accessible and easy for the Houston community! Here is just a sneak peek of all the eggshells and lemon peels from the lemon poppy seed muffin bake off that are going straight into my Happy Earth compost bucket instead of the trash 🎊

I’m thrilled to be partnering with @happyearthcompost to do a giveaway for one lucky winner! Here are the deets:

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🌱 must be located in Houston or Bryan/College Station to win
🌱 to enter, just make sure you’re following me and @happyearthcompost and tag a friend in the comments! Each comment is a separate entry
🌱 giveaway will close this Saturday (1/16) at midnight! GOOD LUCK!!!
Thankful for another year of bake offs with you gu Thankful for another year of bake offs with you guys! Loving the appreciation for the coffee cake, blueberry muffin, pecan pie, gingerbread and Levain cookie bake offs (more Levain to come in 2021 hopefully!) 🎊💕

While on vacation, I’ve scraped a lot of recipes for future bake offs (thanks to your help) and I feel refreshed and ready to get back to baking ASAP! On the list for 2021 bake offs: carrot cake, oatmeal cookies, copycat lofthouse cookies, Levain chocolate pb cookies, shortbread, lemon poppyseed muffins, etc. Let me know if there’s anything else you’re dying to see in the comments!

THANK YOU for all of your support, your kind comments, your reviewing of different recipes and your spreading of joy through baked goods this past year. Thanks to my tasters for their critical tasting and hilarious comments. Can’t wait to do it all over again next year 💕
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I used @whitelily flour in all recipes and loved the way the fine texture led to feather-light doughnuts! If you’re looking for an application for low-protein flour, I can’t recommend these doughnuts enough. They’re worth getting over your fear of deep frying for 😜 #whitelilyflour
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