In light of the national egg shortage happening, it seemed especially fitting to post an eggless pancake recipe.

I’ve been mildly geeking out while reading about how companies are dealing with this egg catastrophe—some companies are turning to substitutes (like General Mills, who placed a huge order with Hampton Creek, a plant-based egg substitute company) while some are limiting their consumption of eggs (e.g. Whataburger’s shortened breakfast hours), and I’ve even heard of one university cafeteria that switched from a buffet-style egg station to cooked-to-order eggs to minimize waste. I LOVE that this shortage is making companies think hard about their consumption habits and strategize accordingly. If only we could all be so conscious of our consumption.

On a way smaller scale, I’ve always tried to minimize my consumption of animal-based protein since becoming pescetarian, which is why I often try to bake vegan—because the eggs have to be saved for a runny, golden-yolked fried egg or slumped pile of slow-scrambled eggs, unadulterated and glorious in their inimitable texture).

If these pancakes sound familiar, it’s because they are a shameless rip-off of the rhubarb crumble pancakes I posted a few weeks ago—the deliciousness of the crumble incorporation demanded another version. This old banana buckwheat recipe served as the vegan/gluten-free base, and in re-making it, I tried to streamline the recipe to make the process. I still can’t quite believe how thick, fluffy and non-gummy these turn out without any oil, butter or eggs—they’re a really great hearty and healthy option for any meal, and the crumble baked into the bottom of each pancake pretty much cries out for whatever fruit you have on hand.

If only I could bake up a solution to this flooding business. I worked from home yesterday after the massive flooding scare over Memorial Day weekend (and then it was, of course, dry as a bone all afternoon). But this summer has been approximately 45% rain and 99% incredibly hot so far. I think I’m going to have to bust out the ice cream maker soon. Got any recipes I should try?

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Buckwheat Oat Crumble Pancakes

Barely sweet, vegan and gluten-free oat and buckwheat pancakes that are extraordinarily light, puffy and tender without any added fat. A crumble mixture is baked right into the pancake for a deliciously crisp texture.

Servings 5 -6 small to medium pancakes

Ingredients

For the crumble:
2.5 tablespoons gluten-free oat flour
2.5 tablespoons buckwheat flour
1 tablespoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
1.5 tablespoons coconut oil melted
pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon optional
For the pancakes:
1/3 cup almond milk + 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or neutral vinegar
5 tablespoons buckwheat flour
5 tablespoon gluten-free oat flour
½ tablespoon ground flax seed
scant ½ teaspoon baking powder
scant ½ teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
1 tablespoon maple syrup
¼ teaspoon vanilla optional
¼ teaspoon cinnamon optional

Instructions

Whisk all the crumble ingredients together and set aside.
Combine the almond milk and lemon juice or vinegar; set aside.
Whisk together all dry ingredients: buckwheat flour, oat flour, flax seed, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the soured almond milk, maple syrup, and vanilla and cinnamon if using. Stir gently until just combined.
Set a medium skillet over medium heat and lightly grease with ½ teaspoon or so of oil. Once a drop of water sizzles and evaporates in the pan, add pancake batter (a few tablespoons per pancake) to the pan. When bubbles start to appear on the surface of the pancake (2-3 minutes), sprinkle a spoonful of crumble mixture over the top and gently press into the batter with your fingers. Flip the pancake and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter and crumble mixture, lowering heat if needed.