Looking for a colourful way to celebrate Shrove Tuesday (or anytime)? CNM thinks that you’ll love this gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan pancake recipe.

By Natural Chef Francesca Klottrup for CNM (College of Naturopathic Medicine). CNM (College of Naturopathic Medicine) trains students for successful careers in natural therapies and hold regular taster events. Visit www.naturopathy-uk.com for details.

Serves 4

Pancake ingredients (wet)
225g buckwheat flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch baking soda
Pinch of sea salt

Pancake ingredients (dry)
1 flax egg (1 tbsp flaxseed meal or ground raw flaxseed with 3 tbsp water)
300ml non-sweetened dairy-free milk (oat or coconut works well)
4 tbsp black treacle
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted

Compote ingredients
450g mixed red & black fruit, e.g. blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, red currants, plums, cherries*
1 apple
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
1 inch of fresh ginger, sliced in half
4 cardamom pods, crushed
2 cloves
Juice of 2 large oranges, peel the zest into strips from one
Zest of ½ lemon
4 tbsp tart apple juice, cold pressed

(*) You can use frozen fruit. If you do, it’s best to thaw at room temperature first and drain off the excess liquid

To garnish
Coconut yoghurt
Fresh Mint

Method

To make the compote

Place the cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, cloves, ginger, orange and apple juice in a small saucepan. Add a splash of water and gently heat to a simmer to allow the flavours to infuse.

Quarter and core the apple and slice the quarters. Add the apple, berries and zests into the pan, put a lid on and continue to simmer gently, letting the fruit break down and the mix to thicken, approximately 15-20 minutes. (Stir regularly to prevent the fruit catching.  Add a little water if too much liquid evaporates away).

Remove the spices and strips of zest, taste and add a squeeze of lemon juice if too sweet.

If you’re not using the compote straight away, allow to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. For best results make the day before to let the flavours intensify.

To make the pancakes

Make the flax egg: whisk the flaxseed and water thoroughly and leave to thicken for 5 minutes.

Beat the wet ingredients (including the flax egg) together in a small bowl.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Create a well in the middle and beat in half the wet ingredients to create a smooth thick batter. Whisk in the remaining wet ingredients until just combined (this encourages a lighter pancake).

Leave the batter for 15 – 30 minutes so the raising agents can create air pockets.

Heat a large frying pan on medium heat and add enough coconut oil to cover the base of the pan lightly. Pour a small ladle’s worth of batter into the centre of the pan and lift the pan in a circular motion to spread the batter and flatten into a round pancake.

When bubbles start to appear and the edge of the batter has set, flip the pancake over. Cook for another minute for the underneath to turn golden brown. Transfer to a baking tray and keep warm in a cool oven (140°C/275°F/Gas Mark 1) whilst you continue to cook the remaining batter.