Whole Wheat Gingerbread Coconut Pancakes

I haven't made pancakes in months. They used to be my go to weekend breakfast, but it has been quite some time. The summer just doesn't  feel like the time to make pancakes. Today was my first weekend in Guelph so I was excited to get up early and hit up the farmers market. Upon my return I promised I would make some pancakes. I had a recipe tucked away for gingerbread pancakes and I decided to give it a try on this crisp, fall-like morning. The recipe called for yogurt which I did not have so I substituted for a can of coconut milk. I made some more modifications as a result and they turned out quite nicely.

Whole Wheat Gingerbread Coconut Pancakes adapted from Jenna Weber
Serves 4-6

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
4 tbsp coconut oil (can be reduced or eliminated if you like)
2 eggs
1/2 cup almond milk (could have probably done with 1 cup)
1 can coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Whisk together the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
3. Add the wet to the dry and mix until just combined. The batter will be VERY thick.
4. On a greased (I used butter) skillet scoop 1/4 cup of batter at a time, flattening with a spoon to achieve desired thickness. Once the side of the pancakes are beginning to cook, flip to finish the other side.

These pancakes are very dense and VERY filling, but very delicious. I normally can eat as many pancakes as my heart desires but these I could only have a couple. It must have been all those healthy fats. I am not a huge fan of the flavour of coconut oil so every time I find a way to incorporate a lot of coconut oil without tasting it that much, I am pretty happy. This is one of those recipes where you don't taste the coconut too much because of all the spices. I wasn't sure the coconut would work well with the gingerbread but it did; it made the gingerbread taste rich, not coconuty.

I like my real maple syrup like a good Canadian does

My trip to the Farmer's Market was a successful one and I picked up lots of local goodies. I have some plans for my purchases such as some homemade tomato sauce and something that is loaded with beets. I also purchased some kimchi which I have never had before but always wanted to try. It is a fermented food which is something I have mentioned I wanted to start getting into. Wish me luck!

Clockwise from bottom left: kimchi, apples, beets, romaine lettuce, broccoli, whole wheat sourdough bread, fresh eggs, beans, and roma tomatoes.