Pancakes aren’t just for breakfast, especially if they’re savory and filled with vegetables, green onions, and chives, then topped with a spicy apple and beet sauce.
Most of us have had traditional pancakes, smothered with sweet maple syrup for dinner at least once, and that’s a beautiful thing. But sometimes, sweet cakes just won’t cut it, and that’s where these fluffy babies come in.
You guys, when I say that these are fluffy, I’m not kidding. They are filled with heavy shredded zucchini and kernels of sweet corn, yet they cook up like little feather pillows of yum. How does that happen?
There’s so much deliciousness going on in these perfect savory zucchini & corn pancakes. Your taste buds are greeted with the mellowness of the pancake batter and the zucchini, then you get a burst of sweet from the corn, a bite of heat from the jalapeno pepper, and hints of savory and pepper from the turmeric, salt, and chives. It’s like a symphony of flavor playing a solo concert just for you. Okay, I’m a dork, but that’s kind of what it’s like.
But wait, there’s more! The description of the savory zucchini & corn pancakes above doesn’t include the zing of the icing on the cake. The stunning spicy apple and beet sauce that you’re going to drizzle on top is freaking amazing stuff!
I have to give credit to my foodie son, Griffin, for this one. He just got home from college and graced me with his presence in the kitchen, just in time to taste the cakes as I flipped them off of the griddle. My initial thought was to put a dab of apple sauce on them, like I would do with a potato pancake. But Griff is the artist of the family, and he said that the sauce needed color and a kick of heat. He got his beauty and his brains from his mother.
Long story short, I sent him out to the supermarket to get some beets and a serrano pepper, and voila, we made a gorgeous sauce that complimented those savory cakes like nobody’s business. So now you’ve got, mild, savory, peppery, salty, sweet, and spicy. That’s the whole enchilada right there y’all.
Not only do these taste great, they’re super easy to make. Perfect for a busy weeknight meal.
Make the spicy apple and beet sauce first so it’s all ready to go. In a high powered blender combine a half of a cup of water, one raw peeled beet, one peeled and cored apple, one seeded serrano chili (you might want to add the pepper in sections and then taste and add more if you want it spicier), and salt to taste. If you want to add protein to the sauce add a few tablespoons of hemp seeds.
Use your food processor to shred the zucchini. It takes about a minute to get the job done. Then squeeze out the excess water with some paper towels. You can cut the kernels of corn from the cobs of fresh corn or you can use thawed out frozen corn. Put the frozen corn in a bowl of water to thaw quickly.
The next step is to whisk the batter together. All you’ll need is a little flour, some baking powder, baking soda, turmeric, salt, and pepper, a flax egg, and almond milk. Blend those things together then add the zucchini, corn, jalapeno, and chives; combine, and spoon onto a hot oiled griddle or skillet.
Watch the cakes begin to bubble and brown, then flip and wait for the other side to brown. The cakes should feel firm and the sides should be nicely done. Keep them warm in the oven until they’re all cooked. Finally, bring them to the table, top them with the sauce, and enjoy!
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Here's another savory breakfast for dinner option for you. Smokey Black Beans & Green Chard on a Vegan Corn Waffle.
Some of the tools I used to make this recipe.
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Vegan Savory Zucchini & Corn Pancakes
Ingredients
- Apple and Beet Sauce
- 1 medium beet – peeled
- 1 medium apple – peeled and cored
- 1 serrano pepper – seeded
- 1 teaspoon of finely ground sea salt add more if desired
- Zucchini and Corn Pancakes
- 1 tablespoon of avocado oil
- 1 large zucchini – shredded
- 1 cup of corn – fresh or frozen thawed
- 1 jalapeno pepper – seeded and finely minced
- 4 green onions – finely diced
- ¼ cup of finely chopped chives
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon of turmeric
- 1 teaspoon of finely ground sea salt
- 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed + 3 tablespoons of water mixed together until thick and creamy flax egg
- 1 cup of almond milk add more if the batter is too thick
Instructions
- Apple and Beet Sauce
- Put the ingredients in a high powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add the serrano pepper in sections so you can adjust the heat as you like.
- Zucchini and Corn Pancakes
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add the flax egg and the milk and stir until well combined. Add the zucchini, corn, pepper, onions, and chives and stir until well combined.
- Heat a griddle or skillet on medium heat and add the oil when hot. Spread the oil evenly over the surface of the pan and pour ⅓ of a cup of pancake batter on the pan. You should be able to cook three to four cakes at once.
- When the tops of the cakes are bubbling and the bottoms are brown, gently flip the cakes over. They’re done when both sides are brown and the cakes are firm and cooked on the sides.
- Keep warm in a warm oven until all of the cakes are cooked.
- Top them with the apple and beet sauce and enjoy!
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