Why Do People with Allergies Love Pancakes So Much?

Do you ever notice that food allergy families are really big on pancakes? Myself included. It’s actually my number one quick meal to make at home, any time of day. But it’s something I’ve never once ordered in a restaurant. Allergy moms and dads often make big batches of pancakes and freeze them for easy meal prep when they need it. Allergy kids love their trusty pancakes. While non-allergy folk often order a single flapjack with their whole brunch ordeal, we are more likely to devour an entire plate of them from the comfort of our home.

Although I have put out several tasty pancake recipes over the years, in my own kitchen I often just whisk some things together with a fork, spoon into a hot pan, and hope for the best.

But why do we love them so much? I have theories.

1. Doughy satisfaction

   Who would ever turn down a hot, fluffy pancake? They’re an ultimate comfort food and require so much less prep work than cookies or actual cake. You don’t have to heat the oven up. There are no mixing bowls, electric mixers, or sheet pans to clean. Just an easy access highway to pan-fried batter.

2. CALORIES

   Often times we just need to consume calories, stat! We know we likely won’t be able to get food from restaurants once we leave the house, so we’ve gotta load up at home. I can’t even count how many times my mom has said “make sure you eat” before I left the house. Even going so far as to call me to ensure I had eaten something. Pancakes were an acceptable food. They provided enough calories for me to be satisfied for a long time so that I wouldn’t end up starving and alone, fainting into a ditch somewhere. I don’t even add sugar most of the time; honey, flour, applesauce or egg, blueberries or banana chunks, and baking soda + powder. Some combination of these ingredients, fried in a hot pan, is always delicious.

3. Excuse to eat both chocolate and cake

   This really explains itself. Who wouldn’t love to eat cake and chocolate chips for breakfast, or any meal of the day? No kid would ever turn that down, which means no empty plates, which means satisfied parents. Amiright?

Top 8 Free, Vegan, Gluten-Free Fudgy No-Bake Brownies

This post was created in partnership with Food Bloggers of Canada.

These no bake, gluten free, nut free, vegan brownies are moist and chewy, and a great recipe to make when entertaining because of how simple they are to prepare and how well they hold up in the fridge. Just because this recipe is nut-free, doesn’t mean it’s lacking in “nuttiness” or that earthy flavor that people love paired with chocolate.

Free from: peanuts, nuts (excluding coconut), dairy, soy, wheat, egg, fish, shellfish

Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
dash of salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp Sunbutter
1/3 cup shelled, salted pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup condensed coconut milk
1/3 cup chopped, pitted dates or figs
2/3 cup allergen-free mini chocolate chips
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut flakes, such as Edward & Sons

Add the olive oil, vanilla, salt, vanilla, Sunbutter, pumpkin seeds, condensed coconut milk, dates, half of the chocolate chips, and cocoa to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Fold in the remaining chocolate chips and the coconut flakes until well combined. The mixture should come together into a sticky dough.

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Press the dough into the bottom of the pan and spread the top out evenly using a spoon moistened with water to prevent it from sticking. Refrigerate for 30+ minutes to set. Cut into squares.

Makes 8 squares

Learn how to make homemade oat flour! It’s super simple and easy to prepare.

Whole Wheat Linguine with Nut-Free + Dairy-Free Pesto, and Roasted Peppers

Despite my allergy to dairy and nuts, I am a huge pesto lover! Making dairy-free, nut-free pesto is so easy and really delicious. I use shelled pumpkin seeds instead of pine nuts to achieve the right texture and flavor. What I enjoy most about this recipe is how bright and light it is. The flavors of the lemon juice and olive oil really shine through, as does the earthiness of the whole wheat pasta.

Free from: peanuts, nuts, dairy, egg, soy, fish, shellfish
Alternatives: If you have gluten intolerance or wheat allergy, use a gluten-free pasta that is allergy-safe for you

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole basil leaves
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
1/4 cup avocado flesh
1/3 cup + 1 tsp olive oil
2 servings cooked whole wheat linguine
1 bell pepper (or half each of two colours of bell pepper, like I used)
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the pepper into chunks and toss with about 1 tsp of olive oil. Spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and season with salt. Roast at 400F for about 15 - 20 minutes.

Add the basil, lemon juice, pepitas, avocado, and olive oil to a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Once the peppers are cooked, slice them into strips. Toss the peppers, cooked linguine, and pesto so that everything is well combined.

Serves 2