Vegan Pink Beet Pancakes

These beautiful beet pancakes are the perfect breakfast treat on Valentine's Day or any day you just want some fun color in your food. These healthy whole wheat pancakes are even healthier with the addition of beets but still extra scrumptious.

I can't take credit for the idea of adding beets to my pancakes as that was all my husband's idea. It came to him when I told him I wanted to make something Valentine's Day themed.

I'm a big fan of hiding vegetables in the foods we least expect them so I was ALL for it! Beets are a great addition because the have a wonderful sweet yet earthy flavor but it's just subtle enough that you might not even notice it. This could be a great way to get children to secretly eat more vegetables too!

Benefits of Beets

Beets are one of my favorite foods, not only for the flavor and beautiful pink color, but also for the many health benefits they provide.

They are high in fiber, folate (the natural form of folic acid), and Vitamin C. They're also a great source of iron and have been shown to help with lowering blood pressure.

You can eat them raw or cooked and they're great in both sweet and savory dishes. I love how versatile they are!

Some of my favorite ways to eat beets are:

• in a salad
• in a smoothie
• hidden in baked goods
• in a soup

Ingredients needed for pink pancakes

You won't need a lot of beets to get that great pink color and the rest of the ingredients are very simple. You most likely already have these on hand which makes this an excellent recipe to whip up when the pancake cravings arise.

Ingredients:

• whole wheat flour
• unsweetened non-dairy milk
• apple sauce—an easy egg replacement
• beets—I used canned, regular un-pickled
• coconut sugar
• baking powder
• pure vanilla extract
• salt
• cinnamon and nutmeg—optional but highly recommended!

I love how simple this recipe is and healthy too! No oil needed to make fluffy, mouthwatering pancakes.

How to make

First, you'll need to puree the beets with the milk. You can use cooked or raw beets. If using raw, peel first. If using canned, drain first. Make sure the canned beets are not pickled. You could also use frozen but I'd try to thaw them first so your puree doesn't end up as a frothy smoothie.

Add the beets with the milk to a blender and process until smooth.

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk well. It will become the most beautiful pink batter you've ever seen!

In a non-stick pan over medium-low heat, spoon out one pancake worth of batter at a time (about 4 inches in diameter). The batter may come out a little thick so feel free to spread it out once spooned into the pan to make thinner pancakes.

Feel free to get creative here—I chose to shape some into little hearts. I found that using a spoon worked best. I'd spoon out one half of the heart, then the other, then make any little adjustments to the shape as quickly as possible by dragging/pushing the batter into place. If using a non-stick pan make sure to not scratch it with a metal spoon—or use a plastic spoon to be safe.

Flip the pancake over when you see bubbles forming on top or the sides have stiffened enough. Continue cooking until golden-brown. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Serve warm, topped with maple syrup and fresh fruit! Enjoy!

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