Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes

Pancakes on Sunday morning are the best. Usually pancake mixes include flour, sugar, and lots of other unhealthy and unnecessary ingredients. But you can make healthy pancakes using buckwheat pancake mix. Buckwheat is actually a fruit seed that is good for your cardiovascular system because it is high in flavonoids and other nutrients. Since it is not actually wheat, it is gluten free. But, many buckwheat pancake mixes still also have wheat flour. I've tried to make pancakes with just buckwheat flour and been unsuccessful. It has to be mixed with something else to make pancakes that rise and cook thoroughly.

Some of the ingredients used in this recipe may not be familiar to you so I included links to the products on Amazon. You can also find them in the natural section of your grocery store. These ingredients are actually not that obscure and I consider them staples in my pantry.

Ingredients (makes ~8 small pancakes)
2/3 cup buckwheat pancake mix
1 egg substitute
2 tsp. coconut oil
2 tsp. honey or agave nectar
3/4 cup soy or almond milk
1/4 cup carob chips
1/4 cup agave nectar or pure maple syrup
1 banana for topping (optional)

Directions
Mix all pancake mix, egg, oil, honey, and milk together in a bowl until all of the lumps are gone. Fold in the carob chips. Use a non-stick pan on low heat. Pour a small amounts of the mix on the pan to make about 4-inch rounds. Flip the pancakes once the edges start to brown and bubbles form on the surface. Cook for a couple of more minutes. Stack the pancakes on a plate and add chopped banana as a topping. Heat the agave nectar or maple syrup and pour over pancakes. (I accidentally used to much in my picture below.)