Zucchini Pancakes

Zucchini pancakes are a great meal for company or any time you need a special breakfast. They are quick, tasty, and make great use of over-grown zucchini. You can freeze your zucchini in advance and have the grated zucchini available all year round. You can freeze the pancakes themselves, as I discuss below.

We use spelt for a lighter, whole grain pancake. Wheat will be acceptable, but it simply does not have the lightness. We also prefer fresh ground flour that we grind ourselves in our kitchen. At the risk of getting too academic about pancakes, more of the enzymes stay intact in the cooking process and you end up with a pancake lower in the mineral inhibitor phytic acid. You can read more about phytic acid or simply move on to the important matter of the pancakes.

Zucchini Pancakes: Ingredients

• 3 cups freshly ground spelt flour (or optional whole wheat)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons succanat or brown sugar
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 6 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups grated zucchini

(Serves 4)

Zucchini Pancake: Steps

1. Mix all the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder).
2. Blend the wet ingredients in a separate bowl (sugar, eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, zucchini).
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones. Stir but do not over-mix. You will see the baking powder begin to work on the batter.
4. Cook the pancakes on a medium-hot griddle dressed with coconut oil. Form the pancakes to be about three inches across. If you make them larger the outsides may burn before the center is cooked.

These pancakes make great leftovers. Simple refrigerate or freeze them for another day. Stack them with wax paper in between for best results. Warm them up again in butter.

As an option, you can batch cook these pancakes and freeze them with wax paper pieces in between. Pop them out of the freezer the night before and warm them up in butter — it is a quick, nutritious breakfast. If you forget to defrost them in advance, put the frozen pancakes in a hot skillet with a high smoke point oil, and put the lid on to avoid splattering oil. Check your pancakes in about two minutes. When they have browned, turn them over for another two minutes. Your time will vary based on your skillet temperature and altitude. Keep a close eye on the pancakes. Test a pancake for internal warmth before serving.