Oscar the Grouch Pancakes (gluten free, dairy free)

Ryan surprised me on Mother’s Day this year with a brand new Kitchen Aid stand mixer. From that moment, my kitchen has not been the same. Never before have I had fluffier pancakes and muffins, nor have I made such delicious mashed potatoes. It is simply amazing! This miracle machine has graced our household and given us pure loveliness in the form of food.

The boys love to help me cook, and they love this mixer mostly because it is a large piece of machinery, with a motor and levers and gadgets that pop on and off. But they also love to help me make pancakes. So pancakes we make! I started with my regular recipes and everything was turning out so fluffy and perfect – unusual for gluten free. I started getting braver, adding a few more ingredients and hoping no one would complain. The kids gobbled everything up that I made.

This week, I decided to try something new and never seen before in my house. Inspired by my green smoothies, I figured, what would be better than green pancakes? I had been wanting a healthy pancake the kids could snack on any time of day, with a little extra protein and vitamins. So I started tossing ingredients together. Ryan’s expressions as I threw in one thing after another was one of hope and uncertainty. He is used to seeing chia seeds in every concoction I make, and he has acquired enough of a taste for the random non dairy milks I try, but when he saw the large quantity of pureed spinach going into the mixer he looked worried. Worried, but curious.

Well, my friends… these pancakes were delicious. The spinach flavor is barely noticeable. The almond adds a nutty flavor, and the blueberry and vanilla give it a comforting and familiar taste. My kids loved them. I loved them. And even Ryan loved them.

We named them “Oscar the Grouch Pancakes”. Next, I’m thinking of trying a Ernie and Bert version…. but trying not to get carried away. 🙂

Oscar the Grouch Pancakes

(This makes a large batch – halve the ingredients if you want a smaller quantity.)

3 C pancake mix (I used gluten free bisquick)

1/4 C chia seeds

1/3 C almond meal

3 C almond milk (I like the almond flavor, but any other milk should work fine)

3 eggs

6 T oil (I used grapeseed)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 T agave syrup (or more if you like them sweet)

1 C pureed spinach

1 C blueberries (I use frozen wild blueberries, thawed partially before mixing)

Beat eggs and vanilla for a couple minutes, then add milk, oil, and agave and beat until it is all mixed well. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for about a minute, then increase to high for another minute until batter is very smooth. Add spinach and mix thoroughly. Add blueberries and mix carefully with a spoon or spatula.

Pour a few tablespoons at a time, depending on the size you want, on a hot griddle or frying pan with a small bit of oil. I made small to medium pancakes, perfect for little hands, and I ended up with about 50 pancakes. Eat what you can, and freeze the rest for later!