Do you ever have one of those days?
Where you hit the snooze button again, skip your shower to make up time, and shimmy into your expensive silk shirt only to realize in the middle of the meeting with your boss itâs on backwards and stained with Starbucks you dribbled down your chin?
Or where you squeeze in a few minutes at the gym, bang a kettlebell against your shin, and forget your headphones in the car, forcing you to endure the grunts of the sweaty gentleman curling dumbbells?
Or where you fall asleep soaking in the tub, drop the library book in the bubbles, and leave the towel on the rod all the way across the room so you freeze as you make a run for it?
Or where you burn the brownies in the oven, spill a sack of flour on the floor, and drop a metal measuring spoon down the drain where the garbage disposal munches it faster than a dog attacking steak meat left on the bone?
Okay, so maybe thatâs just me⊠But when those days appear unwanted and uninvited in my life, my guy magically turns into Superman and washes my mountain of baking dishes, treats me to spicy Mexican tacos downtown, and gathers me in a tight bear hug until my tense muscles relax and I stop hyperventilating and start breathing normally again.
And if heâs at work, thereâs always chocolate.
Like Ooey Gooey Brownies. Or Double Chocolate Cookie Dough Bites. OrâŠ
Chocolate Brownie Pancakes.
Yes, Chocolate Brownie Pancakes. A comforting stack so rich and fudgy, youâll forget all of your problems the moment you slide the fork into your mouth. And since theyâre sugar-free, gluten-free, and vegan, you wonât feel a single ounce of guilt for indulging in them!
To make the batter, youâll begin with rice flour, millet flour, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Itâs best to use regular unsweetened cocoa powder instead of Dutched (aka Hersheyâs Special Dark) because itâs slightly more acidic and reacts better with the basic baking soda. This will make your pancakes a bit lighter inside, while still keeping them really moist and fudgy!
Next comes applesauce, which acts as the egg to bind everything together, and milk. I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk because itâs only 30 calories per cup. Stir in a splash of vanilla plus a packet or two of Splenda, and youâre ready to cook!
Be sure to spray the pan really well with nonstick spray since we didnât use any butter or oil in the batter. The pancakes wonât bubble or harden as much around the edges as ones made with all-purpose flour, so keep an eye on them. I like mine just barely done so they turn out extra fudgy!
This entire recipeâa tall stack of five fudgy pancakesâclocks in as only 253 calories. 253 calories! If youâre anything like me, you might start finding a few more excuses for âbadâ mornings once you eat these Chocolate Brownie Pancakes!
These pancakes taste just like fudgy dark chocolate brownies, but theyâre healthy enough for breakfast! Double, triple, or quadruple the recipe if serving more than one.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the rice flour, millet flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, whisk together the applesauce, almond milk, vanilla extract, and Splenda. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the wet, stirring just until incorporated.
- Generously coat a large pan with nonstick cooking spray, and preheat over low heat. When the pan is warm, drop about 3 tablespoons of the batter into the pan per pancake. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the edges begin to firm up. Flip the pancakes, and cook for 1 additional minute. Remove from the pan and serve immediately.
Note: These pancakes are really dark chocolaty. If you like yours sweeter, feel free to add another packet or two of Splenda! (Or any other no-calorie sugar substitute.)
Okay thanks! But can I substitute the apple sauce with an egg?
Not quite! You really only need about half an egg, or 2 tablespoons of egg substitute. A whole egg would make the pancake batter much to runny and taste kind of like scrambled eggs with chocolate mixed in.
When making these for 7 people, how would I adjust the baking soda?
I haven’t tried scaling the recipe up by that much, but I’d imagine you’d simply multiply the amount by 7 just like with the other ingredients.
Sweet flour rice is it the ordinary flour rice? How to make it or substitution for it
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Reem! Yes, sweet rice flour is “normal” rice flour. You can substitute brown rice flour or tapioca flour in place of it! All-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour, or whole wheat pastry flour will also work (but they wouldn’t be gluten-free). I can’t wait to hear what you think of these pancakes! đ