First of all, an extremely belated Eid Mubarak to anyone who celebrates it! Eid Al-Fitr , for those of you not in the know, is the holiday that marks the end of Ramadan and quite literally means “celebration of breaking fast”.
Growing up, Eid breakfasts were always a special event in our house. My dad and brother would get up at dawn to head out to the Eid morning prayer while my mom and I would wake up leisurely to have tea and snack on Kahk (sugared Egyptian Eid cookies), before laying out a breakfast spread fit for a king. This year I realised that with all the different members of my family traveling so much (myself included) it had been years since we’d had a proper Eid breakfast. Instead, I decided to start a new tradition: Eid pancakes.
Cardamom Spiced Pancakes with Homemade Date Jam
Serves 3-4 (yields 8 large pancakes)
- 1 cup of wholewheat pastry flour
- 1/2 cup plain flour
- 1 heaping tsp of baking powder
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 a banana
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 tbsp agave nectar or brown sugar
- 1 tbsp coconut oil – melted
- 1 1/2 cups of soy milk
- 1 flax “egg” (1 tbsp of ground flaxseed mixed with 2-3 tbsp warm water and left aside to gel)
- Combine the flours, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl.
- Either blend or combine the wet ingredients (vanilla essence, coconut oil, soy milk and flax egg and agave nectar) with the banana (you can mash it well if you don’t want to use a blender). Add wet to dry and mix until just combined. Add additional soy milk if the batter is looking too thick.
- Add the batter in 1/4 cup increments to a greased pan or griddle on low-medium heat. As always, flip once the edges are set and little bubbles start to form.
Date Jam
- 1/2 cup soft pitted dates
- pinch of sea salt and cinnamon
- 2 tbsp water
- Soak dates in warm water for 5 minutes then drain, reserving some water for blending. To a small food processor add the dates, sea salt, cinnamon and 1 tbsp of water. Pulse until you get the desired consistency, adding more water as you go along.
- For a processor free method, soak the dates a little longer so that they are very pliable (10 minutes or so) and chop finely. Mix with other ingredients and mash together with a fork.
My older brother, resident pancake aficionado, sat in the kitchen while I cooked and pleaded I use eggs as he thought an egg-free pancake just wouldn’t taste good.
Needless to say, he ate his words as soon as he tasted them.
These were also a huge hit with my mom, which speaks volumes as she has never been a fan of pancakes which she always deemed too dough-y (or non-savoury breakfasts in general). The heartiness of the wholewheat pastry flour and natural sweetness of the cinnamon spiced date jam won her over.
I have to say, they won me over too, just decadent enough to pass for a celebratory Eid breakfast but still as wholesome and nutritious as ever. Possibly my best pancakes to date – (pun intended). Make these, soon!
I just made these! Wow.
All we could say was Ya Allah Ya Allah. Delicious.
Thank you.
Check out the photo. https://www.dropbox.com/sc/s41orqf9xvoz7no/AACCWM_P9mt6-ZLksRBmltHva
Thank you so much for sharing the photo! So glad you liked them.
Can’t wait to do these!! Just a question; the date jam recipe serves how many? Or like how much jam does it make; a cup?
This looks great! and a combo of some of my favorite flavors. Question- could the flour be substituted for coconut flour?
Hi Shams – I wouldn’t recommend it. Coconut flour is very dense and absorbent, I personally find it pretty hard to bake with!