Cha- Cha- Cha- Chia Pancakes!

Here it is,Β the moment you’ve all been waiting for!

Or maybe you’ve forgotten.

Allow me to refresh your memory…

Cha- cha- cha- CHIA!!!

But don’t just think I’m stuttering when I utter those words that will forever be a part of American pop culture, because there is an explanation behind every extra syllable.

Cherry…

Chocolate…

Chip!

Oh…um, sweetie? I think you have a bit of drool on your chin there πŸ˜‰

These cakes have morphed into more than you can even imagine this week…in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if my skin started to take on a rosy glow from the amount of cherries I’ve consumed…but come to think of it, I DO think my hair is a bit shinier now…thanks Mr. Chia! πŸ™‚

Remember my “retail therapy” on the fourth? Well, I decided this week, I was going to experiment with my newly acquired quinoa flour and I think I have officially found my new favorite baking ingredient! It has a bit of an earthy smell to it, but with the addition of a little cinnamon and some flavor extract, you can’t taste it at all. Besides the fact that one serving has a little bit extra “oomph” in the protein department, it has amazing absorption. So what does that mean?

More absorbable flour means more liquid needed means…

BIGGER PANCAKES!!!

I tried the same recipe with brown rice flour and with whole wheat pastry flour and while they still tasted great, to my disappointment, they produced much smaller cakes. And well, I’m all about quality AND quantity!

AΒ very wise woman once said it best:
“I’m a woman of the modern age…I want it all!” πŸ˜‰

So after not one, not two, but FOUR plates of different versions of these beauties over the last several days, I can safely say we have a winner with today’s batch. I’m not one to call myself a “lover” of chocolate (I know, I’m weird), but there are just some combinations that just can’t be ignored. One is my beloved peanut butter and chocolate and the other, cherries and chocolate! They were TRULY meant to be!

But don’t take my word for it, try them out for yourself!

Cha- Cha- Cha- Chia Pancakes

By:Β Heather Powers

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 12-15 minutes

Keywords: fry breakfast pancakes gluten-free paleo vegan vegetarian dairy-free chia seeds chocolate quinoa flour summer

Ingredients (Serves 1)

  • 1/4 cup quinoa flour*
  • 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum**
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk*
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (can use vanilla, but almond brings out the cherry flavor more)
  • 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips
  • 1/8 cup chopped, pitted cherries

Instructions

1. Heat skillet to medium heat and coat with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Fold in chocolate chips and cherries.
4. Spoon onto skillet, forming 3 small to medium-sized pancakes and allow to cook 5-6 minutes per side.
5. Plate and top with yogurt, cherries and chocolate chips.

*If you don’t have access to quinoa flour, you can sub in any gluten-free flour (or whole wheat, just omit the xanthan gum), but reduce the amount of almond milk to 1/2 cup and once combined, set the bowl aside for about 5 minutes so that the chia seeds can expand and “plump” up the batter a bit.

**If you don’t have xanthan gum (which I really recommend for gluten-free baking AND it makes an excellent smoothie), try subbing in the same amount of cornstarch for thickening purposes.

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Nutritional stats (pre-toppings): 298 calories, 13g fat, 39 carbs, 8g protein

A little sinful…

A little more healthy…

And a whole lotta delicious.

Happy Pancake Sunday!

What is your favorite thing to pair with chocolate?

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28 Responses to Cha- Cha- Cha- Chia Pancakes!

  1. Im all about the peanut butter and chocolate too! It’s just amazing! πŸ™‚

  2. These look great! Never added chia to my pancakes, normally make a chia yogurt pudding to go on top.

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Thank you Michelle! This was actually my first time adding them to pancake batter and I was pretty impressed with how they turned out! LOVE the fluffy/spongy texture!

  3. Meg says:

    Oh I definitely didn’t forget about these πŸ˜‰

    Hehe I love the way you write, girl πŸ™‚ You just always make me smile! I cannot wait to give these a try! I have ALL of the ingredients <3

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Woo hoo!

      And thanks doll! It makes my day knowing that I’m bringing a smile to that pretty little face of yours! πŸ˜‰

  4. Is going to need to start a Pinterest KMB pancake board. Delicious! Drooling. Hungry. Jealous. Seriously jealous. πŸ˜‰

  5. I love peanut butter on pancakes and with chocolate!! These look amazing friend!

  6. Thank you! I wasted three cups of cottage cheese trying to make pancakes this morning πŸ™
    Looks like this recipe will save me the next time I crave pancakes!! I wonder if oat flour/almond meal + coconut flour would give the same/similar results?

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Ahhh, I’m so sorry I’m just now responding! I could have SWORN I replied on Monday, but I guess I just dreamt it! So sad about the cottage cheese mishap! I think if you did a combination of oat flour or almond meal (or any other flour really) along with the coconut flour, they would turn out great! Since the quinoa flour absorbs liquid so well, I would definitely add the coconut flour (maybe try 1 tablespoon at first and see how that works?) I’d love to know how it turns out if you try it! And PLEASE let me know if you have any other questions!

  7. You = THE pancake queen. I seriously need to make these! I adore cherry and chocolate. Plus, I seem to have no luck creating my own pancake recipes.

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Aww, you’re too sweet! If you’re a chocolate and cherry fan, then these are DEFINITELY meant for you! And…can you believe I used to be horrible at making pancakes? I speak the truth! πŸ™‚

  8. Hannah says:

    Oh my golly, your shout-out just made my day. Particularly as this is a post about delicious sweet awesomeness! Thank you Heather. Sparkles for all!

  9. Khushboo says:

    Oh gosh these look fantastic! I am SO annoyed at myself- I bought quinoa flour ages ago and because I never really used it, I finally gave it away to my aunt! Chocolate and nuts are my absolute favorite (NUT butter included)….oh actually it’s a toss up between nuts & sea salt! Great- now I’m craving chocolate & pancakes on a MOnday morning :)!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Oh no! Well, according to another reader, all you have to do to make your own is throw some quinoa in a coffee grinder and…voila! Hope you got your pancake fix sometime throughout the week…can’t believe it’s already time for another celebration tomorrow! Ahh, it’s the little things that excite me! πŸ˜‰

  10. Yum, I’m definitely drooling! That’s neat that quinoa flour is more absorbable than other flours – I didn’t know that! Do you think if I just left out the xanthan gum/cornstarch altogether they would still work?

    I love mint or caramel paired with chocolate!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      I think they would still work, but your batter may be a bit runnier causing your pancakes to be less fluffy. Maybe try adding a little less liquid if you plan on leaving out the thickener!

      Mmm, mint and chocolate…I immediately think of Thin Mints!

  11. Those look so good! I always want to buy xanthan gum but the price tag gets me everytime!

    I love chocolate and cherries together and little secret whenever I go to places with bulk bins of chocolate covered cherries I always take one. I’m bad I know but I can’t help it. Gotta make sure their good πŸ˜‰

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      OF COURSE…quality assurance tests are a MUST in the bulk bin section! How else would you know that’s really a chocolate covered cherry and not something else…like a blueberry…without tasting it first! πŸ˜‰

      The price seems high, but I swear it will last you FOREVER! I’ve never used more than 1/4 teaspoon at a time…a little DEFINITELY goes a long way!

  12. katy says:

    quinoa + coffee grinder = quinoa flour πŸ™‚ easy!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Really? No toasting or anything else? That’s awesome! I need to make sure everyone knows that! Thank you, Katy! πŸ™‚

  13. Pingback: For the Love of Snails | Kiss My Broccoli

  14. Tiina says:

    I made these this morning – yummmm! I didn’t have cherries – [yeah – ate them last night as a snack becasue I forgot about this mornigns menu] but I left in the chips. Katy commented that you can grind your own quinoa flour. I did that in my bullet blender. so fast and easy. I also added freshly ground cinnaomn stick. Easy peasy! I love your recipe! Thanks.

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Haha, I do that ALL the time…digging in before I remember I’m “saving them” for something! I’m so glad the Magic Bullet worked for making the quinoa flour! I’ll definitely be employing my bullet after I’m out of the packaged stuff! But above all, I’m SO HAPPY you tried them! I thought they came together pretty easily and the taste/texture can’t be beat! Thank you Tina, you really just made my night! πŸ˜‰

      • Tiina says:

        Made them again this morning! oh – and thanks for including calories/nutritional info. So few vegan websites do.

  15. Amanda says:

    These look amazing! I add chia to about everything – just not my pancakes yet. Love the idea thanks!

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