I love to add purées to dishes as a way to include some healthy goodness from a fruit or vegetable and for an extra bit of yummy flavor. I also love using purées because they can add a punch of all-natural chemical-free color to your food for an extra bit of fun.
Since my little lady is a huge fan of pink, she often requests pink pancakes, which I (or my husband) happily cook up for her. Pink Pancakes get their naturally beautiful color from roasted beet purée. This recipe for Pink Pancakes is a slightly adapted version of the recipe for Purée Pancakes I shared a little over a year ago. They are a perfect, naturally colored and chemical free, Valentine’s Day treat.
Before the recipe, here are some tips and ideas:
1. My husband, Matt, is the real pancake expert in the teeny tiny foodie home. Here’s his “Flip Tip”: Wait until the mixture starts to bubble a little, then you know each pancake is ready to be flipped.
2. I’m pretty terrible at flipping bigger pancakes, so I typically make smaller-sized “silver dollar pancakes” so they are easier to flip.
3. Number 2 is always true for me unless I’m trying to use a cookie cutter to make the pancakes into fun shapes. In that case I make them a little bigger and use a secondary tool to help me flip the pancakes without flopping them. Think of it as a pancake flipping “wingman tool”. See the photo below for an example of how I use a spatula as my “wingman tool.”
4. Find the “flip tool” that works for you. Regular spatulas don’t give me the control I need to flip my pancakes properly so I started using my OXO Flip & Fold Omelet Turner and it has made a huge difference. My pancake flipping “wingman tool” is a regular spatula. See the photo below for an example.
5. When I’m making bigger pancakes that I’ll cut into shapes, I like to use an ice cream scoop to add the batter to the pan.
6. If you’re using a cookie cutter, press the cookie cutter into the “uglier” side of the pancake.
- Pink Pancakes
- Yields 12 pancakes
Ingredients:
Dry ingredients:
- -1¾ cups whole wheat flour
- -2 teaspoons baking powder
- -1 teaspoon sea salt
- -2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Wet ingredients:
- -¾ cup purée of roasted beets
- -1 cup milk (I typically use cow’s milk but for this recipe I used unsweetened almond milk.)
- -¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- -2 large eggs, beaten
- -3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- -2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- -Cooking spray to grease the pan
- -Your favorite pancake accompaniments. We like pure maple syrup and Sweet Yummy Yogurt Sauce.
- -Heart shaped cookie cutter(s), if using
Preparation:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You’ll transfer the cooked pancakes onto the baking sheet to let them rest before you shape them.
Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
Thoroughly whisk the wet ingredients in a large bowl.
Slowly, stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Grease a large non-stick pan and heat it over medium heat.
Drop ¼ cup of the mixture onto the hot, greased pan and cook for around 4-5 minutes per side.
One you’re finished cooking the pancakes, flip them over (if needed) so the “uglier” side is showing and press your cookie cutters firmly into the pancakes. Serve with your favorite accompaniments and enjoy!
Ironically, even though Eliana eats these pancakes fairly often, I don’t have a photo of her enjoying them. You’ll just have to trust me that she gobbles them up!
Happy Cooking!
Are you looking for more sweet treats you can make for Valentine’s Day? Check out these tasty choices!
Tags: baby and family, breakfast, butter, dark brown sugar, eggs, milk, pancakes, Purees For Two, Valentine's Day, whole wheat flour, yogurt
« Previous Let’s Make Kale Chips: Toddler Recipe Let’s Make a Fruity Milkshake: Toddler Recipe Next »
