Blue pancakes are a super fun pancake recipe to make. These blue spirulina pancakes are dyed naturally with powdered blue spirulina.
They are super healthy and are loaded with nourishing ingredients like oat flour, banana, egg, and coconut oil.
So, have you been looking for the best blue pancakes recipes? Then keep reading!
This blog post will reveal all you need to know about this pancakes recipe and how to make them.
What are Blue Pancakes?
These are pancakes that are naturally colored blue using the blue spirulina ingredient.
Blue spirulina is a healthy, loaded blue-green algae that grow in ponds, lakes, and alkaline waterways.
It is rich in health benefits that can help heal the body from inflammation, including vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and antioxidants.
In addition, it has a very mild flavor and tastes slightly bitter, which becomes undetectable when combined with other ingredients, especially sweet ones.
Blue spirulina pancakes have no artificial dyes or food coloring, and it is great for holidays such as Halloween
How to Make Blue Pancakes
In this section, we will explain in detail the ingredients you need to prepare your blue pancakes and how to make them.
Equipment Needed
- Mixing Bowls (two separate bowls to mix the dry and wet ingredients.)
- Nonstick pan: You can also use an electric griddle.
Ingredients Needed
- Oat flour
- Baking powder
- Pink sea salt
- Egg
- Milk of choice
- Coconut oil
- Blue Spirulina
- Vanilla
- Granulated sugar
- Butter or Cooking Spray
Oat Flour: You can use store-bought gluten-free oat flour or make your own by grinding some quick or rolled oats into fine flour using a high-speed blender or food processor.
Baking Powder: This helps the pancakes to rise.
However, you can mix a teaspoon of baking soda with a tablespoon of vinegar to create a bubbly leavening agent.
Salt: Adding a little of salt helps the taste.
Eggs – You can use cold eggs or room temperature eggs.
Milk: Use either plain or sweetened coconut milk. Also, you can use any other plant-based milk.
Granulated Sugar: This helps to sweeten the pancakes. You can also use dark-brown coconut sugar, which may change the pancake’s color when mixed with spirulina.
Vanilla – Vanilla extract helps the taste
Blue Spirulina: Blue Spirulina or blue algae is an excellent alternative to food coloring.
It has a vibrant blue color making it so much fun to cook with.
It is considered a superfood and has fantastic health benefits. With this, no need to use those artificial food dyes.
Butter or Cooking Spray: You can use a little bit of unsalted butter, coconut oil, or cooking spray to cook the pancakes.
How To Make Blue Pancakes
- In a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Add oat flour, baking powder, and salt, then whisk briefly to combine.
- In another bowl, mix all the wet ingredients. Add eggs, coconut milk, sugar, and vanilla extract, then beat well to combine.
- Combine the dry and wet ingredients in a giant bowl using a wooden or silicone spoon to combine until you have a thick batter.
- Do not over-mix it, as the batter may remain a little bit runny because the oat flour will thicken.
You can then add a little bit more milk if it becomes very thick by the time you cook it.
- Add Blue Spirulina (the blue color) to the pancake batter.
Start by adding a teaspoon of spirulina to the mix.
Mix it well into your batter using a spatula or a spoon until it becomes one beautiful blue color.
1 teaspoon of spirulina will make a batter light blue. You can add another teaspoon of spirulina powder if you want the dark blue pancakes.
- Add some butter to a large nonstick skillet and heat it on low-medium heat.
- Turn the heat to low and add large spoonfuls of the pancake blue batter and cook for 2-3 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Your blue spirulina pancakes are ready to be served.
You can serve these pancakes with chocolate or maple syrup, some fresh berries, or seasonal fresh fruit.
Cooking Information
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook time: 5 mins
- Total time: 10 mins
Nutritional Information per serving
- Calories: 349kcal
- Carbohydrates: 59.7g
- Protein: 11.1g
- Fat: 8.7g
- Sodium: 118.3mg
- Fiber: 4g
- Sugar: 12.3g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g
- Potassium: 157mg
Expert Tips to make perfect Blue Pancakes
- Do not make the batter too thick. Let it be a little bit runny, as the oat flour will thicken up when mixed with liquids.
- Using white granulated sugar as darker sugar or liquid dark sweetener might change the color of the pancake.
- Use a teaspoon of spirulina for darker blue pancakes. You can add more if you want to explore.
- Cook the pancakes on low heat to preserve the blue color, and ensure to cover the pan with the lid when cooking.
Blue Spirulina Pancakes Recipe Variation
- You can replace eggs with some chia seed or flax egg.
- Use some frozen or fresh blueberries in the batter to make your pancakes even bluer.
You can use chocolate chips as well; they are also a great idea.
- In addition, you can use whole wheat or all-purpose flour if you prefer more traditional pancakes.
How to Store And Reheat Leftover Blue Pancakes
The leftover blue spirulina pancakes will remain fresh in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up 3 days.
You can also freeze the pancakes in ziplock bags for up to 2 months.
However, use a non-stick pan or microwave to reheat them when you want to use them.
Conclusion
These pancakes are naturally colored in blue using the blue spirulina ingredient.
Blue spirulina pancakes are rich in health benefits that can help heal the body from inflammation, including vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and antioxidants.
In addition, it has a very mild flavor and tastes slightly bitter, which becomes undetectable when combined with other ingredients, especially sweet ones.
To make this recipe, we have to explain the ingredients and procedures in this guide.
However, it is recommended to use a teaspoon of blue spirulina for a start, then add more if you want dark blue colors.
Also, use white granulated sugars, as dark sugar can change the color of the pancake.
This recipe is healthy as it contains 349 kcal of Calories, 59.7g of Carbohydrates, 11.1g of protein, 8.7g of Fat, 118.3mg of Sodium, 4g of Fiber, 12.3g of Sugar, 0.3g of Polyunsaturated Fat, and 157mg of Potassium.
We hope you have fun trying this recipe. Did you try out this recipe? Please share your thoughts with us in the comment box.
Frequently Asked Question
Why do we put salt in pancakes?
Salt presence perks up the depth and complexity of other flavors as the ingredients meld.
It also gives a balance to the sweetness of cake batters.
What do more eggs do to pancakes?
Gluten pancakes rely on eggs to provide the extra structure necessary to hold the bubbles and allow the pancake to rise.
Moreover, the fat in the yolk also provides richness and flavor.
However, too much will make the pancake dense and custard-like, while not enough egg will make it drier and more biscuit-like.
Should my pancake batter be runny or thick?
Your pancake mix must be thick enough to drip off the spoon little by little instead of pouring too easily onto your heated surface.
You can add milk a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency if you think it is too thick.
What does milk do in pancakes?
Milk adds flavor and texture to pancake batter.
However, if you are looking to make pancakes without milk, a simple swap to water doesn’t always do the trick.
For pancakes made without milk, you will need to add some flavor through melted butter and vanilla extract.
What does butter do to pancakes?
Butter will make a good pancake taste better, and it’s used to grease my griddle.
Oils break down in high heat, so you have to deal with the flavor that oil gives the pancake. Butter goes with every pancake, and it is very safe.
How long should pancake batter rest before cooking?
Let your pancake batter rest for about 30 minutes before cooking.
This allows the flour to absorb the liquid, making the pancakes lighter and fluffier
Can I use water instead of milk in pancakes?
If you want a dairy-free pancake or you’re out of milk, you can replace the milk with an equal amount of just about any other liquid.
However, you can use a pinch of water as the easiest swap, but pancakes made with water are discovered to lack flavor and richness.