The Elmira Maple Syrup Festival is just around the corner. While the festivities will once again look different from years past, it is still something worth celebrating.

Real maple syrup has become a staple in my home. I use it on my homemade pancakes of course, but it is also fantastic as a sweetener in my yogurt, on my oatmeal and in my homemade granola. Did you know you can swap out refined sugar in your baking by using the same amount of syrup that the recipe calls for? Just be sure to reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by about a half cup.

Maple syrup is rich in antioxidants and is a great source of zinc and manganese. As a nutritionist, I pay attention to where my food comes from and how it got to me. By all accounts, maple syrup is a real food that is locally sourced.

In honour of the festivities, I’m sharing my pancake recipe. I like to top my pancakes with a little plain yogurt, a few berries and drizzle a little syrup on top.

As a mama to a boy with a gluten & dairy sensitivity, we’ve perfected our own recipe for fluffy goodness that skips the gluten & dairy but doesn’t skip out on taste or texture.

While maple syrup is a real food, it is still a sugar and should be used in moderation. My children would like to drown their pancakes in syrup…we are still working on that!

Pancakes – Gluten Free & Dairy Free

Maple Syrup and Pancakes

1 egg, whisked (or 1 tbsp ground flax seed whisked with 3 tbsp warm water)
1 1/4 c milk (or unsweetened oat or almond beverage)
1 tbsp raw sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 1/2 c light spelt or gluten free flour
1/4 c ground flax seed
3 tsp baking powder

In a large bowl, combine egg or alternative, milk or alternative, sugar & vanilla. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and ground flax. (For gluten free flour, there are many store-bought versions you can purchase that are ready to use. If you would like to try making your own, pop on over here and find the Gluten Free Flour recipe I use).

Add dry ingredients to wet & mix. Add melted coconut oil to batter & mix. Drop by ladle into hot pan. When pancakes have puffed up and filled with bubbles, flip over and cook through. Try adding blueberries or apples & cinnamon to the batter.

Enjoy with Elmira’s own real maple syrup. Enjoy!

Photo by Tatiana Rodriguez on Unsplash