Fresh Apricot & Pecan Vegan Pancakes

Apricots are considered one of the first signs of Summer. Adding perfectly ripe apricots to morning pancakes adds a delicate and natural sweetness with a faint tart flavor. Drizzle a touch of maple syrup with fresh buttery pecans and in less than 15 minutes, you’ll have yourself a new Sunday morning favorite.

Both apricots and pecans contain many nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. And apricots, with less than 20 calories a piece, are truly an ideal fruit to eat daily.

As you read over this recipe, you may wonder what a flax egg is. Many vegan recipes will call for a flax or chia egg. When you add water to ground flax or chia, it becomes gelatinous – similar to an egg – and acts as a binder. As an added bonus, both flax and chia seeds are considered incredible superfoods.

Many thanks to Sleeping Frog Farm for sharing their delicious apricot harvest with us. You can find them on Thursdays at the Santa Cruz River Farmers Market at Mercado San Agustín and Sundays at the Rillito Park Farmers Market and St. Phillips Plaza Farmers Market. The local pecans are courtesy of The Green Valley Pecan Co.

If creating the perfect pancake batter isn’t what you had in mind, there are a few restaurants in Tucson that will cater to your pancake craving. Lovin’ Spoonfuls has outstanding blueberry pancakes where you can choose between organic whole wheat or organic buckwheat and Food For Ascension Cafe recently added organic pancakes to the menu with a fresh fruit compote.

Apricot Pecan Pancake Recipe

• 1 1/2 cups flour of choice*
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened nut milk*
• 6 apricots*
• 2 tbsp pecans*
• 2 tbsp maple syrup*
• 1 flax or chia egg*
• 1 tbsp baking powder*
• 1 tbsp coconut oil*
• 1 tsp vanilla*
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon*
• pinch of sea salt

1. Create a flax egg by adding 2.5 tbsp of water to 1 tbsp ground flax meal. Stir and allow to sit for five minutes or until thick and sticky.
2. Combine all dry ingredients and mix. Allow the batter to sit for five minutes to allow the bonding of the flax egg.
3. Add wet ingredients and stir well.
4. Slice, dice, or chop up two or three apricots and fold into batter.
5. Pour batter into a lightly oiled pan on medium heat.
6. Flip after two minutes or until lightly golden.
7. Once all pancakes are done, plate and pour the remaining apricots on top along with pecans and maple syrup.

* indicates organically grown