I am kicking myself for all the almond pulp I have thrown away in my lifetime. It honestly makes me crazy to think of how much perfectly good raw, soaked, organic almond pulp I wasted because I didn’t know it would be amazing in banana bread or pancakes, among other things. I make so much almond milk and the only things I used to be able to think to do with the leftover pulp was to add it to smoothies and stir it into oatmeal. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it just got boring after a bit.
Then a light bulb went off in my head and I tried using the pulp (which is different from store-bought almond meal because it is wet) in banana bread and it was amazing! Have you seen this recipe yet? It’s was so delicious and after my first attempt baking with almond pulp, I assumed every cookie and cake recipe would turn out great. Not the case. I actually had a few failures using almond pulp.
But this pancake recipe was not one of them. In fact, I might always use almond pulp in my pancakes from now on. One of my issues with pancakes is that they are typically not high in protein and protein is what I am always pestering my kids to include in their breakfast every single day. No one gets up from the table without answering the question, “what was your protein this morning?” Protein fuels the brain and takes longer to digest than carbohydrates so it can help keep you full for a while. And even though pancakes are my family’s favorite breakfast food, they aren’t super high in protein. So I typically serve whole grain pancakes with a dollop of yogurt, a few sprinkles of chopped nuts, a smear of almond butter or a small smoothie with hemp, yogurt or nuts.
What I love about whole grain pancakes with almond pulp is the protein boost the batter gets from the nut meal. Almonds are the only alkalizing nut and rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. They are also loaded with good-for-you monounsaturated fats and vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant. And even better, the almonds have been soaked which makes them much more digestible and nutritious. (Read this post about why soaked nuts and seeds are better for you.) Plus, I really don’t think my family notices at all that the recipe is different. Keep in mind, this is not a paleo or grain-free recipe. This is a whole grain pancake recipe designed to incorporate and efficiently utilize almond pulp leftover from almond milk-making. I tried to make a pancake batter with all almond pulp and it was not great, in my opinion. The pancakes felt heavy and grainy, and almost mealy. These, on the other hand, taste and feel like a “regular” pancake. The batter is slightly thicker, but the pancakes taste the same and the texture is light and tender.
The day I photographed these pancakes, we made them with mini chocolate chips and fresh strawberries, but plain and simple is perfectly delicious too. Now if you have no almond pulp, that means you’re not making your own almond milk and we need to fix that. Because homemade almond milk is more life-changing than these pancakes. Follow me over here to find out what you’ve been missing. And then you might be the one kicking yourself that you’ve lived this long without such a wonder!
Whole Grain and Almond Pulp Pancakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour, white whole wheat flour or whole spelt flour*
- 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups buttermilk**
- ¾ cup of well-squeezed almond pulp, from 1 cup of almonds
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Melted, unrefined coconut oil for brushing the griddle
Instructions
- Preheat a griddle to 400 degrees or medium heat.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- In a medium bowl or 4-6 cup measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, almond pulp, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup and melted butter until well blended. (I usually do this step in a blender.)
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Brush the griddle with coconut oil and spoon about ¼ cup of batter onto the griddle. Add blueberries, chocolate chips or diced banana to the surface, if desired. When bubbles start to form on the surface of the pancake and the edges become slightly dry, flip it over and cook until done. Maintain the heat on medium-low or 400 degrees.
Notes
**No buttermilk? Sub half unsweetened yogurt and half whole milk. Or use 1 ¾ cups milk, omit the baking soda and use 2 teaspoons baking powder instead.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Any idea how to use almond flour instead of the pulp along with almond milk?
Love both your cookbooks! 🙂
Help appreciated!
Thanks! I would trying swapping in an equal amount of almond flour for the almond pulp. If it looks too dry, add an extra tablespoon of liquid. Should work fine!
Thank you SO much, will give it a try!
Wow! These were the best pancakes. I see the recipe was posted some time ago but if you’re still reading comments, thanks! They were so good! (I followed your recommended subs for gf flour and buttermilk–fantastic! 🙂
Thank you, Theressa! I’m delighted to hear they turned out great.
These pancakes were fantastic! They actually turned out a lot fluffier than the photo indicates (although when my boyfriend made some for himself a bit later they were thinner like the pic). I live in Mexico and sometimes have altitude issues when cooking or baking, but these came out perfectly. I made them in a stainless steel pan (didn’t stick and cooked quickly) and also used a combo of amaranth and wheat flours, which at times have failed me texture-wise. But not this time. This will be my new go-to recipe. Thank you so much!
That’s so great to hear. Thank you for the feedback, Kelly!
Hi Pam. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. I’ve read most of the comments, and I’m wondering about how one makes sorghum flour. Do you just grind it until its fine? Also, do you really think there’s a difference in Bob’s Red Mill oatmeal — regular and their GF one? I’m asking because I thought all old-fashioned oatmeal was GF. Thanks!
Yes, you can grind grains into flour. I like to use a spice grinder or coffee grinder that is specifically used for nuts and seeds. You’re right, oats are naturally gluten-free. However, most commercial oats are processed in facilities that also process wheat, barley, and rye and are no longer gluten-free due to contamination. Look for the gluten-free label if that’s important to you since those oats were processed in a way that keeps them away from other grains.
Hi Pamela,
I just started making my own almond milk following your recipe and it’s so good! I wanted to know if I could mix the almond pulp with a pancake mix I already have. I have arrowhead mills organic buckwheat pancake mix. The ingredients are organic buckwheat flower, whole wheat flower, rice flower, leavening and sea salt. One serving is 2/3 cup of the mix. How can I incorporate my almond pulp into this recipe? Thank you!
Hi! I really am not sure about swapping almond pulp for some of the dry mix because it contains baking powder and maybe baking soda. So you would have to replace it but who knows how much. You can try to guess. If you use 2/3 cup of mix and 2/3 cup of almond pulp, you can try to add 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and a pinch of salt.
This is my family’s favourite pancake recipe by far, and I love that I have a great use for my leftover almond pulp. A lovely feeling knowing all the goodness still left in the almond pulp is going to a good use.
I use sprouted spelt flour, add 1/4 cup ground flax and 1/2 tsp almond extract to really pump up the almond flavour. Thanks for creating this awesome recipe.
Isn’t it nice not to waste? I love the addition of almond extract – yum!
Great recipe! As a new vegan I made almond milk and wanted to use the pulp somehow. I modified your recipe by using homemade oat milk and flax eggs and was very happy with the results! They are so filling and hearty!
So nice to know your modifications. Oat milk gives a nice golden color, don’t you think? Thanks for the feedback, Laura!
Thanks for the recipe, I made a number of modifications, to make it work for us. My husband is on a low sodium diet so halved the baking powder and baking soda, next time I think I’ll try whipping the egg whites and folding them in for leavening. I used one cup almond milk and one cup yogurt as Ihad no buttermilk. I made them with blueberries and they were delicious. I have never made pancakes with coconut oil before, thanks for the suggestion, it uses way less than other oils and didn’t burn.
Thanks for your comment, Lorraine! It’s hard to cut back on the leavening agents and not lose some of the lift. Beating the egg whites will help though. Yes, coconut oil is the best for pancakes, as well as waffles and French toast, too. 🙂
Delicious! I used goat kefir instead of the buttermilk, and honey instead of the maple syrup (except on top it’s gotta be real maple syrup!). So glad to find a use for some of this almond pulp. Oh, and there’s a typo at the bottom “cook till down” instead of done! Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!
Love your adaptations, Janet! And thanks for catching that typo! 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe! My family and I love it!
SO happy to hear that! And isn’t it so great not to throw away that valuable almond pulp?