All Natural Red Velvet Pancakes (gluten free + vegan)
These all natural red velvet pancakes taste like brownies for breakfast! Light, delicious & they get their color from cooked beets!
Originally published February 11, 2016. Last updated February 10, 2021.
I have a passion for pancakes. A serious passion. And I have passed it onto my daughter. Pancake passion is now a family affair.
“Mom, can we have pancakes for dinner tonight?” is the request I hear almost daily on our drive home from school And almost each morning, Alice springs out of bed, dashes down the stairs and hopes with every fiber of her little being that she will see beautiful little fluffy cakes sitting on her plate.
So clearly, pancakes are serious and important business in our house. And we only eat the good ones. The really good ones.
These pancakes, guys. Brace yourselves for THESE pancakes. Not only are they healthy, easy, and delicious, but they are also the prettiest shade of deep red and chocolate. Friends, these are my All Natural Red Velvet Pancakes.
Why these veggie-loaded pancakes are so good!
- They are beautiful and chocolatey! Making them a pretty magical thing to serve for breakfast…especially if you have kids!
- Veggie-loaded! These beautiful red velvet pancakes are turned their gorgeous shade of pinky-red by adding a healthy secret ingredient: beets. Yep, I said beets. Now don’t go running scared, please. Beets (while not a typical pancake ingredient) are a magical vegetable that takes on a naturally sweet flavor, especially when cooked. They are also wildly healthy for you, loaded with potassium and Vitamin C.
- Made with protein rich oatmeal. And when you buy certified gluten free oats, these healthy pancakes become gluten free too!
- Are egg free, dairy-free, and can easily be made nut free by substituting the almond milk with coconut milk.
- You can mix these pancakes entirely in your blender if you want. If you have a high-speed blender (like a Vitamix), you can just toss everything into your blender and save on dishes.
How to cook your beets for this recipe
Make these healthy red velvet pancakes extra easy to make by cooking your beet ahead of time.
Why is cooking your beetroot needed? It helps to cut the earthy flavor that many people find off putting about beets and brings out the natural sugars and sweetness of beets.
Here are some different methods you can use to cook up your beets for this recipe.
- Roast (this method gives the red velvet pancakes for the best color in my experience)
- Boiling
- Instant Pot
- Steaming
Time saving hack
Lots of grocery stores have pre-cooked beets in their fridge or freezer section. You can grab some of those to use in this chocolate pancake recipe to make life and this recipe a little easier. However, the color might not be as strong!
Suggested toppings for red velvet pancakes
- Unsweetened applesauce. Add a dash of cinnamon for an extra boost of flavor!
- Maple syrup. Of course.
- Plain yogurt sweetened with a little maple syrup or honey. This adds extra protein to the meal and when you sweeten the yogurt yourself, you can control the amount of sugar you add! Use your favorite plant based yogurt if vegan/dairy-free is needed.
- Homemade whipped cream. Whipped cream makes everything feel like a treat and homemade whipped cream is quick and easy to make. If you prefer or need vegan/dairy-free, try making homemade whipped coconut cream!
- Nut butter. This is my daughter’s favorite pancake topping and a great way to add healthy fat to breakfast. I like to either warm up nut butter and drizzle it on top or use it to make little pancake sandwiches with it! Unsweetened sunflower seed butter is a great nut-free option.
Other beet recipes you will adore
- Pink Beet Pancakes
- Fudgy Beet Gluten Free Brownies (vegan)
- Vegan Beet Waffles
- Strawberry Beet Instant Pot Applesauce
- Pink Beet Smoothie
- Red Velvet Smoothie
- Chocolate Beetroot Cake (with raspberry whipped cream)
Loving these beetroot pancakes and are hungry for more?
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All Natural Red Velvet Pancakes (gf + vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked rolled oats, use certified gluten free oats for gluten free pancakes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup very ripe and mashed banana , the riper the better. Can sub applesauce, but pancakes may be less sweet.
- 4 ounces beet, cooked and peeled, About 1/2 cup pureed. See above for cooking options
- 1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk , or milk of choice
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- oil for cooking
Equipment
Instructions
- Combine oats, baking powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt to a high-speed blender. Blend until oats become a fine powder.
- Pour the oat flour mixture into a bowl and set aside.
- In the now empty blender, combine beets, vanilla, maple syrup/honey, milk, and banana. Blend until smooth and well combined.
- Pour contents of the blender into the bowl with the dry goods. Stir to combine but do not over mix.
- Heat a pan or other skillet over medium-low heat. Add a little cooking oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, portion out the batter into small pancakes.
- Cook until the edges of the pancake appear dry and a few bubbles appear in the batter (about 1 1/2 -2 minutes). Flip over and cook the pancakes on the other side for another minute and a half.
- Once all the batter has been cooked into pancakes, serve warm with topping of choice. Store leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 1 month.
Can you use cacao poweder instead of the cocoa?
Yes!
Can you use frozen beets?
I’ve never tried! I’d suggest defrosting them and draining off the extra liquid though! Let me know how it goes!
I didn’t use frozen beets, but used Love Beets. Delicious.. not super red, but still yummy! I think perhaps I will try again but omit the cocoa powder to see if they are red! This is by far the best texture for GF/EF pancakes!
Can you use tinned beets?
You can as long as they are unseasoned (sometimes they are canned with salt or other seasoning). And the color won’t be as strong, since beets “bleed” a lot of their vibrant red color into canning juices. Still veggie-loaded and delicious, though!