Butternut Pikelets

Butternut Pikelets

  • Serves: Makes 18
  • Prep Time: 00:15
  • Cooking Time: 00:15
Print

Pikelets are mini pancakes that are usually served at room temperature spread with grass-fed butter or ghee. These pikelets are flavoured with delicious butternut pumpkin which gives them their soft and fluffy texture. They are perfect for afternoon tea or as a kids healthy after school snack (see nut-free option below for lunchboxes).

Ingredients

* Please click on the green icon next to the ingredients listed below for extra details and helpful information.

  • 2/3 cup steamed mashed butternut pumpkin, cooled
  • 3 lge egg(s)
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup (100%)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (organic)
  • 1 1/4 cups almond meal/flour
  • 3 Tbsp arrowroot flour, or tapioca
  • 1 tsp baking powder (gluten free)
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • A generous pinch fine sea salt
  • 1 - 2 Tbsp coconut oil, for cooking

Directions

Add the chilled mashed butternut pumpkin, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla to a large bowl. Using a hand-held beater on medium speed to blend the ingredients together well.

Add the almond meal, arrowroot, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, and beat until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet.

Heat a large frying pan on medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of coconut oil and spread evenly over the pan. Use a ladle or small measuring cup to pour the batter (approximately 3 tablespoons) into the pan with a diametre of 6 - 7 cm. Cook for 3 minutes or until the bottoms are golden and firm, then carefully flip and cook the other side until the pikelet is cooked through (I use 2 spatulas to assist when turning as the top can be a little wet). Add extra oil as needed.

Place the cooked pikelets on a wire rack in a single layer, then repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve spread with grass-fed butter or ghee. Store left-overs in a sealed container in the fridge and best served at room temperature.

NUT-FREE OPTION: Grind down sunflower seeds into a very fine meal/flour as close as possible to almond meal using a food processor. Use 1 1/4 cups of sunflower meal in place of the almond meal and use 4 tablespoons of arrowroot in place of the 3 in the above recipe. Prepare and cook as above. (The cooked texture won't be as fine as using almond meal but just as delicious).

pumpkin

Like all orange pigmented vegetables, pumpkins are rich in beta carotene (vitamin A) and studies show pumpkin contains more than carrots.

egg(s)

I have used large free range or organic eggs from a 700g carton in my recipes. Eggs are one of the few foods considered to be a complete protein because they contain all 9 essential amino acids, also studies have shown that lutein (yellow colour) in egg yolks protects against the progress of early heart disease.

maple syrup (100%)

Maple syrup is an earthy, sweet tasting amber liquid that is produced by boiling down the sap of maple trees. Use organic 100% maple syrup which is a natural food sweetener, not a flavoured maple syrup. Pure maple syrup contains a decent amount of some minerals, especially manganese and zinc, some traces of potassium and calcium but it does contain a whole bunch of sugar. I try to reduced the amount of sweetness in each recipe to the lowest possible without compromising taste. Feel free to adjust to your liking. I use maple syrup in place of raw honey when I don't want the strong honey flavour coming through in a recipe. I have paleo cookies and desserts in my cookbook made from whole food ingredients with natural sugars but please don’t overindulge. Use as a treat only for special occasions.

vanilla extract (organic)

Use an organic vanilla extract (not an essence) or vanilla powder. Vanilla makes a big difference to the flavour of a recipe, I recommend keeping to the quantities I have stated in a recipe. I prefer Madagascar pure vanilla extract manufactured by ‘Simply Organic’ and for powder, Vanillamax 100% pure, finely ground Madagascar vanilla beans produced by Bulletproof.

almond meal/flour

The most favoured gluten/grain free flour substitute in my kitchen is almond meal. It is finely ground blanched almonds and is also known as almond flour. It has a slightly sweet flavour so you don’t have to add as much sweetener when baking with it. Almond meal/flour is rich in manganese which helps the body heal after injuries and also helps the body break down carbohydrates. Almond flour is also rich in magnesium, which can help control your blood sugar levels. It's rich in vitamin E and other antioxidants, which may help reduce the risk of serious health conditions like cancer, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. Almonds are also a good source of calcium.

All kinds of nuts can be ground down to make a meal and are excellent for raw cheesecake or pie bases. Nut meals/flours are best stored in airtight containers in the fridge or freezer to prevent them going rancid.

arrowroot flour

Arrowroot is a herb, the roots are cultivated for its starch properties. It is used in my recipes as a thickener and I also like combining it with almond meal to produce a much lighter texture, more like a gluten flour. I find the starch helps to bind the ingredients together. You can substitute tapioca flour, which is made from the dried roots of the cassava plant. Tapioca can be used in baking, it has a slightly sweet flavour. However, I do not recommend thickening with tapioca, as it has a stretchy, gummy texture. Supermarkets only sell in very small containers, which is not cost effective. Purchase from baking specialty stores, health food stores or online. ( When substituting for cornflour in recipes, 2 teaspoons arrowroot = 1 tablespoon cornflour/starch).

baking powder (gluten free)

Baking Powder is a rising agent for baked goods. If substituting for baking soda you will need 4 times the quantity. Ensure you purchase a gluten free, no aluminum brand. Alternatively, you can make your own baking powder; 1 teaspoon of baking powder is equal to 1⁄4 teaspoon of baking soda and 1⁄2 teaspoon of cream of tartar. Note, that they should only be combined when preparing your recipe.

cinnamon

I am sure you will notice as you read my recipes that cinnamon appears quite frequently. It lends itself to savoury and sweet dishes. I have used ground cinnamon in my recipes if not stated otherwise. The best cinnamon to use is Ceylon (Verum). It has huge health benefits in regulating blood sugar levels. Cinnamon has antifungal properties and candida (yeast overgrowth) cannot live in a cinnamon environment. Added to food it inhibits bacterial growth, making it a natural food preservative and these are just a few of the benefits.

sea salt

Organic unbleached, unrefined organic Celtic sea salt or pink Himalayan salt is my salt of choice as these contain healthy minerals and trace elements that our body needs. Regular table salt has been bleached, refined and processed leaving minimal health benefits. If you choose to use regular table salt in my recipes you will need to reduce the quantity or the end result will be to salty.

coconut oil

Coconut oil is one of the most nutritious fats to cook and bake with. Use organic extra-virgin coconut oil which is unrefined and unbleached from non GMO coconuts. Coconut oil has a high smoking point and it is slow to oxidize due to its high saturated fat content, thus, resistant to going rancid. Some studies suggest coconut oil helps with digestion, including irritable bowel, tummy bugs, candida and parasites due to this oil containing short term medium-chain saturated fatty acids (MCFAs), which is a healthy form of saturated fat.