Chocolate Orange

Chocolate and orange…it’s not something I would straight up opt for when it comes to a chocolate bar. I like my chocolate dark, plain, cold and crisp straight from the freezer!!

With an extra long weekend… of course I had to make the most of Tuesday morning in the kitchen and whip myself up another epic plate of pancakes. The peach and blackberry almond pancakes were so incredible last week I had to make another variation using the perfect batter mix.

Chocolate and orange though not the first bar of chocolate I’d opt for is still a fantastic combination and one which I hadn’t had in quite some time…no better occasion!

I incorporated orange zest in the pancake batter along with a heaped tablespoon of cocoa powder, topped off with juicy orange segments, chocolate sunflower butter (yes I went there!), a sprinkling of coconut and pistachios and they were more than good to go (aside from a last minute drizzle of maple syrup for a hit of sweetness).

The pancakes were as delicious as the ones that went before and I was delighted I went with the not so natural breakfast combination. With my first jar of sunflower butter at hand I decided to mix it up with a little cocoa powder for an extra chocolate hit.

Of course I did consider whipping up a batch of my chocolate sauce but I was in the mood for ultimate decadence, nor did I have any sort of patience post workout for any sort of extra effort even though it would have only taken a few extra minutes. Hunger was getting the better of me and I need pancakes pronto!

Luckily I had the foresight to make up the batter before hitting the gym. I find the consistency gets even better and easier to work with if you make it a bit in advance anyway…win win!

Flavoured chocolate….yay or nay? If yay what’s your favourite combo?

I’m yet to try this wondrous combination…cherry chilli!

Chocolate Orange Pancakes

 Print this easy peasy recipe

Servings – 1

Preparation Time – 5 minutes

Cooking Time – 8 –10 minutes

Ingredients

Batter

• 50g (1/4 cup + 1 tbsp) chickpea flour
• 1 tbsp Dutch unprocessed cocoa powder
• 1 small banana
• 125ml (1/2 cup) almond milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1 – 2 heaped tsp orange zest (I went with two!)

Toppings

• 1/2 tbsp pistachio nuts
• 1 tsp desiccated coconut
• 1 tbsp sunflower butter
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
• Maple syrup to drizzle
• 1 cup Mandarin/Satsuma segments

Directions

Batter

• Blend together all pancake batter ingredients in a food processor or using a hand blender until smooth.
• Set to one side for 5-10 minutes.

Toppings

• Whisk together maple, sunflower butter and cocoa powder and set to one side.
• Place orange segments in a pot over a low heat to warm through while the pancakes cook (optional).

Pancakes

• Place 1/3 cup measures (1/3 of the batter) in to non stick pan. Cook pancakes for 3-4 minutes on each side. When bubbles form and the edges start to look a little more solid its time to flip them!
• Serve pancakes topped with warm or chilled orange segments, dollops of chocolate cocoa sunflower butter,  sprinkle with coconut and roughly chopped pistachios. Drizzle with a little maple syrup (optional).

Tagged as: banana, chickpea flour, chocolate, orange, pancakes, vegan, vegetarian