Grain-Free Sweet Potato Pancakes

I have never tasted sweet potato pie 😧 but if sweet potato pie was put into a pancake, I imagine this is what it would taste like. 

The batter for these pancakes is made of primarily mashed cooked sweet potato and egg. If you've ever made grain-free banana pancakes, you know what I'm talking about! The batter needs to be thinned out a little to make pancakes, so a bit of melted coconut oil and milk (whatever type you like) get stirred in. But then, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and a dash of salt are added -- this is where that pie flavor comes to life! These pancakes are grain-free, so expect the finish pancakes to be denser than traditional pancakes made with flour. 

Cook the pancakes on a well-greased non-stick griddle, and serve them warm. We topped them with butter, maple syrup and a dollop of whipped cream. (Yes, whipped cream is allowed at breakfast, and it really completes the sweet potato pie effect!) 😋

Perfect for the holiday season! 

Grain-Free Sweet Potato Pancakes

Published December 13, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Yield: 6 four-inch pancakes   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

---

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon melted coconut oil, plus more for cooking

1-2 teaspoon milk of choice

Optional: pinch of ground cloves

To serve: whipped cream, maple syrup, butter or coconut oil

Directions:

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine mashed sweet potato, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, melted oil, milk, and cloves if using. Stir with a spatula or electric mixer until smooth.
2. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat with 1-2 teaspoons of coconut oil. When the oil glistens, spoon batter into the pan by the 1/4 cup. This batter is thicker than traditional pancake batter, so use a spatula to spread it out to be about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, and then flip pancake and cook for 3-5 more minutes on the other side.
3. Move cooked pancake to a plate and repeat step two until all of the batter is used.
4. Serve warm topped with a pat of butter, dollop of whipped cream, and drizzle of maple syrup.

Grain-Free Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Mini Scones

Full body exhaustion. That is what I feel right now. This winter I've only been skiing twice, which means this Sunday -- a full day on the slopes, at 7°F, hit me hard. It was directly followed, and directly correlated with a craving for chocolate. Chocolate, treats, and all things delicious. (Hey, I deserved it, right? 😁Right.) 

That's why it was suuuuch a good thing that I had a double batch of these dainty scones waiting on the counter at home. Chocolate chip scones, to the rescue! That's one knight in shining armor I'll never deny... 😉

I usually don't think of grain-free baked goods as "light" or fluffy. Not at all. But these! That is exactly what they are. And tender, too. The texture? All thanks to the special bags of almond flour and coconut flour that arrived on my door step last week. 

When I first heard that the almond flour from Anthony's Goods was being called "pastry grade" I was a tad skeptical (I'm always a skeptic): how could they possibly get the flour soft and fine? Wouldn't it just turn to almond butter? But then... then I opened that first package. 

Sure enough, the flour was softer than any almond flour I've ever used. It was almost airy, but still fully of nutty flavor. As soon as I had laid eyes on that almond flour, I realized it was true -- a better almond flour was here! I greedily grabbed for the coconut flour to see if it too was a dream come true. Soft white, the coconut flour was a finer grind than any coconut flour I buy at my local grocer. That's when I knew I had to get baking, right away. 

These scones are simple, but they are soooo good. They're soft and buttery and full of chocolate chips -- what more could you want? Oh, and they're crispy on the corners too! Tea time anyone? Don't mind if I do!

Anthony's Goods provided me with product for this blog post, but the recipes and opinions are all my own. Working with brands to develop wholesome recipes is one way I keep Foraged Dish going! Anthony's Goods helps me stock the pantry and keep the blog going. I only work with brands that I truly enjoy and use.  

Grain-Free Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Mini Scones

Paleo, Primal, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

Serves: 16 mini scones   |    Total Time: 45 minutes

---

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons canned coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/4 cup browned butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a small pot, heat the butter over low heat. Allow the butter to melt, and watch it closely. After several minutes, it will begin to turn to a golden brown color (It will take some time before it starts to change color, but once the change starts, it will go quickly). Once the butter is rich golden color (but not burnt), remove it from the heat. Pour butter into a small heat-safe bowl and set it aside to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 325°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, salt, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, maple syrup, and egg. Carefully test the butter with your finger — if it is cool, add it to the mixture and which to combine (if it is still warm, wait until it is cool, otherwise you will end up with scrambled eggs).
3. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold the egg mixture into the dry ingredients until a dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Shape dough into two disk shapes, each about 1 inch thick. Place the disks on a cutting board and cut each one into 8 slices (the same way you would cut a pizza or pie). Move the triangle to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and place in oven. Bake for 15 minutes, until scones are golden on the top and edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Store in an air-tight container.

Grain-Free Brown Butter & Pear Coffee Cake

Let's start from the top with this one, because there is just soooo much to love.

First stop: Streusel. I'm a big streusel fan, and have been in quite the streusel mood lately. I've been finding all sorts of things to top with it -- even this banana bread with an added streusel layer. 😍Streusel is buttery, crunchy, sweet, -- what more could you want? I'm mad for it. 

Next stop? 🍐The pear and raisin filling. Perfectly ripe pears are a delight in any form, but in this cake they are both creamy and light, all in one bite. They're sweet, with a hint of floral flavor. The raisins add a bit of texture, and after being baked in this cozy cake, they soak up hints of vanilla, buttery flavor, and become even more delicious than before they were added into the cake. Together, they make this treat a perfectly delicious and light-enough-for-a-snack cake.

The last part--the cake batter itself- is the best of all. The real magic maker is the browned butter. Have you baked with brown butter? The first time you do it will change your life! Seriously-- once I discovered brown butter I never made cookies the same way again. Browned butter starts as just regular butter, but you cook it low and slow until it becomes a beautiful caramel color. Something happens when butter begins to brown, it goes from tasting like butter to tasting like caramel, butter, and so much more all in one bite. See what I mean? Life changing. Anyways, brown butter is what makes this soft-crumb almond flour cake so drool-worthy. 

If this is what fall tastes like, I'm happy with the seasons just standing still right here. 🍂

Grain-Free Brown Butter & Pear Coffee Cake

Paleo, Primal, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

Brown butter is the secret magic that makes this cake so good, but if you’re dairy-free, go ahead and try it with coconut oil or even ghee.

Serves: 8-12   |    Total Time: 60 minutes

---

Ingredients:

Cake:
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 3-4 tablespoons honey
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup coconut milk (canned)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 pears
• 1/3 cup raisins
Crumble Topping:
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1/3 cup almond flour
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350°F. In a small sauce pan, melt the butter for the cake over low heat. Continue to heat over low until butter turns golden in color and begins to smell of caramel. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, honey, coconut milk, vanilla, and once cool to touch the browned butter. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, folding until fully incorporated. Next, dice and seed the pears. Fold the pears, along with the raisins, fold into batter.
3. Spread the batter into a grease 9-inch cake pan.
4. Make the crumble topping: melt the butter, and stir in the coconut sugar, almond flour, and coconut flour. A course meal should form. Sprinkle over entire cake in even layer. Place in center wrack of oven and bake for 30 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.