cinnamon roll pancakes

Can I beg you to do something?

It involves this recipe.

And it involves you making it.

Pretty please can you make it?  I promise it will be worth your time and investment in 75 different flours.  Okay, really, there are just three.  Whether you are gluten-free or not these need to be made. Right away. Maybe Tuesday morning?  That seems like the perfect time.

Growing up, our typical Christmas breakfast scene were the jumbo Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, a giant batch of cheesy scrambled eggs, and fruit.  It’s been quite a number of years since I’ve had a Pillsbury roll, but I always find myself craving something cinnamony Christmas morning.  I think it’s the way cinnamon can fill a house.  It’s a comforting sort of smell.  But then again, I eat about 1 tablespoon of cinnamon every.single.day. so maybe it’s just me. 

Jars, spoons, bowls, cinnamon.  I have weird obsessions but they could be worse.

I had a little—okay, a lot—of fun with the toppings.  They’re not your typical butter + maple syrup toppings. 

A little sprinkle + a little snow.

And if you’re still not convinced, maybe this will help:

• no yeast, no rising, no rolling
• the kid in you can make fun swirly designs with the glaze
• or, your kids can make fun swirly designs with the glaze
• they are sweet but not overly so
• they are soft + fluffy + moist, yes, moist
• you can mix the dry ingredients the night before so you’re 1 step closer
• sprinkles.

Print this!

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

gluten-free // yields about 8, 5” pancakes or 2 servings // adapted from pumpkin spice pancakes

for the filling:

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

for the pancakes:

• 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour
• 1/2 cup sweet rice flour
• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, or 1-2%
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• butter/oil to grease the pan

for the glaze:

• 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Mix the “filling” ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
2. Mix all of the dry pancake ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Whisk the wet pancake ingredients together in another bowl, until fully combined.
4. Combine the wet with the dry and stir with a large wooden spoon until just combined.
5. Gently fold in the “filling” mixture.
6. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes without disturbing.
7. While the batter is resting, beat the glaze ingredients together until fully smooth and creamy.  Scoop into a small sealable bag, seal, and set aside.  Or, store in the fridge until ready to use.
8. Heat a griddle or large pan over medium and grease with oil or butter.
9. Scoop approximately 1/4 cup scoops of batter in the pan and swirl around with a spatula or spoon to about 5” wide.  For thinner pancakes, add 1-2 tablespoons more milk to the batter and gently stir until just incorporated.
10. Let cook 2-3 minutes until you see the top filled with bubbles.  Then flip and cook another 2-3 minutes until golden brown.  Avoid overcrowding the pan and adjust heat as needed so the pancakes are fully cooked.
11. After cooking all of the pancakes cut a tiny hole in the bag and squeeze the glaze over the pancakes anyway you like. 
12. Top with sprinkles, powdered sugar, butter, or maple syrup if desired.

notes: For a spreadable glaze, add 1 tablespoon at a time of milk or cream until desired consistency has been reached.  If you don’t have brown sugar or want to make your own it’s extremely simple!  If you want to keep you pancakes hot, preheat your oven to 200-250*F and place an oven-safe wire rack on a baking sheet.  Place each pancake on the wire rack as they finish cooking.

homemade brown sugar:

• 1/2 cup pure cane sugar
• 1-1 1/2 teaspoons molasses

1. Mix together with a fork or hand mixer until fully combined.  Add more molasses for a deeper flavor.  The amount will vary slightly depending on what type of molasses you’re using.

Whether you’re celebrating anything next week or not, I hope you have a little time off to enjoy a homemade breakfast.  It’s my absolute favorite.

A few other breakfast ideas:

• double banana, banana bread French toast [gf]
• pumpkin spice pancakes [gf]
• baked pumpkin French toast [vegan]
• cinnamon sugar baked French toast [gf + vegan option] – made this for Christmas last year!

Ashley

…………

Thanks to all who participated in the Gifts in Jars fun!  Here is the recap from your submissions.  It was so fun receiving your emails and seeing the photos pop up on instagram.  Everything looks deeelicious!

Laura – Chocolate Peppermint Syrup

Heather – Mocha almond butter + bourbon truffles

Katie – Candied almonds + walnuts and spiced pecans

Nicole + Lauren – Almond Butter – a different flavor for each family member

Amy - Vanilla Spiked Apple Butter

Brandi – Nut clusters

popped amaranth cereal {gifts in jars}

CEREAL IN A JAR!!!!

Sorry for yelling, but seriously, this is awesome.

Well, it’s awesome if you like cereal.  Or, if your friends like cereal. 

Throughout the years my love for cereal has only grown.  Especially since realizing I could make my own at home, and that I could eat giant bowlfuls of it with all my favorite mix-ins and way less sugary junk. 

Popped amaranth is a definite breakfast favorite and besides the delicious factor, it’s shockingly filling.  The nutrition stats are quite impressive, too.  I have way too much fun coming up with new mix-in ideas and fun cereal sauces to pour overtop.

I’ve had a few questions about the labels that I’ve been making and apologize there is no tutorial for them.  I just make them quickly in Photoshop with different fonts and colors.  The snowflake graphic came from a free brush tool that I downloaded the other day.

A little Chanukah + Christmas cheer!

There are a few different ways you can go about gifting this.

One would be to mix the popped amaranth with spices and/or cocoa powder and a  little sugar.  You can also add in mix-ins like chopped nuts, dried fruit, shredded coconut, or even chocolate chips!

Why did I just think of the chocolate chip idea at 10pm?

Today we have:

Cinnamon Almond Raisin

and

Cocoa Pecan

Both are lightly sweetened with coconut sugar but brown sugar, sucanat, pure cane sugar, etc. work as well.  Although, when I make a bowl at home I typically drizzle a little honey on top instead. 

If you can’t find amaranth or haven’t had luck getting it to pop, an easy solution would be to buy a bag of puffed millet.  A large bag costs under $2 around here.  I haven’t tried popping millet yet, but I know it’s also possible (along with quinoa).

It took me about 10 minutes to pop numerous batches of amaranth, which was totally worth it.

And, guess what??  Many of you have asked in the past about the lifespan after popping.  Well, I ended up forgetting about a jar of it I had in the fridge for about 2 months.  I found it the other week and gave it a go.  It was perfect!

So, I recommend keeping the jar in the fridge and it will last at least 2 months.  Be sure to let it fully cool after popping before sealing it in a jar to avoid moisture + sogginess.  I haven’t tested how long it lasts stored in the pantry in a sealed jar, but if anyone else has feel free to weigh in in the comments.

This is a really fun breakfast to have with kids [although they might not be so excited to receive a jar of it..ha] because they can make up their own personalized bowl of cereal! 

Putting the toppings on the bottom of the jar will ensure they end up on top when it’s poured out. 

Print this!

How to: Popped Amaranth slightly edited from this post

[nutrition data info]

[1/4 cup raw = ~1 1/2 cup popped]

• raw amaranth

1. Heat a small/medium pot over med-high/high heat.
2. Test if the pot is hot enough by adding a drop of water.  If it instantly balls up and dances around the pot you’re good to go.
3. Once hot, add in 1-2T raw amaranth, then cover with a lid and quickly shimmy/slide the pot back and forth just above the burner.  If your heat is set correctly it should start popping within 1-3 seconds and finish within 10-15 seconds.  It burns very quickly!
4. Just as the amaranth pops are slowing empty it into a bowl.
5. Replace the pan back on the burner to heat back up for 15-30 seconds.
6. Repeat the popping process until desired amount has been reached.
7. Let cool in the bowl.
8. Add toppings, milk, cereal sauce, nut butter, nuts, yogurt, etc.

Tips:

• Wear oven mitts!  The heat gets intense when you’re making multiple batches. 
• I recommend 1-2 Tbsp of raw amaranth in the pot.  You want a thin layer across the bottom.
• It’s crucial that your pot is fully heated.
• If you don’t cover the pot amaranth will pop everywhere.
• If the amaranth doesn’t start popping within 3 seconds your pan is not hot enough.
• Dump the amaranth into the bowl just as the popping is slowing down.  If you wait until it’s completely stopped it will burn.
• If the amaranth instantly burns your heat is too hot.
• If you’re using an electric burner you may have to slide the pot back and forth on the burner and not above it.
• If you let the popped grain fully cool you can store it in a sealed container in the fridge for at least a few weeks.

Popped Amaranth in Jars

Cinnamon Almond Raisin [serves 1]

• 1, 12oz jar + lid
• 1 cup popped amaranth
• 2 teaspoons coconut sugar [optional]
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons raisins
• 2 tablespoons chopped raw almonds

1. Stir the amaranth, sugar, and cinnamon together in a bowl.  Some will settle to the bottom.
2. Place the raisins and almonds in a clean, 12oz jar.
3. Spoon the amaranth mixture into the jar.
4. Secure with the lid and eat within a week or keep in the fridge for at least 2 months.

Cocoa Pecan [serves 1]

• 1, 12oz jar + lid
• 1 cup popped amaranth
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2-3 teaspoons coconut sugar [optional]
• 1/4 cup chopped raw pecans

1. Stir the amaranth, cocoa, and sugar together in a bowl. Some will settle to the bottom.
2. Place the pecans in a clean, 12oz jar.
3. Spoon the amaranth mixture into the jar.
4. Secure with the lid and eat within a week or keep in the fridge for at least 2 months.

*Popped amaranth has a nutty, slightly earthy flavor with no sweetness at all.  It’s kind of like eating teeny tiny pieces of plain popcorn.  So, mix-ins are recommended for flavor + sweetness.  Banana is a favorite topping of mine to add, and I also love using unsweetened vanilla almond milk on top.

An easy addition to this gift would be to pair it with a fun new cereal bowl and spoon! 

But let’s not get me started on bowls.  They probably excite me more than jars!

More things in jars next week!

Enjoy the weekend and the last few night of Chanukah, if you celebrate!

Ashley

If you want to share a gift in a jar that you’re making this year, please feel free to do so! Either tweet orinstagram the photo to @edibleASH with the hashtag: #giftsinjars  Or, email the photo and your name to at: edibleperspective AT gmail DOT com