Growing up, I made pancakes every Sunday morning with my dad. This is a vegan version of the recipe we always used. While that tradition has become less frequent since then, I still make them often, with many different flavor variations. Pancake making is an acquired skill, but a few tips will set pancake beginners in the right direction:

1. Flip your pancakes when the batter starts to bubble and the bubbles remain, but don’t wait until they all remain or they will be too brown.

2. Lower temperature, longer cooking time. A high temperature will result in browned pancakes on the outside, but they’ll be underdone on the inside.

3. There are no limitations on pancakes add-ins! Try all kinds of berries, dried fruits, nuts, or chocolate chips. Dried cranberry chocolate chip is really good!

Pancake Ingredients:

Makes 8-12 pancakes, depending on size

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or more white flour)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• some salt
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 2/3 cups soy milk
• 1 tablespoon margarine

Preparation:

1. Combine all dry ingredients, stir with a whisk.
2.  Make a well in the middle and add applesauce, vanilla, and soy milk. Stir until almost combined.
3.  Preheat your pans (non-stick or cast iron) over medium heat, rub some margarine on one of the pans and melt the rest in the other. Pour melted margarine into the pancake batter and stir until combined.
4.  Drop by large spoonfuls or pour batter onto the pan and flip when bubbles start to form. Don’t let them turn too brown if you want them to look colorful, but don’t undercook. Repeat and eat!