"Fig Newton" Pizza-Pancake with Maple Banana Tofu Soft Serve

Figs - let's talk about them. Many of us in the United States have never even SEEN figs in our local grocery stores due to their fleeting season and short shelf life - only specialty health food stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's carry them fresh. Until I lived in London for a few months, I have only ever had dried figs!! My life became complete when I found them fresh in London (ok, not REALLY, but they are AMAZING).

Figs have soft, smooth skin with a sweet, jammy, honey-flavored flesh. The crunchy seeds give this fruit a unique texture compared to many other fruits.

Figs are packed with antioxidants and can be cooked many different ways. I love them raw in yogurt, on top of oatmeal or pancakes, on salads and even roasted!!

Get yourself some figs while you can!! :)


Gluten free, dairy free, nut free

Serves 1 - Recipe adapted from here


For the Fig Newton filling, you will need:

• 4 fresh, ripe figs
• 3 dried figs, soaked in warm water for 5-10 minutes would also work
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• splash milk of choice

Fig Newton Filling Directions:

Chop the figs into small pieces and place them, the cinnamon and milk in a small food processor. Process until it reaches a smooth texture. You'll have to scrape down the sides a few times to make sure all the figs are incorporated. If you're using fresh figs, you can also mash the mixture with a fork after processing to make it even more smooth.

Put the filling in a plastic bag and place in your refrigerator. 

For the Maca-Cinnamon Pancake, you will need:

• 2 tbsp millet flour
• 2 tbsp buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp maca powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp granulated sweetener of choice (stevia, coconut sugar, etc)
• 1 tbsp ground golden flax seed + 3 tbsp water
• 4 tbsp plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
• if using plain, add 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup (any kind will work)

Pancake Directions:

Heat a pan over medium and melt a little coconut oil.

In a bowl , form your flax egg by combining the flax and water. Set aside for about 5 minutes until it reaches a gel-like consistency. 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the millet and buckwheat flour, maca powder, cinnamon, baking powder and sweetener until combined, then set aside.

Once the flax egg is formed, add the Greek yogurt, vanilla if you're using it, and milk. Whisk until smooth. Pour this into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir to combine. If the batter seems too thick, add more milk until you get a pourable but still fairly thick batter. 

Remove the Fig Newton filling from the fridge and cut a small corner off the bag.

Pour the batter onto the pan, then turn down the heat to medium-low. Quickly swirl the filling onto the pancake.

Let it cook for about 5-7 minutes, until the edges are browned and you see bubbles on the top. Carefully flip the pancake (recruit a helper if needed so the pancake doesn't break) and cook until both sides are golden brown.

For the Maple Banana Tofu Soft Serve, you will need:

• 1 ripe, frozen sliced banana
• 3-4 ounces soft tofu
• 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in your food processor and process until smooth. This makes quite a bit of soft serve, and I used one scoop for my breakfast. Feel free to freeze or refrigerate the leftovers for later :)