Cacao, Oat & Chickpea Flapjacks with Vanilla Coconut Cream

Makes: 6 flapjacks

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Fluffy, scrumptious and quick high-protein vegan and gluten-free flapjacks.

If you’re new here, you may not know that I love chickpeas a lot! I love them because they’re delicious, versatile and packed with goodness. I use a combo of gluten-free oat flour and chickpea flour in lots of my baking – it’s a marriage made in heaven.

Oats are super nutritious and packed with fibre, vitamins and minerals. They’re high in magnesium, zinc and iron. Plus they support heart health, assist blood sugar levels and aid digestion.

Chickpeas are my absolute favourite, they’re so versatile for both savoury and sweet dishes. They also have some incredible nutritional benefits. Chickpeas are a great source of fibre and protein, packed with vitamins and minerals, filled with iron, zinc and phosphorus as well as B Vitamins. They improve digestion, aid weight management, assist gut health, support blood sugar levels and can protect against chronic illnesses. They are also PH balancing and have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties too. Man, I love these little guys!

Let’s cook ☺

Ingredients

Coconut, oat and chickpea flapjacks

• 1 + ¾ cup oat flour (gluten-free oats ground into flour)

• ¼ cup chickpea flour

• 1 cup plant-based milk (almond/oat/organic soy – I love using refined sugar-free chocolate plant milk for extra indulgence)

• 4 tbsp raw cacao powder

• 1 chia ‘egg’ (1 tbsp ground chia seeds with 3 tbsp filtered water)

• 2 tbsp coconut sugar

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (with ‘the Mother’)

• A handful of refined sugar-free dark chocolate chips (optional)

• Pinch of cinnamon

• Pinch of pink Himalayan salt

Cashew Coconut Cream Sauce

• 1 cup of coconut cream

• ½ cup cashew nuts, soaked overnight or for at least 4 hours

• 3-4 tbsp pure maple syrup

• ½ vanilla pod or ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

• Pinch of pink Himalayan salt

Method

Coconut, oat and chickpea flapjacks

1. In a glass or cup mix the ground chia seeds and water together, allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. Combine the oat flour, chickpea flour, cacao powder, coconut sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a bowl. Mix well. Add the baking soda and the apple cider vinegar directly on top, it will foam and make the flapjacks fluffy. Mix together and add the maple syrup. Slowly add the plant-based milk until you reach your desired consistency. Fold in the chia ‘egg’ and the dark chocolate chips. Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat, scoop just over ¼ cup of mixture per flapjack and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side. You can turn the heat to low depending on your stove’s heat. You want them to heat through and cook evenly. Flip over and cook for a few more minutes. Serve with your favourite toppings. The flapjacks aren’t very sweet so if you aren’t making the vanilla coconut cream, I would suggest adding a bit more coconut sugar and/or maple syrup to the flapjack mix. I like to serve them with vanilla coco cream, sliced bananas and a sprinkle of raw cacao nibs for extra crunch.

2. If you live in South Africa – get your hands on some Orbs (chocolate covered chickpeas) from Cheaky Co and crush some on top for extra indulgence!

Cashew Coconut Cream Sauce

1. Place everything into the blender and blend until smooth.

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Special thanks to photographer, Samantha Lowe, and food-stylist, Christi Wasserman.

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With love,

Mira