coconut tres leches pancakes + CAKE

Where oh where to start with this post??

Are you intrigued by the title? Specifically with the word, “cake?” You thought you were just getting pancakes today but little did you know this is a double recipe post.

But you will soon learn there is really only 1 recipe with 2 different outcomes. Like a 2 for 1 deal. Only better.

It all starts with the milk, or milk-s to be exact.

THREE milks! Hence the whole “tres” thing. You know…uno, dos, tres… And if you didn’t already get it, “leches” means milk.

Now that we’re all up to speed on “tres leches,” I put a little spin on the milks that are traditionally used.

Alton Brown uses sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and half + half. I’ve also seen heavy cream instead of the half + half.

Instead, I thought coconut would add a nice twist. So, I decided to use 2 types of coconut milk and homemade almond milk.

The three milks are not only smothered over the pancakes but they are also mixed IN the pancake batter, making these the most amazing pancakes I have ever had in my whole entire life.

I kid you not. I wouldn’t joke about such a thing. Especially on a Friday.

If you are not a huge coconut fan, don’t worry. The coconut flavor from coconut milk is very mild. It’s much less intense than coconut oil or flaked coconut. But if you absolutely despise coconut, I have an idea for you which I mention in the recipe notes. Be on the lookout!

So the idea with tres leches cake is that you bake it, poke a bunch of holes into it, and then pour the milks overtop and let them soak in. This worked swimmingly with pancakes as well.

Stack.

Poke.

Drench!

Here’s a little close up of the drench part.

Oh, and again.

And just incase you needed further convincing.

The resulting pancake is perfectly tender + fluffy with a golden brown exterior.

Gluten-free or not, you need these in your life. This weekend and forever. The milk topping is the most incredible addition to pancakes. It’s lightly sweetened with maple syrup which means you can dredge the entire stack and not go into sugar shock. However, if sugar shock is your thing you can definitely pour more maple syrup overtop.

I’m not your pancake boss.

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Coconut Tres Leches Pancakes

gluten-free, dairy free // yields 6-8, 5-inch pancakes

inspired by: coconut tres leches cupcakesadapted from: cinnamon roll pancakes

for the pancakes:

• 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour
• 1/2 cup sweet rice flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, optional
• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar, sucanat or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup lite canned coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tablespoons full-fat canned coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil, melted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• coconut oil to grease the pan

for the tres leches topping:

• 5 tablespoons full-fat canned coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon lite canned coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1. Whisk all ingredients in a bowl until combined. Let sit at room temp to thicken and whisk again before serving.

*Be sure to always thoroughly whisk/blend canned coconut milk [lite and full fat] before adding them to a recipe. They typically are quite separated in the can, especially the full-fat version.

1. Mix all of the dry pancake ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Whisk the eggs until fully combined + fluffy, about 20-30 seconds, then whisk in the rest of the wet ingredients until fully combined.
3. Combine the wet with the dry and whisk/stir until just combined.
4. Let the batter sit for about 10 minutes without disturbing.
5. Heat a griddle or large pan over medium and grease with coconut oil [or butter].
6. Scoop approximately 1/4 cup scoops of batter in the pan and lightly swirl around with a spatula or spoon to about 5” wide. For thinner pancakes, add 2 tablespoons more milk to the batter and gently stir until just incorporated.
7. Let cook 2-3 minutes until you see the top filled with bubbles. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Do not press down after flipping. Avoid overcrowding the pan and adjust heat as needed so the pancakes are fully cooked.
8. Stack pancakes and poke with a wooden skewer or toothpick and pour desired amount of tres leches topping overtop. Let soak in for a minute then serve. Top with extra maple syrup if desired and unsweetened shredded coconut.

Tips:

• To keep the pancakes warm while others are cooking place on a baking sheet in a single layer with the oven preheated to 200* F.
• If you absolutely hate coconut, leave out the shredded coconut and sub heavy whipping cream instead of full-fat coconut milk, half & half for the lite canned coconut milk, and 2% milk for the almond milk.

And now for the mysterious cake I mentioned earlier.

So here’s the deal. This batter can be poured in an 8-inch cake pan and turned into CAKE.

PANCAKE CAKE. Cake that tastes like pancakes!

You don’t have to change 1 single thing with the recipe. And the best part is that this cake has only 2 tablespoons of sugar, making it the most suitable breakfast cake to ever live. The cake alone tastes just barely sweet [like pancakes without syrup], but once you pour the tres leches mixture overtop it adds the perfect finishing touch. You get a hint of maple syrup + natural sweetness and rich flavor from the coconut milks.

Tres Leches Pancake-Cake gluten-free, dairy free // yields 1, 8-inch round cake

1. Preheat oven to 350* F.
2. Thoroughly grease an 8-inch round cake pan [or use a cupcake pan with liners].
3. Mix batter as directed for pancakes.
4. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 24-28 minutes until light golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.
5. Let cool, loosen the edges with a knife, and carefully turn out onto a plate.
6. Poke holes over the top of the cake and pour the tres leches mixture overtop.
7. Let soak in for 10 minutes then serve. Add more maple syrup if desired.

*Serve with coconut whipped cream on the side for an extra special treat! If you want to serve this warm, heat on a baking sheet in the oven at 200* F until warm to the touch. Be careful not to leave it in too long. Then proceed with steps 6 + 7.

The cake would be fantastic if you’re making breakfast or brunch for a crowd. You won’t have to stand at the stove flipping pancakes but everyone can still get that pancakey-comfort!

Happy weekend!

Ashley

Other recipes pancake-cake would work with: cinnamon roll pancakes, red velvet pancakes, pumpkin spice pancakes

no-bake walnut “cookie” bars with homemade chocolate

I’m becoming a bit of a walnut fanatic.  They’ve always been a favorite nut of mine.  However, for some reason they always seem to just kind of sit in the jar I have them stored in.  I’ll take a handful here or there but not really do much with them in the kitchen.  But now I’m trying to give the almighty almond the back seat for awhile and showcase this buttery-rich, funky-shaped nut!

No-Bake Walnut "Cookie" Bars with Homemade Chocolate [2 ways!] // edible perspective

If you’re not a huge walnut fan maybe you will like them a little more with homemade chocolate drizzled overtop?  No chocolate chips here, just a few simple ingredients.

No-Bake Walnut "Cookie" Bars with Homemade Chocolate [2 ways!] // edible perspective

And while you may be thinking that this looks like another recipes for faux-Larabars, I assure you these are different.  I suppose the texture is somewhat the same but this recipe is not packed with dates.  Definitely much more cookie tasting, but with a soft + chewy texture. 

Besides the walnuts, I’ve also stuffed more Omega-3 goodness inside with ground flax.  The flavor of flax doesn’t bother me at all, but I know not everyone is a fan.  The good news is you cannot taste it in this recipe!  So I say, why not add it in?

No-Bake Walnut "Cookie" Bars with Homemade Chocolate [2 ways!] // edible perspective

I made two versions just for fun and loved them both.  One has oats for a bit of a heartier texture and oatmeal-cookie taste.  The other is completely grain-free.  There are also two recipes for making the homemade chocolate.

Double win!

No-Bake Walnut "Cookie" Bars with Homemade Chocolate [2 ways!] // edible perspective

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adapted from: Vanilla Walnut Shortbread, via Shutterbean

chocolate topping inspired by: No-Bake Layer Bars, via (never home)maker

No-Bake Walnut “Cookie” Bars

gluten-free, grain-free, vegan option // yields 1, 8x8 pan of bars

• 2 cups raw walnuts
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup ground flax meal
• 1/4 cup raw honey, or brown rice syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 + 1/16 teaspoon almond extract

*The almond extract really helps give these a cookie-like flavor, just be careful not to add more than the specified amount!  It’s quite potent!

1. Place all ingredients [adding honey last] in your large food processor and process for 30 seconds – 1 minute, depending on how smooth you want your bars.  The dough should easily stick together when pressed between your fingers. [Refer to photo 1.]  The longer you process the oilier they will become.
2. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper and place the dough inside.  Press firmly with your hands until you’ve evenly filled the pan, then place another sheet of parchment overtop and smooth out the surface with your hands.  Or, you can also form into balls and then flatten into a circular cookie-shape.  Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet before freezing.
3. Freeze for about 30 minutes, then remove the parchment from the pan and cut into 2x2-inch bars. 
4. Keep individually wrapped in plastic-wrap and store in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 weeks [possibly longer].

notes: I like a heartier/crunchier texture that is less oily, so I process on the shorter side.  However, the photos in this post show what they look like if you process for closer to 1 minute.  If your bars have become too oily feel free to stir in shredded coconut or partially-ground rolled oats to thicken them up.  Do not wrap the bars in foil.

No-Bake Walnut “Cookie” Oat Bars

gluten-free, vegan option // yields 1, 8x8 pan of bars

• 2 cups raw walnuts
• 3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
• 1/4 cup ground flax meal
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup raw honey, or brown rice syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 + 1/16 teaspoon almond extract

1. Follow the same directions as above using this ingredient list.  Again, note that the longer you process the bars the oilier they will become.  Press into bars in a pan or roll into balls and flatten into circular cookies.  Best kept stored in the fridge.

Homemade Chocolate[maple sweetened] gluten-free, vegan // yields ~1/4 cup

• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil, melted
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Stir all ingredients together until smooth.
2. Let sit on the counter until starting to thicken a bit but still pourable.
3. Drip or spread over the chilled bars [pre-cutting works best] and then freeze the bars for another 15 – 30 minutes.  Cut bars, wrap individually, and keep stored in the fridge.

*Chocolate softens easily around 70* F.  Best if kept in the fridge until just before eating.

Homemade Chocolate[powdered sugar sweetened] gluten-free, vegan // yields ~1/3 cup

• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar*
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil, melted
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Follow the same directions as above.

*This chocolate recipe is a bit sturdier and won’t melt quite as easily.

To make powdered sugar at home:

1. Blend 1c sucanat, coconut sugar, or pure cane sugar in a blender, with 1T arrowroot starch [or cornstarch] until soft and powdered.  The starch prevents the powdered sugar from caking + helps to thicken when making glazes.  Store in a sealed jar.  *Note that using sucanat or coconut sugar will lend a deep, caramel flavor to the recipe.

No-Bake Walnut "Cookie" Bars with Homemade Chocolate [2 ways!] // edible perspective

Enjoy the weekend and hopefully a homemade treat or two!

Ashley