Pannukakku (grain free)
My graduate school years in the U.P. included an introduction to a lot of new-to-me foods, most of them of Finnish origin. Pannukakku was one of my favorite Keewenaw breakfasts–warm, puffy, and custard-like, this baked pancake is a perfect way to start your day during the cold days of winter. Traditional recipes call for a good amount of flour and sugar (up to a cup of each), so I worked on this version until I had the texture I wanted using coconut flour and arrowroot. This is lightly sweetened with maple syrup, but you can omit that (or increase it, if you like it sweeter) and it will still work well. Harrison dubbed this “Paleo-kakku,” which I thought was a great name. With warmed berries on top, it makes an excellent weekend breakfast.
In the recipe you will note that I call for “light” canned coconut milk. I have started having a few cans of this on hand for recipes that require a more pour-able liquid than is offered by full-fat coconut milk. Essentially anything that needs to be whisked seems to come together better when I use the light version. If you only have full-fat on hand it will still work well, you will just need to stir the liquids and solids together really well before you measure. The “shake well” method suggested on the cans has never worked for me, so I always end up stirring it up.
Pannukakku (grain free)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter or ghee
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup light coconut milk (canned)
- 8 eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (grade B is best for flavor)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the butter in a 9 by 13 inch baking pan and place it in the oven to let it melt.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the coconut flour, arrowroot, and salt. Whisk in the coconut milk until there are no lumps of starch. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla, and maple syrup.
- Remove the hot pan from the oven and pour the batter onto the hot butter (pour slowly to avoid splatters of hot butter). Return the pan to the hot oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges have puffed up and the center is set. Serve right away, topped with warmed berries, if desired.
The edges will fall a bit as it cools, and it is best served right out of the oven. I find that I prefer to eat any leftovers cold, rather than reheated, as it tends to get a little rubbery in the reheating process. However, leftovers are rare, so this isn’t a huge problem. I think you will like this.
Thanks for reading,