These vegan pancakes are fluffy without eggs and contain no added sugar or soy. Banana adds flavor and tenderness!
Dr. John McDougall is one of my personal heroes. After I became a vegetarian in 1988, I dabbled in veganism off and on, trying to cut out dairy and eggs but never having lasting success. When I read John Robbins’ Diet for a New America, I became convinced that my cheese- and egg-heavy diet was hurting cows and chickens, but until I actually tried Dr. McDougall’s low-fat vegan diet, I didn’t realize that the way I had been eating was hurting me as well.
You’d think I would have guessed. After all, I’d become a vegetarian with the vague notion that I might lose some of the extra weight I’d been carrying around all my adult life, but after 6 years, I was heavier than ever. I really wanted to be a vegan, but, at a time when I couldn’t even buy soymilk locally, I didn’t know how. Then I discovered the internet (and it really was a discovery back then) where I found Dr. McDougall’s recipes and diet plan. I gave his program a try and never felt better; the energy and vitality I’d been missing came back and I was able to burn off the excess pounds.
Polenta with Black Beans and Mango Salsa from The Starch Solution
So I am forever indebted to Dr. McDougall. If I’d never found his program, I’m certain that now, in my 50’s, I’d be suffering from diabetes or heart disease or any number of lifestyle-related diseases; though my weight has crept up and down over the years, I’ve managed to keep my cholesterol and blood sugar numbers low thanks to the lessons I learned first from Dr. McDougall. So I’d like to pay him back, just a little, by introducing you to his and his wife Mary’s latest book, The Starch Solution: Eat the Foods You Love, Regain Your Health, and Lose the Weight for Good!
The Starch Solution is different from any other “diet” book I know of because rather than vilify starches, Dr. McDougall praises them and says that “starches are not only healthy, they’re comforting and filling.” He recommends that the bulk of your calories come from grains, legumes, and starchy vegetables. Like Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s Eat to Live, he eliminates added oils, but unlike Dr. Fuhrman (who limits starches), he also recommends cutting out high-fat whole foods such as nuts, seeds, coconut, and avocado while you are trying to lose weight. He cites a study showing that an ounce of nuts a day does not lead to weight gain but asks, “How likely are you to stop at one small handful?” (Looks like Dr. McDougall knows me well!)
Chocolate Brownies and Banana Ice Cream from The Starch Solution
The Starch Solution is not really a cookbook. Though it contains almost 100 of Mary McDougall’s healthy and delicious recipes, the recipe section is less than a third of the book. The majority of its pages are devoted to a thorough explanation of why Dr. McDougall believes in a starch-centered diet and to the success stories of many “Star McDougallers;” end-notes provide references for every point he makes. If you have a question about soy, the glycemic index, salt, sugar, or fat, Dr. McDougall’s answer is there, with scientific studies to back it up.
Because there was no room in the book for photos, the McDougalls contacted me after it was published and hired me to take publicity pictures of 6 of the dishes in the book. I was happy to have a chance to test the recipes, which, I have to tell you, were as flavorful and filling as they look in the photos. If you have a copy of the book, do try the recipes pictured on this page (the brownies and sugar-free ice cream were a big hit with my sugar-loving daughter and niece), as well as the Moroccan Red Lentil Soup, another big hit with my family. And if you don’t have the book, take a look at the McDougall website, where many of the recipes can be found in the newsletter archives. The McDougalls win high marks in my book for always offering the details of the diet plan as well as thousands of recipes online, for free.
One last word: If you’re having trouble following Eat to Live or any other diet that restricts starches, give The Starch Solution a try. I’m a firm believer that, when it comes to weight loss, there’s no “one diet fits all,” and you may find that increasing the amount of starch you eat actually helps you stick with it. One thing’s for sure, the recipes are winners!
Fluffy Vegan Pancakes!
My family loved these banana-infused pancakes, which contain no added sugar. I loaded them up with fresh blueberries and raspberries for a fresh and festive breakfast that we all enjoyed.
McDougall's Fluffy Pancakes
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
- 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (or whole-wheat pastry flour)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- dash of salt
- 1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 to 3 bananas)
- 1 cup soy milk or rice milk
- 1/2 cup sparkling water
- 1 tablespoon Sunsweet Lighter Bake (see note below)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup fresh blueberries (optional)
Instructions
- Mix together the whole-wheat and all-purpose flours, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In another medium bowl, whisk the Egg Replacer with 1/4 cup warm water until frothy. Add the bananas, mixing well. Add the soy milk, sparkling water, Lighter Bake, and lemon juice until well mixed. Stir the banana mixture into the dry ingredients just until combined. Gently stir in the blueberries, if you are using them.
- Heat a nonstick griddle over medium heat. When it is hot, ladle pancakes onto the griddle, using 1/4 cup per pancake, allowing space for them to spread. When bubbles form on the surface, use a spatula to flip them over. Cook until lightly browned. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
(Full disclosure: Though I was hired to take publicity photos of recipes from this book, I was not asked to write this post or compensated for doing so. This post does, however, contain Amazon affiliate links. When you buy something through them, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for supporting this site!)
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Stacy
January 24, 2016 at 12:49 amPerhaps I can shed some light on this discussion. I work in ICU. Sometimes cvicu which is open heart as a Travel Nurse. My parents both died miserably of heart disease. My younger sis just sustained yet another heart attack. Her believing that coconut oil is safe and me saying no it is NOT has cost her dearly. Now half her heart is beating. This oil is 87% saturated. It plugged her up.
People please listen to the McDougalls. They are trying to help you. My 🎂 Birthday was Jan. 22nd. My sis is a year younger and is walking around with 8 stents. My parents and she smoked,I never did. Her triglycerides checked at the Hospital were 1000! I have no idea how high her cholesterol was but I’m sure it was over 300. She’s on medication for all sorts of issues and Diabetes too.
What I see is a list of foods to eat and foods to avoid. Fats are a must if you’re starving to death. We are overfed with fat and this creates all kinds of artery clogging events and then you see the cardiac cath table ir possibly an emergency Open Hesrt procedure. Just understand that I enjoy a good piece of fish,steak,etc.,too.
Today is Jan. 23rd. My Mom died Jan.23,2009. My Dad died at age 61 on Dec.12,1988. My Sis had a very severe antero-lateral wall myocardial infarction and is blocked at 40% to her left main where you cannot stent it. A heavy user of coconut everything. Her Cardiologist has no idea she was heavily using this for popping popcorn,cooking eggs and using it instead of olive oil emwhich would have done less damage though she didn’t need it at all.
So I’m scared. So much that as of tomorrow I will give up all animal products and do a very severe switch to my own diet. I know that I am stronger than the other 3 of my family members st age 57 but I need to pay attention and drop my weight and let my cholesterol drop to normal and totally focused on taking care of myself. I see a lot of young people from their late 20’s forward with terrible blockages and heart attacks my age and younger. Decide to listen and learn. You don’t need to listen to stupidity like fats are for your brain. You need to eat healthy foods ,stay active and keep your cholesterol and triglycerides from plaquing your arteries so you don’t ever visit nice people like me who you’d rather not under those conditions.
I have a friend who visits friends at a BBQ. She makes home made bean burgers. She uses non-stick foil and pokes holes in it to get a little smoky essence as well as fresh vegetables and potatoes. Where there is a will there is a way.
madinahrose
September 11, 2016 at 9:43 amStacy, I am so sorry for your losses. I have been a somewhat McDougaller for decades. I’ve always been slender which made it even harder for me to commit. I was somewhat convinced but I also wanted to believe others who criticized him. I gave up meat, cut down on cheese, never was much of a milk drinker, but had to have milk in my tea which I drank constantly. I believed that fish was good for you. I read McDougall’s Stars and made rationalizations. I thought I was in relative good health. Years passed and after my fourth child, I developed hypertension. I went back to McDougall’s stars and tried to find somewhat who was similar to me. Most of them solved their problems after they started losing weight. By this time I knew that I had to really commit. I began to have vague chest pain and shortness of breath and my doctor sent me to a cardiologist. Everything checked out fine and that didn’t help. My cholesterol was creeping up and I couldn’t understand why. By this time I had cut the little cheese that I was consuming. I used fat free half in half in coffee and tea and I loved to snack on dry roasted unsalted nuts. I still couldn’t figure it out until I started following Dr. Michael Greger, Dr Esselstyn and very recently Dr Jamie Dulaney. The last two are plant based, board certified cardiologists.
Opinion is like a nose, everyone has one. Now I only listen to those who can show results and can show credible research to support what they advocate. I have not had any chest pain since I’ve decreased severely the oil and completely cut out all dairy and of course my occasional baked tuna and salmon. My only problem now is my weight. I’ve lost weight and am even more slender than I was.
Hadn’t planned to go on for so long. I hope someone can benefit from my story. Good luck to you. Although the journey is not all smooth, the destination is worth it.
madinahrose
September 11, 2016 at 9:50 amForgot to add, that I could not have done this without Susan. I just didn’t care for a lot of the vegan/plant-based recipes out there. When I found Susan, as a Southerner who loved good food, I knew she was the one for me to help me with food preparation.
Thanks Susan for taking some of the brambles out of the path/journey.
Me
January 9, 2020 at 12:10 pmDr. Esselstyn can REVERSE OUR HEART DISEASE! 😀
CJ
September 19, 2020 at 7:01 amTrue…..his daughter Jane and wife Ann have a YouTube channel that is videos recipes and informational videos. They post about 1 a week and have being doing this for years. They helped me 5 years ago. I found out I had high cholesterol diabetes and overall was very unhealthy. I asked my doctor if she would let me change my eating habits and redo my blood work in 3 months and if it was still bad then I would go on medication. Well 3 months passed, I lost 40 pounds and seriously my levels were just about PERFECT! Yeah! Since then I’ve helped my 79 year old diabetic with kidney disease mom. She’s no longer diabetic and her kidney disease went from stage 3 down to stage 1. I love eating and cooking more than I ever did growing SO THANKS TO ALL BLOGGERS & VLOGGERS that help use create whole food plant based meals and who EDUCATE us about this eating lifestyle. After ALL that’s what it is….its not a diet.
Regina
August 3, 2016 at 2:13 pmI hope i can eat as clean as i can. Im dieing slowly
Kim
November 20, 2016 at 10:22 amTo stay gluten-free I used buckwheat flour and a gluten free baking blend. I also omitted the egg replacer and Sunsweet Lighter Bake. My batter was a bit thick, so I simply added more carbonated water. They turned out great… and easier to make!
Leah.Sm
May 9, 2017 at 6:58 amI’m going to buy and read this book immediately! Can’t wait to start reading!
Michelle
July 17, 2017 at 3:37 amGreat recipe. I will try to do this at home 🙂 can’t wait!
William S
December 2, 2017 at 7:37 amFor thin people looking to say on the McDougall Plan for ethical and health reasons, is some fats and oil ok?
Susan Voisin
December 2, 2017 at 10:43 amMcDougall never recommends any oil at all, but nuts, seeds, and avocado are allowed, and you should be able to keep your weight up eating them.
Blissfullotus
December 21, 2021 at 8:47 amYes I second that, there are alot of great recipes out there that use a lot of nuts and dates, coconut, avocado.., you won’t find a lot of them in starch solution but I would venture to say most people are trying to lose and if you are trying to maintain or gain I don’t see why it would hurt to eat more nuts etc.
In the past I’ve made dishes where I blended coconut to make coconut milk for a curry or soup, or even blend cashews with water to pour into a soup to make it creamy. Also nuts, chia, hemp seeds, flax meal, dates, you can pile these into your oatmeal and add plenty of plant milk and maple syrup.
Avocado sushi with tons of avocado ( you can even just hand roll it), I also used to eat plates of that. Or I would scoop avocado onto everything as a condiment , have avocado toast… in my experience you will not get fat doing this.., but may be able to maintain or even gain if you eat enough and aren’t like training for a marathon or something.,.You are lucky , you can just eat yo your hearts content and you don’t have to eat half a plate of veggies with every single meal, you can have one pot rice and veggie meals etc… enjoy your problem 🙂
Heather
November 29, 2020 at 12:47 pmI love this recipe but can you tell me what a ‘serving’ is? The nutritional information is not clear.
Susan Voisin
November 29, 2020 at 2:17 pmIt makes about 12 pancakes, and a serving is 1 pancake.
Blissfullotus
December 21, 2021 at 8:40 amI’m so happy I found this site! Have been eating this way and trying not to get bored with the same recipes…
One question I have is… I have a bird and cannot use nonstick cookware (or aluminum foil.) so for pancakes I haven’t figured out yet how to make them well. I might try the air fryer on parchment paper. I did try baking some but they just don’t brown properly so I may have to try and tweak my method…any advice? Plus, tbh I have in the past had nonstick cookware that would stick anyway , without oil, unless it was brand new.
Thanks everyone and thank you fatfreevegan!!