Hoecakes with Blueberry Lemon Compote
Hoecakes with Blueberry Lemon Compote- healthy cornmeal pancakes topped with a naturally sweetened wild blueberry and lemon compote. (vegan + gluten-free)
Mother’s Day is this weekend, in case you haven’t already been reminded by every retail store, commercial and random advertisement in the last 30 seconds. The media makes it hard for us to forget these things, right?
Well if you still happen to be struggling to think of what to get that special woman in your life, I have just the answer…FOOD. Specifically breakfast in bed. With pancakes. And maybe a mimosa. I can’t think of one woman that wouldn’t love that.
So speaking of mothers, today’s post is a special surprise for one of my dearest blogging friends who is going to be a brand new mama very soon. Izzy and I instantly connected over our love for food a few years ago. In fact, we’re kind of food twins in that we have very similar tastes. If you like the recipes you see here then you are going to love her blog. She is the truly one of kindest people and I know she is going to be an incredible mama to her new baby boy. To honor her in this exciting celebration, a few of us got together to throw her a virtual baby shower. Check out all of the delicious things on the menu!
*****************
Mini Phyllo Strawberry Brie Bites from Flavor the Moments
Veggie and Pesto Flatbread Pizza from Cook Nourish Bliss
GF Blackberry Greek Yogurt Cake from Whisk & Shout
Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Brownies from Foodie Loves Fitness
Paleo Tres Leches Cake from The Roasted Root
Rosemary Lemonade Popsicles from Vanilla and Bean
Roasted Cauliflower with Yogurt Sauce (Zahra) from Fox and Briar
Mini Berry Tarts (Paleo, Gluten Free & Vegan) from Bakerita
Healthy Potato Nachos from The Nourished Blog
******************
I can’t tell you how bad I wish we were celebrating this shower IRL. I want to eat everything! And meet all of these lovely ladies, of course. :)
I decided to make these Hoecakes with Blueberry Lemon Compote for the party because I thought the blue and yellow colors would be suiting for a boy. The recipe was inspired by the most amazing brunch that we had while we were in Portland at Harvest at the Bindery. They serve an entirely plant-based, southern-style brunch with classics like biscuits and gravy, grits, and hoecakes.
I know the term hoecakes might sound derogatory but it actually originates from field hands who cooked cornmeal cakes on their hoes. As in the garden tool. ;)
I had quite a few hoecake fails before I finally gave in and did some research to help me figure out how to make them vegan and gluten-free. Eventually I came across this recipe which sounded right up my alley. I was worried that the simple ingredient list was too good to be true but I made a few modifications and thankfully they came out perfect!
I’m going to say they’re probably my favorite vegan and gluten-free pancake yet. The texture is surprisingly light and fluffy. I don’t know, it’s a close call between these and the vegan oatmeal blender pancakes.
As you’ll see, the ingredient list calls for finely ground cornmeal and brown rice flour. You can also use medium-grind cornmeal but the texture will be somewhat gritty which might not be for everyone’s taste.
The compote sounds fancy but I promise it’s very easy to make. You just dump a bag of frozen wild blueberries in a sauce pan with lemon, ginger, and maple syrup then cook until the berries start to realize their juices. It is such a lovely combination with the cornmeal pancakes.
Whether you want to make a special weekend brunch at home or surprise a certain someone with breakfast in bed, I think these will definitely fit the bill.
Hoecakes with Blueberry Lemon Compote
Yield: 8 medium-size pancakes
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 20
Total Time: 30

Ingredients:
- 1 and 1/2 cups finely ground cornmeal* (preferably organic)
- 1/2 cup brown rice flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill organic brown rice flour)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 cups almond milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- Blueberry Lemon Compote
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the 1 and 1/2 cups cornmeal, 1/2 cup brown rice flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sift together and set aside.
In a large measuring cup (or a small bowl), combine 1 and 1/2 cups almond milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1/4 cup apple sauce then stir together. Add the wet mixture to the bowl with the dry and whisk together until a smooth batter forms. Warm a large skillet over medium-low heat.
Once the skillet is hot, lightly coat with high heat oil. Pour in about 1/3 cup of the batter at a time. Let it cook for about 3 minutes, until the batter begins to bubbles and the edges become firm. Flip it with a spatula and cook for another minute so that both sides are light golden brown. Serve pancakes warm with blueberry lemon compote and vegan butter or coconut whipped cream.
*I recommend using finely ground cornmeal (or corn flour) for this recipe. It will yield a softer, more desirable texture than medium-grind. Nutrition Facts are for 2 Pancakes with Blueberry Lemon Compote. You may have extra compote left over depending on how much you use. You can freeze it for later or use it as a topping for oatmeal or as a spread on toast. Yum.
Adapted from Girl Makes Food
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback!
Pingback: Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Brownies [vegan] - Foodie Loves Fitness
Pingback: Mini Phyllo Strawberry Brie Bites - Flavor the Moments
This recipe is exactly what I would want to wake up to on Mother’s Day….or any day! A little sweet, a little savory, a whole lotta yum!! And your pictures are gorgeous!!! Loving the new site design too….very clean and your photos really pop! Have a good rest of the week Sarah!! :)
Thank you so much, Melissa! I hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day with your boys! :)
I’ve never tried hoecakes, but oh my goodness! Cornmeal and blueberries? I’m there! I love the flavor combination and that compote is sublime! So fun celebrating Izzy and am happy to party with ya Sunshine! xo
I’m happy to party with you too, Traci! <3
I love the new design!! Everything looks so pretty. Plus, I just want to eat this compote with a spoon. I hope that’s acceptable!
Totally acceptable. ;)
I’ve been making blueberry cornbread lately and LOVE it, so hoecakes are next on the list — these look delicious! Thank you so much for putting this together for Izzy, and I wish we could all celebrate together. Congrats to Izzy, and I love your new site design Sarah — it’s just beautiful! I knew I was on the long Purr wait list for a reason. :)
That cornbread sounds amazing! I hope you’ll share it with us soon.
And yay for getting a new site design! You are going to love Lindsay. It will be well worth the wait. :)
Thank you for enlightening me on what hoecakes are. I honestly had no clue! ;)
I didn’t either until I ate them in Portland. I love the name though! :)
I didn’t realize hoecakes had a specific name, lol! I’ve just been calling them cornbread pancakes. I feel much more learned now. The recipe looks fantastic and that compote is making me drool! My mom would love this for Mother’s Day Brunch. It’s been lovely “showering” with you lady! ;) Thanks for rounding up everyone for Izzy’s celebration!
I think it’s more a southern slang than a specific name but I’m probably going to use it regularly now, lol. Thanks for being a part of the shower, love! I wish I could eat some of you tres leches for dessert tonight!
Pingback: Mini Berry Tarts (Paleo, Gluten Free + Vegan) - Bakerita
Yummm. This recipe is definitely calling my name for a spring breakfast! And your new site design is just absolutely lovely — so you!!
Thank you, Hillary! That means so much. :)
You are the absolute best, Sarah!!! I’m so happy that we connected a few years ago and I dream about the days we live close to each other and we can have potlucks every night! Thank you so much for awesome virtual baby shower! I wish it was IRL too, lol, because I want to eat all of these right now! I’m seriously thinking I need to make these this weekend! I can’t believe there is only about 8 weeks left until little boy is here!! XOXO! :)
Oh how I wish we could have potlucks! Hopefully one day! :)
I have to admit I had to come by just to see what a hoecake was. These look perfect lady!
Thanks Megan!
I love how simple these are, I can’t wait to make them. They remind me of something I would read about in Little House on the Prairie :)
Haha! I didn’t even think about that but now I can see the connection. ;)
Girl, this blueberry compote looks delicious! And I obviously could ALWAYS go for a few pancakes. I absolutely love making pancake fruit toppings like this – it tastes so decadent but is really healthy, which is totally my style! I don’t think I’ve ever made hoecakes, so I need to try this.
Thanks for putting together the baby shower, lady! I think that our menu sounds pretty amazing :)
You have to get on the hoecake train! ;)
Thank you for joining us for the shower! I agree the menu sounds incredible. I need some of those brownies!!
These + a mimosa would be the most perfect breakfast in bed! I’ve never had a hoecake before so these will be a must for me this weekend! And that sauce!
Bring on the hoecakes and the mimosas! ;)
Oh yes, I have been wanting to try hoecakes for awhile now and these look perfect! Pinning this! And I agree, any woman would be happy to wake up to this breakfast. So fun celebrating with you ladies for Izzy!
Thanks Meghan! So happy to have you join us! <3
Girl, I have been DREAMING of cornmeal pancakes recently! I have like four different kinds in my recipe notebook that I haven’t gotten to yet, but I need to start here. These look SO good! I SO wish we were all together IRL! <3
I so wish we were all celebrating in person too! But yay for virtual baby showers!! :) These hoecakes look awesomeee. I keep meaning to step up my weekend breakfast game … these would be a great place to start!
Confession: I had no idea what a hoecake was, but I’d happily eat an entire stack of them! Especially if blueberry compote was involved :D Also, I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve wished I could gather all my blog buddies in one place and hang out. Why do we all have to be so spread out?!?!
I know! I wish we could all live closer to one another. I’d be organizing potlucks every month and you would be bringing the desserts! ;)
These sound amazing! And what a cute way to throw a little virtual shower :)
Pingback: Where to Eat, Stay and Play in Portland, Oregon - Making Thyme for Health
Pingback: Healthy Coconut Lemon Cheesecake – Fearlessly Authentic
Pingback: Paleo Tres Leches Cake - The Roasted Root
Pingback: Mini Frozen Blueberry Lemon Cream Pies - Making Thyme for Health
How did you create the nutrition values of your pancakes. Id love to know. Anything tips you can share are much appreciated.
Hi Melek! I use this tool to estimate the nutritional facts: https://www.caloriecount.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php
Pingback: Roasted Cauliflower With Yogurt Sauce (Zahra) - Fox and Briar
Can you suggest a substitution for the apple sauce?
Made these this morning with medium grind cornmeal. I should have listened to your recommendation and used finely ground but despite that I still really liked these! I’ll make them again with the finely ground cornmeal. The ingredients are awesome!
It can be hard to fine finely ground cornmeal, unfortunately. But the texture is so much better than the medium grind. I bet they were kind of gritty, lol.
What brand cornmeal did you use for these? Would arrowhead mills work? Thanks!
That’s the brand I used! Just make sure it’s finely ground or the texture will be too gritty. :)
Pingback: Veggie and Pesto Flatbread Pizza - Cook Nourish Bliss