Pancakes will always be my favourite weekend brunch dish. There is nothing better than a fluffy stack of vanilla pancakes on a lazy Sunday morning. I have created this recipe in collaboration with  Seasonal Berries to celebrate the British’s cherry season which is now in full bloom. If you guys have been following for a while you know how much I love cherries, they are literally nature’s candies! And what’s better than cherries? You guessed it, cherry and chocolate! The chocolate sauce take the whole dish on another new level especially with the addition of coconut yogurt.

For the cherry compote:

150 gr of fresh cherries pitted and cut in half

1 flat tablespoon of chia seeds

1 tablespoon of maple syrup

For the pancakes:

1 cup of flour of your choice – I have used gluten free flour from Dove’s farm

1 cup of soy milk

1/4 cup of apple puree

1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Toppings:

1 generous dollop of coconut yogurt

About 40 gr of good quality melted chocolate

½ cup of fresh cherries

Start by making the cherry compote:  Place the cherries in a pan with a splash of water on a medium heat. Cover with the lid and bring it to boil. Once the fruit start to bubble away turn the heat down to a simmer. Add the chia seeds and maple syrup. Cook the jam on a low heat for about 20-25 minutes until it becomes gloopy and thick. Don’t worry if it’s slightly runny when still hot, it will thicken up during cooling process.

To make the pancakes place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until everything is completely smooth and creamy. You should have quite a light and fluffy batter.

Heat up a no stick frying pan or add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil if needed. Spoon in large spoonfuls of pancake batter. Allow to cook on a medium heat for 5-6 minutes until golden brown, then flip and repeat on the other side. Repeat the process until all your pancakes are cooked.

To serve stack the pancakes on a plate and add a generous dollop of coconut yogurt, add some of the cherry compote, drizzle with the melted chocolate and serve with extra fresh cherries.